Cold. Confined. Cavernous. Very fitting terms to be used to describe a hideaway in a cave system, and that was exactly what theirs was.
It was high in the mountains, something that Tube had long before set up in advance. The remnants of a long abandoned diamond dog mine that he'd bought for a meagre price. Due to the controversial nature of his research and his experiments, he'd felt it necessary to secretly construct a place away from prying eyes. Over the years, he'd moved a number of supplies here, so it was already fitted when they moved their headquarters to it. For added security, Fallen had cast an illusion spell so the entrance was concealed by what appeared to be a rock face.
The cave passages were illuminated a combination of lanterns and by magical light encased in crystals, courtesy of Fallen's new abilities. The passages were covered with metal walkways to the various areas. There were few at the moment, but they would continue to expand further into the network of tunnels if they had need. The rooms consisted of Fallen's private room, currently unoccupied, Tube's laboratory, a meeting area, expanding sleeping quarters and the guarded room for their 'guest'.
Edge stood sentry at the entrance, waiting for an indication that Samore's visitor wished to be let out. Sting was very pleased that the princess was willing to speak with him now and his opinion, they were getting along well. They'd never spoken much before, barely seen each other in the Swarm's hive, but it was pleasant to have another member of his kind here.
He also considered her quite attractive, but lingering loyalty to his old mate made him force those thoughts out of his mind. Not that she would even think much of him now. Besides, when those thoughts emerged, they were often sudden and unprovoked. Again, perhaps it was simply due to his long period of time out-of-contact with his own kind. That all being said, he often found himself… staring at her, absently.
"Sting? Are you still there?"
"Hm?" He hadn't realised she'd been talking. "Oh, my apologies, highness. I was… lost in thought."
"As usual…" It was extremely slight, and even more difficult to see in the room's dim lighting, but Sting's trained eyes were able to just make out a hint of a smirk on her face."It is no trouble," she continued, easing his worries at having offended her. "I'll ask again; things are still the same out there?"
"For the most part. That abomination remains on guard, Tube is committing who-knows-what kind of atrocity in his laboratory, and our illustrious leader has once again left us, along with those masked performers," he grumbled. "I had my doubts on this whole thing from the start…"
"What of the one you said he most recently came back with? The pony with the rose-colored mane?" she inquired curiously.
"Oh yes. Him." Sting felt cold at the thought of Ligne Grace and his… admittedly disturbing gaze. "He has only spoken to me once. He only said that I may be an interesting candidate, then left. I don't know what he does around here, but I think I would prefer to live in ignorance."
"Oh dear, is the great Commander Sting actually scared of a pony?" Samore quipped, letting a slight edge of playfulness slip into her tone.
The sound of it alone would have set Sting at ease, if not for the words contained within it.
"Certainly not!" he snapped. "I simply remain cautious around potential threats!"
She hummed, evidently not convinced, but said nothing further on the matter. Instead, her tone shifted to become more serious, almost hesitant. "Sting… I do want to thank you again for choosing to provide me with company. I know it's dull, but after such a long time cut off from others aside from when that Tube comes by with 'food'... it's nice to talk, I suppose."
"Of course, highness. Though your being here is that of a prisoner, it's comforting to have one of my own kind here as well." He cleared his throat. "If her highness doesn't find that too bold to say."
"Of course not. It would hardly be fair of me to say such things and not permit them to be said in return. It's not as though we are in any sort of court," she waved her hoof around the room. Then she sighed. "Still, I do wonder why I am of such interest to this 'Fallen'. To aid my mother in her attempt to conquer Equestria, in exchange for me… and then to brush off her defeat so easily. Curious indeed. I wonder if he intends to use me as a ransom to other colonies?"
"I'm not certain," murmured Sting. "I have heard him make reference to some great power that you hold within you. Perhaps he's referring to your potential as a future queen…"
But Samore had already frozen in place before Sting had finished talking. Her eyes were open, staring straight ahead into space, her body shock-still.
"Princess? Highness, are you well?" asked Sting. "What's the matter?"
"Sting," she said suddenly, sternly. "Repeat what you just told me. Now."
"Um…" He was taken aback at her sudden change of tone, but he obeyed. "He spoke of a great power held inside you." His military discipline kept him from asking why.
Samore stayed silent, but vaguely, he could see her beginning to shake. Her breathing, too, seemed to pick up and become irregular. True, his discipline governed a great deal of his actions. But his loyalty to the crown and concern finally overrode it.
"Princess? Forgive my asking, but if there is some deeper meaning to what he says, I feel it would be better if you explained to me its nature," he said. "I want to help."
Samore stopped, as though just remembering he was there, and regained her composure. "Sting, are you completely certain, beyond doubt, that this is what he said? You are not paraphrasing or shifting his words in any way?"
"Positive, highness. I listen to every word he says, to better learn his true meaning," he replied. "Princess, what does he-?"
"Nothing. It means nothing, Sting," she cut him off. "Do not concern yourself with his nonsense… you said he has left recently, yes?"
Again, Sting was taken aback. "Yes, he did. Along with the ones he calls Snick and Slash."
"I see…" Samore seemed to contemplate for a while, once more staring into space. Just as Sting was about to ask again, she spoke. "Well then, let us not worry about that for the time being. For now…" she turned to look at him, straight in the eye. "Let's change the subject, shall we? How are you, Sting?" she asked, her voice now taking on a new, unfamiliar tone.
"Um… I am quite well, thank you, highness." It was strange. This new tone was making him feel so… at peace. Relaxed.
"Excellent. I'm very glad to hear it…" she said soothingly.
Something about the way she was speaking had changed, but Sting couldn't figure out what it was. He was beginning to feel so… content. His mind almost felt like it was being pleasantly clouded. In the corners of his eyes, always just outside his line of sight, he could have sworn he saw something akin to dust… amber and violet dust, floating on the edge of his vision. Her eyes, too, seemed to change ever so slightly… developing purple tinges themselves.
"Sting… I must ask you something," she said slowly, alluringly.
"Anything," he responded mindlessly. Of course he would do what she said. Why would he do anything otherwise?
"Are you certain? It is very, very important. I must know that you will not speak of this to any but me…"
"No one, but you," he repeated. "I swear..."
