Chapter One – Disarray.
"Well, I hope you realize that this is not my fault." a voice came from the darkened cave.
"Discord, not helping." the voice that replied was edged with irritation.
"Oh, Twilight dear, I just wanted to be clear that the one who has caused our current predicament is simply not moi* . Not that I am blaming you, dear Twilight. I mean how could you have known that Princess Celestia was being impersonated, you know, being her student and all. I am sure no pony blames you." The sugary sweet voice of the being named Discord cooed.
"Ugh, why did I have to get stuck with you. Literally, anyone but you, even Derpy, would be an improvement."
"That is hardly nice at all. I thought we were friends. Now you have gone and hurt my feelings." Discord lamented.
"Strife incarnate has feelings? Guess we really do learn new things every day." Twilight snapped back. It really wasn't Discord's fault, he had been an (slightly) innocent bystander. However, Discord seemed to be able to find her very last nerve and dance on it by just speaking.
Silence greeted Twilight's response. The lavender alicorn sat hard on the stone floor relieved to finally have a moment of quiet. She thought back to what lead to the current situation. The deception she should have seen through. She was supposed to be better than this.
The deceit had been simple and the kind that would be the most easiest to fall for. Her love for friends and her mentor. Her need to do what was right and just.
"Princess Twilight, I need you to retrieve Sunset Shimmer from the Other world. She does not belong there and it has served it's purpose to reform her. You have been there once, so you need to be the one to bring her back. It must be done now as there is only a small" Princess Celestia sat upon the dais as she spoke. Or what appeared to be Princess Celestia sat upon the dais.
Twilight should have known. She should have seen the cold look in her violet eyes whereas they were usually warm. There were so many things she should have noticed but hadn't.
The result of her error lead to Equestria falling into the combined forces of the detestable King Sombra and the changeling Queen Chrysalis. Both had been presumed defeated. A foolish presumption. Evil never dies easily.
The portal to the Other world had been to this prison. Discord had already been trapped here. The dark cave with no one to talk to, Discord was delight to have company, even if it was hers.
She had entered willingly, but now could not get out. The mirror entrance had simply refused to allow return. She and Discord could see out when the mirror when it wasn't covered as it currently was.
After entering the portal into the cave and finding that this was not her intend destination she turned around to see Queen Chrysalis as her disguise melt away. The Queen's laughter sounded through the Mirror, as did her next sentence.
"My dear princess, how foolish you are. Now you are trapped and your precious mentor has become our prisoner as has her sister. Equestria is ours!" She crowed. Her delight taking the form of a maniacal grin.
Twilight saw the door behind the queen open and revealed King Sombra dragging both Princesses. Celestia and Luna had lost their vibrancy. Both looked drawn and weary. It broke her heart to see them so.
"I am draining their magic and life force. They cannot fight us." King Sombra stated to the mirror.
"You can't! They'll die if you keep it up!" Twilight shouted.
"That is the point, Cadence and Shining Armor are next, then you. We will save you for last. You will watch them die." The queen's wicked voice was like a knife to her heart and her word the painful twisting. The Queen wasn't done. "They will all die before you. There is no stopping us."
"How?" Was all the reply she could manage with the sickening feeling fill the pit of her stomach.
"Me." The voice was new and made Twilight stare.
The new pony had entered the mirror's view. He was nauseating to look at. His body was cover in strips of colors constantly moving and interchanging. His mane and tail the same only the colors appeared to be exploding through out like mini star burst. His wings stood out as bat like and leathery, his horn sharpened to a cruel point. His eyes were a mix of yellowing green.
Twilight gasped. He was a male alicorn. She hadn't thought they existed. She certainly had not heard of any.
"You may call me Chaos^. For it is what I am and what I do." He said to her.
"Sombra, Chrysalis, what have I told you about monologuing to the prisoners?" His voice was like icicles. To the point and cold as winter's fury. "Cover the mirror up. She has seen enough." he commanded.
Twilight hadn't a chance to reply or see how the others in the room reacted to this new alicorn when darkness came over the mirror.
She had paced the cavern not long after that, thinking. 'There must be a way out. I have been in impossible situations before.'
"So Princess, how shall we escape?" Discord's voice lilted through the darkness
"I am thinking... Wait a Minute! If I recall right you can teleport! Teleport us out of here!" She exclaimed, hope raising in her once again.
"Oh yes, you don't think I haven't tried that? I simply cannot. If I recall, you can do teleportation as well." he replied off handily.
"I can only do short distances." She responded. "The palace is very far away."
"What about the Elements of Harmony?" Discord asked.
"I can't. I don't have it with me." Twilight sighed. "Princess Celestia told me not to bring it with me because I was going to be gone for just a moment to bring Sunset Shimmer back and shouldn't risk something happening to it again over there. Or who I thought was Princess Celestia."
"I see."
~~~~~~~~
Night had fallen all over Equestria. With no Moon or Stars, it was eerily dark out. Five ponies and one baby dragon huddled in the fire lit library, anxiety a heavy burden on each of them.
"There is nothing natural with this darkness. Something has happened at the palace and to Twilight, she should have returned by now." the high feminine stated. She was a silver white unicorn. Her purple mane and tail gleamed it the candlelight. She looked around at her friends.
"Yeah, Twilight would have let us know if she was going to be gone this long. I am not sure why the Princess requested just an audience with her. She knows I go where Twilight goes. It is all just so strange." A purple baby dragon complained.
The second pony to speak was an light orange earth pony with a blonde mane and tail.
"Y'all, the moon is not even out. Luna never forgets to call the moon up. Something stinks here." Her country accented voice sounded on edge.
Next to her a blue pegasus with rainbow mane and tail stood, her magenta eyes determined.
"We need to storm the Palace and find Twilight and find out what is going on. Demand some answers!"
A pale yellow pegasus with pink mane and tail stuttered her reply
"Oh my, is that necessary? Shouldn't we just send a letter or at least politely knock instead of storm?"
Next a pink earth pony with a pink mane and tail jumped up and down excitedly.
"Yay! A stormin' the palace we go! It will be so much fun!" She giggled.
~~~~
It had occurred to Chaos that perhaps King Sombra and Queen Chrysalis were not the best of allies, nor the brightest. They served their purpose and he needed them for now. When they were no longer useful...
"My, my marvelous knight, Chaos. You have done wonderfully so far." A voice purred to him. "They know not what hit them. Soon, I will have the entirety of this world. I will rule with you as my King."
The Night Mare~.
She was the one who had created Nightmare Moon from the Princess Luna using her powers. She was the force behind his coup d'etat.
She was his reason for freedom. Her beauty wasn't the usual kind. She was ethereal and timeless. Only her crystal eyes gave away the manic sort of evil. The core of her was insane and cruel. Twisted by thousands of years. She was the oldest living pony and the most treacherous.
It was her powers that fed the evil in this world.
She had been locked away by the Elements of Harmony long ago. Slowly she began escaping over a span of hundreds of years. So slowly none of the defenders of good could understand what was coming or what was loose among them.
When he came into his powers he set about releasing her full. For since he was a young colt locked away she whispered to him. She whispered to him or freedom and revenge.
"My Queen." He bowed before her. Neither of his allies knew who they truly worked for. Nor would they.
~~~