//------------------------------// // Reunions and Battle Plans // Story: So, You've Grown Wings // by Steel Resolve //------------------------------// Captain Agile Race and Sergeant Swift Arrow had expected a routinely boring time guarding Princess Luna. She had left strict instructions to not be disturbed for at least two hours while she relaxed. Previous experiences had told the Captain do not disturb meant exactly that, regardless of the reason, or who was asking. Prince Blueblood had likely delayed the Captain's promotion by several months because he just had to come whining to Luna about a certain "peasant girl" who had covered him in cake during the Grand Galloping Gala. Agile Race took great comfort in knowing the Prince had been even more lambasted with insults over the incident than he had. What neither expected was a disturbance from within the bedroom. Luna was screaming... something, he thought he could make out the word demon. They looked at each other, the Sergeant for orders, the Captain biting back a desire to ask the other pony for advice in what would certainly be a no win situation. Still, needs must, and only grimacing a bit, he opened the door and charged in to discover the source of the disturbance. What, if anything, they could do; that an alicorn goddess could not, neither knew. The scene was a bit chaotic to say the least. A weeping Princess Luna sat at a table surrounded by... oh, that was why she wanted privacy. The source of her discomfort appeared to be coming from her closet, where inexplicably Twilight Sparkle and another alicorn, this one pink, were blocking the doorway. Luna looked up and immediately whisked all the dolls into a drawer. She glared at the Captain. "CAPTAIN WE HAVE TOLD THEE IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS THOU MUST NOT DISTURB US, AND AT THE LEAST, THOU MUST KNOCK IF THOU HAS NEED TO ENTER!" The Captain cleared his throat nervously. "I beg your forgiveness Princess, we heard shouting and a disturbance-" Luna still looked agitated, but could not fault a soldier for trying to protect his sovereign. "Very well Captain, you are forgiven. Tell me, what didst thou see just now?" The Captain gulped. "We definitely didn't see you playing with your dolls again ma'am!" Luna nodded. "Good, you may leave, good and faithful soldiers. One of you please get word to my sister, it seems we may have a solution to the incarceration of our fine city." Captain Race snapped a salute. "Yes Princess, at once!" Both of them hurried from the room. Sergeant Arrow glanced nervously at the Captain. "What did we just-" The Captain silenced him with a hoof to the mouth. "Don't question it, Sergeant. Go, and inform the Princess that Luna has guests, Twilight Sparkle included amongst them. For Celestia's sake make sure you knock when you go in." Inside the room, Pinkie stepped in and took place at the table with Luna. She laid out a tray of cupcakes. "Did you want to pour or should I?" ------------------------------------------------- Celestia could not sleep. She worried for her little ponies outside of Discord's little pocket universe, and for the ponies inside trying not to panic despite the lack of the calming cycle of the sun and moon. The wall... it was largely featureless, save for the giant eye which had appeared on the first day and sent everypony into a panic. It resisted every method she or Luna attempted to breach it. Celestia had not felt this helpless in over one thousand years. If Discord was free, what havoc was he playing on the world? How would the bearers even begin to deal with him without the elements to imprison him? They had all trained admirably, but they had yet to approach the level of power and control a battle with the essence of Chaos demanded. These questions all weighed heavily in her mind. A knock on her door disturbed her rumination. "You may enter." Celestia said wearily. Corporal Cloud Twist entered. "Your majesty, a message from Princess Luna, Twilight Sparkle and the other Element Bearers await you in her chambers!" Celestia fairly jumped to her hooves. "Understood Corporal, you may report back to your command, I am off to see my sister." ------------------------------------------------- Celestia burst into the room, where the six friends were arranged around a table. Luna was serving tea, looking as happy as ever. Celestia was pleased, she hadn't looked this happy at a tea party in eons. Celestia loved her sister dearly, but she was no substitute for their friends. Dawn's plan to rid the world of Discord had hit Luna hardest, she had never really forgiven herself for taking part in it, or Celestia for agreeing as well. That may well have been the first major argument the two had ever had, and without her friends to keep her company she had turned to the populace for solace. A populace she grew ever frustrated with as time went on, for her hard work seemed to go unappreciated. She had seen it, but could not stop it, and before she knew it, Luna had... changed, embraced by