*Outskirts of Crystal Empire*
Discord looked around at the icy wasteland growling. He was in the outskirts like requested now all he had to do was find Fluttershy.
No matter where he looked though all he saw was more snow. Frustrated he yelled,
"Alright I'm here! Now where are you?"
Suddenly the ground beneath him began to shake, he stepped back as the ground opened up to reveal stairs leading underground. He narrowed his eyes and without a second thought opened his wings and took off down the stairs, not flinching when the ground closed behind him.
I'm coming my love.
King Sombra sat on his crystallized throne and smirked. Seems the legendary monster wouldn't disappoint him after all. He used his magic to bring the large birdcage covered with a sheet next to him. He looked to the double doors waiting to greet his guest.
The doors burst into the room with a loud crash as they flew off their hinges. Sombra didn't flinch as Discord met his eyes and snarled at him.
So much power! So much ferocity in one being! Soon it will be all mine.
Discord stepped into his 'throne room' and continued to glare at him. Then the draconequus bared his teeth and raised a glowing paw.
"Sombra…nice to see you lived through your encounter with Twilight, too bad you won't live through mine."
Sombra decided he'd seen enough. He pulled the sheet off the cage revealing his little bird.
"Discord run!" Fluttershy shouted.
Seeing the pony in the cage seemed to enrage the chimera more. He pulled back his paw ready to release his power.
"Now Discord you should know better than that?" Sombra used his horn once again to summon a blade inside the cage and pressed it to the pony's neck causing her to whimper.
Discord's eyes flashed a bright red and the hair on his back stood up.
"Let her go Sombra and I'll make it quick for you."
Sombra laughed and pressed the blade further against the pony.
"Maybe you can take me out, but we both know your magic is unpredictable. Can you really guarantee you'll be faster than my blade?"
He smirked at the being of chaos.
"Shall we find out my lord?"
Discord wanted nothing more than to blast that smirk off the pony's face, but he was right. The glow faded from his paw as he let go of his magic. He couldn't be sure his magic was faster than Sombra's and he wouldn't risk it with Fluttershy.
"What do you want Sombra?"
Sombra laughed and stood up, but kept the magical blade against Fluttershy.
"That's a good pet. It's simple I'll make you a trade. I'll leave this pretty pony unharmed in exchange for your magic."
"No Discord! You can't give him your magic you'll be too weak like you were after Tirek! Nothing will stop him from hurting both of us!"
Fluttershy shouted, Discord was so proud at the strength she was displaying. Even trapped in a cage and with a blade against her she was still trying to defy Sombra.
Sombra looked back at her and laughed.
"Tirek? Tirek was nothing but a crazed foal. He didn't understand the true power he could have had. No, I don't want to drain your powers, I want to control them."
"No pony can control chaos, it is the very essence of the word."
Discord chuckled shaking his head.
Sombra seemed unfazed, he turned his head and with a swirl of black smoke a collar appeared. He smirked at Discord.
"Do you know what this is?"
"Something that would clash with my fur?"
"Funny, always the humorous one, well soon you wont have anything to laugh at."
Discord crossed his arms, he was trying to stall hoping for Sombra to lose concentration. Hold two different items with magic meant one usually took precedence.
Unless you had Twilight's level of concentration, and no pony had that, not even Celestia.
Sombra grinned again,
"It took me a long time to build my magic back up to even support a physical form for more than a minute at a time. However my patience paid off when I stumbled across this very rare and ancient text. With it I was able to create a new body for myself. While reading I also stumble across a strange new magic. With the new spell I learned I will be able to obtain your magic."
"You know monologues have always been boring. That's one thing that didn't change during my imprisonment."
Discord smirked as he sent some of his magic towards the birdcage only to have it stopped by a force field.
"What…"
"Ha, do you think me a novice at magic? A valiant effort, but I'm afraid not good enough. However it does seem you do not wish to hear what I have to say so, I guess there's no need for her anymore."
The blade moved against Fluttershy and Discord screamed reaching out to her.
"No wait!"
The blade stopped and Sombra smirked again, he had the chimera trapped and he knew it.
"Are you going to listen and behave now?"
Discord growled, but nodded silently.
"Good...now as I was saying, this spell I found is quite unique in its making. Although I could not discover the origins, I did find it's as old and dark as you my friend."
Discord's eyes widened, he couldn't mean…
"Blood magic." Discord hissed.
