//------------------------------//
// OBEY! 
// Story: Edited Details 
// by ILurvTrixie 
//------------------------------//

	Twilight and Pinkie followed the darkened twists and turns of the hedge maze as the cloud cover overhead blotted out the midday sun. There was little enough to say, and nothing appeared to challenge them. The silence was ominous and oppressive.
"Geez, this isn't even that original a design, we've had, what, like two forks?" Pinkie frowned at the maze. "You'd figure he'd put some more effort into it." 
Twilight rolled her eyes with a smile. "I'm pretty sure this was just intended as a delaying tactic, Pinkie."
"Hey Twilight?"
"Hm?"
"If he's just trying to delay us, why would any of these paths lead to him?"
"I-" Twilight blinked and facehooved. "We should've just gone straight for the library, burned through the hedges. Now I don't even know which direction the library is."
Pinkie looked around and shrugged. "Guess this was a better design than I thought."


~*~


"Rarity?" Applejack looked around as they kept walking.
"Hmm?" Rarity was trying to help, but the maze was remarkably straightforward. If anything Applejack's constant seeking was just proving how nervous she was.
Applejack chewed on her lower lip. "Did you know Fluttershy liked mares?"
Rarity chuckled a bit. "Well, it was a bit hard to ignore when those two showed up at the boutique with sore lips."
"Sore-" Applejack looked scandalized. "You're kidding!"
Rarity considered the farmer for a moment, before grinning broadly. "So is this jealously, or fear that it's catching somehow?"
Applejack's scrunchy face gave her away as her eyes darted back and forth. "It's.. it's just not normal. Besides, they can't even have foals."
"Love is love Applejack. Sometimes being honest with yourself is the best you can do. You should know that, of all ponies." Rarity chuckled.
Applejack grumbled, blushing a bit as she lead the way.


~*~


"So.. what was it like fighting yourself?"
Daring glared back at Rainbow Dash, before sighing. "It was.. interesting. She could've torn my head off with a good shot. I think I made her strength go too far up when her adrenaline kicks in. Probably should address that in the books. Smacks a little of deus ex machina."
"...On the other hoof, it was totally awesome when she tore a piece of the ruins loose."
"I think it was a little less awesome since she was trying to kill me at the time."
"Well-"
"And the roof was starting to collapse."
"But-"
"And she punched a hole through the ruin wall with it."
"...still totally awesome."


~*~


"You alright?" Fluttershy was nudged again by Daring, earning a startled blush from the mare. 
"I...I'm so sorry." She sighed, looking away. The adventurer rolled her eyes, wrapping the shy mare up in a hug.
"It's okay. You're allowed to be scared."
"But-but normally I can at least get involved when my friends are in danger. Why... why..." Fluttershy sobbed quietly. Daring sighed.
"If you think anything about that was normal, you're already looking at this wrong. That guy may not be as strong as he thought he was, but he was making me and... Daring... we need some nicknames or something. Anyway, the two of us could barely push through the magic, and we're adventurers! He latched on to one part of your personality and forced it to the forefront. Something authors have a bit of trouble with is keeping established characters acting normally. Since he's trying to change the world by narrating it... He's like a hack author, huge control, no sense of realism."
Daring used her wings to wipe away Fluttershy's tears, giving her a supportive smile. Fluttershy sniffled. "I still feel bad."
"And I love that you care so much. But we can't help anything if we stop and cry now. Maybe after though, okay?" Daring gave Fluttershy a peck on the cheek and a nuzzle. "Come on, let's see if we can find the others."
Fluttershy nodded, still fretting, but somewhat bolstered by support.


~*~


The princess and the Pinkie Pie approached what seemed to be the end of the maze. There had been enough twists that they really weren't sure what direction they were facing anymore. Twilight and Pinkie exchanged a nod, preparing themselves, and leaped out into the unknown!
They stood on the outside edge of the hedge maze, the entry back sealing itself with more thorny hedgerow as they saw the other party members exiting as well. Pinkie blew a raspberry. "All that build up and nothing?! Come on!"
The others looked back at the now sealed hedge-maze, then above at the seemingly magical cloud cover protecting it from aerial assault. Applejack coughed. "I reckon this is going to be time to regroup and figure out how to get in there fast, huh?"


