//------------------------------// // Stolen Away // Story: Aspects of Chaos // by LordLycaon //------------------------------// Celestia paced back and forth impatiently in her throne room, Luna and Discord being her only audience. Even Discord had a look of concern for the ruler of Equestria. Neither of them had seen her so distressed. "Princess!" called the voice of Twilight Sparkle as she and her friends came running into the room, each of them wearing their respective Elements. "We came as soon as we could! What's-?" She stopped when she saw the company. "Princess Luna? Discord? Why are you here?" Discord chuckled somewhat nervously. "Well, you see, something went a little… weird – even for me!" "And what's that supposed to mean?" inquired Applejack, giving Discord a suspicious glare. "What's happening isn't Discord's fault," Celestia assured them all. She stepped forward with a serious gaze. "I fear that something much worse has unleashed itself upon our peaceful land." "What?" Twilight asked, almost afraid of the answer. Discord suddenly popped into existence right next to the young alicorn, his arm around her shoulder. "Let's just say that I am partially to blame for this. You see, not using my powers for evil has made the darker corners of my being to… manifest." "How do you mean?" Rarity chimed in. Discord stood to his full height, a scholar's hat upon his head. "Just like how there are six Element of Harmony, there are six Aspects of Chaos. I embodied all of them until just last night! They somehow escaped from my body and took on physical forms." "Aspects of Chaos?" Twilight said skeptically. "What are these 'Aspects'?" "Of course," the spirit of chaos said as he teleported next to Fluttershy, who gave a small 'eep'. "First is Cruelty…" He then went next to Pinkie Pie. "Hatred…" He moved to Rarity's side. "Greed…" He hovered over Applejack next. "Deception…" He popped up in front of Rainbow Dash. "Treachery…" Finally, he teleported in front of the entire group. "And finally, we have the most important Aspect: better known as Logic." "Wait, 'Logic'?" Twilight asked with a confused stare. "But that doesn't make any sense!" "Chaos rarely does, my dear," Discord stated simply as he wiped his claws on the fur of his chest. "It's really quite simple when you think about it. It's like crime and law: if there's no law, then there's technically no crime. It works the same way for order and chaos. There needs to be logic break in order for there to be chaos. Ergo, logic is the most important of the six Aspects of Chaos, and also the most dangerous." "Oh, please!" Rainbow Dash said with a cocky grin. "We beat you, Nightmare Moon, Queen Chrysalis, and even that Sombra guy! We can handle it!" "You should never underestimate your enemy, Rainbow Dash," Luna said in a warning tone. "We do not know what these new foes are capable of. They may just be the greatest threat this land has ever faced." "And that is why we need you and your friends, Twilight Sparkle," Celestia said. "Discord has told me that the only way to defeat the Aspects of Chaos is to expose them to their conflicting Elements of Harmony. You six ponies are the only ones capable of defeating this new threat." All of the Mane 6 nodded in understanding. "We won't let you down, Princess," Twilight said with the utmost determination, unaware that her wings were unfurled again. Celestia gave a nod of gratitude. "Good luck, my little ponies." Just then, a guard came galloping into the room, looking particularly distressed. "Your Majesty! We've just received grim news from Cloudsdale! The city is under attack!" "WHAT!?" Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy shouted in shock at the same time. "I'd put my money on it being the Aspects," Discord said jokingly, earning him a glare from Celestia and Luna. "There's more, Your Highness!" the guard said. "The reports state that the attacker is Princess Twilight Sparkle!" "WHAT!?" Twilight shouted in horror. "But I'm right here! How could I be attacking Cloudsdale if-?" Then it hit her. "The Aspects!" "Bingo!" Discord called out. "I'll warp you girls there. You just deal with the Aspects." "But what about Pinkie, Rarity, and me?" Applejack asked. "We can't walk on clouds. We'll fall right through!" "Have a little faith, will you? Ta-ta!" He snapped his fingers, and the Mane 6 vanished in a flash of light. He then hovered in a lounging position. When Celestia gave him a nudging glare, he said, "What?" The alicorn raised an eyebrow at the draconoquess, who sighed. "Oh, fine, I'll go, too." With that, he disappeared, leaving the two princesses and the guard by themselves. "Guard, fetch me a quill and parchment," Celestia ordered. The guard nodded and dashed off to get what was asked for. "What are you doing, sister?" Luna inquired. "I do not think that now is the time for writing a letter." "I need to inform Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor of the situation," the sun princess explained. "If anypony needs to know about what's happening, it's them." Luna nodded her agreement and left the room. Celestia sat at her throne and turned to look out a nearby window. "I just hope we can act in time." -o- Luna walked down the halls of the palace to her bedchamber, occasionally greeting guards who gave her a respectful salute. She still couldn't quite get over how much things had changed in Equestria, but she was adapting, albeit rather slowly. But it just seemed to her that everything was quickly becoming one threat after another. First her… unruly other half, then Discord, followed up by the changelings, then Sombra's return. Things have been hectic in Equestria. When she finally made it into her chamber, she moved to the balcony that overlooked Canterlot. The city was bustling with the activities of ponies who had no idea that their very livelihoods were in danger. She wondered if ignorance really was bliss. "That view is disgusting!" said a female voice that sounded very familiar. Luna turned with wide eyes to see… Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy standing in her room. But they each looked… off. Pinkie Pie's mane and tail were flat, and her color was duller, and her expression was one of complete hate. Rarity's mane was wild and uncouth, completely unlike her usual vain appearance. And Fluttershy had a sadistic grin on her face, and her mane was darker in color. "You hate everything, Pinkamena," the messy Rarity stated flatly. "Oh!" She turned to the evil-looking Fluttershy. "Malumavis, do you think Dusk would mind if took all of this princess's things? I'm sure she has a stash of wonderful gems hidden around here somewhere!" "Focus, you greedy little idiot!" 'Fluttershy' said with a frighteningly intimidating glare. She then returned her attention to Luna. "Look, Princess, we're here on our boss's orders. In fact, it's not even you we're really after." "You…" Luna said, her horn slowly beginning to glow as she prepared a defensive spell. "You are not Twilight Sparkle's friends. Who are you?" "Like it's any of your business who we are," the Pinkie Pie lookalike, apparently called "Pinkamena," said with a growl. "Now don't be rude, Pinkamena," 'Rarity' said. "We don't want to give a reason not to give me valuables, now do we?" Luna scowled in disgust at that. "Be gone from my sight you impostors!" she shouted as she was about to launch a magical blast at them. But before she could, something slammed into the back of her head. The last thing she saw before darkness consumed her vision was the face of Rainbow Dash, but her mane was a dull gray. Blackness then enveloped her.