Sheogorath's Palace, New Sheoth
The lightning storm had died down over the capital of the Shivering Isles after the recent events that had transpired. In fact, it seemed as if some great power had on its own, bent the weather to act according to its whims. That great power now sat as one of the six villains who were circled around their table, still quivering with the energy that they had been imbued with.
After a moment of calming down, each began to inspect what was now their own Element of Chaos. The Ice King reached up towards his crown, rubbing it fondly and murmuring to himself. Didact inspected his sword a second time, now noticing the formerly blue blade now glowed a threatening orange color. Voldermort twirled his new red wand in his hand, sizing it up, occasionally performing a few minor spells. Jack kept his grip on the hilt of the Sword of Aeons, giggling darkly to himself.
Sheogorath and Discord, however, had retreated a few paces, whispering something to each other out of ear shot, occasionally glancing slightly at a dark corner of the throne room. Sheogorath's Element had been, and still is his trusty Wabbajack. Strangely though, Discord did not have an object representing his, the most powerful Element, Chaos. Instead, his entire body now glowed in a faint red aura whenever he stood still long enough. He had become the living embodiment of Chaos, as he had been before, but now with even more power at his disposal.
When everyone finished admiring their new-found abilities, and the two Chaos Gods had finished their hushed conversation, Sheogorath fixed his insane gaze on everyone. "Well now, look at you all, ya look like fillies on Hearth's Warming Eve ya do! You're all positively beaming!" The Mad God smiled his cheerful smile. "Now who's ready to set our plan into motion, hmm?" The other four stood up, expressing their eagerness to begin.
Discord shared Sheogorath's grin. "Ah! Finally we can get back at those darn Ponies for their meddling. And hopefully we can cause a little...Chaos while we're at it, eh?" Sheogorath winked at the Draconequus and with a snap of his fingers, the assembled evil-doers disappeared into thin air, leaving a cloud of purple mist in their wake.
Oddly enough, nobody seemed to notice the mysterious figure that had been watching them from a dark corner. The Figure chuckled to himself, rubbing at his wispy beard. He had watched the whole thing, the maniacal laughing, the scheming, strange off topic mentioning of cheese, the energy radiating from the staff towards the others, quite fascinating indeed. With that, however The Master's curiosity was satisfied.
It was now time to proceed with his next convoluted plan to thwart the Doctor's activities across time and space. With one final chuckle, the Master disappeared to parts unknown.
Haskill glanced suspiciously at the dark corner. He sighed to himself. "Time to have more torch sconces installed, I do tire of trans-dimensional interlopers coming and going as they please in my Lord's realm."
Ponyville, Equestria.
Rainbow Dash was enjoying yet another peaceful nap on a cloud. It was a perfect, lazy day. No massive cloud formations to have to wrangle with, nothing.
Suddenly, a strange, loud noise on the ground awoke her from a pleasant dream. "Whoever that is, they're gonna pay for disturbing a good nap!" The rainbow Pegasus got up irritably and stretched her wings. She glanced down at the ground to investigate whatever it was that had rudely awoken her.
What she saw was strange, to say the least. There stood, at the edge of the Everfree, five strange humanoids of various appearances. Standing alongside them, with a massive grin on his face, was a certain Draconequus. Wait, Discord!
At that realization, she immediately bolted off into the sky towards town to warn everypony and find her friends. Luckily for Dash, the villains had not noticed her flying away.
Everyone save for Discord and Sheogorath looked around at their curious new surroundings. "So this is the land of these Equestrians you've mentioned so much about Discord? Hmmm, it is beautiful. Much like how you would have found any proper Forerunner world." Discord scoffed. "Oh sure, it may be pretty, but it's so boring on its own. Time to change some things around!"
"This place reminds me so much of Albion, it will be a pleasure watching it BURN!" Jack of Blades proclaimed. Sheogorath shook his head. "Perhaps Discord shoulda just made ya the Element of Psychotics, eh? Just leave the cheery, Demented stuff ta me ma dear Jack!" Jack gave a defiant giggle in response.
***
"I swear, I saw the creep! And it looked like he brought some freaky friends of his this time too!" Rainbow Dash said. The mare kept pacing back and forth across the floor of the Library.
"I know you may have seen Discord, but now is not the time to panic, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight told her. The Mane six had all gathered at the Library as soon as they had heard the alarming news. "We need to inform Princess Celestia about this first before we do anything! That should always be our approach when it comes to things like discordWho knows how powerful these other beings Discord brought with him are?! Spike, send this news to the Princess, you know what to write!"
"I'm on it Twi!" The baby dragon hurried to find a scroll and quill.