Sombra chuckled,
"Good, seems I'm not the only one who's keeping up with their studies. Yes blood magic, the most ancient form of Dark Magic. Now Lord of Chaos, I make my offer again. This mare's safety for your obedience."
Discord watched as the collar floated towards him. He looked to Fluttershy, she looked so small in that cage. He had no doubt that Sombra wouldn't hesitate to harm her and he couldn't let that happen. He had no choice, he had to protect her.
"Alright. In exchange for Fluttershy's life, I give you my powers."
He started to reach for the collar,
"No Discord! You can't! Discord please!"
He looked over to the beautiful mare. He had loved her from the beginning, he only wished it hadn't taken him so long to realize it. He sighed lifting his claw and bit down with his sharpened teeth. He lifted the wound over the collar allowing some of his blood to drip on it before healing himself again.
Sombra watched, a crooked grin spreading across his face as the collar began to glow a bright red.
"Now put it on my new slave."
Discord grabbed the collar and lifted it towards his head.
"Discord! You can't let him have your powers! I'm not worth your freedom! I'm not worth Equestria!"
Discord smiled sadly at her,
"No...you're worth so much more."
He slipped the collar over his head and it instantly latched around his neck burning a bright red. Discord howled in pain and fell to the ground, his insides felt as if they were on fire.
Finally the burning subsided and he was able to take in a shaky breath.
He looked up to see the blade had disappeared, but Fluttershy was still in the cage. He growled at Sombra.
"We had a deal, now release her."
"I said she'd remain unharmed, I never said I'd let her go. Wouldn't want her to warn the princesses now would we?"
Sombra walked around the cage that held Fluttershy and used his magic to stroke her hair, causing her to cringe.
"Such a pretty bird, maybe I'll keep her, she would look lovely sitting next to my throne."
Discord snarled at Sombra and lunged for him.
"Tsk tsk, that's no way to treat your master, now be a good little dog!" His horn glowed with its power and the collar began to burn him again. He fell to the ground and curled around the agony. He heard Fluttershy scream and Sombra laugh through the fog of the pain.
Once again it subsided, leaving him weak and panting. No wonder blood magic was forbidden, nothing was as cruel. He climbed to all fours and glared at Sombra, before lowering his head in defeat.
"That's better. Come slave, before we pay a visit to dear Celestia, I want my empire back."
Sombra walked past him heading for the opening in the wall, where Discord had blasted his way in.
"Wait…" Discord croaked, causing Sombra to turn his head and stare at Discord's back.
"Let me say goodbye…"
Sombra smirked,
"Alright, let it be known King Sombra isn't as heartless as a changeling. Say your goodbyes, but try anything and the last magical surge will seem like a needle prick."
Discord nodded and stood up walking over to Fluttershy.
She was crying again and had her hooves against the bars. He wrapped his hand around her hooves through the bars.
"I'm sorry Fluttershy, I'm so sorry…" He closed his eyes as he felt tears begin to slide down his cheeks.
"Discord, why did you...you could have gone to Twilight and maybe she could have-"
"No, there was no other way...and I couldn't chance him hurting you. Fluttershy...I'm sorry about what I said...or what I didn't say really."
He looked away from her unable to meet her eyes. His heart was breaking into a million pieces, but if he could save her he would. It didn't matter if she hated him after this, as long as she was alive.
"Discord please...don't…" She sobbed.
He looked back up into her shining, teal eyes.
"Fluttershy...I'm sorry I was such a coward before. I've been without any emotions for so long that when I started to feel them…my chaotic self retaliated, it turned away in fear...I don't know what I was thinking, but you should know…" He leaned his head against the cage and she did the same, so they were almost touching, if not for the bars separating them.
"Fluttershy, I love you…" and he pulled away turning to follow Sombra out of the underground cave. Pushing the sounds of her yelling his name out of his mind, Discord focused on what he had to do…
Sombra didn't control chaos...no matter how much he thought he did.
Fluttershy continued to cry after she was left alone, a heavy weight pressed against her heart. He had given up everything...his freedom, the one thing he cherished above all...for her.
"Discord!"
She screamed then she fell to the floor of her cage and cried harder. She went to bury her face in her hooves and something cold touched her nose. She looked down at her hooves and a small, diamond ring lay nestled in the center.
The ring clung to a chain now hanging around her neck, it hadn't been there a second ago.
She lifted the ring and noticed writing appear on the inside and she smiled through her tears...Discord!
Put the ring to the bars.
