//------------------------------// // The dancing puppeteer // Story: From man to mare: Chaotic convergence // by The Psychopath //------------------------------// Rarity and the spa sisters fell on their flanks as a massive scream and explosion shook the castle. Being near the door, they were the first out. The first thing that caught their sight was the apparent modification of the balcony, which now looked like spiked chocolate on one end, and the "bricks" were turned to black thorned vines intertwining between each other like twisted cables. That, and both Cyclon and Silver had disappeared. Rarity looked around anxiously as she tried to figure out what had happened. "Um, excuse me." Rarity looked up. It was Cyclon who was floating in the air while being halfway through a piece of brick wall. "You know, floating upside down in the air can be fun and all, but after awhile, it gets tiresome." "Oh my! Um, how will we get him down from there?" asked Rarity. "Like this!" said Aloe. The two sisters performed acrobatic moves and swiped Cyclon out of the air. Surprisingly, the bricks surrounding Cyclon weren't heavy. "Thanks." "No problem." said the two sisters in unison. Metallic clopping and armor bouncing could be heard. Bullseye arrived from the hallway with a whole regiment of troops behind him. They all stopped at the doors while Bullseye walked forward examining the balcony. "What in Celestia's name happened here?" Cyclon got up and straightened himself out. "Well sir-" "For crying out loud, what is that around your waist?" "Uhh, this? Well-" *CRACK* Bullseye broke the bricks with a swift movement with his foreleg. "There. Now I believe that we can have a proper conversation." "Yes, sir. Well, me and Silver were conversing and then I heard something laugh and looked towards the roof. It was some kind of creature mixed with several animal parts." Bullseye and Rarity's eyes both shrunk in the sudden realization of what the creature was. "The tiles he came sliding down turned into cards and when he fell down here, I tried to fight him off, but the guy did what you saw earlier to me. He wanted to pass a message to the princesses." "What kind of message?" asked Rarity. "Well, he told me: In case you are wondering, dear Celestia and sweet Luna, I am still a statue, and I will forever be until the current elements perish, or until I can find the perfect chaotic receptacle for some of my powers. I found it, and thanks to the disturbances she has brought upon the magical flows of the worlds, I've been able to form myself an ethereal body. When she returns, she will be the vice-lord of chaos." The soldiers behind started to gossip with each other. Rarity and Bullseye started to panic. "Girls, you will have to return to Ponyville." said Rarity. "We understand." "We must go warn the princesses immediately! If your friend did indeed make those things happen, then you and the other elements will have to gather up and fight off Discord." "I just hope that we don't have to fight Silver. She has gone so far since we last met her." said Rarity. These memories...these horrid memories...why are they passing by so fast? They are all passing in front of my eyes like a waterfall. "AH!" I opened my eyes to see myself floating, once again, in nothing. However, this time, my environment was black, I was still Silver, and I could clearly move. I tried to go forward, but I found myself spinning around. If I was sent to Equestria last time...my pupils shrunk as I started to cry internally for a reason I knew nothing about. "I don't want to go back! I want to stay here! I haven't felt so happy since...since..." "Since you met your grand-father?" said a deep voice. "Who is that? Who is this? Who are you?" Some strange being popped up right in front of my face. He stared at me in the eyes with an evil smile on his face. He had a pupil smaller than the other, not to mention a fang sticking out and the fact that he was made of several pieces of animals. Something seemed wrong with this thing. He had black, pulsating spots all over his body. I tried to stare at him in the face as he circled around me, observing my body in a pensive manner. He stopped suddenly and clapped his hands together before holding me in one arm. "You're perfect!" "Perfect for what?" "For my powers, of course!" "What?" "Chaos needs a new vessel until I am freed. If you accept my offer of giving you great powers, than you can do whatever you want as long as I get to direct you." "Pfff. Yeah right. Like I'd obey you. And who are you anyways?" This guy looked at me in a challenging manner. "I am Discord, lord of all chaos! You must be-" "Silver." "-Derry Wilhall." I gasped and stared at him, my mouth wide open. "But-but-but-" "How do I know this? Because I've been following you since your arrival in Equestria. I know everything about you now...well...almost everything. But listen here: if you accept my generous offer, you can have your revenge on everyone who did you wrong. Just look at this fat lard that you seem to know all too well." Discord waved his eagle talons, and a distortion formed. Through this new window, I could see a kid I hated quite a lot. It was Gerald. MAN! He grew fat! He was wearing white pants with a red shirt. His belt could certainly fit around the car he was cleaning. I tightened my teeth as I grew furious at seeing him. Discord noticed this as well, even when holding me in his right arm. "Watch what happens." Discord started to move his other hand like a bullet, and "things" started to happen. First, Gerald fell over and hit his head on the side-view mirrors, breaking them. Then a wheel popped, followed by all the others. A door flung off it's hinges and threw him into a garden gnome he had in his yard.