//------------------------------// // Chapter 12: Convalescence // Story: League of Discord // by Ghosted Note //------------------------------// League of Discord Chapter 12: Convalescence “Gentlecolts, our finest hour is upon us. In short order, we march upon Canterlot itself! After laying waste to the defenses that dearest Celestia has left there, we will capture the Elements of Harmony and deal with them once and for all...and by deal with them I mean kill them. No more wishy-washy brain tricks like last time I fought them.” Discord paced in front of Singed, Swain, and the array of Everfree creatures he had impressed into service using a brain-altering magic that had once almost rendered the Elements inert within their holders. The Spirit of Chaos had underestimated how resistant the Elements would be to his influence, though. It seemed rather obvious that something named 'Harmony' would resist chaos now, but being imprisoned for a millennium or two could addle one's brain. What delicious irony that Celestia could experience the horror that was being aware but unmoving for time eternal. Maybe he'd let her out once madness had taken some time to set in. That could definitely be fun. Of course by then that soul-eater creature would probably have withered into a shell of its former self, but oh well, casualties of war. Still, one toy was better than none. “I'll be leaving a small detachment of canis minors and a major here to keep my prizes safe, but the rest of our forces will be dedicated to the assault on Canterlot.” Swain mentally flinched. “Would it not be wiser to dedicate all of our forces to the attack? This is the defining moment of our efforts, and being short on numbers could cause us trouble.” The raven nodded and cawed in assent, assuring Discord of the sagacity of Swain's words. Discord laughed. “Swain, you and Singed both are powerful compared to most other things in Equestria, but I'll be frank, I needed you more for your planning skills than for your strength or magic. The army itself is mostly superficial. It will serve as a power source more than anything, as I thrive on chaos, and battle definitely qualifies. My point in saying this, however, is that you have no idea how strong I truly am, and the only reason I'm even bothering to go through the trouble of breaking into Canterlot instead of just collapsing the mountain itself is that I want to both confirm the deaths of the Elements and to strike a morale blow to Equestria. If I wanted, the city would be dust in moments. That wouldn't be enough to break the spirits of ponykind, though. I want the city to suffer first. They will bring their best, they'll gather their allies, and then they'll all die, and all will look upon the ruins and wonder where hope has gone. That's going to happen. A few critters missing isn't going to change that at all. On a side note, I look forward to seeing you in action. That bird form is delightfully terrifying. Also ugly.” Swain nodded, conceding the point but rolling his eyes at the last comment.. “Very well then. When do we move out?” “Oh, don't be such a sourpuss.” Discord patted Swain on the head mockingly. “We'll leave tomorrow. It'll be nice and showy, so that they have time to gather themselves for the battle. I want to send a definitive message with this battle: Nopony can stand up to me and survive. Not even their best. Now go and do whatever it is mass murderers do before they kill.” Singed smirked at Swain as Discord dismissed them with a wave. “I guess that he makes no distinction between a warrior and a murderer?” Swain shrugged. “Does the label matter? Both of us are willing and able to do whatever it takes to achieve our goals. I will rule Noxus, and Noxus will be stronger for it. Of course, I've never seen you flinch from sacrificing people to your god of Progress. You know that you're half of the reason Piltover hates Zaun?” “Of course.” Singed returned the shrug. “But I also know people like myself and Dr. Mundo have through our efforts saved as many lives as we have taken. Who does the League come to first when they need an antivenom? Who does everyone turn to when rodents are spreading pestilence and disease through cities? Progress marches on, past our morals and beliefs. Piltover is leagues behind Zaun in the medical sciences, despite their propensity for magic-technology integration. Not even the great healers of Ionia can match what we've done with bodily regeneration. You can't make an omelet without tampering with someone's genetic structure, after all! Let them say what they want about my methods, but I've gotten results where nobody else has, and I've cured as many diseases as I've made poisons. It's all science, and I'm the best at what I do.” Swain tilted his head for a moment before nodding. “True enough. You certainly are a lot more professional about your job than your dear master ever was. Quite a sadistic streak, that one. Still, your point stands valid. Even Riven and I stand in agreement that we all seek to change the world in our own ways. It is so laughably shortsighted to view the world in only the scope of how it affects yourself. The truly brilliant seek to better themselves while bettering the world around them. It's always been my goal to benefit Noxus as much as I could while I ascended to power. People may blanch at the thought, but nobody can deny that the deaths of a few can do much to strengthen the whole. A Noxus without strength would be a Noxus not worth ruling at all. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement.” Singed laughed heartily. “You could conquer the world and still insist on it being an act of charity. You truly are a politician through and through.” “The best politicians are those who are assured of their causes. There is no law against benefiting myself and my country at the same time. In fact, the entirety of Noxian society is built around the concept of bettering ourselves to better Noxus. In any case, you have poisons to make, and I have a letter to send, so I'm afraid I must excuse myself from you for now.” With that, Swain retreated to his room, and began composing his message. - - - - Luna had just finished lowering the moon, her horn's magical sheath dissipating as she relinquished the spell, when she spotted six disdainful eyes watching her in the distance. Silently, the raven glided toward the midnight-hued alicorn and deposited a sealed scroll in front of her before departing just as silently as it came. It had taken much more effort than she remembered to guide the celestial body, but she had never had to assume control over both the sun and the moon simultaneously before. Shaking off the drain it had caused her, she levitated the scroll and broke the seal. I do not believe Discord suspects anything, but despite my counsel, he has opted to leave a detachment of Canis Minors led by a Canis Major to guard the castle. We will be leaving at dawn, so make haste. This will be my last communication with you before the battle at Canterlot. Discord wishes to make an example of the city to break the spirit of the Equestrian populace, so he intends it to be a drawn-out pitched battle. His arrogance will be his downfall. Good hunting. J.S. Luna finished scanning the letter, and started to head back to Ponyville from the outskirts that she had been keeping vigil at. When she arrived at the Library, Applejack and Riven were already waiting with a groggy-looking Twilight. In the background, Luna could faintly hear Ezreal and Fluttershy struggling to wake up Rainbow Dash, leaving her to assume the voices and sounds from the kitchen originated from Rarity and Spike. The latter had assumed all of Twilight's duties while the six friends had been occupied, and hadn't been present during most of their discussions, but Luna had occasionally seen him about the library. After what seemed like an eternity of alternated nudging, complaining at, and in Fluttershy's case, gently pleading, Rainbow Dash finally descended, flanked by Ezreal and Fluttershy. Rarity and Spike entered the room shortly thereafter. The dragon was laden with various foodstuffs that the duo had been preparing for the group's breakfast. Luna stood to address the group as they ate. “We'll be leaving within the hour. After you are done eating, each of the Element Bearers should don their Element. Swain has informed me that there will be minor resistance, but I believe Riven and Ezreal should be sufficient to dispatch it. After I teleport us to the castle, I will take my leave to begin working with Ryze to begin synthesizing an overwatch spell that will work similarly to the link between Summoners and champions. I have given Riven an amulet enchanted with a recall spell that will take you to Canterlot when you are finished. From there, we will await Discord's arrival and end this.” Riven nodded, and checked one of the saddlebags she was wearing to be sure the amulet was secure. “What sort of resistance will we be encountering, exactly?” “A pack of Canis wolves, led by a Major. They're large, but not exactly clever.” Luna surveyed the group, the greater majority of which had finished eating and had begun to adorn themselves with the magical artifacts known as the Elements of Harmony. Twilight had already secured the tiara that was the Element of Magic to her head, which bore gems in the likeness of Twilight's cutie mark, and gave a brief shimmer as she set it atop her head. The rest of the Elements came in the form of necklaces, each bearing a gem in a simplified likeness of their bearer's mark. Rainbow Dash had just finished her meal was holding up the Element of Loyalty, while beside her Rarity had already finished donning the Element of Generosity. Kindness was the domain of Fluttershy, while Laughter belonged to Pinkie, who Luna didn't remember arriving at all, but from what Twilight had mentioned, seemed prone to many bizarre occurrences. The last of the Elements, Honesty, rested against Applejack's neck. Though Luna had only interacted with the six on a limited basis, she knew the magic of the Elements only allowed a select few to harness their power, as she had previously wielded Honesty, Generosity, and Kindness against Discord when she and Celestia had staged their original coup against Discord. It was this faith in the Elements themselves that allowed her to move past her reservations against sending the first mortal holders of the Elements into battle. Seeing that preparations complete, she began channeling the teleportation spell. - - - - Ezreal appeared in a flash at the top of one of the walls surrounding the castle, whistling in appreciation as he surveyed the damage that Nasus had caused on their last visit. The few remaining towers looked sandblasted to the point of being thin and unstable, holes in the ancient stone visible even from his position. The ring of dead plant and animal life around the castle only served to make it seem more like a tomb than a once vibrant and lively castle. With another flash, Ezreal blinked to the opposite side of the castle before spotting his targets. The two statues were draped in strangely festive apparel, and he wasn't sure if what he had spotted on Celestia's face was a mustache drawn on the stone. Vivid azure blooms surrounded the pair, and a lone wolf trotted past the scene, following a new scent it had found. A final flash signaled Ezreal's return to the group. “Celestia and Nasus are in the inner