~*~


It had been a narrow toss-up between Carousel Boutique and Sugar Cube Corner for access to the Library, but Sugar Cube Corner had won out by virtue of refueling the party. Twilight paced the main floor distractedly. "Alright, let's review. Edward back there had been doing this for a long time. At one point he ruled the continent, or so he claims. He can manipulate people and places in an almost Discord degree, as long as he knows enough about it."
Book Daring raised a hoof. "Problem is, he doesn't need a whole picture to make us go a bit wacky. He knew I was angry at my creator over there in a general sense, and that was enough to get us both into combat."
Twilight nodded. "I think that might be because he knew you two better than anyone else. Even with the other sets of information he always seemed.. half baked."
Real Daring nodded in return. "That would make sense if he's had access to my writing since I touched the tor, rather than since i wrote about it. He did mention I was a prolific writer, but I have a feeling you've written more research notes than I have novels."
Twilight pondered that a few moments, before nodding with a slight grimace. "Let's... not think about that too much."
Pinkie chimed in cheerfully. "Yeah! If he had like half of Twilight's notes, he could blow us all up without trying!"
Twilight winced. "...Thank you Pinkie."
Rarity pondered as she sipped her vanilla shake. "When we caught him off guard, we were able to do the most damage. He was ready for us to charge him, but not for me to attack. He was ready for your magic to blast him, but not to... do whatever it did in the library."
"It hit the typewriter Daring had brought. I'm sorry about needing to damage such a personal treasure." Twilight shot a sheepish grin at the author, who waved it off. 
"I was about ready to deconstruct the thing with a hammer myself. Should've gone with my gut."
Dash was grinning wickedly by this point. Twilight nodded to her. "Got an idea Dash?"
"Hay yeah! We need to go in there fast, unexpectedly, and hit him with everything we've got. I say we split up. I've got an idea I want to try, because it'll be like the absolutely least expected attack ever."
Twilight considered, then looked to the rest of the party, who all nodded agreement. "Good idea Dash, several seemingly unrelated attacks might do more damage. I'm thinking I should lead a frontal attack with a modified shield spell to burn through the hedges. Everypony, if Rainbow Dash is indisposed with her idea I'd appreciate you all lending a hoof."
"Umm..." Fluttershy shifted nervously, raising a hoof with trepidation. "I-uh.."
"You could probably sit out if you wanted to, Fluttershy. We don't want to put you in harm's way when he can just make you cower."
Fluttershy shook her head. "N-no. I have an idea, but it's kind of dangerous. I.. want Daring to lend a hoof. And if she says we're using plan dee, I'd like everyone else to leave. Please."
Twilight blinked at the pegasus, sending her a curious headtilt, but nodded. "Alright, so that's a frontal assault, a sneak attack of some kind, and plan d. Anyone else got any ideas we could use really quickly?"
Silence settled over the party before Pinkie perkily raised a hoof. 
"And we aren't going to a throw a 'Try not to be evil anymore' party for Edward."
"Darn!" Twilight smiled at the almost predictable Pinkie response, the building tension dispelled with amused giggles.
"Alright everypony. Positions! We don't know our time limit."


~*~


Rainbow Dash very calmly helped Derpy set up a few small thunderclouds over the cloud covered maze. "Are you sure about this, Rainbow Dash? I mean, I don't want to mess up."
"Don't worry Derpy. You're going to be just fine. And you got the order for after that?"
"One grand piano delivery to the Golden Oaks library, just as you wanted it."
"Good good. I'll leave you to it."
Dash really couldn't withhold her grin as she flew away. There was expected, there was unexpected, and then there was Derpy.


