//------------------------------// // 18: Enter Codename NIGHTMARE MOON // Story: The Life and Times of Caughlin Mare // by Casca //------------------------------// Rugged - that, dust, or flies, was the word to describe the lands beyond the Order boundaries. All three - the third most so - were vividly present in the absence of everything else. Behind them in the distance lay the refugee camp, glowing fires mere specks in the murky dark of the night. To the west was the outline of what Caughlin guessed to be Ponyville, dotted with its own faint lights. Above them, stars filled the vastness, the thinnest sickle of the moon amongst them a cruel grin - though a much kinder sight than the poor, dry land they rested on. And poor, dry land was right - the soil was a displeasing yellow tinged red, clay-like. Nature somehow found a way, but it was not pretty - spindly weeds, or waxy beans grew in sparse clumps, their shallow roots like varicose veins, alongside blackened stumps of probably once-tall evergreens. Something - she suspected it was the Earth pony in her - hurt in her heart as she drew a hoof across the surface. She knew of certain ponies who braved the region, and described it as terrible beauty. She agreed with the first half. At their hooves, a tiny flame thrived on scraps of wood between a wall of stones, fed with the occasional spark of magic. There was an unusually loud crackling as a bag was passed from daughter to mother. There was rummaging, followed by the slow squelch of munching. "It's beautiful," whispered Luna. Caughlin simply swallowed and nodded. The morning had been unusually refreshing. Early, too, a yawn reminded her - though it was soon lost to the oft-parched push forward and the endless batting away of the damn insects, she had felt... awake, alive. "I've never spent a night under the open sky," continued Luna. "What with the curfew, and sleeping, but if I knew all this was out there, I'd gladly skip the day, every day. The endless sky, all the stars, the cool air, the quiet." "It's a pity that the moon isn't out tonight," said Caughlin. "You were named after it." "Oh, I've seen the moon before," dismissed Luna. "But not up in the open sky, not like this - through the window, many times, but here... I would have liked to see it in full, though I suppose it's only a matter of days until then." There are more rummaging. "And besides, isn't that the moon, right over there?" "That's hardly the moon. It's just a thin crescent." "Doesn't mean that it isn't the moon." Caughlin swallowed again. "Pass the water, please." A flask, metallic surface gleaming in the hot light, pressed into her hooves. "You know, I hope we don't lose them," said Caughlin after a while. "They're moving awfully fast." "They're still looking for Discord," shrugged Luna. "I did a bit of asking around before you went to talk with uncle Furhich. They're using a device like the magic measurement machine we built back then, except that it's geared toward the special brand of chaotic, corrupted magic. They've been planning for this quite a while back. Sent search teams before them to cover more ground, too. Of course, what with the supposedly weak state of Discord now, it could take days, even weeks to get a trace." "A fraction of near-infinite is still pretty big," said Caughlin. "Chaos is still happening across the surface of the earth, right?" As if on cue, a hiss at their hooves yanked their attention briefly. The fire wobbled and turned into a shade of green, almost defiant, before flickering back to orange-red. "See?" "That's the third time it's done that." "I know." There was another pause before Caughlin added: "I'm just worried that they might not take him seriously, as ridiculous the idea sounds. You know, getting cocky, with Celestia and whatever master plan Furhich has cooked up." "You know of the plan?" asked Luna, wide-eyed. "What plan?" "I don't know. You said there was a plan." "Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure there's one." Caughlin waved a hoof. She was, despite her stomach being emptier than she preferred, happy - she hadn't been happy in ages, it seemed, and being away from it all was refreshing in ways she had never even thought of. Still, that didn't stop her eyes from wandering to the bag in Luna's hooves. "Furhich always has one. He..." She remembered his acid tone and words, and spat a breath of warm air. "He always does." The words settled in the dust as they rang back in her head. The question is: what is it? "You know, Luna... let's try a thought exercise. If you were Furhich, how would you go about killing Discord?" Caughlin asked carefully. "Easy. Find his location and blast him with a decageas," said Luna. "No, not surefire enough. Too much left to chance. Details?" "Er. Wait until he's stationary? Set up the decageas properly? I mean, the decageas is, really, the most powerful spell in Equestria, and what you did with Furhich in the closed space proved that it's possible to work the spell without ten alicorns, and now that we can properly magnify the power - " "Furhich isn't the sort to use the same tactic twice," frowned Caughlin, shifting her gaze to the bright yellow peak of the flame. "I don't know why, but that's what I think. He doesn't shelve ideas that failed as much as incinerate them and start over." You're proof, she silently added. "What other ways are there?" Luna huffed. "Apart from blasting him with magic? I have no idea." "Maybe a close-range blast? But then there's the risk of Discord running away, which none of us can afford." "Look, Mommy, I'm sure it'll be fine." Luna stretched her legs and yawned. "What we should be doing now is resting. You've carried half of our rations on fresh wings even though I told you you're