"Excellent. Very excellent. Thank you, Sting." Her voice dropped to a near-sultry whisper. "Now then, listen to me very carefully…"
Dusk idly spun some colour shapes around on his hooves while he waited with the girls. Rarity sprayed perfume on herself, Rainbow sat impatiently and Spike and Twilight paced around anxiously. The solid ones had a kind of tingly, soft texture to them that felt rather pleasant against the skin and brushing through fur. Perhaps he could use them in a new career at the spa.
He blinked and shook those thoughts away. Was his mind really wandering so much to occupy himself that it was travelling to strange areas like that? It was with a little relief that a renewed conversation from Pinkie arriving on the scene brought him out of it.
"I love it when Princess Celestia comes to Ponyville! I got my hooves shined just like Rarity for the occasion." She showed them their mirror-like effect. "Ya like?"
"I certainly do!" said Rarity, appraising her reflection.
Twilight frowned. "I'm surprised she's not here yet."
"I wonder what's taking so long?" sighed Spike
"And where are Applejack, Ray and Fluttershy?" added Twilight.
"Fluttershy's detained helping Applejack with a mishap at Sweet Apple Acres and Ray, as I gather is providing moral support for them both," informed Rarity. "They'll be along."
"But, I still don't get why the Princess would be so late," said Spike.
"She's bringing an important visitor. That could be part of it," reasoned Twilight.
"A visitor who's important and slow," groaned Rainbow.
"Maybe it's somepony so terribly important, she still had many more terribly important things to do before she got here," suggested Rarity.
"She has a point," agreed Dusk. "Depending on the visitor in question, maybe she had to prepare some special kind of greeting or procedure for their arrival. I know griffin dignitaries expect big military displays as a gesture of respect from the places they visit, if it's something of that nature."
"She was rather vague about it in the letter though," reminded Twilight. "But maybe that could be it."
Spike gasped. "Maybe the visitor has a deer antler, a goat leg, a bat wing, and a snake tail!"
"Yeah, right," scoffed Twilight. "That's Discord."
"Why in the wide, wide world of Equestria would Princess Celestia bring along someone like that?" tittered Rarity.
"M-m-maybe you should ask... her!"
Spike pointed to show them Celestia descending in her chariot pulled by half a dozen pegasus guards. But it wasn't the only one. Another landed seconds later next to her and this one bore on it a statue that was all too familiar to them. Dusk had only seen it a mere few weeks ago, convinced it would remain there forever.
Now, he stood with the others, their expressions frozen in utter shock at the sight of their old enemy by the side of their princess, still encased in stone with a look of terror upon his features. She graciously stepped down from her chariot and had Discord levitated off his.
Twilight was the first to break the stunned silence.
"With all due respect, Princess Celestia, how could you bring Discord here?!" She remembered who she was speaking to and added sheepishly, "Your majesty."
"I second that, question, princess. To put it very, very mildly," put in Dusk in a voice with a slight tremble to it.
"I'm fully aware that the last time Discord was here, he created serious havoc," Celestia began patiently.
"If by 'serious havoc' you mean 'turning Ponyville into the chaos capital of the world'..." interrupted Rainbow.
"...and tricking us all into being the opposite of our true selves…" continued Rarity.
"And making yummy delicious chocolate milk rain all over the place without a single dollop of whipped cream to go with it anywhere in sight! Not a single dollop!" shrieked Pinkie.
"And, well, using his magic to worm it's way into the deepest darkest recesses of my mind, manifesting my negative emotion into physical form and allowing him to terrorise my friends and leave me with all the memories of it afterward, letting happen two times for the price of one and oh yes, REMIND ME WHY THIS IS A GOOD IDEA?!"
In the wake of his outburst, Dusk became aware that everypony was staring at him. Twilight was at his side now and placed a hoof around him. Her physical presence helped calm him down. But his disbelief and frustration were still simmering away.
Celestia managed to regain her composure. "Yes, I understand. But I have use for Discord's magic, if it can be reformed to serve good instead of evil. This is why I've brought Discord here, because I believe that you are the ponies who can help him do just that."
"This will never work! This is a disaster! How will we ever control him?! We're doomed!" proclaimed Spike.
"Need I remind you that you are the ponies who turned him back into stone like this in the first place?" she said pointedly.
Twilight seemed to consider. "I suppose we can just use the Elements of Harmony against him again if it gets out of hand."
"Uh, w-w-we probably need a volunteer to run away from here right away to get them. I'll do it!" volunteered Spike.
"No need, Spike." She motioned, and two of the guards brought forth a large jeweled chest. "I have them right here, and I've cast a spell so Discord can't take them and hide them again."
"Wait. No. No. No!" Dusk shook his head. "We can't seriously be considering this!"
"It has been considered, Dusk and my decision has been made," said Celestia firmly. "This is the course of action we will take."
"I see." Dusk looked her right in the eye. "Well, with all due respect your highness, consider this: the Elements of Harmony imprisoned him. I suspect they will also be used to free him. That means it will be impossible to do so, because I refuse to use mine to release that despot on the world again!"
A gasp rose from the girls and Spike, while Dusk earned a glare from Celestia. But he stood firm against it. He wasn't backing down from this.
"Dusk, you will-"
"I will do nothing!" he snapped. "You can imprison me, take me away from Ponyville, suspend my education with Luna. I don't care. I will not be instrumental in setting free that sadistic, manipulative, uncontrollable lunatic upon so much as a square inch of Equestria if it is the very last thing I do!"
Before she could say anything else, Dusk stalked away. A couple of the guards made a move to intercept him but they stopped. Out of the corner of his eye, Dusk saw Celestia raise her hoof. Dusk was glad. If she hadn't stopped them, he had a feeling he would have tried to.
He could make out Twilight saying something to Celestia. Whether she was apologising for him or siding with him, he didn't know. But Dusk refused to look back, just as he refused to aid in this unthinkable scenario.
He heard hooves behind him. He whipped his head around but bit back his remark when he saw it was only Pinkie. She didn't say anything. She didn't try and make him come back. She only smiled and hugged him. He was surprised but he returned it gratefully.
But it didn't change how he felt. Nothing would.
Most of the time, despite how often he got ridiculed for slacking off or not doing something the exact correct way, Ray could say that he truly enjoyed his job at the farm. It was fulfilling, it kept him in shape, and he'd be lying if he said that he didn't secretly look forward to the miniature squabbles he had with Applejack on a near-daily basis as he worked with her. But sometimes, he found himself questioning why he hadn't sought out other job opportunities in Ponyville. The most obvious answer was that AJ was his friend, and it was easiest to get a job with her.
