//------------------------------// // Showdown // Story: Rearranging Perspectives // by The Dimension Traveler //------------------------------// Rearranging Perspectives Chapter 14: Showdown _____________________________________ There was no room for hesitation. There was no place for second guessing. Fear held no sway in that moment, for to fear was to die. This was a place ruled by adrenaline and courage dredged up from the deepest parts of Heart and Soul. This was a battlefield. Ponies and Sun Eaters charged, ready for clash. Commanders of the respective factions at their heads, glowering at each other. It looked as though both were just about to charge forward, but Discord had other plans. With a snap and a flash of light, The Element Bearers, Sam, and Discord all vanished from the battlefield. They all reappeared in an unfamiliar place. At one moment, it seemed to be a grassy field, the next, it was a barren desert. “Discord, where are we?!” Rainbow Dash demanded to know “A special pocket dimension I whipped up just for this very occasion. After all this time, I will finally have my revenge, both on Celestia and Luna for putting me in stone and you current Element Bearers. The Master has also allowed me to have some fun with this insolent human,” Discord replied “Discord, embodiment of Chaos, reduced to a lapdog. I think that gives me a bit of leeway to be insolent,” Sam remarked “I am no one’s lapdog! You could never understand my reasons for serving my Master,” Discord growled “Then explain,” Twilight said and that stopped Discord cold for a moment or two before his face became stormy. “I need not explain myself to you, any of you! I have delayed long enough, now I shall take my revenge!” The ground suddenly turned rocky and stones shot up, hitting the group. This barrage didn’t last long, however, as Rarity countered with her own magic. With the rocks taken care of, Rainbow Dash took to the air and rushed Discord, but the draconequus dodged with ease and shot bolts of lightning at her. Rainbow took the electrical attack full force, but years on the weather team had hardened her body against such offensives. Twilight began casting a powerful beam spell while Sam charged with Solaris. Discord made to stop them, but Pinkie and her Party Canon 2.0 were able to distract him long enough for both attacks to go through. Discord let out a roar of fury and suddenly an intense storm whipped up. Rainbow and Fluttershy were both grounded, but Applejack was able to get a lasso around Discord. “DISCORD!” Twilight shouted over the rain and wind, “YOU ARE BEING CONTROLLED! YOU HAVE TO BREAK FREE!” The lasso then snapped and pure Chaos Magic was sent hurtling towards the party. Even with the combined efforts of Twilight, Sam, and Rarity, the attack still broke through. Discord stalked towards their injured forms, bloodlust in his eyes. Just as he was about to strike down Twilight once and for all, Fluttershy moved herself between the two and gave Discord “The Stare”. “You will not hurt my friends mister; I don’t care how powerfully your mind is controlled! You will apolo-” Fluttershy’s tirade was suddenly cut off by Sam’s shout. “NOW TWILIGHT!” Sam tackled Discord to the ground and between the aftereffects of “The Stare” and surprise; he offered up no resistance as Twilight sprang forward and placed the tip of her horn right in the middle of his forehead. ########################## Twilight wasn’t sure what she had expected of Discord’s mind, nor of the mind control placed on him. However, what appeared to be a giant shadow with gleaming red eyes and shining white teeth in the middle of what once seemed to be a field of flowers was not it. Ironically enough, it seemed Discord’s true nature was being locked up in a stone statue. The manifestation of the mind control roared and ran at Twilight. Out of pure instinct, she teleported behind the monster and after a moment to compose herself, shot off a few beams at it. It roared, but beyond that, there didn’t seem to be much damage done. Twilight tried a few more offensive spells while keeping herself at a safe distance, but to no avail. Then she had an idea. She might not be able to defeat the mind control on her own, but if she had help… Twilight immediately turned her attention to the statue and, using a modified version of the spell she had used on her friends to cure them of Discord’s influence, began freeing the real Discord. The mind control monster was quick on the uptake and roared as it rushed forward to try and keep its captive in his stony prison. However, it was too late. Cracks ran started to spider web the rock that contained Discord and a moment later, the Spirit of Chaos was once free. No words were exchanged, or even needed. Twilight watched as Discord, burning with a powerful fury, completely decimated the mind control. Twilight then felt herself being tugged back to the real world and let her vision fade to white. ################# It had been an hour since Twilight had initiated the spell and her friends were getting restless and worried for her wellbeing. Then, the spell ended and Twilight barely had time to open her eyes before she was tackled by Pinkie. “You’re OK! We were so super-duper worried about you!” She exclaimed “Did it work?” Applejack asked “Are you OK, darling?” Rarity added “Well duh she’s OK, that’s what I just said!” Pinkie Pie cried somewhat indignantly “I’m fine,” Twilight confirmed “I’m so glad,” Fluttershy said “I’m just dandy too, if anyone is wondering,” Discord remarked, startling everyone “So it worked, you’re back in control?” Sam asked “Yes, thanks to Twilight Sparkle’s help, I am now completely in control,” Discord reported, “Although I’m in no shape to do much of anything for a few days.” “Can you at least get us out of here?” Rainbow Dash asked testily and suddenly everyone was back in Equestria. ##################### While the battle had been going on inside the pocket dimension, Ponies and Sun Eaters had been going at it as well. However, with all the Sun Eaters being lower level, they quickly became disorganized without their leader. As such, the organized Pony force had little trouble dealing with the horde and injuries were minimal. All the second in commands had done exceptionally well. When they returned to Canterlot, both Princesses were waiting for them. For the soldiers, it was time to take a shower and hit the hay, but for the Generals, there was still one more piece of business to attend to. “So, I presume you’re going to lock me back up again?” Discord asked Celestia mildly “And what would prevent the Sun Eaters from recapturing you? They’ve proven once that they can break through the power of the Elements of Harmony; I’d rather not given them another try. So instead, I have an offer to make you,” Celestia replied “What kind of “offer”?” Discord inquired “A kind of parole, if you will. You help us defeat the Sun Eaters and as long as you behave yourself, you’ll never be locked up again,” Celestia offered “But rules are so boring, I don’t know if I can put up with them,” Discord complained “You could think of it like a game. Finding the wriggle room within the rules. The chaos within the order,” Sam remarked and a wide smile broke out on Discord’s face “You know something; I think that could be a lot of fun. I like the way you think Sam,” Discord remarked and Sam returned it with a smirk. “Prank War?” “Prank War.” “Oh no, now there’s two of them,” Twilight and Celestia groaned at the same time, eliciting a round of snickers from everyone present. “Well, if nothing else, this should be fun!” Dash crowed, already planning her entrance into the Prank War and Celestia began to fear that by the end of the week, Canterlot Castel would be in worse shape than the Palace of the Royal Pony Sisters…her fears were not unfounded.