going to feel sore, and I'm most likely going to have to carry you as well as the rations tomorrow. I don't mind, but I'd like to do it after a bout of beauty sleep." The wry grin that followed put Caughlin at ease. She lifted another bag and withdrew a glass cylinder, it ends sheathed in glossy metal, as long as her horn. A spark of magic danced across the metal caps and tiny runes flared up along the sides before fading into transparency. She set the cylinder down and laid her head on the bag. "Good night, Mommy. Promise me you'll sleep at least a bit." "What do you mean by that?" said Caughlin. "Somepony told me that back then, in the ward, at night, you would - well, nevermind." Caughlin sat with her back to the cylinder for a few more moments. Would what? She couldn't think of anything - didn't want to. That dank room, which had been her whole world, had never felt so distant, as if it had all been a dream. Much less her old room in the Laboratory - she tried to remember, but the night sky with its void had filled up her mind already. The little device was giving off warmth as a steady rate, enough to keep the night's chill off the tips of her wings. It was probably the next best thing they could have brought, second to food and such essentials, as conventional fires betrayed their position and actions to patrolling scouts. She certainly did not enjoy the idea of giving Furhich a chance to pass sentence on them. The only fault she could find with the invention was the problem of fuel - it ran on distilled gas from the reaction of active metals with water and nothing else, and so they had to be conservative. Surprisingly persnickity, she thought, for a can. She curled up next to Luna and dreamed of the thaumic realm, drifting without care through the tsunami of colour. There were no newborn foals robbed from their dead families. There were no sickening bits of characteristic lying about. Just her, in the broadest sense of the word, and the realm of untamed magic roiling silently around her. Caughlin stirred to the warmth of sunlight. She stretched a leg gingerly and winced as the muscles tensed up. The feeling awakened her senses to the host of complaints all over her body: the aching in her wing joints, the soreness of her back, an odd, sick warmth in the pits of her belly... Her heart began to pound as the noises filtered in through her sleepy conscious: the babble of two or three voices, the thrum of running magic like an open tap. With a sharp sucking of breath, she hauled herself upright to find Luna standing several feet away. The alicorn was so angry - was her mane thrashing? - that it was the first thing that made itself apparent to Caughlin's drifting mind. "You got off lucky," hissed Luna. "What? I - " started Caughlin. "It's all right, Mommy. They have no idea what they've gotten themselves into," said Luna haughtily. "And when I'm done with them, they won't be in any position to know." "I think that applies to you more," said a frowning pegasus, dressed in Order black from the tip of his mane to the ends of his hooves - like a solid shadow - not winning prizes for most pleasant sight upon waking up any time soon. He stood at what could be called a safe distance away, eyes darting cautiously to the ground every so often. Even further away, another pegasus stood, scanning the horizons for something; next to him or her, it was too far to tell - stood a unicorn, uncovered horn a deep red. It was active. Caughlin rearranged her legs into a more comfortable position, rubbing at the muscles gently, her eyes quickly looking for answers. In a neat radius of six or seven feet, she found them: red runes glowed faintly under the bright light of day. She was sitting in her own circle, Luna in another. She did not need to search her mental guidebook to guess that the runes worked barrier magic. Luna had, it seemed, tested it out already, if the scorch marks along the sides were anything to go by. "Um, officer?" tried Caughlin. "Just Yam Cake, miss," said the first pegasus. Behind the face mask, she could hear a small sigh. "Why are we locked up in this barrier?" she asked. "You two have been found trailing our party in a suspicious manner, precisely, by us. We apprehended you. It's just protocol," shrugged Yam. "I don't want any trouble, though I'm afraid you're gonna get some when the escorts arrive. Part and parcel of stalking, you understand." "Ah," murmured Caughlin. She glanced upwards and asked, "Do you mind if I ask you a couple of things?" "Sure, why not? Nothing else to do, really," relented Yam. "Firstly, did that unicorn draw these runes by himself?" asked Caughlin, blinking back the daylight. "Herself, miss," corrected Yam. "And yes she did. She's the only one authorized to use level four magic and above in our team." "Level four? I've never heard of a class system for magic." She yawned for effect. "Oh, it's simple, really. Light, heat canisters, sortta like the ones we found on you, basic portable stuff - that's low-level magic. Actual spells and runes are level four and above." Yam lowered his voice conspiratorially. "It's not like we can use magic anyways. No horn, see? You know what it's like, these unicorns. All these extra rules and classes. If you ask me, it's an ego thing, you know?" "I think I do," nodded Caughlin, a bit more guiltily than she would have liked. "You know, one more thing." She cleared her throat loudly, making sure she saw that she had Luna's attention - a simple raise of the head, expression blank. "Do you think these barriers extend upwards? Because if I'm any good with runes, I'd say that these are definitely missing a vertical component." There was a roar as Luna let out a column of fire from her horn. It rose up, unhindered, followed soon