"So Rainbow, what did these other creatures look like?" Twilight asked.
"Well, they all stood on two legs like Discord and Spike, and one of them was almost as tall as Discord himself. The tall one was wearing some kind of floating armor. One of them looked like some kind of king, he was the shortest. Another two had a red cloak and a black robe, one of them wore some kind of a creepy mask. The last one had a cane and a beard, and his clothes were pretty ridiculous." Dash explained.
"Wait, beard and cane...beard..and..cane, that sounds like the feller Celestia was talkin' 'bout!" AppleJack said. "Your right AJ! Discord's brought the Prince of Madness with him! That means Equestria is in grave danger!" Twilight said.
It's alright Twilight, just keep it together, we can handle whatever they have to throw at us, nothing can beat the power of Friendship! The Elements will stop them. They have to! Twilight though to herself. She got it together and looked around at her friends. She was both relieved, and discouraged to see that they too, shared her concern. That is, except for Pinky Pie.
If the excitable party pony was worried, she kept it well hidden beneath that trademark grin of hers. "Cheer up guys!" She said, "How evil can they be? OOO! Maybe they just want to have some fun we should see if they want to throw a party I just love parties maybe they'll be nice if they just get the chance to enjoy some of the Cakes' excellent baking we should go see what they are up to we should introduce ourselves!" Pinkie said it all in one breath.
The rest of the Mane Six gave a collective sigh of frustration. "Ugh, Pinkie Pie!"
"I've seen it, they're with Discord, and are nothing but trouble Pinkie! Trust me on this, okay?" Dash said with another sigh.
"Well fine then, be meanies. Maybe their so evil because nopony is ever kind to them." Pinkie Pie said, pouting.
Suddenly, a scroll appeared in front of Spike as he burped. Twilight quickly grabbed it and unrolled it.
Twilight
You were right to warn me instead of you and your friends going in and facing Discord alone. I fear his new allies hold great power, and only the Elements of Harmony can stand up to them. But I am still worried.
Me and Luna are on our way. Please do not confront Discord until we arrive unless he attacks Ponyville directly. I wish for us to face him with our full combined power just to be sure.
Be brave, but above all, keep yourselves and Ponyville safe, my faithful student.
Princess Celestia.
***
The villains stood at the edge of the woods, gazing at a large collection of buildings just down the road.
"That should be it, the peaceful town of Ponyville. Formerly, and soon to be once more, the Chaos capital of all Equestria!" Discord declared with a laugh.
"Is this really where we are to face the all powerful Elements of Harmony? Humph! It is little more than a quaint hamlet." Voldermort said mockingly.
"Don't be so quick to dismiss things based on appearance alone, Dark Wizard. I think you will find that the greatest threat to one's power, can originate in the most humblest of places." Jack of Blades said thoughtfully, grasping at the pummel of his ancient sword. Didact stood with a troubled look on his face. "Why the long face, big guy?" Ice King inquired.
"I am, unsure as to how we should approach this area. Based on the primitive nature of this settlement, I do not anticipate the inhabitants to be much of a threat." The Promethean replied.
"Oh quit your worryin Dear Didact. The inhabitants of Ponyville are of no concern to us whatsoever. The might as well just be little pebbles in the cobblestone. We're here to face the Elements of Harmony." Sheogorath's face and tone darkened suddenly. "Nobody else."
The Elements of Chaos then got onto the road, approaching the unsuspecting town with a quickening pace. As soon as the residents saw Discord, it was enough to make them sprint into their homes, locking doors, drawing blinds, and closing shutters in their wake.
The few Ponies brave or foolish enough to stay out in the open hid behind whatever objects they could find, or merely stared at the villains, their postures defensive and alert.
As the villains approached what appeared to be the town's library, Jack of Blades regarded the remaining Ponies, his grin hidden by his mask. Didact ignored all of them, as did Voldermort. Discord waved at one or two on occasion, who merely stared back in fear, Sheogorath saw this, and chuckled all the way to the Library.
The Library was set into a hollowed out ancient Oak. It was the inhabitants of the tree though, that the villains were after. As the six mares exited the Library to see the threatening newcomers in person, their expressions were a mix of surprise, anger, fear, and defiance.
For a moment, everything was silence as Harmony stared Chaos in the face. Then, Discord finally spoke. "Well, well, well! If it isn't the Elements of Harmony again! Oh, we have to stop meeting like this!"