~*~


"Alright. Everypony ready?"
Seeing the wave of nods around her, Twilight pushed her magic forward. Rather than extending a normal shield outward, she pushed a flaming barrier into the air ahead of her, and began the charge into the maze. As the shield hit the hedgerows the plants vanished in puffs of flame and words made of smoke. As before, the creations seemed to be made of nothing more than magic and words. Is that all Daring is? ...Focus Twilight.
The final row of hedges gave way before the fiery assault, letting the ponies spot the familiar library, the familiar elderly griffon, a pile of books near the entrance to the library as an almost barricade, obviously produced with haste. ... and several dozen decidedly unfamiliar shapes inbetween. Each of the ponies took a step back in surprise as they realized just how outnumbered they were, and facing copy upon copy of enemies from various stories. A swashbuckling Long John Silvershoe stood alongside a Frankensteed Monster. Mobster ponies readied knives and brass hooves. An evil enchantress did an evil dance against a backdrop of fire, her shadow seeming to dance amongst the flames impossibly.
The party exchanged nervous glances. There were at least 10 foes for each pony, and they seemed to be moving at a very calm calculated rate towards the party. There was none of the sweeping confusion to reduce the effects of numbers like during the changeling invasion.
And then the clouds above shattered into lightning.

The plan of rushing in was quickly abandoned in favor of Twilight and Rarity creating a quick protective dome as the lightning crackled through the cloud cover above. In her usual impossibly skilled fashion, Derpy had somehow managed to charge the magically created cloud cover with the lightning from each of the thunderclouds before managing to set off the final discharge. The sudden lightning storm crackled as chain lightning sizzled from the hedges to the library and across the ground, shocking many of the foes back into their composite words. Twilight was very happy she'd looked into fireproofing the library as she looked at the scorch marks on the exterior bark. Ball lightning rolled through the scene, frying anything unfortunate enough to end up near it. 
Unfortunately, not all the enemies were completely without protection.
The Frankensteed Monster lumbered towards the party, charged by the flashing lightning, as mad scientists cackled and spun up bizarre machinery. The evil enchantress had continued to dance through this all, and was now flanked by a small army of ponies made of both flame and lightning. As the Monster lunged for the party, the skies flashed brightly.
And a piano crashed into it, completely obliterating it.
Derpy peeked out from the now thinning cloud cover with a frustrated grimace. "I just don't know what went wrong..."
Twilight and company couldn't help but smile. "Nothing Derpy!" "Great job!" "Well done!" 
"Uh thanks! ...What'd I do?"
The grey mare blinked in surprise as the cloud cover thinned away to nothing, flapping her wings. Edward gestured at a book of curses, and a thick mass of biting insects flew out to attack Derpy. She quickly turned tail and escaped, deciding to leave the usual craziness to the ponies with experience. With the advantage shifting once more, the ponies thrust themselves into the thick of things. Edward calmly gestured towards more books, and more copies of ponies started to walk out at his behest.
Twilight knew they had to get into the library and find the typewriter, but the increasing swarms of foes were not going to make it easy.
As Dash joined the party in a blur of color, slamming into a mobster, Twilight appended that thought. It was almost going to be easy.

Daring frowned as she recognized Dr. Caballeron walking from one of the books, charging her. "Well well well, Caballeron, it's been a while." The duplicate grunted, charging in with a vicious punch. Daring easily dodged it, watching her foe. He's moving wrong. It's all straightforward and unpracticed. It's like-! She realized they may be in trouble. "These are just two-dimensional characters!"
Twilight panted from where she was dispelling the enchanted ponies of flame and lightning. "What?"
"Stock characters, very little details, easy to just make over and over. They rely on your own assumptions." As Caballeron threw another punch Daring ducked low, spinning to buck him into the air. He was fading away into words by the time a new Caballeron walked out, and rushed in. "Because they don't need to be well written, there's not much to them, but..."
"But we're going to get tired while they just keep coming." Twilight glared over at Edward, who was intensely focused on the battle. "At least it doesn't look like he can do anything else right now." 
"Probably takes most of his effort for all these characters to keep following a single order." The new Caballeron rushed in to strike Daring, only to find himself being thrown over her shoulder and into one of the hedges, once again fading into words. A new new Caballeron walked out from the books. Daring winced.	"We need a distraction."
"If you can think of a good one, let me know." Twilight finally had managed to land a bolt of magic, dispelling the fire-dancing enchantress, but now was surrounded with mobsters and thugs.