by its caster, who swept back down and grabbed Caughlin in a flash. Before Yam could shout "Hey!", the two had gained considerable altitude. It made Caughlin very ill, but it was worth it. All she had to do was hold on to her guts, and - "Miss Luna and Caughlin Mare, you will comply with Order procedures and descend to ground level," boomed an authoritative voice, so loud that it echoed across the empty plains. "Failure to obey will result in necessary force." They turned around slowly to see a platoon, tens of pegasi swarming towards them, steadily growing oblong dots that wobbled in the heat. As they grew closer, it became evident that each pegasus was carrying a unicorn. They were all dressed in Order black, and every horn was glowing in anticipation. "Luna?" said Caughlin. "Yes, Mommy?" "No, you can't take them on." "How could you tell?" "You started digging into my ribs with your hooves." "But I'm sure-" "No, Luna. We don't want anypony to get hurt," said Caughlin, and she was surprised to find that she meant it. For good measure, she added, "Them, not you. Some of them probably have families. You know how it is." Dragged slowly, awfully over what should have been mere moments, Luna made her way back to the ground. The air was full of the hum of tense magic, strong wingbeats and the thumping of the alicorn's heart against Caughlin's ears. She managed to clench a hoof on Luna's foreleg. Luna clenched back gently. "Land yourselves back into the containment circles," rang the voice. "First the pegasus. Then you." Caughlin waited until everypony was grounded before speaking. "Now, officers, I'm sure that we can negotiate-" "There is no negotiation," said a unicorn, stepping forward. "We are here on orders of the strictest degree. There is to be no deviation." "I am not going to stand for unlawful punishment without an appeal!" protested Caughlin. "There is no punishment," replied the unicorn. "You are part of the calculations. We are simply here to escort you over to the main party." Caughlin raised an eyebrow. The unicorn somehow managed, despite his headgear, to raise one of his own. "You are to join the main party," repeated the unicorn. "In submission. This is an order from Leader Furhich himself. Is this clear?" "Crystal," sighed Caughlin. Deep in her heart, something flickered and hissed: So even this was planned. Amazing. The camp consisted of eight large tents circled around a pile of smouldering ashes - from the skies, eight white gleaming circles and a black smear. In, out, between and about, ponies with restrained listlessness walked or hovered. It was in the dragging of the hooves, the way their heads were bent low, how their tails swished irritably at random intervals; if there was any anxiety or regret in the ranks at the ardor ahead, it was hidden well under the heavy layer of boredom. They did not even look up as the squadron landed on to the grounds, a few yards away from the edgemost tent. With as much dignity as her aching muscles could hold, Caughlin held up her head as she walked alongside Luna. There were no binds, gags or hexes on them; a menacing glare from Luna had settled that swiftly. Instead, three pairs of unicorns walked with them out of leg's range, one behind and one on each side. To Caughlin's surprise, one had offered to carry their belongings for them, and she had accepted before Luna could object. She did not want to think that she was nervous. The fact remained, though, that every little jingle or crackle the bags made as they moved made her lips curl, only for the dried cracks to sting. . "We sort of suck at this, don't we?" murmured Caughlin, forcing a smile. "It's been only the first night and we've been found. Heh." As they drew closer to the camp, one said: "You two wait here. We will bring - " "No, no need for that," rang a familiar voice, followed soon by its owner: none other than Furhich, dressed in dusty robes from snout to fetlocks. He trotted over briskly, Celestia appearing a second later - her expression shocked. "You are now all dismissed until the afternoon. Now." It did not take the guards long to comply. Caughlin could not help but choke as the cloud of dust from the wake of the pegasi's takeoff smothered her snout. "Uncle Furhich. Celestia," said Luna curtly. "I suppose it's redundant to say that I was expecting you two," sighed Furhich. "Not that it matters. Rest assured, I have no intention of punishing any of you - your presence may been even a boon." He held up a warning hoof. "There is a time for questions, and that is after I inform you of the whole situation. Come with me." Between the midday heat and the disconcerting start to the day, Caughlin was surprised that she only felt annoyance at the sight of them. It could have gone worse, but this was certainly not good by any standards. With a shrug, she followed him. Celestia glanced back a couple of times, eyes filled with worry - or perhaps the squint was just because of the sun. Luna, Caughlin noticed, was pointedly avoiding these, darting her eyes to the sides at each turn. There was little more of this, thankfully, as they were led to the furthest of the tents. The flap was pulled back, and they were met with a faceful of cool air. She blinked profusely as her pupils stretched to accommodate the dim lighting. Even so, she noticed straight away a few of the major oddities: the flat map which covered most of the floor center, little black specks moving across its surface; stone totems covered with bright red etchings that lined the circular wall; the not-so-strange sensation that the inside of the tent was larger than the outside. That, she knew, was space manipulation. The runes were probably carved on the poles that propped the tent up. The stone totems were some