As the Pages Turn

by Goombasa

Prologue: Cover Art

The full moon was hidden behind dozens of clouds. Luna hated the fact that such a wonderful night had to be consumed by clouds, but the Canterlot gardens did need their rain and she had promised her sister to tonight would be an acceptable night for a gentle drizzle.
But she hadn’t expected to outdo herself! Every star in the sky was perfectly placed and was twinkling harder than ever before. The moon itself was providing the most amazing luminescent glow she could have hoped for. It was a night for romance! A night for lovers! But no... According to the weather schedule it was merely a night for rain. She took a brief walk about the balcony just as the first drops began to fall and she gave a courteous wave to the weather ponies who were starting the drizzle. They gave an equally courteous wave in return before disappearing amongst the black clouds obscuring the night sky.
With yet another sigh of disappointment, the princess of the night turned her head back towards her bedroom, walking in just as the downpour began. She closed windowed door and took another glance outside, only able to see darkness and the raindrops that slithered down the glass panes. The gentle pitter-patter they made as they finished their descent was a comforting sound, but not one that she had wanted to hear right now. As she walked into her room, mulling over the time she has spent in the cozy little chamber since she’d returned from the moon, she gave a soft sigh. It had been nearly six months since Twilight’s coronation, and yet even such a joyous event like that had been enough to coax her out into the open for very long.
She felt bad. Celestia had prompted her many a time to go out and actually try walking about in the daylight, or during the night, outside of ponies’ dreams. She still had yet to venture far beyond the castle. The few times she had done so, she couldn’t help but feel herself being intimidated by what she saw around her. She grew shy, quiet, almost frightened. Even the time she’d spent in Ponyville for the annual Nightmare Night celebration had been touch and go at first, and while she’d enjoyed her time there, it was one fleeting moment, and at the end of the night she still felt herself more of an outsider than anything else. She sighed, placing a hoof upon her bed. “So much to catch up on still,” she mumbled. “Still, I have the rest of time to do so. I suppose it won’t be too big a problem if I just... relaxed for a while longer.”
She closed her eyes and hopped up onto the soft, plush sheets that covered her bed, laying herself down, her head falling against a pillow for a moment. It was far too early for her to be going to sleep and she knew this. She’d brought the night, and there wasn’t exactly any diplomatic matters that required a princess’ touch at this time of night. Normally, she would go dream hopping, but the weather, coupled with a sense of apathy and boredom did little but make her sleepy.
She rolled over onto her side, blinking when she saw her bedside table. Someone had left a large can on the stand. Tilting her head, she levitated it towards her and peered at the label. “Hmm? Caramel corn?” she mused, sitting up. It had been a while since she’d had herself something sweet to eat. Unlike Celestia, she didn’t have much of a sweet tooth, and so there were long stretches of time where sugary snacks weren’t on her mind. Still, if somepony had gone through the trouble of leaving this can for her... well, maybe a little treat would indeed cheer her up. Smiling, she began to twist the cap open. “Oh, I do hope it has a fruity tang to it,” she mused as the top began to slide off.
She was greeted with a loud springing sound as several neon-colored snakes jumped from the can, a few bopping her in her nose. She squeaked and gave a sudden surprised yelp, falling backwards, tumbling off of her bed and onto the cold, hard marble floor below. She winced as her back impacted the surface and she rolled herself over, rubbing her head in confusion and pain. “Ow... ah...” she let out a hiss and carefully pulled herself up to her legs, flicking her mane to the side before levitating the can and one of the snakes up to her face, squinting as she looked them over. “What is...”
A little titter echoed through her room and she let out an agitated growl, tossing the prank can to the side. “Discord, that was not appreciated!”
“Oh come now, Luna, don't take it that way. You just seemed like you could use a bit of excitement in your dull, drab existence for a moment.”
She frowned, tapping her forehoof against the ground, looking around the room, attempting to pinpoint the trickster’s location. “Your brand of excitement is certainly not what I need. Now, kindly remove yourself from my chambers before I have to remove you physically.”
The ancient Draconiquus chuckled, his head slithering up out of a vase sitting upon her shelf, pushing aside several lovely flowers. His mismatched horns had taken on the form of a rose and a daisy respectively, though they quickly morphed back to their original shape as he pushed his way out of the vase. “Oh Luna, please don’t tell me you’re becoming as stuffy and dull as your sister.”
“That stuffy and dull sister of mine is kindly giving you lodging here in Canterlot, well against my personal recommendation, I may remind you.”