a spirit of Disharmony which may well have been as old as time itself. Seeing Luna happy again was a true blessing. Twilight looked up and smiled happily, she rose to her hooves and tackled her mentor. "Celestia I am so glad you are alright!" Celestia smoothed her student's mane lovingly and looked over the beaming friends. "I am happy to see you all as well, but how were you able to breach the barrier? Has Discord been defeated?" Twilight looked at Pinkie. "About that... we found out something interesting today... well several interesting things have happened..." ------------------------------------------------- Some time later, two bemused alicorns were absorbing what, prior to today, would have seemed to be impossibilities. The revelation that not only Discord, but Nightmare as well, were free, was bad enough. The fact Pinkie Pie shared her magic specialty in common with Discord, while worrisome, was still not as bad as the final one. Celestia was the first to speak. "They hate us..." Luna laid a comforting hoof on Celestia. "We have danced this dance with Discord before sister. We won them back once, we can do it again. We even have help this time. It will be all the easier. We will get them back again." Celestia sighed, she harkened back to the Celestia who had commanded armies in the various conflicts that had lead to the strengthening of her land. To the Celestia who had faced down her own sister and banished her to prevent eternal darkness. To the Celestia who had tearfully bound six of her friends, friends who should have accompanied her throughout the ages, to become weapons in a war with a god who could do anything at a whim. She looked over her troops, and cleared her throat. "Everypony, I won't sugarcoat it, the odds are against us and the situation is grim. If Dawn were here, she would say I was an irrational, illogical pony for undertaking a battle like this." Pinkie Pie bounced. "Sounds like fun! I love fun!" Twilight shushed her. "We face two foes which; individually, have threatened Equestria's very existence. Their troops are stronger than ours, and have eons more experience. Any one of these foes would be a catastrophe. Eight of them at once will be nigh impossible. The last time this happened the world was broken and reforged countless times." She looked grim at the memory. "That being said, I have every faith in all of you. Each of you have the strength of will necessary to recover your element. No, more than that, to save our friends. If... no, when we do this, the tide will turn. Standing with our friends we were able to match Discord, standing with new friends and old, we will defeat him. I am proud beyond belief to stand with you, my friends, in this coming engagement." She looked at them proudly. They saluted her, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Enough speeches then, here's the battle plan. You tried the memory recovery spell, and only achieved partial success. Luna and I experienced much the same with them, we were only able to turn them when we helped them remember the essence of what made them who they were. Discord will return for more of his "game" in the morning. Luna and I-" She glanced at Luna, who nodded approval. "-will ambush it. We will keep Nightmare and Discord occupied, while each of you find your progenitor and show them how to recover their colors." Rainbow deadpanned. "So that's it? We each have a fight with the living goddess that empowers us, risk life limb and possibly sanity against the god of chaos and the creature of living nightmare, and teach them the magic of friendship?" Celestia nodded. Rainbow laughed. "I love this plan! I'm excited to be a part of it! LET'S DO IT!" ------------------------------------------------- The following morning Discord arrived to collect them. "Who shall it be today my little ponies? Magic, Laughter, or Loyalty? I cannot wait to see!" He snapped and they found themselves high in the sky, a featureless plain of cloudcover below them. "Well? I'm waiting..." Twilight nodded to Pinkie, who grinned and rummaged around in her mane. Discord looked curious, would he get to see Laughter in action today? Pinkie reached deep into her mane and pulled out... a folded black shape. She opened it and slapped it down onto the cloud below them. From it sprang Celestia and Luna, who streaked towards their targets. Luna screamed at Nightmare, who looked almost glad to see her. Or rather, as glad as a malevolent spirit of disharmony can look. "THY OPPONENT IS HERE NIGHTMARE! FACE ME, AND I WILL BRING AN END TO YOUR PITIFUL EXISTENCE!" She rushed to meet the creature who had caused her imprisonment for one thousand years, a fierce smile on her face. Celestia reached her target first. She smashed Discord with a devastating blow to his jaw with her armor plated forehoof. The shock wave of her sudden acceleration hit him nearly as hard as the golden horseshoe to the teeth. She smiled down at him. This had been a long time coming. "White Queen threatens Black King. Check!"