kind of computational-mechanism housing, given how they throbbed and pulsed in beat with the movement of the black specks. Furhich waved a hoof at the walls. Celestia levitated a few pillows over to the sides of the map. "Please, sit," said Furhich. "Your timing could not have been any better. Heaven knows why my team is useless at tactics, save for Celestia, but I find that we cannot bounce ideas off each other very well." His horn glowed and the map began to zoom down toward a point - it wasn't long before this stopped, though, overlooking a patch of gray static. "We have found Discord. We cannot, however, perform reconnaissance to collect data for two reasons. Firstly, Discord is enveloped in an aura of chaos. Our mapping magic gets distorted and chewed out the moment it tries to home in on him." Furhich looked up. "You've possibly already thought of that, miss Caughlin." "And the second?" asked Luna, staring intently at the patch. "None of the scout teams that have gone in have returned," replied Celestia softly. "They have all gone missing. Thank you, Celestia." There was an edge of agitation in his voice. "We can only assume that Discord has done something to them. The signal trackers they were carrying have not vanished entirely, but the wavelengths they're sending back are augmented beyond recognition. We are sure that our cover has not yet been blown: he hasn't moved an inch. He would have run away if he knew of our forces converging on him." "Would he now?" asked Caughlin. It was a challenge - are you sure you're powerful enough? It was completely unhelpful, almost spiteful, but Furhich needed to be taken down a few pegs. Such a bold assertion could be the death of them all. The question lingered in the air, bringing silence with it. It made her feel guilty to savour the tension. "He fears. What does he have not to fear about?" replied Furhich. Dodging the question, I see. "I don't know," retorted Caughlin. "He is Discord, after all. What does Discord fear?" "What indeed?" Furhich tapped a hoof impatiently - probably wasn't in the mood for games, which was rare, thought Caughlin. "We need to design a plan to deal with this situation. It took us well over a year to find Discord after his weakened escape. Now, with his vitality most likely strong, we may never find him again if we lose him." "How about the decageas?" asked Caughlin. "Fire a beam into the heart of the storm." He would reject it, of course, and the idea was unfeasible - like all energy, the magic would dissipate over a distance far enough to be considered safe. What she wanted to find out was how. Unexpectedly, he dismissed it outright. "I think I need to show you the aura up front for you to fully appreciate the gravity of the situation," said Fuhrich tersely. "Come with me. Celestia, summon two teleporters to take us. You and Luna will stay here, since you've seen it already and you can fill her in." "I object-" began Caughlin, but Furhich was quick to cut in. "My ponies are weary and tense. Believe me, I do not wish for any of them to get close to the site any more than necessary." In his eyes was a glint that said, Don't push it. Coming from Furhich, it was both insulting and unnerving. "Come." The steel in his eyes, bent like a bad spoon, was what made Caughlin rethink protesting. If it's so bad that it makes even him think twice about sending ponies out... The procedure was simple. Caughlin was tethered to her teleporter unicorn with a dual harness on the back, a sheathed cable connecting the two. Furhich briefly mentioned the thaumic relations, but she was not in the mood to hear it. They stepped out of the camp area, checked that nopony else was in radius, and... jumped. Just like blinking, thought Caughlin later, and finding yourself somewhere else when you open your eyes. In this case, from one nightmare to another. When they arrived, Caughlin found herself blinking furiously yet again, this time because of the lack of light. Thick, rolling stormclouds filled the sky above, red and green arcs crackling across their underbellies. They trotted forwards for a few minutes - Caughlin kept her head low, fixed on Furhich as he led, because the crackling seemed to sear the back of her eyes - before Furhich stopped and pointed. Before them stretched a huge but shallow trough, spanning the size of the Order grounds and three ponies' depth at most. It wasn't empty; there were distant specks moving about in it. Figures, almost. The next thing that hit her was the distant wailing and snarling that drifted from beyond. "Are those...?" trailed Caughlin. Furhich simply handed her a pair of binoculars, which he held steady for her after a bit of fumbling on her part. At the center of the trough was Discord, swaying wildly as he paced the center as if drunk. His fur was matted and his scales were dull, but he was certainly not fatally wounded, just poorly groomed. His eyes were unusually sullen, yet his grin was stretched so wide that it seemed to cross beyond his face. It hurt her brain to think about it. This was Discord, after all. Her sight then dropped to his surroundings, and she finally saw what the numerous gray spots were. Surrounding Discord, arguing and brawling with each other, was a multitude of ponies, all with gray manes, coats and eyes. She watched, transfixed, as one flung a weak punch at another, only to trip on his own hooves, falling down face-first. Another was yelling at any pony that so much as looked at her, and still another was yelling at any pony she laid her eyes on. On the far left side, a series of elaborate, tall, wooden structures stood. She tasted bile as a pony stepped on to the structure, pulled a lever and released a rope with a curved blade on it, right on to her neck... "What is