The air can change during the night. It smells a little differently and feels a little heavier as it drifts across the skin. The various creatures and foliage that were active during the day trade places with the nocturnal, and their aromas mix together to provide an invigorating cocktail for the nose and lungs. Warmonger kept his eyes closed and drank in the night air steadily. He cleared his mind and focused on the prize sitting right in front of him. His two companions quietly bickered with their strange accomplice behind him.
“You’re positive they are in there?” Milla Nare clarified quietly.
“Oh certainly,” Discord said. “They used to keep them hidden in the Everfree forest, but I saw a pony named Rarity arrive this afternoon with a chest that had all the Elements in one place. Not a minute after she walked in there did those guards show up,” Discord said pointing across the fields of grass leading to the crystal fortress. Two Night Watchers stood as guards on either side of the path leading to the main door.
“How do you know she had the Elements?” Dawn Treader asked him in a whisper.
“Well, I may or may not have been a partridge on her tree today,” he said, clasping his hands over his mouth and stretching his mouth out into a bird’s beak. He gave a squawk to illustrate his point, before being hushed furiously by his two co-conspirators.
“There must be more than just two guards,” Milla Nare pointed out.
“Indeed, my feathered friend. There is a barrier of magic cast around the entire building. It’s been there since the night Twilight escaped from you three,” Discord said and pushed his beak back into his head, returning to his regular form.
“So how do we get past it? I can pick a lock and subdue a guard, but I’m not strong enough to take down a shield-bubble like that,” Dawn Treader said and pointed with his hoof.
“Silly pony, that is why you have me here! I will take care of the barrier for you. As a special treat, I’ll even take care of those two guards as well. However, once you’re inside, you’re on your own I’m afraid,” Discord said and put his paws on his hips.
“And why’s that?” Milla asked him.
“I need to retain a level of deniability here, my dear. That was my problem when I started aiding Tirek. If I get caught trying to help you three out and you fail, then I’ll be turned into a statue again faster than you can say bird-droppings,” Discord said with a shudder. The thought of returning to stone still haunted him to this day.
“Well some help you are,” she spat.
“Quiet Milla Nare,” Warmonger finally spoke up. He kept his gaze locked on the castle ahead. “If he’s willing to help at all, we’ll take it. We must get those Elements.” He turned to face his three comrades and looked at them confidently. “By sunrise, our efforts will be rewarded with everything we’ve been after.”
“Does that mean I can take back my princess?” Dawn Treader asked pitifully.
“Wait until we can use the Elements of Harmony first. After that, she will be all yours,” he reassured him. Dawn Treader gave a hopeful smile and focused on the fortress where Twilight lay sleeping. After Warmonger got an approving nod from the other two, he looked back at Discord who was clearly bored stiff with his pep-talk.
“Whenever you’re ready, Discord,” Warmonger said politely.
“Oh how fun! Lady and gentlecolts, follow my lead,” Discord said and sprang into action.
The two guards stood tirelessly with their eyes on a swivel as the night passed. Guard duty was by no means exciting, but Night Watchers were proud to keep watch over the princesses under any circumstances. It was truly a chance to prove their metal. The quiet air blew by as they stood, spears in hand, ready to defend their keep.
“You serious types were the reason I fell in love with Chaos, did you know that?” a voice said from behind them. They jumped in shock and wheeled their heads around with their spears in hoof. Before they could call out, a laughing Discord took two hoses attached to a pump and shoved them each into the mouths of the guardponies. They gave a muffled ‘hmmf!’ as discord began pumping the air like like they were balloons. The two ponies began to expand in size with each pump. Their armor flew off and they slowly began to lift into the air. Their limbs became fat and malleable and Discord quickly tied strings around their lips. The ponies rose up and began bobbing and bouncing in the air as he gleefully held on to their strings with a satisfied smile.
“There we go. I hope neither of you have to sneeze, you might just pop!” Discord said and began cackling maniacally.
“That was creative, I’ll give you that,” Dawn Treader commented as the three others approached him. “Now what about the barrier?”
“Ah yes, I almost forgot,” Discord said and put both his hands on the barrier wall. He took a deep breath in and pushed his power into the barrier as hard as he could. Even with his considerable power as the lord of chaos, he still strained to outdo Twilight’s protective magic. Finally, with a grunt, the barrier began to crack. With another push, the barrier shattered like glass and began to evaporate from the bottom up. When Discord was satisfied with his work, he clapped his hands together and gestured to Twilight’s castle.
“There, You see? As easy as . . . oh darn,” he said with a sigh and looked upwards. He let go of the two guardpony-balloons when undoing the barrier and they began drifting into the sky above them. Their muffled cries of disapproval were barely audible, but they still made Discord chuckle.
“Alright, off you go. I’m going to see if I can find a spot to watch and munch on some popcorn. Good luck in there everypony,” he said and in a flash of magic he created a hot air balloon in the form of his face. He waved a handkerchief at the three of them as he sailed upward into the sky. Milla Nare scoffed.