That being said, he'd done plenty of different types of jobs in the past, and he was well-known around town, so there was no doubt that if he tried, it wouldn't be hard to find an alternate well-paying job somewhere. Of course, in the end, it didn't really matter. He'd long since decided that he liked his job at the farm and would stay there unless circumstances forced him to do otherwise. But there were occasions, rare instances, in which he seriously questioned his choice of work in Ponyville.
This was one such occasion. It was something ridiculous, really, but he nevertheless couldn't help but take a good look at the scene around him and wonder how exactly he'd gotten himself into this position.
He was standing knee-deep in water, right in the middle of the west orchard no less, with a deadpan expression on his face, while his boss and a beaver - yes, a beaver - were apparently arguing with each other just a few feet away (the topic of which being said beaver's dam causing a buildup of water that was basically drowning the nearby trees), and his marefriend trying to be a mediator between the two.
My life is weird, he thought to himself. Meanwhile, the beaver chattered rapidly at Applejack before turning around and crossing his arms, in a gesture that Ray assumed was still angry.
Applejack must've thought the same thing, because the frown that was already on her features intensified.
"What's he goin' on about now?" she asked Fluttershy, who was hovering just above the water next to her.
"Good news," Fluttershy said with a smile. "Mr. Beaverton Beaverteeth has agreed to take his dam apart and move it."
"I wonder if all beavers have such original names…" Ray muttered. If the two mares heard him, they didn't indicate it.
"Well, it's about time," Applejack exclaimed with exasperation. "My apple trees are so waterlogged, I can practically hear 'em gargle!"
Once again, the beaver began chattering loudly, without turning around.
"But he says first you'll have to apologize for calling him 'a nuisance'," Fluttershy translated. Ray had to suppress a snigger.
"Apologize?" Applejack scoffed and pointed at the beaver with anger of her own. "He's lucky I didn't call him a varmint!"
The beaver was apparently about to retaliate at that part, because Fluttershy jumped in between to hold them apart. That didn't stop the beaver's complaining though. Suddenly, Fluttershy's eyes went wide and she gasped.
"Mr. Beaverton Beaverteeth! Such language!" she chastised. She then turned toward Applejack and glared.
Ray was still impressed by how much Fluttershy's usual timid personality changed whenever it came to disputes involving animals. Even Applejack, by far the most stubborn mare he'd ever met, quickly faltered under her gaze.
"Fine, fine. I apologize," she relented. It was quickly ruined by the beaver sticking his tongue out at her and blowing a raspberry. Applejack growled, but Fluttershy held her back and shook her head.
The beaver, seemingly satisfied, looked around the dam for a few moments before reaching down and pulling out a single small stick. With that, the entire structure rumbled and collapsed within seconds, allowing the immense water buildup to flow freely further down the orchard.
Applejack sighed in relief. "Thanks Fluttershy."
"Yes indeed," Ray spoke up, sidling up next to his marefriend. "If it weren't for you, I'd probably be stuck here for the next five hours listening to a pony and a beaver argue and come to blows while absolutely nothing gets done."
"And jus' what the hay were you doin' ta help, Mr. Chuckles?" Applejack remarked, though she had a slight grin of her own.
Fluttershy blushed slightly and returned smiles to both of them. "Glad I could help," she replied.
Such a nice moment… which was then promptly disrupted by a multicolored blur rushing up and stopping with next to them, yelling in their ears.
"Hey, slackers! Double time it on over to Ponyville, would ya?! We're all waiting on you!" Rainbow yelled before immediately zipping off again in the direction she'd come from.
Ray, Applejack, and Fluttershy all stared after her in mild surprise.
"Well, she's as impatient as ever," Ray commented. "Seriously, it's just Celestia coming to visit. Not like they need us all there at once to say 'hello'."
"Yeah, but that bein' said, this little issue's already taken long enough as is," Applejack said. "Don't wanna keep the Princess waitin', after all."
"Oh dear, I'd completely forgotten about that with what was going on," Fluttershy mumbled. "We should probably hurry, right? I mean, Rainbow Dash seemed even more rushed than usual…"
"Which is saying something." Ray chuckled. "Alright. Well, fastest way to get there… Flutters, AJ, you ready?"
Applejack groaned, already knowing what was coming. "Do we really have ta? Can't we jus' walk like normal folk?"
"Come on AJ, aren't you the one always telling me to suck it up and hurry up? Besides, you said it yourself, don't wanna keep the Princess waiting," Ray retorted with a grin. Before she had a chance to respond, Ray stuck both of his hooves out to make contact with the two mares before teleporting them all to the meeting spot.
Upon arriving at the spot where the girls and Dusk had said they'd be waiting for Celestia, Ray had been momentarily shocked to find a place surrounded by almost a dozen guards. His paranoia kicked in for a moment before he suppressed it; Rainbow wouldn't have told them to hurry up if Celestia had been planning on taking him back to Canterlot.
Speaking of Rainbow, she showed up a half-minute later, looking utterly flabbergasted at him, AJ, and Fluttershy all being there before her. That made Ray laugh.
The second thing he'd noticed after coming out of the teleport was the large, extremely weird-looking statue sitting atop one of the two nearby chariots. It looked like someone had taken a group of the most unrelated animals in existence and mashed them together into some weird amalgamation out of some filly's nightmare. Only somehow, it didn't look straight-up ugly, just… weird.
He honestly thought that Celestia was gifting them with a statue decoration (and that Celestia had some REALLY crazy tastes), until he heard the Princess begin talking to the others. What he heard made him take a few subconscious steps away from the statue. No, not the statue. Discord. The others had told him of their encounter with the fabled Lord of Chaos before they'd met him. The source of Dusk's sociopathic alter-ego, no less. Ray listened as Celestia explained her 'plan' to Fluttershy and Applejack; Fluttershy, it seemed, in particular.
"I realize that this is a tall order," the Princess was saying, "but I wouldn't ask if I weren't confident you could get him to use magic obediently of his own free will."
"And... you really think I'll know best how to do that?" Fluttershy asked hesitantly, casting nervous glances at the petrified draconequus. Ray honestly couldn't blame her, if everything they'd told him about their last run-in with Discord was true.
