//------------------------------// // Chapter 26 // Story: Giving Chaos // by Dirty Bit //------------------------------// Chapter 26 Memento Amici Greed and Twilight circled each other as they steeled their resolve for their tragic battle, staring each other down. Discord and the trapped audience watched the two unicorns intently as they finished circling and pawed at the ground. "You better be ready, Twilight! I'm not going easy!" Greed warned harshly. "I don't expect you to!" Twilight shot back before they galloped towards each other, easily closing the distance before they lunged into combat. Greed took the initiative and shot out a forehoof towards Twilight's face, easily connecting with her jaw as she was sent tumbling back before skidding to a halt on her side. Greed quickly ran in to deliver another hit, but before he could, he was wrapped in a magic aura, noticing that Twilight was recovering from his hit before hurling him into a nearby wall. Twilight rubbed the corner of her lips with a forehoof while glaring at Greed. The avaricious pony recovered and steamed from his nostrils before lighting up his horn and firing some magic bolts, to which Twilight deflected with a small frontal shield she instantly casted for herself. After defending herself from Greed's attack, she made her shield disappear, only to have Greed in her vision as he knocked her away with another punch in the face. Enraged that she was caught off-guard twice, she fired a magic beam from her horn, to which Greed instantly countered as their beams collided and pushed against each other. While Greed had the edge on Twilight with physical strength, he found himself struggling as his opponent was gradually toppling his magic. It wasn't long until Greed was blown back by the combined intensity of his and Twilight's magic, flying back before he recovered in the air and skidded to a halt upon reaching the ground. Despite the tension in the air, Greed allowed himself a grin. "Never thought I'd still be on the receiving end of your magic, Twi! Not bad!" Greed called out. Twilight managed a small smirk back at her opponent. "You still have a lot to learn, and I'm not holding back!" Twilight replied as her horn remained lit up. Greed scoffed before he decided to gallop towards Twilight with his own horn aglow. Twilight decidedly followed suit as they glared at each other. Both unicorns' horns brightened as they neared each other, and Greed saw fit to attack with a point-blank magic beam. Only to have Twilight disappear the moment she got close enough. Greed's eyes widened as he skidded to a halt and darted his head around before he felt a magic beam strike him from behind, knocking him forward as he staggered. He quickly turned around to see a purple hoof connect with his muzzle as he stumbled back again. Twilight felt victorious that her surprise attack was a success, but she was rewarded with an irate Greed closing in on her. She instantly lit up a magic shield in front of her, but noticed how the avaricious pony leaped into the air and over her, landing directly behind her. He reared his hindlegs back before delivering a swift and painful buck that had Twilight flying forward before she landed unceremoniously on the ground. "You're not the only one with a brain!" Greed quipped before pursuing Twilight while she got up. After she recovered, Twilight turned around to see Greed nearing her and hopped away when he attempted to deliver a hook, and ducked when he followed up with another before firing a magic beam at his chest, sending him back a couple of feet as his coat was scorched. It felt weird for Greed to fight without the use of his Ultimate Shield, even if his or Twilight's were restricted for the sake of fairness. He never thought he'd be met with so much pain without being able to regenerate from it. Greed, shaking off his mild distress, chose to brave another encounter with Twilight, who attempted to strike at him, only to have her hoof blocked and easily countered with a black hoof across her face. Before she could recover, Twilight felt another hoof against her face that sent her stumbling back, and she found herself flying backwards until landing painfully on her back after Greed delivered another buck, this time aimed at her chest. Discord guffawed with dark glee as he watched Greed and Twilight fighting against each other as he ate some popcorn and drank the glass from a glass of chocolate milk. Meanwhile, the ponies and Spike in the audience seat watched the sight with burdening sorrow. "This is insane! Is there really nothing we can do?" Rarity mourned as she laid eyes on her two friends fighting each other. "As maddening as this battle and its terms are, it's out of our hooves at this point." Wrath said as he viewed the battle with a hardened gaze "Greed and Twilight have no other alternative to this final tribulation. The outcome is theirs to decide and theirs alone..." "I hate this so much...Why does this have to be so complicated?" Spike asked as he balled his claws into fists before burying his face in them. "This sucks! I can't believe our fate depends on whoever wins this stupid fight!" Envy complained angrily as it gritted its teeth "Win or lose, Discord will get his in