Ponyville, Equestria
Twilight paced the floor of the library. "I don't get it! I've read and read and read, and I still just don't get it!" The room was a mess of scattered books, scrolls and treatises. "Every source I've read on the Elements say quite clearly: Discord was supposed to be imprisoned in stone like before! He wasn't meant to disappear like that. Oh Spike, what do I do now?" Twilight asked her assistant.
The baby dragon could only shrug. "Like I've said, we should leave this to the Princesses! If anypony would know how to solve this mystery, it would be Celestia!" Spike said. Then suddenly, the dragon belched. A scroll appeared out of a jet of green flames. "Aha! Speaking of which!"
"Let me see that!" Twilight said. She rushed to open the scroll.
My faithful Student:
After conversing with Luna about Discord, we have developed suspicions as to what may have actually happened when you used the Elements of Harmony to defeat him.
Please gather up your friends and meet us in Canterlot as soon as possible. We will reveal everything when you arrive.
Princess Celestia.
Twilight began stirring into action. "Well Spike, time to go!" The baby dragon nodded. "I'll go pack some things."
I really hope the Princesses have discovered that Discord is gone for good. I don't know what we'd do if it turns out he could come back, perhaps even twice as powerful as before.
The duo then left the Library, heading towards there friends' homes.
Canterlot Palace, Canterlot
"I'm glad to finally have you all here." Celestia said as she looked to each of the Mane Six.
"As I said in my letter, Luna and I have come to a conclusion. We have spent many an hour in the royal archives, and we pulled up records of something we had thought was long cut off from our world. Or, to be more specific, someone." Celestia said. "Tell them our thoughts, Luna." Celestia looked to Luna.
The younger alicorn nodded. "We have a very strong feeling that Discord's disappearance was the work of a being called Sheogorath, who we think may have tampered with the Elements of Harmony to prevent Discord's imprisonment."
Meanwhile...
Somewhere in between Dimensions
Discord, Voldermort, and the Didact were drifting towards their final target. It was only a matter of time before they arrived there. However, something strange caught Voldermort's eye.
For a moment the Dark Lord saw what he thought was a blue Muggle police telephone box speeding past them in the other direction. He blinked twice, and it was gone. This strange dimension is causing me to hallucinate things. He thought with a scoff.
Cold, frigid air blew in their faces as they exited the portal.
Bowerstone Industrial, Albion
Unknown Date
"No, no, no no! This simply won't do! Not at all!" A man said dramatically as he paced the floor, cane in hand. He was smartly dressed in an extravagant, snow-colored coat with dark fur trim. His boots were onyx black, and at his hip was an ornate looking pistol in a holster. A top hat with goggles completed his industrial age ensemble.
"But Reaver, we've been trying to get it to work for days! It just won't respond at all!" A technician said.
"My...associates... went through a lot of effort to acquire this trinket from our inventor friend Ernest Faraday. This thing is supposed to make us all filthy rich! I also promised them a return on their investment. I may be a devilish rouge," Reaver said with a laugh, "But I'm also a man of my word, if it's profitable, of course." He laughed again.
"While we can't get it to work, we have learned a few things about it sir." Another technician said.
"And?" The technician continued hastily. "We think Faraday used Old Kingdom technology to make it. It appears that it requires someone with the power of Heroic Will, or some other kind of magic to activate it."
"Oh just splendid!" Reaver exclaimed sarcastically. He moved to observe the artifact. The trinket was some kind of disc-shaped apparatus. Reaver could have sworn he had seen a similar artifact in the possession of the late Hero of Bowerstone. "Just where are we going to find a wizard or hero to activate it? It's not as if Albion is bursting to the seams with them anymore!" Reaver said with a frustrated chuckle.
Hmm, maybe I shouldn't have tried to kill Garth in Samarkand after all. We could have certainly used that fellow's magic will right now. Reaver mused.
Just then, a flash of light and purple mist appeared out of nowhere, scaring workers away and catching the Hero of Skill's attention. What appeared to be a man emerged from the light before it promptly disappeared. "Who in King Logan's name might you be, hmm?" The strange man turned towards Reaver and grinned. "Daedric Prince of Madness, Sheogorath at your service. I've come to collect something for a little... project... of mine." The Mad God said.
Reaver scoffed. "Well this isn't exactly a hobby shop, you know, we're doing very...delicate work here."
"Oh, don't worry ma dear Reaver, I shan't be keepin' ya long. Speaking of delicate work, would ya be interested in joinin' a plot ta seize ultimate power?" Sheogorath said, his face becoming business-like.
"Ultimate power you, say? Sounds intriguing enough. What do you propose?" Reaver asked smoothly.
Sheogorath's face again lit up into a malicious grin. "Ah, I'm just yankin' your chain, little mortal! I've got nothin' in store for the likes of you."
Without any prior warning, the Mad God teleported closer to Faraday's stolen trinket and snatched it up. "I need this for a friend o' mine, he has a nice sense of fashion, but his singing voice leaves a bit ta be desired. Ta ta!" The Mad God disappeared, this time in a blue light which emitted a chiming noise.