courtyard, surrounded by a bunch of blue flowers. I'm pretty sure the wolves have caught our scent, and we can expect them to be on us any moment. Riven nodded, and took point, her wings, and by extension their blades, extended and ready to meet any unfortunate wolf to stumble upon them in pieces. Ezreal waited for the rest of the group before continuing after them, making sure that no creature would be able to catch them unaware. It wasn't long before Ezreal was proven right, and each of them could hear the soft padding behind them and all around them as the pack began shuffling through the passageways of the castle toward the courtyard. As Twilight turned her saddened gaze to the defaced statue of her mentor, the first wolf attacked. It dropped in an instant, a few feet short of Twilight as a bolt of arcane energy traveled from Ezreal's horn to its neck, leaving a charred hole that made Twilight shudder and quickly look away. The battle was in full swing in seconds. Riven leaped from wolf to wolf pausing only when her broken but still wickedly sharp blades would catch on bone, only to swiftly extricate herself to continue in what seemed like a decidedly one-sided battle. Ezreal, for his part danced around the wolves, appearing and disappearing at will among his targets, occasionally sending a spell toward Riven which increased the already considerable speed at which she was dispatching the pests. Pinkie Pie, chipper as ever, found herself wryly amused as she sidestepped a wolf that had been lucky enough to slip past the two warriors only to find itself pouncing onto a patch of the flowers that dotted the courtyard. Even amongst the carnage, the sight of a single puppy skittering about the battlefield was enough to make her giggle. The pack eventually found itself forced to retreat, the few remnants regrouping for one final assault. Twilight noted grimly that had they not been under Discord's influence, the pack would have long since retreated to spare their numbers further violence. Ezreal and Riven steeled themselves for the conclusion of their bloody task, the former wondering if he could spy another wolf in the distance, struggling to fit through a doorway, but was unable to ascertain any more details from his distance. The Canis Major, recently returned from guarding the same passageway Ezreal had used to previously free Twilight, decided that enough was enough, and alleviated its frustration at being restrained by something so simple as a doorway by gathering its considerable mass and bursting through it anyway, decimating the stone as it broke through. The wolf was larger than its peers. A lot larger, easily twice as tall as a pony, and, Ezreal guessed, significantly faster. He met Riven's eyes for a moment, understanding her intent as he moved to engage the rest of the smaller wolves. Riven charged at the wolf headfirst, and with a flap of her wings propelled herself over its head, readying herself to strike at it from above. The wolf was faster than she expected though, and she felt a massive paw slam into her side. The Element Bearers collectively gasped as she clattered to the floor, her skid only stopping as she hit a wall. As the wolf turned to finish its prey, a rainbow-colored blur slammed into the side of its head. Tumbling through the air for a moment before righting herself, Rainbow Dash puffed up. “Hey ugly! You may be faster than her, but I bet you can't catch me!” The wolf growled in response and took a swipe at Rainbow Dash, who effortlessly moved out of the way. Seeing the beast was distracted, Fluttershy and Rarity raced over to Riven, who was unconscious and bleeding from three long gouges on her side. Pinkie merrily hopped along toward the wolf, humming to herself as she climbed wolf, who had finally managed to corner Rainbow Dash. As she looked up at her tormentor, she saw Pinkie and Applejack astride it, a rope taut around the beast's muzzle. As Twilight's magic dragged Rainbow Dash away, the wolf began to buck in an almost comical fashion, desperately trying to dislodge its unwanted passengers, who were both whooping and hollering despite the gravity of the situation. The humor seemed to be lost upon the wolf, though, and with a furious roar, it snapped the rope binding it. With nothing binding them to the wolf, Pinkie and Applejack were quickly dislodged. It was a moment too late though, as Ezreal shouted to Twilight that he was ready. A telekinetic field enveloped the wolf, and Twilight Sparkle strained at the effort of containing it as the Canis Major began levitating. As if sensing its impending doom, it gave another furious bellow as Ezreal began rising into the air, his horn glowing golden. Crying out, Ezreal unleashed a solid wave of golden magic at the beast. As he dropped to the ground, exhausted, the wolf's head dropped with him, separated from its body. Ezreal nodded to the six. “Do your thing. I'll get Riven bandaged up the rest of the way.” The six Element Bearers gathered in front of the two statues, and Twilight began drawing out and shaping the magic from her five friends, focusing it through the artifact on her head. A few seconds stretched into an eternity as she once again dipped her soul into the magic contained within the Elements of Harmony, and a brilliant, almost blinding tunnel of every color and hue of the rainbow began to envelop the statues. Celestia surveyed her surroundings for a moment before her eyes finally fell upon the exhausted purple unicorn in front of her. “Well done, my most faithful student. I knew you would not disappoint my faith in you.” The princess took a deep breath, appreciatively savoring the air filling her lungs. “I think it's time that we dealt with Discord once and for all.”