going on?" she whispered, swallowing hard. "Discord," replied Furhich quietly. "Don't look to the left." "Why?" "That's where my ponies are. They all committed suicide, from what we can tell, and their bodies are just... there, on the ground." "But why? How?" "Discord did something to them. We don't know what." Furhich turned away and stomped a hoof. "This area is seeped in chaos. Anything we throw in here will get warped beyond recognition. That's why long-distance spells won't work. Nopony dares to try a frontal assault." He sneered. "Discord's always been a great, destructive being, but death by his hands used to be quick. Half the time, at least. But this... nopony knows what's going on, and they don't want to find out firsthand. It's the fear of the unknown. You look at it, and you can only see yourself in there..." Caughlin tried to muster up saliva to wash the sourness away, but her mouth had gone dry. Her throat stung as she said, ater a while: "Why don't we try and capture one? I mean, you still have ponies with Discordian talents... The reality bubble! I'm sure that'll work in restoring them, maybe -" "They are too close to Discord. We can't sneak in, or he'll discover us. Once he does, he'll run - or come after us, and I'm not sure which of the two I'd prefer. It's a stalemate," said Furhich, shaking his head. "Not only that, they're so focused on killing each other that it'd be impossible to lure them away. Not to mention the chaos that they'd carry out... chaos lingers, Caughlin. I'm not sure if you know of this, but it tends to remain. Like a plague. When we get back we'll need to scrub down." "At this distance?" frowned Caughlin. "Disgust aside, I don't feel too bad." "You may not have noticed, but your mane is turning green as we speak," said Furhich with a dry grin. "That's how powerful the chaos is here. Last time I came over, my right leg turned to jelly." The grin took on a distinct dryness as he continued. "Celestia, by the by, has refused to use the decageas, even if it were feasible. She says that it will no doubt kill the other ponies. She doesn't want collateral damage, and no amount of reasoning will get her to see that they are past redemption." Caughlin stared uncomfortably into the distance for a moment. I'm going to have to tell her that I'm proud of her for doing that. Isn't Furhich going to make a pass at me? No? Okay. Aloud, she said, "Then the only option left is frontal combat. We could initiate, and use it as a distraction to get the hostages out of there. Once everypony's safe, we time their exit so that Discord is the only one left when the blast strikes. We could use runes, right? Magnify the reality spell effects across the basin, so that the decageas pierces through, or something..." "Frontal combat means risking Celestia or Luna, as they're the only two with a chance of surviving entry, let alone initiate," said Furhich tersely. "Nopony else will keep his attention long enough; he'll figure out what we're doing otherwise, and bolt." Caughlin bit her lip and closed her eyes. The clouds growled, and a fresh chorus of cries rang out. Her thoughts crashed through her mind like waves, and she felt a sudden burden on her chest. She had an idea, so crazy that it might just work, and yet... "I could do it," she said slowly. "I can show up in front of him. He'll remember me. I can hold his attention long enough for you lot to get them out, and perhaps - " "Celestia will never agree to it. She'd much sooner fly in than have you go face to face with Discord, and you know very well how that turned out last time." The stallion sighed. Seconds passed, and he added: "Still, I appreciate that. That's very brave and noble of you to say so." Caughlin allowed herself a mirthless smile. "For Equestria, right?" "Indeed. For Equestria." She glanced at him just in time to catch the faintest twinkle in his eyes. He was being open. Circumstances aside, he was almost hard to hate. He's not so bad, she thought, provided he isn't trying to brainwash my family. "Well, what else do you suggest we do?" asked Caughlin. Furhich never had a chance to reply. There was the tinniest poof behind them, and long claws dug into Caughlin's sides, making her shout. She was about to kick when the voice that followed immediately after wiped her mind, clutching straight at her soul. She was turned around slowly, lifted to stare into crazed, swirling pupils. "It's been a while, Caughlin. I missed you," giggled Discord. Caughlin screamed and flapped her wings with as much force as she could muster, but to no avail. She furiously twisted, sight searching wildly for help, but Furhich had disappeared into thin air. Or rather it was her that had disappeared - she saw gray ponies, hear the screaming much louder - saw a ledge that hadn't been there moments ago. She was not sure what to think of that; she wasn't sure what to think of at all. A paw gripped the sides of her head and held her still. "Oh, come on, now. What's the matter? It's been so, so long," sighed Discord. She could only stare at his eyes - his pupils were literally swirling, like somepony stirring a marsh. Where there had been sharp pinpoints, there was now dull nothing, and it was not any more pleasant. "I've been dreaming about you. Come, Caughlin. We have so much to talk about!" He set her down gently and did a twirling motion with a finger. To her shock, her legs began to move on their own, plodding behind Discord's slithering figure as they climbed down the trough. "Let me go!" "If I did, you'd run away." His voice sounded almost sad. "I've missed you so. You and your beautiful, beautiful soul." "What - what are you talking about?" shouted Caughlin, pulling at every muscle she still had control over, which was not