“Yes, yes, I’m well aware of the suggestions you made concerning where I would stay after my, hehe, reformation.” He shined his talon against his chest. “And while I do admit, seeing Tartarus firsthand might have been quite an experience, I’m not too keen on a place that’s so hot and doesn’t have a tanning bed.”
“All the same, your little jokes are not welcome here, especially tonight.”
“Oh please, I wish you and your sister would just grow a sense of humor already.”
“And I wish you would just mature or something!”
He snorted. “All the same, I do think that the barrier around the castle is a tad harsh, don’t you?”
“You brought it on yourself, Discord. Celestia and I promised that we would lower the barrier when you could prove that you could be trusted again. A reformed pony wouldn’t transform a trail of party balloons into a flying snake!”
“Now I think that's a bit unfair,” the chaotic spirit said. “After all, you're speaking for every pony now. How do you know that I was the only one who wanted to spice up that boring party.”
“Boring?” she huffed. “You nearly scared the delegates from the griffon kingdom to death! You could have caused an international incident!”
“I dunno, the kids seemed to enjoy it.”He casually examined his lion paw for a moment, his expression growing bored.
“Just refrain from these silly pranks of yours,” she said, waving a dismissive hoof at him. “I am in no mood for your eccentricities today.”
“You don't seem to be in the mood for much of anything,” he observed, floating down near her. “So what has my favorite moon princess so blue?”he asked, grinning at his own little joke.
She huffed, tossing her mane to the side and moving to the door. “If I am going to discuss this with anyone, I will discuss it with my sister.”
“Oh why must you always give me the cold shoulder?” he asked. She didn't even bother looking back at him, knowing he'd come up with some sort of cheap visual pun with his own words. She just trotted out through the door.
“I'll expect you out of my room by the time I return,” she announced, with a good bit more authority than she felt at the moment. “If you're still here, I'm going to pluck the moon from the sky and shove it up your-”
“I get it,” he said, cutting her off. “No need to get nasty. Now go off and do whatever it is you need to, miss moody moon.” He chuckled. “If you need me, I'll be around, of course.”
She rolled her eyes, not even dignifying his words with a response. Right now, she just wanted a normal conversation with sister.

Celestia had never been much of a night owl. It wasn't that she required much sleeping for herself, but the night brought back unpleasant memories for her. Even with her sister back by her side where she belonged, the guilt of her actions a millennium ago still weighed heavily upon her mind. Even without the mare in the moon looking down upon her, a midnight stroll did little more than cause a pang in her chest. As such, she was loathe to remain for the night long after the moon had been risen. Tonight was different though. Tonight, the sky was obscured by the rainclouds, and the taunting glare of the moon did not haunt her.
But why did it do so? She should not feel this way. Her sister was back. She'd made the night shine more radiantly, more pleasantly, more powerfully than Celestia had ever done during the blue mare's absence, and while she'd forgiven her sister for her actions that fateful time long ago, and Luna seemed willing to forget the past herself, Celestia still found it hard to let go of the measures she'd had to employ.
A thousand years. Why such a long time?
Her ear twitched as the door to the audience room she was in was pushed open. She banished her thoughts from her mind and set the documents she'd been scanning to the side. “Luna?” she asked, smiling at her sister warmly.
“I'm glad to see you are still awake,” the younger alicorn greeted, smiling at her.
“Indeed I am,” she said, standing and trotting over to meet her halfway across the room. “But is something bothering you? You normally don't journey to my quarters at this time.”
“I could say the same for you,” she said. “You're normally in bed just after the sun has been set for the night.”
The white alicorn gave a shrug of her wings. “I just thought that I might as well get a bit more work done before I turn in.”
“What have you been working on, if I might ask?”
She gave a sigh and levitated a stack of documents. “I've been in contact with the Gryphon Kingdom for a while now. Relations along the border are beginning to sour. They seem to be under the impression that the local croplands are overlapping the borders.”
Luna couldn't help but let out a small giggle. “Even one-thousand years haven't changed how stuffy they can be.” She gave a sigh. “I suppose time doesn't change everything.”
The older alicorn's eyes flashed with guilt for the briefest moment and she set a wing on her shoulder. “Yes, but what it has changed, I truly believe it has changed for the better.”
The dark blue pony offered her a sincere smile. “Indeed.”
Celestia chuckled. “Come, I received another friendship report from Twilight just before dinner. I think you might enjoy it. It seems her friends had another run-in with the hydra down at Froggy-Bottom Bog.”
“Oh dear, I hope everyone there is all right.”
“From the tone of her letter, I think it's safe to say the damage was minimal, aside from a few jangled nerves.”She began to levitate a letter up off of her desk. “Take a look for yourself.”
