//------------------------------//
// Chapter 19: Plan C 
// Story: Quest For Equestria 
// by Skyguy626 
//------------------------------//

"So, what are you having?" Phoenix asked Big Macintosh, looking into the fridge. After buying everything they needed for Applejack, Big Mac and Phoenix, well Phoenix actually, decided to take a short break at the guys house. "I'll just have some water." Big Mac answered, gaining a disappointed pout from Phoenix, as he walked over to the tap.
"Ya've a nickname for everyone." Big Mac said as Phoenix walked back to him with their drinks. "That's true. Big Red." Phoenix answered as he open his own can of apple cider. "But everyone just calls ya Phoenix." Big Mac continued as he took a sip from his water, "That's hardly fair."
Phoenix took a moment to think about a response, after taking a few more sips he said, "Well, I'm telling the story." he gave a shoulder shrug. This gained a puzzling look from Big Mac, "What?".
Phoenix eye grow big for a few seconds, "Nothing." he said quickly as they hear the front door opening.
Turning they saw a angry looking McGrath, like that's anything new, heading upstairs.
"McGrath!" Phoenix said cheerful, but before he could say anything else McGrath interrupted him, "Not now." he said before continuing to head upstairs. 
"But..." said Phoenix, gave him a questioning. "NOT NOW!" McGrath shouted as he slammed the door to his room shut. 

McGrath started to walk around his room, trying to calm his sorrow. He stopped in front of a the mirror hanging from the wall, his own emerald eyes looking back at him, "You're a fool, McGrath." his reflection said with a mocking tone, "Who could ever love a weapon like you?". 
"That's not true..." McGrath said weakly before his reflection burst out in laughter, as if it had reminded itself of a funny joke. 
"You're the one who's lying to yourself! You don't wanna accept the truth!" the reflection laughed as McGrath slowly walked up to the mirror. as it continued to mock him. "Deep down, you know once your special someone is gone, your life will have to go back to the way it was before. Life is like that. Whenever you reach too high, life smacks you down!" it laughed at McGrath pained expression, before he raised his fist and shatterd the glass.
"You'll never learn. Such a pity." the reflection said, as McGrath dropped on his bed. Looking down at his left fist, he saw pieces of glass sticking out of it, dark red blood dripping on the floor as he didn't feel anything.
"I hate you... and..." McGrath muttered to himself, a tear dripping from his left eye, "And I hate myself the most... for not having the strength to stand up to you!".

Meanwhile, Phoenix and Big Mac were making their way back to Sweet Apple Acres with the supplies they've bought.
"So what do you do, Big Red?" Phoenix asked, gaining another puzzling look from Big Mac, "Ya know I'm a farmer," he answered before asking a question of his own, "Why are you asking?".
Phoenix turned to him, explaining his question, "I mean in your off-work hours. For fun?" he said before quickly adding, "You've heard of it, I hope?".
Big Mac's expression returned to his normal calm self, "These are my off-work hours." he answered making Phoenix's mouth drop in shock.
"And the trend of you scaring the piss out of me continues." Phoenix said as Big Macintosh chuckled.

Over at Canterlot Castle, Cadance had taken her leave, as she had other business to attend to. Celestia meanwhile was giving Skywalker a check up, seeing if the mental block removal had any negative side effects.
"Hmm..." Celestia said, writing down her results, Skywalker was a little nervous about the results, fearing that it might not have worked. His nerves were calmed a little by the arrival of another princesses.
"Sister are done yet?..." Luna started before realizing who was with her sister, "Oh, Jason! What happened?" she asked worryingly, as she walked to his side and started to check him for any damage.
"Easy there Luna." Skywalker said weakly, removing once mental block was quite tiring it seemed, "I just had a mental block removed, nothing to..." he explained but Luna looked shocked, "THOU DID WHAT!?" she shouted in her royal Canterlot, startling both Skywalker and Celestia.
"Do thou not know how dangerous that can be? Thou could have seriously brought harm to your gray noggin!" Luna said worriedly. "Not much to damage up there." Skywalker said deadpan, tapping the side of his head with his index finger. This made both princess chuckle but Luna still gave him a worried look.
Skywalker got up from his seat, but immediately his legs gave in and he dropped to the floor. Before he could hit it though, Luna quickly caught him.
Hearing the commotion, Rainbow entered from a waiting room, taking a quick look around the room before her eye fell on Skywalker, "Jason, you don't look so good." she noted but there was no response.
Celestia placed her front hoof on his forehead, gaining a worried expression, "We best get him to his bed." she said as her horn glowed. And in a blink of an eye, they were teleported to Skywalker's room. Using her magic, Celestia removed his shoes, and upper body clothing before laying him down in his bed and pulling his blue blanket up to his chin.
Luna and Rainbow gave her a questioningly look, both not knowing what's going on. "Removing his mental block has let out his pent up energy. Currently his body is trying to accommodate his new increase in power.", she explained as Rainbow and Luna looked worriedly at Skywalker. "How long will this take, sister?" Luna asked as Celestia shook her head, "That I do not know, it can be a few hours to even days. For now its best to let him rest." she said, giving Skywalker's sleeping form one last look as she headed to the door. "Princess Celestia? Can I ask you something?" the voice of Rainbow said, making Celestia turn her head.
"I've been wondering. If I had to be send in, then why were you also there?" Rainbow asked, Celestia gave her a kind smile as she answered, "I went as your guide. Had I have gone in your role, I wouldn't have need a guide, for I would have know what to do to remove the mental block. " she explained before her expression looked seriously, "I have another quest for you, Rainbow Dash.".
Rainbow gave her a curious look before as she continued, "I need you to keep an eye on Skywalker in the meantime. He should not be in any life danger, but it wouldn't hurt to have someone look over him.", Rainbow nodded accepting her quest as Celestia smiled, her horn glowed brightly as another bright flash teleported her and her sister back to the castle.
"Don't worry Jason, I will be back." Rainbow said as she gave her friend one last look before exiting the door herself.