much. "Chaos." Her strength suddenly ran dry. It was the way he had said it. The tone was unlike anything that she had heard, soft, yet brimming with warmth. It was the voice of somepony madly in love. Obsessed, even. "Don't you see it?" He turned around, gesturing expansively to the great space. "It's amazing. It's unbelievable. I have to give you the grand tour! Would you like some tea?" He stretched a paw upward, and dainty, white teacups began crashing around them. The sound hurt her ears, and she felt a surge of panic at the shrapnel that flew at her legs. She whimpered as a few corners scratched at her, feeling the sickly crunch of china under her hooves as Discord kept her pace unerring. "What are you playing at?" winced Caughlin. Discord simply giggled. "Come, come! We're moving too slow. So much to do, so much!" He flew behind her and picked her up, flying dangerously low toward a group of fighting ponies. "Do you see these? They were village leaders in the past. Negotiators of little towns up in the north. And those over there, they were messengers. Look over here!" They teleported to the other side, where the tall wooden mechanisms stood. He let go of her and she fell on her hooves. "You'd love these," Discord gushed, rubbing the side of the closest one fondly. "My little ponies built these themselves from oak and iron. I daresay that they're better engineers than you are. So determined. So focused." Despite herself, Caughlin stared with a horrid fascination. The mechanism was supported by a frame of two wooden beams, leaving ample space between them. At the foot was a curved block of wood which formed the base, and above, a large, stained blade, kept suspended by a piece of string tied to the base. It was dreadfully simple in function - cut the rope, and the blade fell down. Caughlin suddenly tasted bile as she realized what the nook in the base was for. The sour, warm feeling only increased as she watched a pony walk up to it, painstakingly rubbing at the edges with a piece of sandpaper until satisfied. She laid the sheet down, folded neatly, and laid her head carefully in the nook. Caughlin stifled a scream and closed her eyes, only hearing the twang, zip and thud of metal on bone. "Isn't it beautiful?" burst Discord, laughing hysterically. "That one was the vice-captain!" "Why?" trembled Caughlin, eyes still shut. "Why?" "Don't you know?" She felt herself being lifted again, and they drifted to what she assumed was the center of the trough. "Don't you? Tell me you do, Caughlin. You inspired this, after all." "I have nothing to do with your sick magic!" screamed Caughlin, nausea dizzying her as she tried to break free of the invisible grip once more. "You don't make ponies kill themselves, you just don't!" "But I didn't!" protested Discord, raising his paw. "I swear! They did it on their own accord! Don't you see, they're acting in the exact opposite of their personalities. It's only to be expected." She stared at him furiously. He nodded and continued. "You see, all this while, I've been causing chaos. Storms. Earthquakes. Explosions. Physical outbursts, wrecking physics," he said, waving a claw. "I've been doing that for the past millenium. It's been boring, I have to admit. Frustrating, even. But then, on that day with the alicorn - Celestia - I found something greater, so much greater! It was beautiful. Not even splitting the world in half could come close to what you showed me, dear Caughlin." His eyes narrowed, and his grin stretched wide. "It was you." "Me?" "Ripping out your horn, taking out your characteristic, toppling your essence into breaking down," sighed Discord happily. "That was true chaos. Absolutely destroying a pony's thaumics, just taking one part away, and letting the pressure do the rest. The sensation, what I saw that day, has never left me. It was genius, it was art. I fell in love." He straightened up and gave Caughlin a pat on the head. "So, I ran away. I was close to death, but I had also found life. I had found something new to do and I was so happy! Do you know how boring it is, just being hated and being angry in return - but true, true fear like never before!" He wheezed and coughed spittle all over her face. "I escaped, of course, to the distant regions to test my new designs out. These, here, are the fruit of my experiments. But I never managed to get the same effect as I did with you." The mysterious force lifted Caughlin's head up to face Discord once more, contorted in a thoughtful frown. "You see, Caughlin," he said, swishing her around like a doll, "not many ponies were like you. They only had one characteristic, and when I took that out, they died awfully quickly. There was no spiraling descent. There was just collapse. Then, I got to thinking - what if 'characteristic' doesn't just mean thaumic signature? What if I could twist about actual characteristics of ponies? "I searched long and hard, my dear, for good specimens. It took me many tries to find the right frequency, but I managed to - I found how to corrupt ponies, to twist them and bring out the exact opposite of their strongest, defining feature." He pointed to the squabbling side. "Those ponies, their main feature was leadership and unity. They held their tribes and communities together. So I reversed that, and they have become the most disagreeable bunch you can ever find, save Canterlot parliament. On the other side, you have the survivors - ponies whose first and foremost skill is living. The survivors. I thought hard about them, and I can remember a few faces in there. Familiar, almost, but you get the idea. The ponies whose abilities were living became ponies who were adapt at, well, dying. It's beautiful... "And yet - " Discord stroked Caughlin across the belly, leaving