Before Luna could look the report over, there was a loud rap at the door. Celestia sighed and nodded towards it. “Who's there?”
“Forgive me for disturbing you, your majesty,” came the reply. “But we have a guest who is requesting the presence of both of you. It seems to be some sort of peddler, and I've tried to tell him that the daily court is closed, but he's very adamant that he has a few items that you both might be interested in.”
Celestia tilted her head. This was rather odd, though not unheard of. She'd been beset by prospective salesmen and inventors for years, and it wasn't uncommon to come across plenty of eccentric ponies who wished to talk to her and her sister about whatever struck their fancy. She gave a light shrug. “Shall we go and indulge him?” she offered.
“If you feel you can, sister.” Luna gave a comical grin. “After all, it is past your bedtime.”
The two of them giggled as they headed out of Celestia's private study, making their way down the hall towards the audience hall, or as some of the subjects preferred to call it, their throne room. That was a bit of a misnomer, as there were no thrones there, and neither of the sisters enjoyed sitting above those they were talking with. As they entered, they were greeted by the sight of a coat-covered unicorn, wearing a ridiculously oversized hat that covered his horn. Celestia could only guess that the strange outfit was worn mostly for shock value. If he caught somepony's eye, then he had a potential customer. He turned to the two of them and bowed deep, with quite a flourish. “Ah, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, exalted leaders of Equestria. It is this humble pony's deepest and most sincere pleasure to finally lay mine eyes upon your radiance.
Celestia's brow raised slightly, though she couldn't help but smile at his theatrics. He certainly did try hard at flattery. Her sister, however, was less impressed. “Good sir,” she said. “The moon has been risen for a few hours now, and my sister needs her rest. Now, we have agreed to see your wares,” here she looked over his shoulder to the large cart of books resting just behind him, “But I would prefer to keep this as brief and professional as possible.”
“Of course.” He stepped away. “I assure you that I would not have bothered either of you if I didn't think my wares were of the common variety. I have traveled long and far, across many of the lands bordering Equestria to discover only the finest writing, of both the ilk of fiction and non-fiction.” He tapped one particularly old tome, it's leather exterior expertly reworked and doctored to make it look as good as new again. “I dare say,” he continued, “I think I might even have a few here that survived from before your reign.”
That perked Celestia's interest. “From before the chaos wars?” she queried.
“It's certainly possible.” He stepped to the side. “But enough of my blather. Please, my ladies, take your time.”
The two alicorns glanced at one another before they approached the cart and began to sift through the aged tomes. Celestia nodded at each one she passed over. He had not been lying about their age, or their quality. Many of them were first editions of books that had been written centuries ago, but sadly many of them she had read before, or had copies of somewhere else, and as she was not a collector of such things, she didn't see the need for a second copy. 'Twilight would have such a field day if she were here right now,' she mused. 'In fact, she'd probably buy the entire cart without bothering to look it over first.' The thought brought a smile to her lips as she plucked a particularly worn book from its place and looked it over.
Luna, for her part, saw little that interested her either. She'd already had enough trouble attempting to keep up with the trends tied to modern day writing, she had no time to go back centuries and try to catch up with everything else she'd missed.
“Do you see anything you're interested in?” the peddler asked after a few minutes.
Celestia looked to him, setting the book she'd been looking over down. “You do indeed have quite a selection,” she said. “But I'm afraid there doesn't seem to be anything here I haven't already read for myself.”
“I don't see much to interest my palette either,” Luna said, giving her wings a shrug. “You do have some interesting stories here, but I don't think it's anything I would curl up with before I go to sleep.”
He shrugged. “Alas, that is the risk one takes as a peddler.” He grinned. “But I see that neither of you found what is probably the rarest book in my collection. So rare that I do believe you two will be the first I have shown it too.”
Celestia looked him over. “Oh? Why is that?”
“Well, such a book should only be shown to those who would truly appreciate it after all, and I seriously doubt that even you, dear princess, have seen the likes of it before.”
That got the white alicorn's attention. “Really now?” she asked with a playful smile. “Certainly a bold claim to make to one as old as I am.”
“Oh come now, you don't look a day over twenty,” he complimented, walking to the cart and began to remove some books from the bottom shelf. “Now, let's see, where did I leave it.”
“Not very organized for one with such rare items, now is he?” Luna commented under her breath. Celestia gave her a nudge and a quick glance, letting her know to avoid being rude.