"I do," Celestia said reassuringly, placing a hoof underneath Fluttershy's chin so that their eyes met. "And as for the rest of you…" her eyes moved to the rest of the girls. "I know this may still seem sudden to you, but I trust that you'll be able to handle it. I believe you are the only ones who can."
"But Princess… what about Dusk?" Twilight asked haltingly.
Celestia closed her eyes and sighed. "I understand his discontent with my decision. But this course of action is not one I chose lightly. I've spent weeks debating on whether or not this is the wisest thing to do. I've reached my verdict; I believe that Discord can help us."
"Right, because you've never made big decisions that ended up biting everypony in the flank before…" Rainbow muttered darkly. Celestia's head turned to her, but instead of anger, she simply smiled sadly.
"I know I've made mistakes before, Rainbow Dash. I do not deny this." Her eyes glanced to Ray for a fraction of a second as she said this. "I am… trying to rectify them. I have faith that you'll all be able to change Discord for the better. I can only hope that Dusk has the same faith, once he's had some time to himself. In the meantime, I ask that you try to put your past experience with Discord aside, however difficult it might be.
"Now, I must return to Canterlot for Equestria's royal summit," she stated, making her way over to her chariot while her guards took up their position. Ray had to wonder what they thought of all this. "You may release Discord when ready. Farewell, my little ponies."
With that, she nodded a signal, the the guards began flapping their wings, quickly bringing the chariots into the sky, leaving a frozen Discord behind. They all watched until the chariots became mere specks in the distance. Ray, as usual, broke the silence.
"So, this is the great and mighty Discord, eh?" Ray moved up the the stone-encased Chaos Spirit and inspected him closely. "I never got around to checking him out whenever we were in Canterlot. I've read descriptions of him but… somehow, I still thought he'd be less… weird-looking."
Rainbow laughed. "Preaching to the choir there, Ray. First time I saw this guy, I was convinced he was some mad scientist's idea of a fun experiment. Still kinda am."
"Heck, I'd never even heard-a Discord til' he was practically floatin' over our heads. Darn near bucked them stained glass windows outta surprise once he started makin' em move, an' again when he was up in our faces afterwards," Applejack agreed.
"I can imagine…" Ray acknowledged. Out of curiosity, he lightly tapped the stone surface above Discord's stomach area (at least, Ray thought it was his stomach) with his hoof a few times. "So, he's stuck in there?"
"Yes," Twilight affirmed. "Last time he broke out, he'd already been imprisoned for well over a thousand years, so it can be reasonably inferred that the stone prison had weakened considerably during that time. Not to mention he was sealed with only six of the Elements the first time around. This time we used all seven properly, and his imprisonment is still rather recent. He shouldn't be getting out of there again for a long time, if ever… until we let him out, that is…" she trailed off.
A rather awkward silence followed in wake of this, with some of the girls shuffling uncomfortably, while Rainbow just had her legs crossed in a huff, and Fluttershy was still watching Discord with apprehension.
"So," Rarity began, "we are committing to this then?"
"Looks like it. If the princess wants this done, looks like we haven't got much choice but to do it," said Rainbow. "Only thing is, we can't."
"She's right. We need all of the Elements to cast the counterspell and we're one short…" Twilight gazed forlornly off into the distance.
"So as I understand it, Dusk heard Celestia's plan and flipped out before storming off?" Ray inquired.
"He did," confirmed Rarity. "It was really rather unnerving. I don't believe I've ever seen him lose his composure like that before."
"Poor Dusky," sighed Pinkie, her mane deflating a little. "I want to do what Celestia wants us to, but not if it means making one of my best friends all sad."
"Hmm…" Ray hummed in thought. "Anypony have any idea where he went?"
"Judging from the direction he left in, I'd say he went home." Twilight sighed. "I'll go and see if I can't do anything about this. He needs somepony to talk to and I shouldn't have just let him run off alone."
"Don't you worry about that Twilight," Ray said, moving forward in the direction indicated. "You can stay here, get the Elements ready and whatnot. Imma go talk to him."
"I really think it would be best if I went," she insisted. "He's my coltfriend."
"And he's my besty," Ray countered with a smile. "But I see your point. Think of this then; you forget that I have fantastic psychological skills with ponies, and my hunch says that Dusk going nuts because of this has something to do with he-who-must-not-be-named."
"Voldemort?"
"Wha- no, Pinkie, I'm talking about Doom. What was… nevermind. Anyways, since it's probably that, I've something akin to experience in this field. Besides, Twilight, I can tell you're not sure about this whole idea either. What reassurance are you planning to give him for why we should free Discord aside from 'Princess Celestia told us to'?"
Twilight thought for a moment. "Um… I have to say I… I don't really know. We were all affected by Discord's corruption, but Dusk… he suffered something else entirely. I'm ashamed to say it but… I don't know."
"No worries. When you can't handle something yourself, you have friends to pick up the slack. That's something I learned from all of you," he smiled. "I feel like I know what to say to him, so leave it to me. I'll get him to come around… hopefully. And then I'll hope that I don't regret making him come around… eh, cross that bridge when we get to it."
"Well… okay," Twilight relented. "Thanks, Ray. I hope you can convince him."
"Come on, it's me we're talking about! When have I not managed to convince Dusk to rejoin the group?"
"Pretty sure ya only did tha' once, sugarcube."
"Semantics. Alright, you girls and one dragon guy hold down the fort. I'm out."
With that, Ray disappeared from them in the usual flash of yellow light, promptly reappearing within the streets of Ponyville, just outside of Dusk's house. There was a time, when Ray was still relatively new to the town, when every time he came out of a teleport, everypony in the general vicinity would jump away in shock. Nowadays, while there were still plenty of those who started from his sudden appearances, a good deal of the town's inhabitants were able to shrug them off with a glance and often times a smile.
Ray walked up to the door to Dusk's house and raised his hoof to knock, but hesitated. For a moment, he stopped to consider if he really did, in fact, know what he should say to Dusk. Then he shrugged. It would come to him on its own, like it usually did. Then he stopped again and wondered if Dusk would even have gotten to his home by this point. If he hadn't then he'd have to wait around awkwardly.
That concern was laid to rest when he suddenly heard something crashing on the other side of the door, followed by what sounded like the quick flapping of wings. No time like the present, Ray thought, knocking a few times on the door.