"Shoot, I should have seen that coming. It's what I would have done...all well. I suppose there are other, less labor intensive ways to earn buckets of gold." Reaver said with a deep sigh and a slight chuckle.
Ice Kingdom, Land of Ooo, Earth
1000 years after the Mushroom War
"Gunther! Did you hide my drum set again? Where are... Hey!"
The Ice King paced around his room as he was interrupted by some unexpected visitors. " Huh? What gives, I'm not expecting company. Get lost!"
There were three of them, two were funny looking guys with messed up noses. What appeared to be their leader, however, was a tall fellow who was some kind of a cross between a goat, a crocodile, a lion, a horse, and an eagle. Ice King had seen far stranger creatures in Ooo before, though. Their appearances did not unsettle the ice wizard in the slightest. The big one among them spoke first. "Forgive me for interrupting, but we're looking for a fellow by the name of 'Ice King'". He said.
"Oh yeah? Who wants to know?" Ice King replied, squinting his eyes in suspicion.
"Ah, forgive my poor manners! I, am Discord, spirit of chaos and disharmony." Discord said, with a dramatic flair. "My colleagues here are Voldermort and the Didact." He gestured towards both of them. Didact said nothing, only standing there awkwardly. Voldermort nodded. "A pleasure, I'm sure." He said calmly.
Ice King continued to stare at them in suspicion. "Yeah yeah, nice to meet ya. Now what do you want, I got things to do."
"We've come all this way from multiple dimensions, to offer you an opportunity at seizing great power." The Draconequus said. "Not interested, I'm already master of Ice, thank you very much."
"Wait! You haven't even heard what we have to say yet! You see, I come from a land ruled by two goody-two shoes Princesses who overthrew my reign of Chaos. It was such fun, but then they had to ruin it! We have a plan to take their power away, and share it amongst ourselves. We still have yet to..iron out the details, but I promise you won't be disappointed!" Discord concluded, rubbing his paw and talon together mischievously.
"Hold on a minute! Did you say, Princesses?" Ice King said suddenly. "Okay, I suppose I'm in."
Inside the Heart of The Spire, Somewhere off the coast of Albion
Unknown Date
"What are you doing in my Spire, Mad God?" A red-robed woman asked calmly, her gentle voice hardly registering surprise of any kind.
"Theresa! Still looking good as ever I see! How are those eyes of yours?" Sheogorath replied.
"The Tattered Spire's power is too great to wield, even for a Daedric God such as yourself. I do not recommend your course of action, you could yield naught but destruction and chaos upon your realms." Theresa warned.
Sheogorath was unmoved by the blind seer's predictions. "Never ya worry ma fair lady. Say, you remind me of me, back when I wasn't as...colorful. Anyways, I'm aware of the power contained within' your Spire here. I need it to free an old friend o' mine. I think ya know who I mean."
Theresa's calm expression did not falter, but the urgency in her voice did increase. "I have seen what is to come, and summoning him back will not be enough to stop the forces that have been set in motion, Mad God. I will not stop you, for it is not my place to do so, but I do ask that you please keep him far away from this world, and all its people. Much was sacrificed to ensure his defeat."
"Like I said, ya don't need ta worry, I have other friends besides him too. We will have what we require, when the time comes. Oh, and we'll keep him so occupied, he won't even be able to dream about dear old Albion." Sheogorath said with a grin. "I'm gonna make ma wish now." He walked towards the light in the center of the chamber. "Ta!"
"Fare thee well, Prince of Madness," Theresa said, "remember my warnings, and know this, your actions to come shall decide the fate of all worlds." Sheogorath flashed her a knowing smile at this, before teleporting away, his wished having been made.
Unknown Region, somewhere far North of Albion
Sheogorath emerged from the portal, his surroundings drastically different from before. The area reminded him much of the volcanic wastelands that were Mehrunes Dagon's realm of Oblivion. He walked across a crumbling stone bridge that crossed a lava stream. At its end, the Mad God glimpsed what appeared to be a stone shrine upon a raised dais. As he approached it, he heard some kind of ominous whispering.
"Ah, here we are!" Sheogorath exclaimed, his cheerful expression clashing radically with the hellish atmosphere around him. The mad god approached the shrine, seeing an ornate white, gold, and crimson mask appear upon it. His wish worked, the mask was un-destroyed. It had previously been destroyed five hundred years ago when some great hero threw the mask into the lava.
Sheogorath placed his hand on the mask, and felt power coursing through it. Satisfied, he stepped back a pace, and raised the Wabbajack, firing a spell at the mask. The spell surrounded the mask in a cloud of energy and mist. A demonic voice then issued from the cloud.
"After centuries, Jack of Blades is back!" The voice then turned to a deep baritone laugh that would have sent chills down the spine of even the mightiest of heroes.