( Ha! What kind of person still uses those?) The car seemed to start on it's own and flung off the floor and into Gerald's house. It plowed down the roof and blew up, taking the house with it. I saw Gerald fall down in disbelief and horror. I should've felt happy, but I felt horrible. Discord picked me up with both hands and looked at me with a smile. "What's the matter? A beautiful "mare" like you can't stand revenge?" "That's not it. What you did there was...horrible." "Awww, you don't seem to realize everything that has been told behind your back it would seem." I started to feel that uneasy feeling surging through my body, nipping at my mind again. "Besides, think about what I can do for you! I can give you wings! Or maybe a horn! Or even both!" Everytime he said those things, I grew the appendage in question. I now found myself with wings and horn. I...didn't like it. "Get these off of me. Only the princesses can have them." "I thought you wanted to have a great deal of power to have your revenge on everything that hurt you." This uncomfortable feeling was getting to me again. Discord opened another portal and showed Twilight Sparkle with Fluttershy and Applejack. "*sigh* How much longer are ya gonna keep 'er like that?" moaned Applejack. "Yes. It's...it's not like she has anything to do there with you." said Fluttershy. "I have to keep her with me and Spike until I can send her back to that stupid dimension of hers. I honesty don't know why I have to be burdened with her. She's just so...ugh!" The portal faded and another one appeared with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. Then another with Rarity and the spa sister's. Then one with Luna and Celestia, as well as Cyclon. This one seemed to strike me more than it should have. I was clutching my chest (as well as a pony could) and I was crying my eyes out. My heart was in terrible, terrible pain. "Awww. There there. Discord will be your friend. Besides, if you join me, I can give you anything you want besides a horn and wings. I can give you that relationship with Cyclon." He smirked and snapped his toes. (how..?) I found myself sitting down in ankle length grass suddenly. I saw that my mane was longer than before. I was looking at the sunset, the cool breeze filling me with fresh air and tossing the grass around like a subtle wave. I couldn't help but wonder where I was. Cyclon came near with two plates in his mouth. He seemed...well-built without his armor on. He dropped a plate with a piece of strawberry cake on it next to me, and started eating his. I couldn't make heads or tails of this situation. He put down the plate, wiped his mouth, then looked at me, those eyes seemingly drifting. I don't know what happened, but I suddenly found myself drifting closer towards him in a "romantic" moment, about to kiss. I drifted back into reality and flailed my forelegs. I started to pant wildly. I didn't want that to happen, but every cell of my body shook in eagerness for what had almost happened. I glared at Discord who was looking me with a smile on his face and his eyes lazily opened. He had his tow arms behind his back. I was about to insult him, but he grabbed me again: "Or maybe I could bring your grand-father back?" "That's *shiver* impossible. Nothing can defy death!" "Nothing but chaos! Death has no meaning to me!" He waved his tail and I saw my grand-father's loving face. "Hey Derry. Why don't you come over here in your grandpa's lap while I tell you another story?" I frantically started to pull myself towards him, but Discord stopped with one hand and blew him away with a sneeze. My grand-father exploded into confetti, allowing me to see those colorful monstrosities slowly float down and dissolve. "Ah, ah, ah! Not yet! First, you need to accept my offering. Besides, don't you want to know why I need you in particular?" I stared at him. "That 'Giga Sparkle' that you created is an incredible being indeed. You see, the Sparkles from here were born from positive feelings and, therefore, they absorbed them to survive and kept all the negative emotions unto themselves. Yours, however, is unique in that it was born from that "love" you had with your toy. These have never been recorded before, and a sparkle's power can go far. The power you still have from it fusing with you allows me to give you my powers, especially with the way you have been thinking of life lately. Your previous was terrible and full of turmoil. This one has been giving you a new perspective on life, which renders chaos fluent within your tiny mind. Your previous life, however, is what is the most chaotic. So, do you accept my offer?" I was barely staying conscious. I felt something trying to speak to me in my own head, but I couldn't hear it. Refuse or accept? Was what Discord showed me true? The Elements of Harmony, equipped with their respective "jewelry", ran towards Ponyville with Cyclon close by. Bullseye and his regiment had already started to spread out and evacuate the town. Rainbow Dash was trying to keep herself at the same speed as her friends. "The princesses said that she was here, right Twilight?" "Yes. Without the elements, that can't do much against Discord, even if he isn't truly released." "I...I hope he didn't do anything to the animals. That would make me so...MAD!" screamed Fluttershy. She caught her friends off guard with that sudden yell. Pinkie Pie felt her sense tingling. "Oh no. A right eye wiggle and my hooves are freezing up." "What? What in tarnation does that'un mean?" asked Applejack. "It's a new one. It means that the Cakes' babies are in trouble." "WHAT?!" the group yelled. "Quickly!" The group ran towards the town's pastry shop, but the Discord image stopped them. He was smiling as he floated in mid-air. "You! What have you done to poor Silver?!" screamed Rarity. "Me? Nothing...almost." Rainbow Dash jetted directly into his face and stared at him angrily. "Tell us what you did to her!" "Follow me and you'll see." The images started to dance his way towards the location. The mares hesitated. "What do ya think, sugarcube. Should we follow him?" asked Applejack. "We don't have a choice now, do we. If we don't follow him, we might never find her in time." The ponies followed Discord, with Cyclone stealthily following them. They all happened upon a a Silvery pony that seemed to have a horn and wings made of flowing, pastel-colored ink. It's coat was also all roughed up and "liquefied" like the wings and horn. Her mane covered her face, and her tail seemed to twitch every now and then. It was obvious to know where she came from. The path behind her had houses flipped over, turned into floors balancing on each other, and several ponies started acting crazy, one most notably spinning on a pencil. Rarity hoped it wasn't her, but she moved forward, trying to talk to who she thought that thing staring at the bakery door was. "Rarity, stay here!" yelped Fluttershy. "I have to see if it's who I think it is." Rarity moved forward as she started to notice that tears were falling from the face of the creature. Discord just followed her with his eyes, rotating as she moved closer. "Silver, is that you? Are you going to be alright?" The creature's head twitched upwards, causing Rarity to back off in fear. The Discord laughed as he moved closer to it. "So you knew her before? That's a relief to know. How about I introduce you to the new and improved version that I have named "Crystal Ingot"? Silver turned around to show that she had insanity written all over her face, despite the flow of tears coming from her eyes. Her entire body seemed to have at least some form of color fluctuation, and her eyes weren't so much different. What happened to her?