"It's open!" Dusk's irritable voice called.
With the confirmation he needed to avoid an invasion of privacy, Ray opted to forego the proper use of the door in front of him and instead teleported directly to the other side of it, popping in the middle of Dusk's living room.
"Aaannnd, Ray's here! Hello, Dusk," Ray greeted amicably.
Then something ticklish fell on his nose. Blowing it off, he saw it was a white feather that had floated down from the ceiling. Raising an eyebrow, he looked around, but couldn't see what the feather could have come from.
Dusk glowered at him from his couch. "You could have used the door, like a normal pony for once."
Ray pretended to think for a moment. "I could've yes. But it's much more fun to just pop in. I only knocked to be polite. I popped in on Rarity once without knocking, which was NOT a good idea… and come to think of it, I wasn't supposed to ever mention that incident to anypony ever or she'd… never mind."
Dusk's only response was a noncommittal grunt. Ray noticed this and decided to change to subject to something else before hitting on the reason he was here.
"Sooo… what's with the feathers?" He asked, gesturing to them around the floor. "You keep a secret collection?"
"No. They're from Ophelia." He held out a foreleg and a snowy owl flew to land on it. "My pet."
"You have a pet owl?!" Ray asked, honestly surprised. In all the time he'd known Dusk, he'd never heard of this.
"I do." He lowered his foreleg and she flew to a perch near the window. She watched Ray warily through amber eyes. "You'll have to forgive her. She's shy."
"Well, most animals tend to be that way around me. Either that or all diving at me with claws out and teeth bared. Surprisingly, she's one of the more mild ones. Still, either she's really good at hiding or I have a very selective attention span." He shook his head, then looked at Ophelia again. It was extremely subtle, but she seemed to be shaking a bit. "Though she does look somewhat frightened," he muttered, casting his eyes around the room before they fell on something in particular. "Is that because of me, or because of that shattered lamp on the floor next to the couch?"
Again, Dusk didn't respond. Not directly to what Ray said, at least. "What do you want, Ray? I'm in no mood for this at the moment."
Now, Ray got serious. Or… more serious, at least. "Yeah, I caught wind of that. You're here, throwing what looks like a really bad fit, while the girls are all back where we were, super worried. So… mind telling me what's up?"
Silence hung in the air for a moment. "I assume you've seen Discord? And know what's intended to be done with him?"
"Yeah, I saw him. And I heard about the plan. Well, if you can really call it that, but I digress. Is that why you're here scaring your pet by breaking furniture?"
"Better the light fixtures than the stone he's encased in." Without warning, he slammed a hoof down on his coffee table. The shadows it cast stirred violently and the beginnings of magic lights flashed randomly. "What in the name of all sanity is she thinking releasing that... that TYRANT on the world again?! And the others even agreeing to it?! After everything that happened during and after we sealed him away?!"
"Dusk? Angry outbursts are supposed to be my thing these days." Ray scratched his head in thought. "And as for Celestia, I wouldn't know. I'm the latest guy who she stuck a demon inside of so it would stop harassing everypony. And given her history, frankly, taking a monster OUT of a prison seems uncharacteristic of her."
But Dusk wasn't finished. "And after what he did to me?! To my friends?! To our home and everything else?! She just expects me to go along with releasing him?! I... I... AGGGGH!"
The flashing lights were getting brighter and the stirring shadows were starting to writhe. Ophelia screeched softly and hid behind her wing.
Up until it ended abruptly when Ray came over and whacked Dusk over the head with the pipe again, having just conjured it from wherever he kept it at his home. Dusk immediately ceased his flow of magic as he clutched his head in pain.
"Dusk, calm down!" Ray said sternly, a surprising tone coming from him. "If ponies outside hear you screaming bloody murder while performing a light show, they're gonna think something is wrong."
"But something is wrong!" His voice started to shake and his eyes were shimmering. "Something is very, very wrong and it's that this is happening!"
"Guess what? I sort of agree. And you flipping your lid isn't helping it. Isn't that what you tell the others whenever they start to freak out? Practice what you preach, dude."
Dusk opened his mouth. He closed it again. A few tears trickled down his cheeks and he screwed his eyes shut. He stood up and walked over to Ophelia, still cowering behind her wing. He cooed her name gently and she dared to peek out. Very gently, he began to stroke her while wiping away his tears. Before long, the owl had stopped shivering and she looked content again.
"I'm sorry…" She screeched gently and nibbled his hoof affectionately. He managed a small smile and looked at Ray. "I'm sorry, Ray. I…"
"Ah, don't worry about it. I'm hardly one to talk after I essentially blew up a few acres of the Everfree Forest after getting angry. Still, we'll chalk it down to role reversal." He plopped down on one side of the couch and looked up again. "Now then, let's start over, shall we? Releasing Discord… can you think of any reasons for why Celestia would want to do this? Has Luna said anything at all?"
"She um…" He took another moment when his voice was still quivering. "Sorry. She was rather perturbed last night, but told me she wasn't at liberty to discuss it and got on with our lesson. I suppose now I know why."
"Makes sense. And as for Celestia's reasoning..?"
"Well, Discord is powerful. Exceptionally powerful. Such magic would be a… great asset. In Fallen's story, he was the one who reputably corrupted him. Perhaps she hopes to use that too. And…" His expression turned thoughtful. "She told me once that she knew him. Before everything, they used to be friends and… things just went wrong. Maybe, after getting her sister back and after what's happened with you and us… she thinks there's a chance she can have her old friend back."
Ray's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Huh. Well, that's interesting… so that would be both for personal and rather practical reasons. Seems reasonable, when you think about it like that. But now…" he cocked his head to one side, "You, on the other hoof, think this is absolutely crazy? What do you think about all of this? And, without the yelling please."
"I… I really don't know," he answered. "Maybe he can be used for good but… after what I've seen and experienced… I honestly don't see how. I can't help it. In my eyes, he's a villain. He always has been, even before I met him I was well versed of his place in history as the Lord of Chaos and Disharmony. How can I even begin to see past that…?"