~*~


Book Daring winced as she looked through the binoculars. "It's looking bad over there. Plan D?"
Fluttershy took a deep breath, and let it out. "Y-yes. You know what you have to...?"
"Carry you in, get in there, get the typewriter, and drop it. And get out of the way."
Fluttershy smiled shyly. "I know you'd like to get involved in the fight..."
"I'm just curious to see how this all pans out. Stay safe, alright?" Daring gave Fluttershy a quick kiss on the forehead. "If I end up needing to rescue you from your own plan, I am going to charge you even more kisses." The pair grinned at one another as Daring wrapped her hooves around Fluttershy. "Ready?"
Fluttershy nervously gripped the Discord plushie, and squeaked. "Maybe."
"Which translates to 'let's do this before I think about it too much'. Here we go!"


~*~


"Are you sure about this Fluttershy?"
Fluttershy squeaked as Discord questioned her again, before nodding slowly. "It's one of the least expected things I can think of. I just... need it turned to 11."
Discord shook his head. "I don't think this is a great idea."
Fluttershy smiled lopsidedly. "Twilight can fix it again. I hope."
Discord sighed, running a hand through his mane. "Fine, fine, but I'm still going to stay back to not present an easy target."
"Thank you!" Fluttershy hugged the draconequus who returned the hug with a sad smile.
"I just hope you're still saying that afterwards."


~*~


The party of ponies were panting. Even Pinkie's boundless energy was reaching a lower limit, and she had completely exhausted three party cannons. "I think I'm out of balloons!"
Applejack hauled off, shattering another two thugs and bucking a scientist armed with a glowing...thingy to pieces, as another set of foes walked forward. Dash zipped around, shattering ponies, but she was obviously winded. "We're winning! We're kicking so much flank it's not even funny! How is he winning?!"
"War of attrition." Twilight frowned as she blasted another mobster, dodging one with a knife. "It doesn't matter that they're really easy to break, it matters that there's an unlimited number of them."
A black blur zipped into the air above, the vanished cloud cover no longer protecting the maze from aerial bombardment. A somewhat familiar yellow shape was dropped, her color seeming to drain from her as she went. As she impacted into Edward, she was completely greyed out. Book Daring circled once. "Plan D! Plan D! Clear out!" Before lunging into the library, losing several feathers as she slipped over the top of the book pile. The groups of foes stumbled slightly as Edward's concentration was loosened.
"Plan D?" Twilight looked horrified. "Discorded Fluttershy?"
Rarity pursed her lips. "Well, now I almost feel bad for the griffon. Come along ladies, we were asked to clear out."

Fluttershy glared at the griffon below her, who hissed angrily.

"Fluttershy cowered before her foe, seeing herself surrounded on all sides, she was unable to fight back in any way!"

"Fluttershy cowered?" Discorded Fluttershy growled angrily as she slapped the griffon around viciously. "I was going to just beat you for being in my way, but now it's personal!"
Edward gaped uncomprehendingly as the shiest and kindest of pegasi started to tear him a new one.


~*~


Daring found the library looking ransacked. This made sense, Edward had probably looked for books that had easy to use subject matters for his army. It was very likely he had moved the typewriter from its original resting spot, but that was the sensible place to start looking. She headed down into the basement.
The basement had been given an overhaul. Probably the same way the ruins had been set up in the first place, narrated into existence. The walls were sheer rock, giving the whole thing the appearance of a massive cave. The typewriter was still on the desk ahead, clattering away rapidly. Daring Do looked around with a frown. Too easy? Oh yeah.
She charged the typewriter, hauling it up, and flipped away from the desk in one motion. She waited, looking around, realizing that nothing had happened. The heavy thing would slow her down, but that was hardly a problem.
As she turned back to the staircase she realized what the issue was. A massive Ursa Major was between her and the exit. The creature roared challenge, almost blowing the pegasus off her feet. Daring set her face into a smile. At least it wasn't that easy.
The beast moved with a speed and fluidity belying its size. Daring zipped up, almost getting swatted out of the air in a casual gesture from the beast. It snarled, lunging at the adventurer with a muzzle of massive teeth. Daring zipped low and clobbered it in the underside of its jaw. The beast howled in surprise as Daring shook her hoof against the pain. Unsurprisingly, the beast was more solid than your average pony could hope to be. "You know, you're horrible in the witty banter category."
The beast snarled, standing on its back paws as it began furiously swiping at the pegasus. Daring dodged back and forth, dancing out of reach. The beast lashed out forwards, catching her with a grazing strike which left a bloody slash across her chest, her jacket torn open. As she hissed against the pain, she realized the beast had moved away from the stairs to press the advantage. She looked at the beast dumbly. A hero never backs down. A hero faces every challenge and beats it. The only time you run is when you're outnumbered and I can take this beast.
Her adrenaline surging, her strength at its fullest, Daring was about ready to drop the typewriter and just lay into the creature. Beating an Ursa Major would be quite the feather in her cap. A little voice nudged her internally. Fluttershy wanted your help.
Daring glared at the Ursa, before dropping to the ground solidly. As the beast roared and swung a paw, Daring took off at speed, and using her wings, ran up the side of the wall, onto the roof, and over the Ursa before it could bring its massive bulk to bear once again. She dropped to the stairway, and rushed out the front door, bulling her way through the barricade of books. She threw the typewriter over near Fluttershy, before turning back and racing down the stairs.
Business done, now pleasure!