"Whatever it is you and your pals are planning, we're going to stop you! I don't care if you're all kings of the Multiverse or whatever!" Dash shouted at them. Discord adopted the bored expression he had the last time he had confronted the Elements. "Oh, Rainbow Dash, don't be so rash. You tiresome Ponies only defeated me last time because I underestimated the Elements. But now, I have some muscle to back up my Chaos!" He replied with a laugh.
"My my you are a feisty one ma dear Dashie! Ya do realize that the last time you and your friends zapped him with those trinkets, ya only teleported him to ma dimension, right?" Sheogorath said, laughing as well. Dash gave him a sneer that could rival the Didact's own.
"The Elements have shown us over and over again that Chaos can never defeat those who have friendship and love in their hearts. Harmony always wins out!" Twilight said. The unicorn had by far the most defiant gaze out of all of the Elements of Harmony.
"Enough talk!" Voldermort shouted. "We've come to seize your power for our selves, and I grow tired of waiting. Prepare for your demise!" He raised his wand in an offensive gesture. Didact and Jack of Blades drew their blades in kind, the latter laughing demonically. Ice King gave out a growl and raised his hands in the air, Ice Spells swirling around them waiting to be cast.
Discord and the Insane Daedra were still standing there casually, however. Sheogorath look from the six mares to his alert companions and back. "My, my! Why so hasty? I like good violence as much as the next demented Daedra, but there is so much more ta battle than just spells, swords, n' explosions ya know! There are much more entertaining' and creative ways to deal with opponents. Why spoil the moment." He said. He turned back to the Mane Six.
"Lets just handle this duel like civil Mares n' Gents, eh? Tell ya what, you can go ahead and make the first move." Sheogorath said, smiling.
For a brief moment, Twilight's face registered surprise, but then it was hidden again by her defiant gaze. "Very well, you asked for it. Lets send these creeps packing back to where they belong, and deal with Discord once and for all! Come on girls!"
Each of their Elements ignited into pure magical energy. Like before, the six ponies formed a great orb of energy and light around themselves. The energy traveled between them, eventually coming towards Twilight in the middle. In response, the Elements of Chaos ignited theirs as well. The eyes of the Mane Six and the villains alike lit up with pure power. Just as the Elements of Harmony were about to be unleashed, a powerful voice issued, stopping everything in its tracks.
"STOP!" Both parties turned towards the voice. Flying towards them at top speed were Celestia and Luna themselves. Celestia's royal voice was powerful enough to turn even the eyes of a Daedric Prince it seemed.
"Princess Celestia! Princess Luna!" Twilight exclaimed. "We were just about to unleash our power and defeat these villains!" "Yeah! With you here, now they have no chance your majesties!" Rainbow Dash added.
Twilight, girls, it's now what it seems! They want you to attack them!" Celestia said, her voice trembling with urgency. Twilight and the others were utterly confused. "Wha-, but I thought that would defeat them! What's going on Princess Celestia?"
"They want you to attack them, because Sheogorath and Discord," Celestia glared at the two. Sheogorath waved cheerfully at her. "have found a way to turn themselves and their companions into magical batteries! If you use the Elements against them, they will not be turned to stone, they will absorb you and your friends' powers!"
"But how did you figure this out Princess?" Twilight asked.
"Tia, should we tell them about, well, her?" Celestia looked to her younger sister. "I don't think we have much choice, Luna. Everyone needs to know what is truly happening!"
The four villains stood there, flabbergasted, that their enemy had already divined their plans. What shocked them even more was Discord and Sheogorath's reactions. They were completely unsurprised, almost as if they had counted on something like this happening. "We must explain to everypony the true dangers she has warned us about. " Celestia continued. Suddenly, a soft, refined feminine voice cut into the Princesses' worried conversation.
"That won't be necessary Princess Celestia, Princess Luna. Just as I informed you, so must I bear the burden of informing the rest of your people." The voice said.
The voice was hauntingly familiar to the Didact. While his three colleagues were still fixated on the Princesses, Sheogorath, and Discord, he turned to the direction of the voice. The voice's owner, floating near the Alicorns, turned to face the Promethean as well. Impossible...
"Didact? I had hoped I would not see you, of all beings, involved in this. You do not know what it is that is truly happening, do you? Then the urgency at which I most inform you all is even greater then I had foreseen."
Discord looked up at the figure with annoyance. Sheogorath merely flashed her a knowing smile. The Didact, however, approached the figure. He clearly knew who she was.
The figure drew in a breath, before she continued her speech, her face a mask of sorrow. "For those of you to whom I have not been acquainted, I, am the Forerunner, known as the Librarian. And what I have to tell you, involves each and everyone of you and your worlds. For you see, a truer, greater threat... looms over us all."