Ray looked down for a moment. He spoke quietly, "Chrysalis was a villain too, in our eyes. That doesn't stop me from regretting…" he trailed off. Quickly though, he perked back up. "I can't really speak from experience, seeing as how I've never met the guy myself aside from seeing his statue just a bit ago. But it wouldn't be the first time somepony who was out to destroy you and the others ended up turning out fine with a bit of saving, right? There's Sombra… and there's me. I mean, technically that was Wrath, but you know…"
"But it wasn't your fault you have Wrath in your head. And I did save Sombra yes but... you weren't there when Discord was." Fear flashed on his face. "You didn't feel his magic slither its way into your mind, twist your darkest thoughts and fears and manifest them into... him…"
Ray seemed to be picking up momentum now. "It's true that I don't know, so I can't really make an accurate judgement. I'm sure if I'd met the guy the last time he was around, I might agree with you. But maybe it's a good thing that I'm unbiased, because I can say that you never know until you try. I mean, we wouldn't have thought to try and save Sombra if we hadn't known that he and Luna were a thing, right? And that he really was a good guy deep down, not a straight-up tyrant. If we didn't know that, he'd be just another villain, and would likely have been vaporized by the whole crystal heart thing. And I'm also sure that the Crystal Ponies themselves would have been in favor of that at the time, because the tyrant Sombra was the only Sombra they knew. You catch my drift, here?"
Dusk appeared to consider this. "You… make a fair point there. Perhaps the same could be said for somepony who only knew me as Doom, not as Dusk and only Luna as Nightmare Moon. Light and dark, two sides of the same coin of life."
"Ah, so you haven't forgotten what I said to you back then. Good, I was beginning to wonder if all my invaluable life wisdom was just fading away as time went on. Not to paint myself in the light of some old wise geezer, mind you..." he sniffed.
"Your beard would be the same colour as your mane, so it wouldn't be a huge leap." Dusk stroked his chin. "You know, after Nightmare Night, I'm beginning to wonder if I should make facial hair a permanent addition."
Ray froze and stared at Dusk with an odd expression. "Ah… umm… Dusk, just some friendly advice… that was more of a costume thing. In my experience, if it doesn't grow on you naturally, it usually doesn't look good on you naturally. Remember Spike's obsession with the moustache?"
"A fair point. Still, Twilight and a few others said it suited me. It made me want to try something a little different with my appearance. Especially since this old thing…it's really wearing a bit thin." He took off his hat and looked at it for a moment. "Oh well, worry about that later. Now, I suppose it's time to face the music?"
"Oh, don't say it like that. At this point, the girls are pretty used to you storming off in a broody huff," Ray said jokingly. "I, however, am likely to get another fanfare at bringing you back from the edge of madness yet again, however much of an exaggeration that might be this time around."
"Now really, Ray. You, exaggerate? I could hardly believe such a thing," he said with a slight smirk.
"And there's the modern day Dusk we know and love." Ray shared in his smirk, albeit much more prominently. "Alright, let's head back. You ready?"
"As I'll ever be," he replied. He placed a hoof on his shoulder and nodded to Ray. The stallion grinned and in a flash, they were gone.
Just when he felt he was getting used to teleporting, he would experience it again and such thoughts would be banished from his head in an instant. He shook his head to be rid of the dizzying sensation and saw he was back in the field where he'd left the girls before.
They all looked up at his arrival and seemed visibly relieved. Twilight was the first there, hugging him tightly.
"Thank goodness," she said. "Thank you, Ray."
"It's cool," he replied. "You can always count on me to drag him back kicking and screaming when he runs off."
"It is a rather nasty habit of his," said Rarity. "Though the chafing would be dreadful, I really am starting to think Applejack should keep a lasso just for him."
"Believe me, ah've thought about it more'n once," she chuckled. "You okay now, sugarcube?"
"Better than before," admitted Dusk. "I'm still not really sure about this, but if the princess wants it done and believes we can do it, I suppose there's not many other options."
"Actually, Celestia said she thinks Fluttershy's the best one to do it," informed Pinkie. "She can tame the wildest grizzly bear, so Discord should be a cinch!"
"They're really not that bad, once you get to know them," she murmured modestly. "B-But I'll try my best with Discord."
"I know you will. If it's you working on reforming him, perhaps there is a chance," Dusk said hopefully. "I'll try to have faith in you."
"Thank you, big brother," she said sincerely.
"Here's the Elements, Twilight." Spike approached with the chest. "But you know, take your time. No need to let him out right now."
"It's now or never, Spike." Twilight opened the box and levitated the elements to them. Dusk felt a warmth as Unity clasped around his neck. "Don't worry, we'll be ready for him this time."
"Alright, let's go for it!" They all stared at Ray. "What? I've never seen the Elements of Harmony in action before. I wanna see what they can do."
"You'd best stand back then. And we'd best keep our elements on at all times 'til further notice," suggested Twilight.
"Check!" they affirmed.
Twilight began casting the spell, her magic empowered by her diadem element. The others tapped into the power of their elements and levitated off the ground. Magical outlines of the jewels set in them pulsed out towards Discord. A long rainbow coloured tendril emerged from them and connected to the rest in the circle they'd formed. They all joined at Unity, the element focusing and refining the spell as it was meant to do. The seven jewels in Dusk's element shone and he lit his horn, directing the focused energy back to the Magic element so Twilight could cast the spell.
Bathed in the multi-coloured light, the stone began to crack. White light shone through the breaking stone. First his eagle and lion paws flexed their fingers. Within seconds, his whole body was free. Discord screamed, as if he were continuing the denying cry he'd been doing when they'd last frozen him.
His scream became a yawn. He groaned and wiggled his body and limbs as if they were made of rubber. He bent his body backwards and looked upside down at Twilight.
"Well, it's about time somepony got me out of that prison block. What a relief!"
He was stretching his eagle claw while he said this. At the same time, he snapped his fingers in the direction of a squirrel emerging from a tree. With a flash of his chaotic magic, its body size suddenly tripled and its face became an ugly grimace. It snapped off a branch with its new muscles and clamped it in its jaw.
They all gasped and Twilight glared at Discord. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"Nnnnnnnnngh– Why, stretching, of course," he replied innocently, continuing to do so. "When you're a creature of chaos, stone bodysuits aren't your typical go-to fashion choice."
He pulled his lion claw behind his head and snapped his fingers again. This time, a nearby bunny got the blast and the same effect as the squirrel.
"Make that bunny cute again! Now!" demanded Pinkie.
"Oh... He's adorable the way he is." Discord stroked the bunny and almost got his fingers bitten off. "It is remarkable how even the most timid, reserved little creatures can behave so differently if you give them the right kind of push. Am I right?"
