//------------------------------//
// Darkest before the Dawn 
// Story: Autumn 
// by canonkiller 
//------------------------------//


** Less cloppy in this chapter... sorta... but this should be the last one**


Discord rolled over, dropping Luna to the ground. Despite the lack of constriction, she couldn't stand. Her legs were trembling and she was covered in feverish sweat. The draconequus was looking at her out of one eye, making sure she didn't run away.
Getting to his feet, Discord looked at Luna sprawled helplessly on the ground. Rolling his eyes, he magicked her into the air, her feet brushing the grass. 
"Still thinking it was a good idea?"
Luna gritted her teeth, forcing her muscles to lift her head. "..................y........yes..............."
"Surprising, actually." Discord muttered, making her walk in circles. "I thought you were stronger than Celestia."
"W....what do you....... mean?"'
"She never told you how we 'met'? She didn't just want me turned to stone because of my chaos. After all, the stained glass in her hallway is fake. I actually tormented nopony. I was leader, and it was a little distorted at times, but I didn't hurt anypony when I returned, did I? Didn't then, either. There were exeptions of course, and your sister was one of them. I have to say, she fought much longer than you did."
"You did ....... this ........... to her too?" Luna asked. "But she.......... she never said anything.........."
"Of course she wouldn't, my precious little Luna. What would be worse than admitting that? The pure Alicorn of Equestria, great Goddess of the Sun, marred by the draconequus leader? That would bring much worse consequences than simply turning me to stone and putting me in the garden. Many less questions that way." He floated Luna over his head, twirling her slowly like she was some foals' mobile. "But, alas, you can't trap me without the Elements, who are, as of now, missing or dead. I see a proooobleeem."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why do you want to be like Celestia?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know, you try to be leader, you have Molestia moments, you seem to enjoy tormenting me, you don't care about anypony, you think everyone else's versions of a story are wrong... you know, you seem to be trying really hard to be like her. So, why?"
"Oh, you think we're the same?"
"Isn't that what I just said?"
"Rhetorical." He sneered. "Anyway, I don't turn ponies to stone."
"You mentioned that last time, remember? Before Rarity called you tacky."
He swung one paw up, spinning the new Queen in circles. "For starters, she didn't call me tacky, she called the window tacky. There's a difference. And also, I think statue ponies is a perfectly valid arguement."
"I don't think you can do it!"
"Do what?"
"Turn things to stone."
Discord growled. "I can make cotton candy clouds rain chocolate milk that explodes once you drink the glass. Ever seen your sister do that?"
"No. But I still think you can't turn things to stone."
He dropped her on the ground, pinning her under his tail. "I hate ponies." He muttered. "I hate them a lot."

"Are you ready?" Tigerjay asked, looking over his shoulder.
Sunrise gulped, afraid of what could be seen in daylight. "As I'll ever be."
"You don't have to come. We've got a bunch of ponies from all over Ponyville coming with us, and we'll be okay if you want to stay."
Sunrise looked behind her, at the small hut; it looked warm and inviting, but she didn't want to listen to the impending battle from the windowsill. "I'mcomingwithyou."
Tigerjay sighed, running a talon between her shoulders. "Promise me, if things start going bad, that you'll come back here."
"...Okay."

Luna gasped for air under Discord's thick tail. "You....can't.....turn....things....to.....stone...."
"I can so!" Discord snapped. "But there's nothing here."
Mind racing, Luna realized what she had just done. She was buying time for her rescuers, which she was sure were coming, and had now doomed them to stone. 
"In fact, here come some ponies now. Still don't think I can do it?" His scarlet eyes burned into hers. 
"Fine!" Luna screeched. "You can! Just... just please, don't hurt them...."
"Okay." He looked around, making sure nopony was close. "I'm off to make some chaos."
He flashed white and vanished, leaving Luna gasping for air on the ground.

"There!" A mare cantered ahead, skidding to a stop in front of the Princess. "Luna! Princess Luna! Are you alright?"
The Goddess slowly got to her feet, trying to hide her hindquaters behind her billowing tail. "Fine."
The others came out of the thicker trees, and Luna realized how easy it would have been for Discord to destroy all of them.
"I've done something terrible." She whispered; in the near-silence of the forest, it was easy to hear her. "I've released a powerful creature. Many of you are too young to have heard of him, but he was the former leader of Equestria. His name is Discord." She sighed, looking at the ponies. "And without the Elements, there's nothing we can do to stop him."