The pegasus levitated a few more books out of the way. “Ah, here it is. Sorry for the wait.” He smiled and pulled a huge parcel out from behind the books, levitating it up into the air, surrounded by a deep red aura. “You wouldn't believe the kinds of things that led me to discovering this particular book.”He grinned and began to undo the string securing the sheet to it.
“How old is it compared to the others here?”Luna asked.
“If I had to guess,” he mused, tapping his chin with his hoof, “I'd say around nine-hundred and fifty years, give or take a month or two.”
Celestia tilted her head. “Quite a specific guess,” she said.
“Well, you might say I feel very... connected with this particular book.” The string dropped away and with it so did the sheet protecting it. “I'm sure you'll feel the same way, Celestia.”
Before Celestia could ask why, the string and the sheet fell away from the book, revealing a large, well-worn tome. It's leather-bound exterior was scuffed and marred by the passage of time, making it appear as if its cover was more formed of a snake's scales than the tanned hide one would have expected. However, despite it's age, the title, written in fine golden embroidery in flowery prose was just as bright and legible as though it had been printed yesterday.
It read, “THE MANIFESTO.”
Luna frowned at the book and looked towards her sister. “Celestia, what is that thing?” she asked. But her sister was not listening. Her eyes were locked on the book, her normally calm and even expression replaced with one of utter shock, bordering on horror.
“How did you get this?” she asked, her voice dropping down to a threatening hiss.
“Hmm?” he asked, smiling, reaching up with a hoof as he set the book to the side. “This book? It's something I've always kept near and dear to me.” He pulled the hat on his head away, revealing the whole of his face. His tan coat was marred with speckles of grey and his white mane was messy and matted, looking like it hadn't seen the better end of a brush in years. But the most disturbing feature was his horn. It was disturbing in that he didn't have one. There was a base of a horn, to be sure, but about a third of the way up, it was just... broken. It wasn't even like it had been sawed off or carefully removed, it was as though someone had just gripped it and then snapped it off. “After all, you made sure I had plenty of time with that book, didn't you Celestia?”
“Purple Prose,” she said, her eyes narrowing.
“You remember me,” he said, holding his head up. “I feel so special.”
Luna bowed her head forward, tensing, her foreleg scratching at the ground. “Sister, who is this man?”
“Ah, yes, you wouldn't know me, would you?”Prose stated, grinning at her, showing off a row of teeth that looked far to sharp to belong to any pony. “I didn't start making a name for myself until long after you were banished to the moon, and since I got back I was most displeased to see that Celestia had taken great pains to keep me out of the history books.”
Celestia's horn glowed, the golden aura radiating out from it. “And you'll remain out of them after what you tried to do, monster.”
“You should have been proud,” he said with a frown. “I did something your precious Twilight Sparkle was able to do, after all. I created new magic, five hundred years before she did. Where was my crown? My recognition?” His frown morphed into a threatening snarl. “Where was my reward?”
“You chose to use the magic you made to harm others. You sought nothing less than taking a land of your own by force. I won't give you the second chance.” She stomped her hoof down. “You're going back to where you were, monster!”She aimed her horn and fired off a beam at him.
Quick as lightning, Purple Prose levitated another book off of the shelf and forced it opened. It was a copy of “The Iron Shield,” a children's novel about an unbreakable shield used by a great hero to beat back a hoard of rampaging dragons. As the book opened, held in the deep purple grip of the unicorn's magic, the shield materialized from its pages, the golden beam bouncing off of it, flying off and destroying a nearby column. The smoke and debris was cleared with a quick wave of Celestia's wings. “How?” she growled. “Your horn was destroyed in our last encounter. Even levitation should be stressful for you. Using your magic should be impossible.”
“Nothing is impossible, Celestia, and I would have thought that after a millennia, you would have realized that.” he trotted to the side of his books, eyes shifting from the angry sun monarch to her younger sister, who looked confused, but no less determined to show him the door. “After all, I got out of that 'unbreakable' spell of yours, didn't I?” He laughed. “You seem to have the worst luck when it comes to keeping beings like me sedated permanently. Your sister comes back as Nightmare Moon. Discord breaks loose. King Sombra returned with his empire.”
“How do you know all this?” Luna demanded. “If you were around five hundred years ago, how are you so up to date? And how are you even alive?”
“My my, Celestia really DIDN'T tell you anything, did she, Lulu?” He chuckled as the pet name made her eyes narrow. “She imprisoned me in this,” he said, lifting up The Manifesto again. “For over five hundred years after our confrontation, I've been living between its pages, within its world, and now, after all that time, I have finally forced myself back here, and I plan on finishing what I started. And I will start by visiting upon you, the same punishment you did on me.” He opened the pages of the manifesto and it began to glow eerily with the same dark purple as the crippled unicorn's magic aura. Celestia attempted to destroy the book, firing another beam of bright light at it, but the spell merely bounced away from the book. Luna made a move to try and stop him, but her sister pushed her away.