Dusk could feel his mismatched eyes linger on him, but he stared defiantly back.
"I'm so glad you changed your mind about me, Dusk," said Discord with mock sincerity. "I'll be sure later to show you how grateful I am."
"You're too kind," replied Dusk darkly.
He grinned devilishly. "I really do appreciate that you 'have faith' in your little sister's abilities to reform me. I just hope it's not misplaced."
"How'd you know about that?!" Twilight asked sharply.
"Being turned to stone doesn't keep me from hearing every word Celestia says," he replied. "Although I admit it makes rolling my eyes a challenge."
He literally rolled his eyes, taking them out of his sockets and tossing them like a pair of dice before vanishing. They landed in two holes in the ground, but these turned out to be Discord's empty sockets, his body completely hidden until he rose up from the earth once they were back in place. And that was right in front of Ray.
"Hmm, now what have we here?" He suddenly wore a Sherlock Hooves outfit and whipped out a magnifying glass. "This is a new detail. Another stallion in your posse! Someone out there enjoys their writer fantasies, don't they?"
"Uh… what?" Ray looked rather confused.
"You'll forgive me if I didn't see you, I just thought a patch of grass sprouted legs. Although, that does sound rather fun…. but first!" He continued to look Ray over, snaking around his body. "So, Dusk is chained to Twilight Sparkle. Who's laid claim to you? Applejack? Pinkie Pie? Rarity? All of the above?"
"Why, the nerve!" flushed Rarity.
"And what are you then? What's this, another Element of Harmony?" He peered at the necklace he wore. "Oh, how original. Which one are you then? The Element of Love or Courage or Bad Mane Cuts? Or perhaps…?" He trailed off when he looked into Ray's eyes. Very, very closely into his eyes. Discord's own bulged and stretched to do so. "No… no, this is something even better. I can't believe it!"
He reeled back and started to laugh. Ray glanced at the girls unsurely and they all exchanged worried looks with each other. Was it possible that Discord had sensed what was in Ray's head? The chaos lord's next words answered that.
"Wrathy! I hardly recognised you!" He grinned again. "I really am surprised. So powerful, so hellbent and fiery and yet here you are: still imprisoned, after so very long and in this stallion's head of all ponies. How embarrassing for you." He conjured storm clouds and they flashed around him. "Phenomenal cosmic power!" He shrunk down and landed on Ray's muzzle. "Itty bitty living space," he said in a tiny voice. "To think that after all this time, this is still what you're reduced to. It's hilarious!"
He sprang back to full size and laughed again. He chortled harder still when he saw that his taunting had what appeared to be the desired effect on Ray. He'd been grimacing all the way through Discord's comments and now he had keeled over. He clutched his head in pain while the crystal around his neck shone brightly. Like its power was being pushed to its limits.
Indeed, Ray's head was pounding. But more than that, it felt like it was burning, and would explode at any moment, like a volcano ready to erupt. Every throb came in sync with the growls and dull thuds deep within his psyche.
Within his prison, Wrath was up and repeatedly throwing himself against the thick bars of his cage. Each impact produced a lingering, thunderous clang that resonated off the walls. With every blow, the bars shone blue, the same color as the crystal necklace around Ray's neck, and shuddered under the force. Wrath was snarling, foaming at the mouth, with saliva dripping down in massive droplets to the floor below. His eyes were glowing fierce crimson, as though they themselves would go aflame.
"Insolent… Arrogant… Pathetic…"he rumbled, the creature's every word punctuated by another slam against the bars. "He… did this… and he has the gall to…he… GRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
Wrath roared into the darkness, gripping the bars with his claws and attempting to pry them apart, to no avail. "LET ME OUT! I'LL DESTROY THAT IMBECILE! RIP HIM TO SHREDS! I'LL CRUSH HIM AND BURN HIS ENTRAILS!"
Ray almost cried out in pain. He could feel Wrath attacking his mental barriers, drowning out all other sensations. At the same time, the glowing of his necklace created an incessant buzzing in his ears. He hardly noticed when Fluttershy rushed up and knelt down next to him.
"Ray? Ray, it's okay. Just calm down. Focus on me, listen to my voice. It's fine, just calm down…"
"I'm not the one… freaking out…" Ray groaned between breaths.
"Oh, what's wrong Wrathy? Did I hit a nerve? Over a millennia-and-a-half later and you're still throwing temper tantrums?" Discord cackled. "Really, I'm amazed that the same old sealing method has held up all this time. Is this little stallion holding you back, Wrathy? Unlike me, perhaps imprisonment has made you lose your touch!"
Ray was on the ground now, grunting in pain, while Fluttershy tried to comfort him. Enough was enough.
"Leave him alone, Discord!" Dusk stood between him and Ray.
"Ooh, aren't you the bold one now, Dusk?" he said with a smirk. "I can see your brother's spirit in you."
"Enough!" Twilight stood next to him. "Unless you want us to turn you back to stone, you'll back away from Ray and zap those animals back the way they were, pronto!"
"Oh, you wouldn't dare turn me back to stone and risk disappointing your precious princess," he challenged.
"Try us, Dip-cord!" sneered Rainbow.
"How dare you?!" Fluttershy snarled. "How dare you put my coltfriend in such a state?! How dare you treat poor defenseless animals like that?!"
"You go, Fluttershy!" Rainbow cheered.
"Oh, so he's yours?" He laughed all the more. "I'd have thought his standards would be higher than that. Or was it that you were that desperate?"
"Stop that!" She flew right up to his face. "You'd best watch your step, buster, or I'll give you... the Stare!"
"The Stare? Oh no, please, not that! Anything but your disapproving eyeballs!" He laughed again but stopped when Fluttershy began to stare fiercely at him. "Oh no! No no no, stop! No, no!" He grabbed his throat and made strangling noises. She stared with greater intensity and his eyes became hypnotic spirals. "I can't! Stop! I can't take it anymore! I'll do whatever you say! Because…" He suddenly doubled over with mirth. "You are hilarious!"
Fluttershy's expression was one of shock and dismay when she realised he'd been faking. Her stare was powerless against him. But they had something that wasn't regardless.
"If it turns out we need to use our elements against you, I'm sure we can convince Princess Celestia it was for a good reason!" threatened Twilight.