a painful scratch, " - none of them are quite like you. An incomplete being, yet stable, yet not. Have you any idea what you look like in the thaumic realm? It's as if you're a jelly perched on a point on the highest building in Equestria. It's amazing. So much potential for chaos, but still in order. How is that so?" Caughlin simply spat at him. He wiped it off his snout and laughed. "Oh, Caughlin. You haven't changed, have you?" "Neither have you," hissed Caughlin. "When the time comes, I will dance on your grave, I promise you this." Discord sighed and stretched himself. "And here I thought that we were going to get along so well. You're the perfect embodiment of chaos, exempting yours truly, and I've even dreamed about you. So, so beautiful." "I can safely say that I don't think the same way about you," retorted Caughlin. "Perhaps. And now, the question - what to do with you? I could try and tear apart another of your characteristics. Or I could corrupt you into an opposite of yourself. So much to do, however there's only one of you. It's such a pity," lamented Discord, plucking a feather out of each wing. It stung, but she could not even twitch. The binding magic held her rigidly. "I could try to clone you... clone you! That's it!" To her horror, his face lit up with glee. "Why, I could just make copies of you, and we can have all the fun in the world - " There was an explosion and an angry hiss as something hit Discord from behind. He dropped Caughlin, and she felt the magic suppressing her loosen. She charged forward, taking to the air clumsily, flapping as far away from him as she could. "Mommy! Mommy, you're safe!" shouted Luna, suddenly filling her sight. Caughlin collided with a mass of midnight blue and tumbled in the air, only to be guided back down to solid ground. She was squeezed tightly as the alicorn breathed down her ears, whispering: "I'm so glad you're safe. I'm so glad. Oh, Mommy, you're safe..." Caughlin broke away, heart pounding, and turned to see Celestia battling the spirit tooth and nail, or, to be precise, horn and hoof. She was decked in shining, gold armour, and her horn was aglow with a dark red aura she had never seen before. Even her hooves were seeped in an aura, every punch and kick burning with magic. The other thing different about her was the immense pressure Caughlin felt when looking at her. Thaumic pressure, even - looking at her triggered the same burning sensation looking at the skies did. Even so, as she strained to watch the battle, Celestia had yet to land a single hit on Discord. He dodged, twisted and even segmented his body to avoid the attacks, giggling all the time. "You're so predictable, my love," cried Discord. "Come on, try something more creative! You'll never get me like this!" "Go help her," said Caughlin. "She can't do it herself." "I... have orders on that." Luna's voice was low, her gaze still fixed keenly on the fight. "Orders? What do you mean?" started Caughlin. "She needs you!" "I will go when she needs it," said Luna stiffly. "She does need it! What are you saying?" Celestia's shriek shot through her ears, and snapped her attention back to the fight. Discord had jabbed a talon just above the chestpiece. Blackness began to ooze out of the point, dripping as she thrusted and kicked. It stood out obviously on Celestia' bright coat, and that Caughlin all the more nervous. She cheered as Celestia fluttered back and sent a blast spell, catching him on the tail. Discord snarled and leapt forward, only to receive a faceful of fire. That did not seem to deter him at all; he leapt into the air and swung his paw giddily. A bolt of blue lightning slammed into Celestia from the skies, and she stumbled, firing off another spell but missing wildly. "Go on, Luna! Celestia is going to die if he keeps this up!" "Yes, Mommy." Caughlin felt her breath catch in her throat as there was a loud flicker of surging magic. She turned hastily to find somepony different altogether standing beside her. She was pure black, with a strangely ethereal mane and tail that distorted the air around them. She wore dark blue armour and a helmet with hid her eyes, filled with the cool, cold confidence of certain power. "L-Luna?" "The project name," said the alicorn levelly, "is Nightmare Moon. It has an edge to it, you gotta admit. But yes, I am Luna. And I will defeat Discord." She turned to the battle and gave her wings a testing flap. "This ends here." Caughlin stared as the supposedly-Luna flew forth with surprising speed, a black smear that rammed itself into an unsuspecting Discord. She leapt back immediately and started pelting spells at him, streaks of blue and black that contrasted significantly with Celestia's red and white ones. She could see them moving their mouths, but their words were lost under the explosions and the primal roar that shook the earth. Discord raised himself up to his full height and flew up into the clouds. He was no longer smiling. Fire and lightning coursed down from the brewing clouds, and Caughlin found herself running uncertainly, caught between chasing the fight and escaping the apocalypse. Luna and Celestia drew together and, after a brief moment, sent a joint spell that spiralled into the heart of the cloud. Deep black and bright white mingled and disappeared into the clouds, followed by a shockwave that cleared the skies with a boom. Discord hovered above, back to the sun and blue skies, and fired what Caughlin could only describe, in size and sheer power felt, as a decageas, straight at the pair. The two countered with another joint spell, but it was not enough. The beams slammed into each other, Discord's ray of blue pushing against theirs slowly but surely. Suddenly, it surged forward, engulfing the alicorns, and