“Stay back!” she ordered. “I won't have you dragged into this conflict!” She glowered at Prose and tried to fire again. He kept the shield he had summoned in front of him.
“I could play all night, but I'm afraid I have an agenda to keep. Our engagement ends here, sorry to say. The story may have just started, but you aren't part of it.” He reared up on his hind legs and slammed down hard, the book taking on a powerful, black outline, crackling with dangerous dark magic.
Luna's eyes widened, recognizing that kind of magic. She'd seen Sombra using such a thing back when she had assist in deposing him, and had even experienced its allure during her time as Nightmare Moon. She shuddered at the memory. “Sister! Move!”she shouted.
But it was too late. The spell was cast and dozens of dark tendrils slid outwards, whipping towards Celestia before she could ready a counter-spell. They wrapped around her, gripping her hooves, her wings, and her neck, constricting her and pulling her taught. Prose smirked as Celestia was dragged towards the book. “It's funny, isn't it, Celestia? Remember how easily you defeated me during our first encounter? Much to my embarrassment, I didn't give you the fight you deserved. But now, look at me. I can assure you, my time within that tome was not wasted.”With a small flourish of his hoof, he closed the book hosting his shield and tossed it to the side. “I am not the same colt who you banished so long ago.”A magical aura began to shine around his nonexistent horn and started to leak down over his entire body, bathing it in the incandescent glow as he fed more and more power into the tendrils holding the sun monarch. “And now, after so long, I think that it might be best if I visited a little tit-for-tat upon you.”He grinned. “What was it you said to me when I was shoved down into the spine of that tome the first time? Something about an eye for an eye, was it not?”
“I will not stand by while you threaten my sister!” Luna shouted, aiming her horn at the tendrils, letting loose a volley of magical bolts, attempting to sever the tentacles holding Celestia in place. As powerful as her magic was, they were dispelled before they could even reach the monarch. Celestia, her eyes wide with fright, writhed against them to no avail, unable to cast a spell due to being unable to concentrate. The tendril around her neck gave a harsh squeeze as she tried to shout out for help. Luna snarled and did it for her, firing off another spell. “Guards!” she shouted, as her magic was once again turned away. “Stop him!”
The room was instantly flooded by dozens of armored unicorns and pegasi, from both the solar and lunar guards. Horns flared, and wings flapped as they encircled the rogue unicorn. He glanced from side to side and smiled. “Hmhmhm, very cute. I have your princess in a vice grip, and neither her, nor her precious little sister's magic works against me and yet you hope that quantity will work when quality failed?” He shook his head as several dozen different magical auras pulsed around him. “Tsk, tsk. It would seem that things have changed for the worst while I was away.” He closed his eyes and his own aura began to balloon out from his body, enveloping everything around him. The guards attempted to back away, but soon they were as encased in it as Celestia was. Luna grimaced as it began to wash over her. The feeling of it washing over her skin made her sick. It felt like being encased in a box of earthworms, the magic wriggling all over her. She tried to pull away, tried to banish it with her own magic, but her power was nullified within his own field. How was this possible, she wondered. He was just a unicorn, a unicorn with a broken horn. He shouldn't have been able to command even a fraction of the power he was demonstrating now.
And yet, here and now, he was. And they were all at his mercy. He smirked, drawing Celestia closer to him, levitating the Manifesto up, opening it to the very center page. “It's time for you to suffer as I have, Celestia. But since your sister was nice enough to bring all these ponies to our side,” he motioned to all the guards around them, “I offer you a boon you didn't give to me. You won't be alone within the Manifesto.” He gave her a toothy grin. “You'll have all the servants you could want... and of course, your dear sister.”His eyes flashed dangerously and the entire room seemed to explode as his aura fluxed. The flash covered the entire room. And then, as soon as the world went white, it went black right afterwards.

Luna shuddered, fearful to open her eyes. She'd shielded them to prevent herself from going blind during the flash of magic, but she had expected something far more traumatizing to accompany the spell. Pain, deliriousness, perhaps even loss of consciousness. But there was nothing. It felt as though she were still standing there, untouched by his magic.
It appeared that was exactly what had happened. “Hmm,” she heard the sinuous unicorn muse, “Interesting. I'm certain you were incased in my magic as well, princess of the night. Add to it, your defenses were as low as everyone else's. So then, how was it that you were not affected as they were?”
