//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Statue No More // Story: Back To The Future IV: The Return of Discord // by Dr Dash //------------------------------// The sharp crack of breaking stone echoed across the empty field. The fracture began to spiderweb its way up the side of the grotesque, toppled statue. The tail of a snake, the legs of a lizard and goat. Arms, stolen from a lion and an eagle. Mismatched wings to pair with the uneven horns. One long fang, protruding from a mouth opened in despair. Nopony knew where this oddity of art had come from, or who had decided to dump it in the grass outside Ponyville, like a discarded wrapper from one of the Cakes’ many delicious treats. Yes, this ridiculous statue had become nothing more than part of the landscape. But, it was more than a statue. Few ponies were privy to the information that in fact, this jumbled creature was actually alive, not carved by some insane craftsman and left behind once he’d realized how horrid his creation was. This marble monster was much more than simple rock. He had been made in the fires of creation, belched out by the primordial ooze eons ago, and unleashed upon this world. A cloud of dust began to form as increasingly larger chunks of stone crumbled away. The sharp, grating noise of marble being slowly dragged across marble pierced through the still, mid afternoon air. As if by some loophole in the laws of nature, the statue stood up, and promptly shattered into pieces with a resounding crunch! As the particulate in the air settled, the former statue began to stretch his joints. “Oy! I don’t care how long I’ve actually been stuck that way,” he exclaimed, “but it feels like I’ve had this crick in my neck for millennia!” Various snaps and pops came from his snakelike body as the not-statue twisted himself into all kinds of crazy shapes and contortions. Suddenly, he stopped. Glancing down at his hands, realization dawned across the not-statue’s face. He was no longer imprisoned. The two trees that were nearby suddenly rocketed up into the air, and exploded into a shower of sparks and confetti. The clouds turned pink, and chocolate milk began to rain upon the figure in the field as he cackled with glee. As a lemonade lightning bolt shot from the clouds with a loud zap, the former statue raised his hands into the air and shouted with joy. “Discord’s BACK, BABY!” Today was proceeding exactly as Twilight Sparkle had planned. But, then again, she did plan for everything. Her daily checklist had been completed, and she was on her way to the park for her weekly picnic with her friends. Somehow, she still found things to obsess about on the way there. “What if our spot in the park is taken? What if they forgot? What if I’m late?!” “Twilight, calm down,” said Spike, who was lazing on Twilight's back as she walked, “The picnic is always at the same time every week.” “But what if they changed it and forgot to tell me?” “Do you really think our friends would do something like that?” “Well...no.” “Exactly. Now stop worrying and enjoy this nice day!” Twilight sighed. She knew Spike was right. There was no reason for her friends to change their usual plans. As they walked, she began to admire the sights of the small town she called home. Sugarcube Corner, the Cakes’ bakery, always had the smell of some fresh-made treat wafting out the open door. Rarity’s boutique, almost as extravagant as the designs the pony herself made. Before she knew it, they had arrived at the park where her friends were waiting. Suddenly, a multicolored flash of light shot past her, and the picnic basket she was carrying disappeared. “It’s about time, slowpoke!” shouted Rainbow Dash as she flew in circles with the basket full of food, “I’m STARVING!” The basket was abruptly stopped in midair by a flash of purple light, causing Rainbow Dash to stumble and crash into a nearby tree. Twilight laughed, brought the basket down with her magic, and Spike began setting up for their lunch in the park. “Magic, that’s not fair!” said an indignant Rainbow Dash from her tree, as she picked leaves from her vibrantly colored mane. The other ponies began to chuckle, and soon everyone, even the perturbed pegasus, was rolling in the grass with uncontrollable laughter. A sharp crack of thunder snapped them out of their reverie. “Ah thought the weather ponies said it’d be clear skies ta’day?” exclaimed Applejack. “Ah didn’t bring mah rain hat, neither!” She searched the skies for the cloudy culprit, and gasped in fear when she saw the offending tuft. The others immediately turned to see what was the matter. “Please, tell me ah’m not the only one seein’ a PINK CLOUD?” she asked, somewhat nervously. “A PINK CLOUD?” gasped the others as they too saw the rosy-tinted cumulus as it floated lazily across the sky towards them. As they watched, another crack of thunder rang out, and a brown liquid began to pour from the pink cloud. This oddity of weather floated over them, and soon everything was drenched in the mysterious rain. Pinkie Pie sat and watched as the others frantically packed up their lunch and hid under a tree, soaked in the peculiar precipitation. She opened her mouth, allowing a single drop of the undetermined liquid to land on her tongue. “CHOCOLATE MILK!” she exclaimed with glee, producing a previously unseen umbrella. She placed it upside down on the grass and began to drink the accumulated chocolate through a straw, smiling contently. However, just as suddenly as it had began, the chocolate rain stopped. The pink cloud vanished, and the sun shone upon them once again. “Aw MAN,” sighed Pinkie, “I’m still thirsty!” “Chocolate rain?” said Twilight. “That's not scientifically possible! At least, under normal circumstances.” She began to think, trying to remember if she'd ever read about such a phenomenon. A sudden memory flashed to the front of her mind, and her shocked expression conveyed her feelings to her friends. "Don't you remember?" asked Twilight. "Uh, remember what, exactly?" said Applejack "What happened the LAST TIME there were pink clouds in the sky?" Twilight demanded. Sudden realization dawned on all the other ponies. They looked fearfully at each other, none wanting to say what they were all thinking. Twilight stared back at her friends, lost in the memories of the last time such weather had occurred, and what had followed. Spike waved his hands in front of her face, and Twilight came back to reality. “There's no time to be standing around! We need to get to Canterlot, NOW!” she yelled, startling the timid yellow pegasus, Fluttershy. “C...C...Canterlot?” she stammered. “Wh..why do we need to go there?” “We have to tell Celestia!” shouted Twilight. She grabbed Spike and took off at a full gallop. “To the train station! Quickly!”