The others all glared at him. Discord stopped laughing. He looked around, as if only now remembering who and what was surrounding him. He groaned in frustration, then hung his head with annoyance.
"Mmm... I suppose that's correct," he conceded.
He reluctantly snapped his fingers. The animals he'd discorded returned to normal. He put on an attempt at an apologetic smile.
"Well, it looks like I know where I'll be crashing while I'm being 'reformed'..." He appeared behind Fluttershy and wrapped an arm around her. "With you, Fluttershy."
"Oh, dear," she murmured.
Dusk knelt down next to Ray, who was very slowly starting to get back up. He was still breathing heavily, but no longer seemed to be in active pain.
"Ray, are you okay?" he asked. Ray's response took a few seconds to come, after a bit more panting on his end.
"I'm… I'm fine. I think," he muttered. "The necklace… did it's thing. It stopped Wrath from getting loose, and I think he ended up burning himself out… or something. He's not making as much noise now. Agh," he clutched his head again, then shook it off. "Aftershock. I'm alright."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks…" Ray's eyes seemed slightly bloodshot from this close up, and he was still rubbing his head, but Dusk accepted his answer and helped him back up. He was worried, but Ray knew his own limits best.
They accompanied Fluttershy and Discord back to her cottage. Dusk made sure to keep a close eye on Ray as they walked while Fluttershy kept him calm. Discord was threatening enough on his own, but he was able to drive Wrath into anger just there. Dusk had no idea how close the Beast had been to actually emerging, but it made Fluttershy's reformation task even more essential.
But even in the aftermath of that, Fluttershy seemed resolute on being friendly to Discord while she hurriedly tidied her house.
"He may be horrible, but that doesn't mean we have to act the same way. We should at least try to be hospitable." She saw Discord lying on the couch. "You don't mind giving up your favorite spot on the couch, do you, Angel Bunny?"
Angel minded very much. He tried to pull Discord off by his lizard leg, to no avail so he stalked off in a huff.
"Oh, I'm sorry about Angel. Are you alright?" she asked Discord.
"Oh, yes. Thank you, Fluttershy, for your concern. If only your pony friends could be as considerate…" he added with a look to them.
"Don't listen to him, Fluttershy!" urged Rainbow. "He's just trying to drive a wedge between us like he always does."
"Now why in the world would I ever try to do a thing like that?" he asked insincerely.
"So we can't unite and use the Elements of Harmony against you, that's why!" she answered.
"I never thought of that…"
"You big liar!"
"Now, look who's a liar. Anyone can plainly see that I'm not big at all." Discord was the size of a mouse. He popped back to normal size and kicked Angel away when he tried to get on the couch, but his head suddenly enlarging knocked over a lamp. "Oops." He snapped his fingers and the lamp became a caricatured version of him. "There, all better."
He slapped Angel off the couch with his tail and slid back down.
"Ah can't watch…" decided Applejack and covered her eyes with her hat. She started to leave and they all followed suit. Twilight and Dusk lingered at the door.
"You sure you're okay with this?" asked Twilight.
"I know it's not gonna be easy, but Princess Celestia's counting on me. And... I think I actually know what to do," she replied.
"Truly?" asked Dusk. He vaguely noted Discord and Angel fighting over the couch.
"I think the key is to befriend him. Being kind to him and letting him be my house guest is probably the best way to do that," she explained.
"And you really think that'll work?" asked Twilight.
"I think it's worth a try," said Fluttershy optimistically.
"Very well then. But if you need help, come and find us as quickly as you can. The sooner we're together, the sooner we can use the elements against him." Dusk glanced around Fluttershy to Discord. "Be warned, Discord! Any wrong move and you're back on display in the sculpture gardens!"
"Wh-what?!" He ceased fighting Angel and in a flash of light, they were both on a pair of arm chairs with Discord wearing a suit, top hat and monocle while sipping tea. "Look at me! I'm practically reformed already."
Fluttershy gave an uneasy smile and closed the door. The others were waiting for them outside expectantly.
"She's really alright with him staying there?" asked Rarity disbelievingly.
"That's what she said," answered Twilight.
"Personally, I think we should come up with a backup plan, in case this whole 'befriending' business doesn't work out," proposed Rainbow.
"Rainbow Dash is right. This is Discord we are talking about, my friends," agreed Rarity. "It wouldn't be a bad idea to have another trick up our sleeves."
"An' ah don't much like the idea-a Fluttershy alone with Discord," added Applejack. "Maybe it'd be best if one-a us stayed too an' kept an eye on him."
"Ooh, ooh, pick me, pick me!" insisted Pinkie.
"I don't think it'd be good if we had more than one element staying here or he may feel like he's being kept under too close a watch," said Ray. "I'll stay."
"Uh yeah, no," said Rainbow at once. "Or did you miss the fact he almost drove you-know-who out of your head again?"
"I don't think he'll try that again. The way I see it, he could have teleported away the instant he was let out, but he didn't. He must know that if he did try to run, you'd all eventually catch up and he'll be right back in stone. If he is working an angle, it'll be something to do with making sure he has a more permanent way of staying free," he reasoned. "Making Wrath go nuts again would be counter productive to his efforts. Something tells me even Discord isn't crazy enough to actually want Wrath to get loose, let alone when he's the closest potential victim."
"That's a fair assumption," agreed Dusk. "Discord is powerful, but he's also clever. He was probably testing the waters before to see how far he could go but he'll be a little more careful now he knows his limits with all of us present. He may think he has a chance of putting us out of action by trying to trick Fluttershy. It only takes one element to be missing for none of them to work at all. Since Ray isn't an element, there isn't as much of a risk to him and as Fluttershy's coltfriend, he has a better reason to stay and watch her."
"Plus, if anything does go wrong, he can teleport to find us and we can get over there quicker," added Spike.
"Hmm, good points all around," nodded Rarity. "Good thinking, boys."
"I knew there was some reason we kept you guys around," snickered Rainbow.
"Alright then. Ray, you stay here and keep an eye on Fluttershy and Discord. The instant he tries anything, you come and find us at the library and we'll gather everypony else as fast as we can," instructed Twilight.
"You got it. What are you guys going to do then?" he asked.
"Dusk, Spike and I will be working on a backup plan to reform Discord. And I think I know just the trick. Come on, you two," she addressed Spike and Dusk. "We've got some reading to do."