Luna chanced opening her eyes and glancing around. Indeed, she was still there, as though he hadn't even cast a spell. However, the meeting hall was now far quieter, and much more empty than before. Her eyes drifted over the place. Nothing remained in the hall save for herself, Purple Prose, and his cart. “Where is my sister?” she growled, taking up a fighting stance once again. Her horn glowed with her signature dark blue aura as she geared up another spell, determined to make this one connect.
The wolfish grin on Purple Prose's face never wavered. “She's safe, little Luna,” he said, like a father assuring a filly that the doctor's needle would be a momentary discomfort. He levitated Manifesto in front of him again. It pulsed with a new, terrible energy. “She and the guards are in here, occupying the same prison I had called home until only a few short years ago.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What are you?” she demanded. “And why do you go on about that book being your prison? What transpired between you and Celestia all those years ago?”
“That,” he said, holding his head up in a haughty manner, “Is a most interesting tale, but one that I'm not interested in retelling. Suffice it to say that she and I did not see eye to eye, and when she got the opportunity, I found myself shoved deep down into my life's work. This, of course, was after she made sure I wouldn't be a threat, even outside of the book.” He raised a hoof to his shattered horn, caressing the jagged stump.”
“Liar!” she accused, her magic flaring as she let her temper get the best of her, slamming her hoof down against the marble tiles below her. “My sister would never have harmed you in such a way if it could be avoided. You brought it upon yourself!”
His eyes narrowed. “That doesn't matter now, does it?” he asked. “I am free and she's where she belongs, safely tucked somewhere between the covers of this lovely tome.” He chuckled. “Have you ever read this thing? It's quite interesting, some of the most well thought out ideas wrapped up in a fictional tale I've seen in my life.” He shrugged. “That being said, I'm afraid that I'll need you to join her. You understand, I'm sure. Whatever stopped my magic the first time, it won't work twice.” His aura began to flare up once again.
Luna's eyes narrowed as well and prepared herself to counter him. “I underestimated you before,” she admitted, her own horn glowing with the power of the moon. “But this time, you aren't going to get another cheap shot.”
“You're right,” he said with a nod, books flying towards him, all of them opening and flipping from page to page, the covers facing Luna. “So I'll just have to show you that it wasn't luck that allowed me to deal with your sister.”His grin grew wider and Luna actually shrank back. That wasn't just an empty, cocky grin. His expression was one of total confidence, his eyes shimmering with absolute belief that he was the better pony. “It's a pity, I was looking forward to perhaps talking with you after your sister had been disposed of, but it would seem that your loyalty to her regime is much stronger now than it was back when you wore the mantle of Nightmare Moon.”
Luna let out a snort and slammed her forehoof against the ground, hard enough to crack the marble underneath her. “Never speak that name in my presence again!” she snarled, firing off a massive bolt of magical energy, fully infused with the power of the moon above, which she could feel shining down on her, even through the rain.
The unicorn remained unimpressed as it approached him. He waved a hoof and the shield reappeared from the book he'd used before. “You really are Celestia's sister... you never learn from past mistakes.” He grinned and braced the shield in front of him.
As the massive burst of lunar magic neared, it suddenly flared and grew, its dark blue shine turning a bright pink. Both Prose and Luna gasped at this and the stallion attempted to jump out of the way, but he had barely managed to turn away as it impacted the shield, forcing it backwards, slamming the shield and the book into his side and pushing him off of his feet, into the column behind him. As the blast dissipated, he fell to the ground, coughing and rubbing at his chest. Luna just stared, surprised. “What... was that?”
“That?” came a voice from nearby. “That was just a little burst of chaos, dear Lulu.”
Another flash of bright light flicked across her eyes and she winced, rubbing at them. “Discord,” she said, rubbing her eyes for a moment. Indeed, when she opened her eyes, the Draconiquus stood there, between her and Purple Prose.
“Indeed.” He crossed his eyes arms. “I guess it's lucky for you that I was confined to the castle after all, eh?” he asked, grinning at her.
Luna had never been happier to see the living jigsaw puzzle in all her days. “I suppose so.”
“Discord,” Prose growled, stumbling to his hooves again. “I've heard plenty about you.” He scowled. “The manifestation of Chaos, like a hurricane with a brain, but muzzled and domesticated by the Elements of Harmony, and of course the dear princess of the sun.”