She stood up on shaky legs and put the ring against the bars as it said. Instantly the bars turned to...licorice? She gave it a tentative lick...It was licorice! She then used her teeth to tear the bars apart until she could jump out.
Now how do I get out of here? She thought worried, what if those shadow creatures realized she had escaped?
The ring made a small buzz and she picked it up looking on the inside again.
Say Twilight…
"Twilight?" What did that mean? Suddenly she had to shield her eyes from a bright flash. When she took her hooves away from her eyes she gasped. She was in the middle of the council room with all her friends giving her an odd look. Then Pinkie jumped up and tackled her in a hug.
"Oh Fluttershy! We were getting worried when you didn't show up so I went to your cottage but you weren't there and then I went to Discord's but you weren't there and neither was he so I came back to tell everyone and we were just about to go look for you but look here you are."
Pinkie had to take a deep in drawn breath and slowly let it out before smiling. Fluttershy stood up and looked at all her friends, Twilight was the first to notice her tears.
"Fluttershy? What's wrong and where have you been?"
"Discord…" Was all she was able to whisper before Spike came running into the room holding a scroll.
"Twilight! Twilight! Urgent news from Princess Celestia!"
She used her magic to unfurl the scroll and gasped.
"The princess needs us all right away...Discord...Discord's attacking the Crystal Empire!"
All her friends gasped in horror and Fluttershy felt her tears fall faster.
"Oh no…"
Applejack was the first to speak.
"Wait, why would Discord attack the Crystal Empire y'all, that doesn't make any sense?"
Fluttershy tried to say something,
"It's not his fault he…"
Rainbow interrupted her,
"Why else? Because he's Discord, it seems that no matter what he says he'll never just sit around here in Ponyville."
Fluttershy tried again,
"No he…"
This time it was Pinkie,
"Maybe he's just playing a joke on us like he always does?"
"No Pinkie, I don't think it's that simple, Princess Celestia wouldn't send for us if this was a joke." Twilight stated looking to the letter again. Pinkie gasped,
"Maybe, sheeee'ssss in on the joke?"
"Pinkie darling, that doesn't make any sense? Why in the wide world of Equestria would she pair up with Discord to do something like this?" Rarity put her hoof to her face.
All her friends continued to bicker and Fluttershy felt something snap.
"Girls!" All eyes turned to her in surprise.
"He's not doing it under his own free will! He's bound himself to King Sombra and being forced to attack the crystal ponies! The princesses are next, we can't waste time here, we have to hurry!"
All of them just continued to stare before Twilight seemed to snap out of her stunned silence.
"Wait, what!? King Sombra? But he…"
"No he didn't, not completely anyways...he...he said something about finding a spell to recreate his body so he could take a physical form again…he forced Discord to bind himself...he did it to save me...please Twilight we don't have time we have to get to Canterlot fast, Discord could already be heading there!"
Twilight nodded, but then frowned.
"But...but...how do we outrun the master of chaos, we may already be too late!"
Fluttershy lowered her head and began to cry harder when her chin hit the ring.
"Of course! Fight fire with fire! Thank you Discord!" She shouted a smile forming on her face, thinking of what Discord always said to her,
'Where's the fun in making sense my dear?'
She began to laugh and the others looked at her in confusion. Rainbow put her hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder.
"Um, Flutters, maybe you should sit down for a bit."
Fluttershy wasn't listening she lifted the ring and smiled at all her friends.
"Hold on...Take us to Canterlot!" She shouted and in another flash they were gone, being taken to Canterlot with Discord's chaos magic.
Miles away standing in the heart of the Crystal Empire, Discord watched King Sombra shout in fury. It seem Princess Cadence had taken the Crystal Heart and her subjects, and they had fled the empire, when they realized the threat was real. While Sombra continued to fume Discord looked around at the destruction he had created.
He laid his ears back, this is what his power was fully capable of. Homes lay in ruin, the empire was little more than rubble.
Why every pony thought him a monster...and after seeing what he had done he agreed with them, his powers truly were evil.
The words that haunted him as he had attacked the ponies made him sick.
You'll lose her and I'll be all that's left...
He had become the Lord of Chaos in its truest form, never had his magic caused so much destruction. Always meant to make him laugh, there was nothing funny about the suffering he had caused today.
Discord felt the last chaotic surge ripple through his body. He had felt the fist two just as he planned and now it seems Fluttershy was on her way to stop Sombra. He looked to the edge of the empire and smiled to himself.
That's my girl...