"Ah ma dear Jack, you always had a flair for the dramatic. Ya share that in common with Discord, ya do!" Sheogorath said with a smirk. Finally, a humanoid shape emerged from the mist. It was clad in a cloak of brilliant blood-red, a suit of ancient plate-mail armour, and the mask on the altar was now firmly in place on the figure's face. The demonic entity Jack of Blades turned to regard the Mad God, his eyes glowing through his mask. "Ah, the God of Madness. Fancy seeing you again. I wager you are the one responsible for my rebirth? " Jack's ominous voice rang across the area.
"Correct!" Sheogorath exclaimed. "Me n' Discord have been plannin' up some little chaos, and we suddenly found ourselves in need of extra hands. And it looks like you got the Job!" Jack grinned under his mask. "Sounds like my kind of forte! Very well, Albion can wait another day. Let us spread the fires of chaos and misery!
"Ya know ma dear Jack, ya should have been an' actor, cause between you and Discord, ya two are more dramatic than every soap opera and crappy reality show combined!"
"It all comes with the mask, Sheogorath!" Jack said with a laugh that could peel paint.
"Right-o, let us be off now, we have much ta do, much ta discuss! Oh, have I offered ya any cheese yet?"
The duo then teleported away.
Meanwhile...
Canterlot Palace, Throne Room
Twilight and her friends look at each other in confusion. "But why would someone want to help a brute like Discord" Rarity asked. "Yeah, and who is this 'Sheogorath'? He sounds like some kind of weirdo!" Rainbow Dash added.
"I've never heard of anypony with a name like that Princess Celestia." Twilight said.
"Indeed." Celestia said with a sigh, "Sheogorath and his kind are something I had hoped Equestria was finished dealing with centuries ago. You see Twilight, Sheogorath is one of sixteen 'Daedric Princes' from a distant magical plane of existence called Oblivion. Sheogorath is the Prince of Madness and change. Each Prince or Princess is a type of immortal being who rules over a specific part of Oblivion, which is a separate universe very different from ours."
"I bet he must be great at parties and birthdays!" Pinkie Pie remarked.
"Prince of Madness? Oh my, he doesn't sound like he's very nice." Fluttershy said, her eyes growing wide.
The Sun Goddess' expression darkened. "Most definitely. Sheogorath, and most of the other Princes, are pure evil. When Equestria was still young, the Daedra and another group of powerful immortals, the Aedra, came and went to this land freely, as did many other Immortals" Celestia sighed.
"As the Daedras' actions in Equestria became more and more disruptive to Ponies and all other life in the world, Luna and I, as some of the only immortals native to our world, did not have enough power to stop them. So we turned to the Aedra for help. Discord had made a pact with Sheogorath to combine their power and punish the other Princes for something that had happened to Sheogorath long ago, while Discord would continue to rule over Equestria as the God of Chaos and Disharmony."
Celestia again paused, letting the information sink in, before continuing. "The leader of the Aedra, Akatosh, told us his kin were occupied dealing with a mysterious, evil force back in their home universe. He refused to explain when I inquired about it. Luckily however, Akatosh saw the strife of the Ponies and agreed to help us defeat Discord and banish Sheogorath back to Oblivion, as the Daedra were a common enemy we both shared."
It was then that Luna took over the explanation. "Together the Alicorns and the Aedra were able to drive Sheogorath and his minions back to Oblivion, while the Aedra Magnus showed us how to use our power to create six great artifacts that could be used to defeat and imprison Discord. Tia and I were the ones who fought Sheogorath and Discord personally. Before we finally won, Sheogorath tried to turn the Elements against us, but Akatosh used the last of his physical power to cast the Mad God back to his realm. He then informed us that so long as we maintain our connection to the Elements, no otherworldly being would be able to intrude upon our world. With that, Akatosh and his Aedra vanished, and none have returned hence.
For a moment, Luna looked solemn. "I fear now however, that my and Luna's connections have faded over the centuries since our victory, and Sheogorath was able to pass through the barriers between Oblivion and our world. This may have also weakened Discord's prison enough for his ally to free him."
The six mares were silent for a moment as they all processed this vast amount of new information. Twilight was the first of them to finally speak. "So the Elements of Harmony were created when this Sheogorath was trying to invade Equestria? Wait, if all of this is true, that would mean that Discord is not only still at large, but is aided by an insane god virtually no pony knows about!"
"Precisely Twilight. It is as we feared." Luna confirmed. "Discord is not only free, but more powerful than ever." Her worst fears confirmed, Twilight's body shook from hoof to mane in shock.
"Don't worry Twilight, we beat that creep before, and will beat him again when he shows his ugly face!" Rainbow Dash declared. "Yeah, we'll get those varmint yet." Applejack agreed. Her friends' words served to calm Twilight down enough to regain her confidence. "You're right girls, with the Elements of Harmony, will be able to stop Discord and Sheogorath! I just know it!" She said.
Celestia flashed them a confident smile, but inside, both Goddesses knew that without the Aedras' power to aide them, they were not certain if they could deal with whatever great threats that may lay ahead.