spades!" Envy snarled. "I can't believe it's come to this." A teary-eyed Fluttershy said as she was being comforted by Applejack "This is just awful." "I couldn't agree more." Cadence said morosely while watching Greed and Twilight "This goes against everything I stand for." "The scene before us is troubling indeed." Luna said solemnly "I cannot lie that I'm torn between which pony should be the victor, considering that the scale of either loss is large." She looked over at Celestia "Tell me, sister...Who do you wish to succeed?" "That is a question I cannot bring myself to answer, Luna." Celestia replied as she shook her head "It's as Wrath said: The outcome is theirs to decide and theirs alone." She watched the battle with a heavy heart; perhaps the heaviest of all. Her own student was locked in a fight with her beloved partner, and there was nothing she could do to save her from this peril. All she could do was watch. Twilight recovered and leered at Greed before galloping towards him with her forehooves ready, her opponent mimicking her actions. They clashed their hooves as they threw and blocked punches that were aimed at either their chest or face. Greed toppled Twilight with ease as he knocked her back with a left hook. He went to strike again, only to be met with a blinding light in his eyes, causing him to reel back his hoof and rub his eyes before he noticed Twilight throw a punch directly on his muzzle. Greed was quick to recover and retaliated with a more intense blow to Twilight's chest, making her eyes bulge as she gagged. Before she could find relief, she was thrown back, landing on her side as she coughed from the heavy hit. Greed, while full of energy, felt his heart buckle as he watched Twilight laying down in pain, but shook it off as he narrowed his eyes and waited patiently for the lavender unicorn to get back up. Greed and Twilight stared each other down while catching their breath. Both unicorns had a good amount of scars and bruises on their body, namely their face. Discord clapped with mirthful fervor before he snapped his talons. Random weaponry from rubber chickens to large mallets rained on the field and surrounded Greed and Twilight, easily distracting them from their fight. The avaricious pony glared up at Discord. "We don't need your help, asshole! Stay out of this!" He shouted, to which Discord frowned. "Rude much? Fine..." With a roll of his eyes and a snap of his talons, Discord made the random weaponry vanish in an instant before Greed and Twilight resumed their fight. From the seats, Pinkie let out a small giggle. "I think that lightened the mood a bit for me." She said with a hint of happiness before she sighed again, her ears folding back "Too bad it's not enough for this." "Greed...Twilight..." Gluttony whimpered as he held onto Lust for comfort, to which the lascivious mare caressed his head with a hoof as she closed her eyes. "Fighting is a pain..." Sloth rumbled as he watched with disinterest "Conflict is a pain..." He slowly rose his head to get a glimpse of a giddy Discord "Discord...is the biggest pain of all..." "Couldn't o' said it better myself, Sloth." Applejack said with a dirty glare directed towards Discord. "To think that we're met with a battle that is as dire as it is complex." Blueblood murmured "Discord's treachery is legendary. How can one even find enjoyment in something so horrid?" "You forget that chaos is Discord's idea of fun." Shining Armor replied to Blueblood while watching the battle with narrowed eyes "Nothing else matters to him but that." He felt his heart sink whenever he saw his sister met with pain, seeing how the fatigue was slowly getting to her. After they spared each other a moment of breathing, Greed and Twilight went back to their fight with aggressive abandon, delving back to their same tactics of close combat. The only difference was that Twilight snuck in some magical attacks to match Greed's physical strength. As they fought, Greed caught one of Twilight's forehooves as she struggled to reel it back. She glared at the avaricious pony, only to catch him grinning at her. "This kinda takes me back...Remember when we took out those changelings that were swarming in Ponyville? That was a cakewalk compared to this..." Greed said nonchalantly despite his current condition. Twilight was about to retort, thinking he was trying to dissuade her, but she ended up smiling back at Greed. "You and your family went overboard, but you all meant well. I don't see a reason to reminisce while we're fighting..." Twilight replied as she struggled. "Guess not..." Greed said as he tossed Twilight's hoof back and went to strike again, only to be knocked back by a magic beam that connected with his chest. Greed was beginning to feel more worn out, and it was giving him a minute sense of anxiety that he never thought to have felt at a time like this. He looked over to see Twilight faring no better despite charging towards him as the two continued to fight. He was beginning to think there was more to this fight than what was on the line for both parties. Loathe as he was to admit, Greed hated to lose, be it a fight or some of his possessions. He was happy with how he was born and how he lived his life despite its rough