Discord's eyes narrowed. “And I know plenty about you, Prose. Back when I was wearing my stone suit, I heard plenty about you and dozens more just like you who tried and failed to usurp power from Celestia.”He smirked. “And I'd watch what you say. Just because I've agreed not to turn the world into my plaything doesn't mean I'm any less capable of dealing with you. You beat Celestia by catching her off guard. I could take her in a one-on-one fight easy, if I really wanted to.” He took a step forward and Luna saw a satisfied smirk cross his face as the unicorn backed away a step. “So what makes you think you have a chance against me?”
Purple Prose tensed, levitating several books up again. “I took out Celestia and I'll do the same to you!”
Discord barked out a harsh laugh, shaking his head. “Luna, you might want to back away. This could get messy.”
Luna gave a small nod and did so. She wanted to assist, but she'd learned not to get between Discord and a target of his. Though, most of the time, those targets were merely treated to a harmless prank, she doubted the chaotic demi-god would be as forgiving with this intruder.
“Gotta say, I'm annoyed, but impressed,” he admitted. “You got the drop on Celestia so well, I'd almost be proud. Almost. But I'm gonna need you to bring her back.”
“You truly are domesticated, aren't you?”
He shook his head. “Not really, it's just that she's the only one who can lift that barrier that's keeping me imprisoned here, and it makes it very hard to visit my dear little Fluttershy while it's still up.”
He snorted. “Well, I do apologize, but I don't have time to...”
He was cut off as another bolt of lunar magic flew past his head, making him yelp. “And I don't have time for you two stroke your egos!” Luna shouted. “Now give me back my sister or I won't just shove you back into a book, I'll plaster your hide all over the moon!”
Discord stroked his chin. “My, my, Lulu, I had no idea you could be so dominant. You look quite cute when you're angry.”
If the alicorn hadn't been so focused, she would have been blushing. Her horn was already revving up for another blast. “Now, Purple Prose. I won't pretend to understand the circumstances totally, but I know that you are a threat to peace, and as a princess of Equestria, I will stop you.”
Prose looked between the two of them, his eyes shifting from worry to scorn to annoyance and finally to resolve. His aura glowed again. “I've come too far to give up now. I have the upper hand.”
Discord laughed again, this one far more jovial than the last. “Upper hand? Perhaps when you hadn't played your hand, but luckily I was able to protect Lulu from your magic before you could send her into the book too. Would have grabbed the guards and Celestia too, but you had quite a grip on them. I will admit, you have good control over your magic for not having a horn.”
The unicorn scowled again. “Be silent! You'll learn to respect your new master soon enough.”
Discord's eyes narrowed. “Chaos is no one's master.” His fingertips began to glow and both he and Luna started to advance on him. Prose started to back away, slowly.
Discord jerked to a stop and Luna blinked, looking up at him. There was a look of shock on his face and he was looking down towards his feet. “Discord? What are you...” her words were cut off when her eyes traveled down with his, towards his feet. Like a pony who had met the glare of a cockatrice, Discord's body was slowly turning to stone.
“What is this?!” the spirit of chaos snarled.
Prose laughed and clapped his forehooves together in triumph. “Ha! You silly filly, did you really think that I would come alone? That I would be vain enough to attack this place without a contingency plan?”
“Well, frankly,” Discord said, attempting to twist his body free of the spell that was snaking its way up his body, “I was kind of counting on it.”
“And you've paid the price.” He held his head up with pride. “Don't worry, I'll make sure you get a cozy spot somewhere indoors this time. The birds won't ever bother you again.”
Discord snarled and craned his neck towards Luna. “Lulu, get out of here!”
“What?” she gasped, taking a step towards him. “But what about...”
“You won't be able to help me or Celestia right now! Whatever's got this kind of power is not something you'll be able to stop on your own! Go!” He lifted his chin as the stoning spell began to inch up over his neck. “Get Twilight! We need the elem...” He was cut off as the spell finished working its way around him, fully encasing him. His statuesque form wobbled a tad before it tilted to one side and toppled over, his eyes holding a look of horror and scorn.
Luna tensed, but as he fell, she felt compelled to follow his last command. She'd never known the Draconiquus to care for anyone beyond himself, and perhaps Fluttershy, so if he was willing to warn her away from whatever it was that Prose was working with, then it had to be something powerful indeed. She twisted her body around and gave one huge gallop towards the nearest window, the stained glass image of herself, as Nightmare Moon, being defeated by Twilight and her friends. Bracing herself, and firing off one last bolt before flying through the shattered glass, the rain pelting her form and the downpour deafening her. Lightning flashed and thunder roared as she spread her wings wide and took off, bolting out of Canterlot with a speed even Rainbow Dash would be impressed with. As she flew, she felt hot tears mixing with the cold rain, and just like the drops from the clouds, they fell to the ground below. “I'll be back soon, sister,” she promised. “Please, just hold on.”