blew twenty feet of dirt, rocks and debris into the air like a geyser as it struck through the air. Discord waited for a moment, searching the floor. Behind him, out of the earth, two figures burst out and rammed into him from behind. Caughlin found herself shouting and trembling as they rebounded and exchanged another wave of spells, diving back and forth. Discord had yet to teleport, she noticed; perhaps, again, he simply had not thought of it, nor was he in the mind to. For the first time, Luna was leading, aggressively firing off spells at a faster rate than Celestia, and her spells were slightly larger, too. The altered form, whatever it was, was supplying her with tremendous power. "Project name is Nightmare Moon," repeated Caughlin. Project? Wait... project? That means - Another explosion, and Discord fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Caughlin only now realized that the screams and shouts of the corrupted ponies were absent, and they were the only two left in the trough. The Order must have taken them away. "Oh, my," giggled Discord. "Will you look at that?" He picked himself up from underneath the rubble and stared at the two above. "It took me a while, because I was just so happy to see your mother, but is that you, Luna? It can't be. You were even more a bore than Celestia. But look at you now. Can you even see yourself?" "Silence," hissed Luna/Nightmare Moon, but that only elicited a fresh burst of laughter. "You're the failure, Luna!" shouted Discord gleefully. "That older sister that couldn't! Yet now, that power that flows through your being, it isn't natural! You can't even control half of it!" He grinned, his horrible smile returned, and he shook his head. "You've become so much like your mother. I'm proud of you." With a beastly roar, Luna/Nightmare Moon waved to Celestia. Their bodies glowed, dark auras on a blue, cloudless plain, and sent a giant beam of magic down. The earth shook and Caughlin took to the air, beating her wings to stay upright. Even from this distance, Caughlin could hear the clatter of wreckage, and somewhere on the sides was the sound of a lot of wood splintering. The dust settled, and the three remained flying. A thick silence came and covered them. Nothing but the pumping of her heart and the beating of her wings was heard. "Mother!" called Celestia at last, making her way down tentatively. "Mother, he's not moving! Come on!" Dodging patches of dark liquid bubbling on the earth, Caughlin made her way across the trough. She could not help but bite her lip as she approached the impact zone; the spell had left a gaping, smoking hole, the stench of hot materials and magic tickling her nose. In the hole, striking a curious pose, was Discord, and yet... "Stone?" blurted Luna/Nightmare Moon. Her voice had changed too, and it wasn't just the tinnitus. It was sharper, more curt. Celestia wordlessly levitated the statue out of the hole, rapping a hoof on it. "Feels like stone." "A stone statue? But where is he then?" asked Luna/Nightmare Moon. A moment's quiet passed before Caughlin finally spoke up. "Discord had a saying, once. Before you two were born. He used to brag about his exploits, but there was something he used to lament about. He used to say, 'It's a pity you can't kill stone'..." "Challenge accepted," snorted Luna/Nightmare Moon, rearing around and giving it a buck strong enough to break a wall. The statue toppled without so much as a scratch. "Seriously?" Luna/Nightmare Moon flew up and stomped down, giving the other two barely enough time to get away. Her hooves met the statue with a clang, and Luna stumbled back. "Ouch! Damn it all!" "It's probably not just ordinary stone," mused Celestia. "Gee, you think?" asked Luna, rolling her eyes. There's something unpleasant about that form. Caughlin prodded the statue gently. "Luna, can you change back?" "I... don't know." "What?" Caughlin stared at her. "What do you mean, you don't know?" "I mean, I don't know!" Luna bit back. "What is this, anyway? Some sort of release?" The words hit her a second later. A release. In Luna. Furhich! "...yes." Luna/Nightmare Moon lowered his voice, but there was still an inherent arrogance in it. "It's a special kind of release, a lot different from Celly's - " "Who put this up to you? Furhich? It's definitely him," said Caughlin darkly. "Mother, it's - " stammered Celestia, but Luna/Nightmare Moon shoved a hoof in front of her. "It was my choice," said Luna/Nightmare Moon coolly. She held her gaze solidly. "Uncle Furhich suggested to me that I have it installed. It would be a failsafe against Discord. And it was. Mommy, don't you see? I - we - beat him. We did! We've saved Equestria!" "Can you turn back?" hissed Caughlin. "Can you, Luna?" "I... I'm sure I can," replied Luna/Nightmare Moon. "I'm sure of it. It's a release, right? It can be switched off." "You better wish that it can," mumbled Caughlin. Even Luna had a release. Since when? And she agreed to it? Even Luna? Does she even know what it entails? Her thoughts were cut short by the buzzing of wings, followed by a tsunami of the loudest cheers she had ever heard. Around them, Order ponies appeared as if in awe, whinnying, whistling and stomping their hooves with the gusto of hope. Discord had been defeated, apparently, and they were heroes, but it was with a hollow heart that Caughlin was led back to camp. First Celestia, now Luna. Both of them bound to the release locked in their bodies forever. All for the sake of this battle. We beat Discord, sure... but it doesn't feel like we're free just yet. At least Discord is... whatever he is. Trapped in stone? Turned into stone? Just, I have to wonder whether he's the only monster we have to deal with. At least Discord's defeated. We won.