turns. Even in his passing, he had no regrets for his actions. The avaricious pony, and some of his family, had been welcomed into a new life for the reason of finding their own truth and had managed to represent something other than their respective sins. They had been given a better purpose than what was presented by their creator. Greed was content with everything, and now here he stood as a victim of circumstance, fighting against someone that he held dear more than any friend he had made in his new life; the one who reminded him how much friendship meant to many; that friendship was magical. More and more, Greed was starting to see the bigger picture as he traded blows with Twilight, and beneath his battered exterior, he found a warmth that had never been felt before. After knocking Twilight back with a strong punch, she saw her get up with her horn glowing brighter than before. Greed allowed himself a smirk, knowing that she was on her last legs. It was all he needed now. Greed feigned a casual stroll before breaking into a gallop towards Twilight, paying her brilliant horn no mind. It was time for him to finish this. When he got close, he brought up a hoof to strike Twilight in the face once more, but was blown away by the strongest magic beam that Twilight had ever cast in her life. The avaricious pony was sent far back into a distant wall as his entire body was scorched, making him look blacker than his own coat. Everyone but Twilight gasped, including Discord. Twilight was catching her breath as she fell on one knee and looked over at Greed sticking on the wall he was on before falling on his stomach, his body producing smoke as he laid worn down. "Greed?" Rainbow Dash said with her mouth agape "Greed actually lost to Twilight?" "But how!? Greed might be an idiot, but he isn't that weak!" Envy said as it looked at Greed's worn figure laying on the ground. "It's true." Celestia added "Greed is one of the most capable fighters I know under Wrath. The only way for him to actually lose was..." A roar of outrage courtesy of Discord was what interrupted Celestia as the draconequus leered down at Greed, pointing a lion claw at him. "I saw that! I saw what you did there, and that is not funny!!" Discord shouted. Twilight, for her part, was confused by Discord's sudden mood shift. "What..." Twilight paused as she caught her breath "What are you talking about, Discord?" She asked in a strained tone. "You know what I mean!" Discord spat before looking back at Greed "You and your precious marefriend managed to plan this behind my back, haven't you!? Admit it!" Twilight had never been so confused in her life until her ears picked up a weak fit of laughter from the other side of the arena. From where he laid, a triumphant grin was seen on Greed's face despite the fact that he was close to passing out. "Nope...It was all me..." Greed wheezed as he laid down, laughing again before he went into a coughing fit. "You can't do that! You knew the terms! You knew the rules! You know exactly who you are and what you're after! This isn't like you at all!" Discord vented as his claws gripped the armrests of his throne tightly. Twilight didn't know what to make of Discord's anger and Greed's laughter until she pieced it together for herself. Her eyes widened as she stood stunned, then her body trembled before she rushed towards Greed with a surge of adrenaline, completely ignoring the injuries she had sustained. Not even the pain in her body kept her from reaching Greed as skidded to a halt at his side and knelt down to get a better look at his grinning face. "Hey...Twi..." Greed said dryly upon seeing the broken look on Twilight's face. "Why..." She whispered with her newfound energy "Why did you do this? That wasn't necessary at all..." Twilight said as her eyes welled up "Sure it was..." Greed hacked as he tried keeping his eyes open "You were gonna teach me generosity one way or another once this was over...I just wanted to take initiative..." He coughed as he noticed tears streaming down Twilight's eyes "Don't look at me like that...I know it makes me sick to my stomach, but it's for a good cause, right?" "TRAPPING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY IN STONE WITH DISCORD IS NOT A GOOD CAUSE!!" Twilight managed to shout at the top of her lungs with her eyes clenched shut. She cried as she leaned down and laid her forelegs on Greed, burying her face in his back. "Damn, you're loud...Suck it up..." Greed wheezed "If I actually decided to keep fighting, we'd only be wasting precious time...You deserve better than this, Twi..." He explained, even though Twilight was crying her eyes out. "No...I don't deserve this and neither should you..." Twilight choked as she rose her head and wiped her eyes "But, even though I'm sad...I'm also proud of you, Greed." Greed's grin widened. "That's good to hear..." His eyes were beginning to close "Take care, Twi...Be happy..." Greed's eyes were closed as his consciousness faded. Twilight felt more tears coming on, but she gently pecked Greed's head before she brought herself up. The others in the audience seats now knew full well what was going on. "I don't believe it..." Spike's eyes were wide as dinner plates as he stared at