Prose frowned, sitting on his haunches as he examined the bits of shattered colored glass sitting on the sill as the rain blew in from outside. His face was annoyed, but quickly gave way to a serene and satisfied look. “You didn't have to help me,” he said, trotting over to the statue.”
“But I did,” a sinuous female voice whispered behind him. “Don't pretend like you could have taken them both on at once. Your entire plan hinged on getting them all in one fell swoop and if it weren't for me, that spanner in the works would have ended your regime before it had begun.”
He turned from the 'spanner' in question, kicking the statue in the head before laying his eyes on a book, floating above his cart. This one was far different than the others. Tattered, worn, obvious tears in the pages, obvious chunks of its cover missing, and its title near completely destroyed by the ceaseless march of time. “But I've done it,” he said, holding his head up with a grin. “I've conquered Canterlot in one fell swoop. From here, I'll spread like Ivy across the rest of Equestria, and I have no doubt that once the other cities hear of the fall of their precious princess, they won't give me any trouble. I've won.”
“You've won NOTHING!” the book hissed, floating towards him, shoving its cover in his face, making him back up a step. “What you've done here was nothing more than a stepping stone at best, a minor setback for your enemies at worst! Luna is still free, you moronic equine! The princess of the moon...”
“Will fall just as her sister did,” he said with a grin, regaining a bit of ground and pushing the book a more respectable distance away. “She's weak. You saw her hesitate. You saw her hang back. She lacks the confidence and the power of either her sister or Discord. She won't be hard to deal with at all.”
The book flared with a black aura, forcing Purple Prose backwards as it rumbled with energy. “Lamebrain!” it snarled. “Do you honestly think I was referring to HER? NO! Think for a blood minute! The elements of harmony! She's going to warn the element bearers!”
He shrank back under the book's tantrum. “Then we will deal with them when they come for us,” he ventured, attempting to put some confidence into his voice. He failed miserably.
“No! We must not allow them to make the first move. We have to keep them off kilter. If they have time to formulate a plan, all will be lost!”
Prose frowned. “Now wait just a moment, I have what I wanted. The throne of Canterlot is mine now. Celestia is imprisoned, Discord is stone yet again, and her sister has fled. I'm sure I can handle the elements just as easily.
“The elements cured Luna of her nightmare personality,” the book said, its aura flaring up again. “They imprisoned Discord after the original spell weakened. They obliterated Sombra, utterly! Do you want to end up like him? Nothing but a pile of dust and armor?”
He shuddered. “No, forgive my words. I allowed victory to swell my head.”
The book calmed. “Your transgression is forgiven, Purple Prose. But we must not allow ourselves to rest. We've secured a great victory now, so we must go and secure another one.”
“We follow Luna then?”
“We do. I trust you still have enough magic to get us there?”
He opened a book and a carpet fluttered out from between its pages. It began to hover just above the throne room floor and the stallion stepped onto it, grinning. “We'll get there. They won't know what hit them.”
“Excellent.” The book floated down and set itself in front of him, opening and flipping through it's pages. “Just remember, in exchange for everything I have given you...”
“I remember,” he said, smiling down at the book as its pages came to a stop. “When my throne is secured and no one opposes me, I promise to find a way to free you as you found a way to free me.”
“Good. Be sure to bring the manifesto.”
He frowned. “Why?”
The book's pages flittered and Prose suspected that if it had eyes, it would be rolling them. “Would you so easily leave her prison where anyone could access it. No chances will be taken. Use it to access her magic. You might not be able to drag anything else out of that tome, but you should have enough access to raise the sun in the morning. If the ponies see that no sun is up, then they might get suspicious, and that is the last thing we need right now.”
He nodded, floating the book in question, along with other fictional tales, to his side, setting them down on the magic carpet. “As you wish.”
She chuckled as the carpet began to hover off of the ground. “However did you survive without me.”
He gave a slight grin as they began to float out into the cold rain. “It is a mystery.” He reached down and tapped the open book with a hoof as the rainwater began to drip against it. The beautiful picture of a nine-tailed fox was smiling up at him, her eyes playful and mischievous. “Rest assured, Lady Ninetails, soon enough you shall be free.” He leaned forward and kissed the picture before drawing the book close to him, hiding it under his cloak so as to keep the rain from damaging the tattered thing further. “I promise.”
“Thank you, Purple Prose.” came the soft response. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”