“First thing I do with those Elements is turn that fool into a statue,” she snickered.
The three carefully made their way to the door, where Dawn Treader began to pick the lock. His horn glowed a vibrant color of green as he silently began to work the lock open. Without a sound, he pushed on the doors and they began to swing open. The three of them looked down the dark and empty corridor looking for any extra guards. Warmonger turned to the griffon and gestured to the ceiling.
“As quietly as you can, fly up there and see if you can see any lookouts. Also see if you can find the throne room,” he whispered to her. She silently pushed off the ground and flew towards the arches that lined the ceiling. She carefully used her claws to cling to the highest corner of the wall and peered over the corridor. The building was magnificent and grand. She decided that she’d build one twice as tall with all the money in Canterlot after this was all over.
The other two quietly closed the door behind them and kept as low as they could, staying in the shadows. They remained absolutely silent and kept their eyes on Milla Nare. She spotted the biggest set of doors in the entire building, which had to lead to the throne room. She waved the ponies towards her and quietly glided down to the floor in front of the massive doors. The other two quickly joined her and waited as the doors began to quietly swing open.
The room was even more grand than the corridor. On the floor was a large golden circle inlayed with a white star. Around this circle were great stone thrones with cutiemarks on each. Milla Nare noticed the beautiful stained-glass windows lining each wall. Dawn Treader was beside himself as he observed Twilight’s throne. Warmonger’s eyes fell on a chest that lay beside her throne on the floor. His eyes went green as he approached the center of the room. The other two followed, keeping their eyes on the chest as well. Warmonger used his magic to snap the metal lock off the hinge and threw it open. The white unicorn smiled as he observed the pieces inside. Inside the chest were 5 crafted necklaces surrounding a tiara, each holding a centerpiece jewel in the form of various shapes. He saw an apple on one of them, a butterfly on another, and eagerly observed the crown piece in the center. That one is mine, he thought, and pulled it out of the chest with his magic.
“Now, Pinkie!” a voice called out.
The three of them wheeled their heads around to see Applejack pulling on a rope and staring them down like an angry timberwolf. A series of cranks and spinning rope sprung into action and the floor rose up around them. The golden circle in the center of the floor rose up like cloth and folded up around them. The rope that lined the outside pulled towards the center and quickly bagged all three perpetrators lifting them up a few feet in the air. The three of them protested and kicked and jabbed at the sack holding them up like a amoebic piñata. From the top of the rope that held them up, Pinkie cried out with joy.
“Weeee!” she cheered as she fell from the ceiling. A large metal cage fell along with her, using the rope as a guide downward. Just as Milla Nare began to claw and tear at the bag holding them up, the massive cage fell to the ground with a loud crash. The cage lodged itself into the marble floor beneath it and a bouncing pink pony sprung up from the top of the cage and smiled at her three foolish playmates.
“Like catchin' a rabbit in the lettuce garden,” Applejack said with a nod.
“Good work AJ and Pinkie,” Twilight called out from the door. She stood proudly by the doors wearing the bright blue sapphire as a pendant on her neck. She was accompanied by the rest of her team behind her, all gazing at the fumbling criminals in their cage. The room was still shrouded in darkness, and it was hard to make out who was where. Twilight looked back through the door to the throne room and nodded at Princess Luna, who stayed in the corridor.
Her horn lit up and a beam of lavender light began emanating from her horn and shooting up to the ceiling. A pale purple veil drifted over the walls, windows, and doors before finally reaching the floor. The spell lit the entire throne room up brighter with a mixture of moonlight and Twilight’s Magic. Just as the spell finished, Milla Nare ripped open the sack with her claws and the flew towards the cage, beating on it angrily. Dawn treader picked himself off the ground and looked around in confusion. Warmonger calmly walked towards the edge of the cage and scowled at the figures in front of him. All 6 ponies gathered near the door and leered at him.
“That traitorous little creaton!” Milla Nare shouted. “I’ll have his antlers in my trophy room!” The ponies that gathered around Twilight cocked their heads in confusion.
“Where is he? Discord!” Dawn Treader shouted as he pounded against the cage wall. Just then, a low voice boomed out over the throne room and reverberated on the walls.
“Oh come now, silly pony. I did everything I promised. If you remember correctly, I said I’d help you get in. Well here you are!” the voice boomed and in a flash, a stained-glass portrait of Discord appeared in the window, looming over the spectacle before him. He gave a hearty laugh and spun around in circles a few times.
“Thank you, Discord,” Twilight said with a gracious bow. The other ponies gasped at the princess.
“Always a pleasure, Princess Twilight,” he said and the glass form bowed in her direction.
“You mean you had Discord in on this the whole time?” Rainbow Dash protested.