Greed. "Me neither." Blueblood whispered in awe "The impossible has happened at last..." "He threw the fight?" Shining Armor said in shock "Greed actually went out of his way to take the fall just like that?" "Incredible..." Lust said as she looked at Greed "It seems that even one such as Greed can be generous now and then." She frowned "I'm not entirely happy with what he has done, but it was his decision in the end." "Neither am I." Wrath said with a wistful smile "But at least he managed to actually learn something in the end. Too bad we're going to suffer for it." He said with a hollow chuckle. "You mean..." Fluttershy whimpered "All of you will be trapped with Discord?" "Mhm..." Gluttony nodded sadly "I don't like it, but Greed's the one who decides for us. I guess he really wants to save the world." He hung his head "I wanna stay, but that'd only mean more trouble for us and everypony. "Ah can't believe Greed actually went fer this...This ain't like 'im at all." Applejack said as she removed her hat and held it to her chest. "He's a real hero, isn't he?" Pinkie said with a sad smile "But that means he and the other homunculi won't be there for the 'We saved Equestria' party..." She said as she sniffled, shedding a tear. "No..." Rainbow Dash said as she looked at Greed before darting her heat towards Envy, whose expression was unreadable "I don't want to lose you again!" Rainbow Dash quickly embraced Envy in desparation "Do you hear me!? I don't wanna lose you again!" "Let it go, you idiot..." Rainbow Dash instantly paused her hug as she noticed Envy's head raise up with an indifferent expression "There's nothing I can do now but figure out how to beat the shit out of Greed with my mind. He wanted it to end this way, and I'm super pissed, but I guess he went with the better choice..." "But what about us?" The cyan pegasus asked "We made a promise to go back together. You know that!" Envy looked over at Rainbow Dash and gently placed a hoof on her cheek before pulling her in for a deep kiss, wrapping its forehooves around her neck as Rainbow Dash managed to return the kiss. When they broke, Envy was seen with a small smile. "Maybe next time. Don't worry, Greed's not getting off easy for this..." Envy said in an uncharacteristically soothing voice as Rainbow Dash tried fighting back her own tears. "Stone? What a pain..." Sloth yawned "At least I get to nap..." Celestia and the other princesses looked upon the other homunculi coming to terms with their fate while the other ponies mourned their eventual imprisonment. They all shared looks of sadness for what is to come before Celestia closed her eyes for a moment. Her eyes then shot open with a look of anger directed towards an angry draconequus. "Discord!!" She shouted, managing to grab his attention "You know full well of the terms you made for yourself! You are obligated to abide by them no matter the outcome! Release us and face your punishment with dignity!" She was undeterred by the glare that was sent back at her. "Believe me, I know...I'm a draconequus of my word, after all." Discord said as he begrudingly snapped his talons and not only released the prisoners, but stationed the elements to their respective owners. Twilight was also relieved of their battle scars. Sadly, he also gathered the six homunculi at his side. He rounded them all up together as he sighed to himself, his anger leaving rather instantly. "Well, it was fun while it lasted. But at least I'm met with a consolation prize." Discord flashed a hollowly cheerful smile towards the homunculi "You're going to love it inside the confines of your minds! You can do almost anything in there once you put your mind to it!" "Don't talk to me, you bastard..." Envy snarled without facing Discord. "Alright, girls. Let's do it..." Twilight said with a deep breath as she and her friends got into place. "Yeah. It's time we put this whole thing behind us." Rainbow Dash replied with as much bravado as she could muster as she rose up, her element beginning to glow. "Goodbye, Gluttony. I'll miss you and your appetite." Pinkie said as she channeled her element. "I'll miss all of you!" Fluttershy called out in sadness as she focused. "I hope we'll actually meet each other again!" Rarity said as her element shined brightly. "We'll be sure t' visit ya sometime, ya here!?" Applejack said as she and her friends were in sync with one another. The princesses, Shining Armor, Spike, and Blueblood watched with saddened eyes as the Elements of Harmony were at full power, and blasted Discord and the former homunculi with a rainbow of light, encasing the draconequus and his captive ponies in stone. Each homunculus, save for Greed and Sloth, had a gentle look on their faces directed towards their friends as they were petrified, while Discord merely grinned as if posing for a photo with the homunculi in his arms. From there, the rainbow of light shot up into the abyss and pierced the endless darkness above, shooting up out of the castle and into the sky before encompassing all of Equestria in a giant rainbow wave that cleansed everything that had been wronged by Discord. The battle had been won; all thanks to a pony of avarice embracing generosity in his heart. End of Chapter 26