Meanwhile, in a dark throne room, a cloaked figure was sitting, studying, books, maps, scrolls and other things floating in front of him. Another cloaked figure appeared from red smoke, bowing down before him.
"I was beginning to worry that you had lost your way." the figure on the throne said, the books, scrolls and maps disappearing in dark blue light, turning his attention to the new comer, "Rise, you bring news I trust?" he said as the newcomer rose back to her feet.
"We have  sources that what we're looking might be in the Canterlot Throne room.  My Lord, I'd like to volunteer for this task..." she said but her master raised his hand, "As inspiring as I find your bloodlust, I will take care of this matter personally." he said, disappearing into dark blue smoke.

It was now night time, and after coming back, Rainbow had not let Skywalker's side.
Skywalker groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, taking in that he was now back in his room, "Good evening, sleepyhead." Rainbow said giving him a smile.
He tried to say something but all that came out of his throat was too dry too speak. Rainbow gave a chuckle handing him a bottle of water, Skywalker gratefully accepted as he drank all of the contend in one go. "Thank's Dashie." he said placing the now empty bottle on the night stand.  
"Wow, you were thirsty." she said as she took a seat next to him on the bed, "Actually, I have something else for you.".
She showed him a small box, she looked at his questioning look before answering, "I was originally going to give you this for Hearts and..." she gained a small blush before continuing, "Uhm... for a special holiday. But seeing as you were such a big boy during your mental block removal, your getting it early." she finished placing the small box in his lap.
Picking it up, Skywalker open it under the hopeful gaze of Rainbow, inside the box there was a necklace, as the end there was a lightning bolt charm in his favorite color, blue.
Skywalker  smiled at his present "Thanks, Dashie." his voice still a little raspy from the dryness, "I really like this.", to Rainbow's embarrassment, he pulled her into a hug as a thank you. "Okay, relax." Rainbow said patting him on the back, "It's not like I like you or anything.", she was secretly blushing, taking in the scent of his hair, it smelled just like cotton candy.

At the same time, a cloaked man entered Canterlot Garden, he could feel that some very powerful magic was preformed here recently.
"Who's there?" a guard said his horn glowing, ready for battle. The cloaked man walked past him, heading towards the statue garden. The guard tried to stop him, but the cloaked man gave a simple wave with his hand as the guard starts to twitch. "The moon..." the guard muttered, looking up at the sky, "Yes, yes, the moon! I have to catch the moon! I must hold her, I must hold her in my arms... I must tell her how much I adore her glow, her glow! The moon!" he shouted as he run away, trying to catch the moon.
The figured entered the statue garden, all of the statues were Ponies stuck in various expressions of terror. Worse, there was laughter coming from one of the statues.
The cloaked figure stride in the direction of the laughter, until he found himself in front of a huge statue. The statue depicted a serpent like creature. It's expression was not of terror, but of joy surprisingly enough.
"Oh my, a visitor!" the statue said, rather happily, "And a human to boot! It's been a thousand years since I last saw one!", the visitor was annoyed at being compared to a human, though he did not show it "Discord, spirit of disharmony and chaos,  am I correct?" the visitor said, studying the the statue.
"That's the name! Do not wear it out." the statue said, "And what do you call your self, tall, dark and handsome?" if he could he would have giving the visitor a curious look.
"You may call me Morgenstern." the visitor said, before continuing, "And I came with a proposition for you.", this got Discord's attention, what could this human possibly offer him.
"It must be dreadful being a statue and all that. So how about I set you free?" Morgenstern said, now he really had Discord's attention. "And what oh dark messiah, would you want in return in exchange for setting me free?" the statue questioned as Morgenstern's left hand glowed and with a blast of dark energy, the stone keeping Discord in place was blasted off him, freeing the him.
"All I want is for you to do what you do best." Morgenstern said walking up to Discord, "I want you to turn their little world upside down.", under his hood, his blue eyes flared up. Discord gave a mischievous grin as he gave a salute, "Yes, my dark king!" his voice dripping with utter glee. Morgenstern turned his back to him, "Just relax with the dark king, okay?" he said before disappearing into smoke.