“Of course. I had Fluttershy ask him to help out. We needed this trap to be believable, and this way we knew exactly when they were coming,” Twilight explained. “I know it is hard for you all to trust him after that battle with Tirek, but I had faith in him,” she finished. Fluttershy walked over to the window where Discord was and smiled at him.
“Thank you ever so much, Discord,” she said graciously.
“Anything for you, my dear,” he said and smiled back.
“You didn’t hurt the guards outside, did you?” she asked patiently. Discord gave a nervous chuckle.
“Well, perhaps I had a little too much fun. They’re not hurt, but they might be feeling a little deflated in the morning. I promise I’ll apologize to them when I get chance,” Discord said with a smile.
“Discord,” Fluttershy scolded, “Did you turn them into something unnatural?”
“Well, aha you see . . .” he started, then sighed with a frown, “I’ll go turn them back.”
“And make sure you apologize too,” she said and smiled.
“Of course, Fluttershy. I want to hear all about what happens at tea-time tomorrow. Good luck to you all!” he said with a wink, and in another flash the agent of chaos vanished.
“Argh!” Milla Nare said and pounded against the cage once more. Warmonger was surprisingly calm in all of this. He simply walked over to where the Elements had scattered and floated up the crown to his head. He also donned Rarity’s necklace before floating the other necklaces to his cohorts.
“You are all fools to lock us in here with these,” he said coldly. “I hope you have found a magic more powerful than the elements, Princess Twilight,” he said and lit his horn with his magic. A smile grew on his face as he began summoning the power of the Elements of Harmony.
Rainbow Dash could not hold in her giddy laughter.
“Bwahahaha!” she cried out and fell to the floor. Rarity was the next to speak.
“I apologize, but you’ll find those to be quite useless to you. Convincing replicas, are they not?” she said and proudly smirked at her craftsmanship.
Warmonger’s eyes went wide as he peered down to his necklace. He tugged at it with his hoof, and the metal snapped into two pieces before falling to the floor. A rage began to build up inside him as his eyes flew towards Twilight. He angrily shook the crown off his head as it toppled to the floor.
“Alright girls! Let’s finish this. Ready?” she called out.
“Ready!” they all cheered in unison. Twilight raised her head and her horn ignited in a purple aura of magic. She strained and focused on the memory of using the Elements of Harmony the first time. Her horn got brighter and brighter as the sounds of swirling power began to get louder. She looked at the three criminals who stared back at her angrily. One more breath and she pushed hard to throw her spell towards them.
Her horn sputtered and suddenly darkened. The magic aura from around her horn dissipated and the sound of her magic died out.
“What?” she said and looked up at her horn. The rest of them looked at her expectantly. She gave her spell another try and again nothing happened.
“Well, this has been a fun show, but I’d say it’s time for us to get started,” Warmonger said calmly and gestured to the other two in the cage with him.
“The spell isn’t working!” Twilight said frantically.
“Allow us to show you how we continuously escape capture from the Night Watch,” Warmonger said and took Dawn Treader and Milla Nare in his hooves by the neck. In a flash of his magic, they all vanished from inside the cage and reappeared standing on top of it. The three of them gazed down angrily at the 6 ponies below them. Milla Nare growled and gripped the cage in her claws as if preparing to pounce. Twilight’s eyes widened as she feared what would happen next.
“If you please,” Warmonger said to Milla. With that, she leapt from her perch and began charging the 6 ponies, heading directly for Twilight. She roared angrily as she bounded forward. Rainbow Dash and Applejack firmly stood on either side of her, preparing for impact. Just before Twilight was about to throw a blast of her magic at the griffon, another roar was heard from their side.
In a blur, Spike leapt out from the shadows and tackled the charging griffon, taking them both off of their feet. They both snarled and clawed at each other as they rolled and wrestled on the hard ground. She bit down hard on Spike’s shoulder and he groaned in pain loudly. He then took her face in his claws and spun her around wildly before throwing her back towards the other two ponies. He heaved a heavy breath and looked back at his six friends.
“Keep working on the spell!” he called out. “I’ll buy you some time. The rest of you, stick to Twilight!” he said and lept back towards his enemies.
“Spike!” Twilight called out. Applejack and Rainbow Dash cut her off and stood protectively between the fight and her.
“Keep working on the spell, Twilight. We’ll help him out if he needs it,” Rainbow Dash reassured her. She watched as Dawn Treader and Warmonger took positions on either side of Spike as Milla began wrestling with him again. She took a deep breath and continued to focus on her magic.
“I take it you are the one who brought the Night Watch upon us?” Warmonger asked coldly.
“He stole Twilight from me!” Dawn treader shouted.
Spike growled as he pushed Milla off of him once more. She flew back and stood challengingly a few yards from him. Spike was in the center of the circle of thrones as each of them slowly advanced on him. His eyes darted from one side to the other quickly, searching for an opening. He growled wickedly as he curled his wings and bared his fangs.