~*~


As the typewriter slammed into the ground nearby Edward cried out in surprise. Fluttershy grinned wickedly at him. "Oh, you don't like that, do you? Let's see how this feels."
She trotted over to the typewriter, hefting the metal scribe in her hooves. "Heavy. Perfect." She cooed as she swung the machine, catching the few foes Edward had had the presence of mind to send after her. They shattered into their words instantly, earning a delighted giggle from Fluttershy.
"How does that old saying go?" She walked back to Edward, who was struggling to right himself after being beaten by the presumably weakest pegasus in town. "Sticks and stones will break your bones." She hefted the typewriter with a vicious smile, whispering. "And so will words."


~*~


"I think Fluttershy might've been overestimating how effective Discording would be."
Dash frowned at Twilight, looking up from the binoculars. "She's holding her own pretty well, Twi. And it is the least 'in character' we tend to be."
"Well, yes."
"And keeping in mind that the rest of us don't exactly.. become useful when discorded, Fluttershy was probably the best option." Rarity shook her head. "Voluntary discording. I would never have expected Fluttershy of all ponies to think of that."
"Which was the point." Applejack pointed over at the hedge maze, which was starting to fall apart as Fluttershy slammed Edward with the typewriter. "We get close enough, he switches from attrition to targets. We get locked into something, we get overwhelmed. He tried something on Fluttershy.. and it didn't work."
Dash winced as she looked through the binoculars. "Oooo, ouch. I think she's meaner than she was before. You got that memory spell handy Twi?"
Pinkie gasped, looking through her own pair of pink binoculars. "Oh wow, I didn't think griffons bent that way."
Dash shook her head. "They don't, Pinkie."
"Oh."
Author Daring watched as the enemies faded away into words with the continued bludgeoning. "Almost sad how easy that was after he tried setting himself up as emperor of the world and all."
Twilight shook her head. "You'd be amazed how many battles come down to just one or two deciding moments."
"Yeah, I mean, how else would you fit it into a half hour episode?"
The party blinked at Pinkie's non sequitur and rolled their eyes.
"Hey. He's starting to fade away!" Dash perked up
"Really?" The party tried desperately and ineffectively to crowd Dash's binoculars. Pinkie calmly offered her pink set to Twilight.
The discorded Fluttershy had been whaling on Edward, and it showed. The griffon had lost most of his coloration, bent improbably, and looked.. two dimensional. Like a paper cut-out of a griffon. Words were starting to show where the color had completely drained, a full on description of Edward the Undying on a griffon cutout. Fluttershy grinned wickedly as she grabbed the griffon, and shoved him into the typewriter, cackling as she jammed the paper back in. The typewriter and the now almost forgotten tor flashed brightly as the last signs of Edward's influence vanished. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. "Well that's good."
The sound of shattering glass where Fluttershy had just thrown the typewriter through the window of the Golden Oaks library brought everyone out of their calm. Fluttershy cackled madly as she lashed out to do more harm to anything near her. Twilight facehooved "Right, discorded Fluttershy. Let's go get her."


~*~


Daring was resting against the wall as it turned back into the living wood of the library. She had beaten the Ursa bloody, and both of them had retreated for a breather. As she looked up, the massive beast transformed into nothing more than a paper cut-out, then a series of words. The whole thing faded away, leaving Daring alone in the basement. She snorted. "Pfft, punk." And promptly passed out.