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// Chapter 2: The Cloud Cometh 
// Story: The Curse of Discord 
// by Creative Charmer 
//------------------------------//

	The cloud had almost reached the girls and Spike, and each of them felt some amount of worry. "Th-that cloud is g-getting closer," Fluttershy said as she cowered behind Rainbow Dash.
"Don't worry, Fluttershy," Rainbow said. "It's just a cloud, so I can handle it."
"A-are you sure?" she replied, still trembling.
"Of course! Why couldn't I?" Rainbow exclaimed.
"I think Fluttershy has a point," Twilight said as she walked up to Rainbow Dash. "I've studied all kinds of clouds, and I've never seen one like this before."
"Trust me, Twilight," Rainbow smugly replied as she placed her hoof around Twilight's neck. "I've dealt with clouds for most of my life, so I think I can handle a new one."
Twilight sighed. “You’re right, Rainbow Dash. I trust you,” she smiled.
“Exactly,” Rainbow replied as she pointed at Twilight. “Now, everypony stand back and watch the master at work,” Rainbow said as she flew up into the air so she was level with the cloud, which was just about to reach her. Rainbow rubbed her hooves together and readied herself, looking confident that she could handle this cloud. But then, suddenly, the cloud stopped moving just as it got right in front of Rainbow Dash. "Huh?" Rainbow Dash said, puzzled. Everyone below her also looked puzzled at the sudden cease of movement from the cloud.
"That's strange," Twilight said. "I wonder why it stopped moving?"
"Perhaps some pegasus has been pushing it the whole time," Rarity said.
"She's right," Rainbow Dash said. "I'll go check!" Rainbow then flew all around the large cloud, looking for any sign of a pegasus pushing the cloud. She then flew back to the spot where she was before and faced everyone. "I didn't see anypony at all! It's like this cloud moved here by itself!"
"But that can't be," Twilight said. "The way this cloud moved wasn't natural. It has to be some kind of outside force that's responsible!"
"Well, I don't know what to tell you, Twilight. I couldn't see anypony at all, so I don't know what's up with this cloud," Rainbow said as she gestured her hooves toward the cloud.
"Maybe the cloud itself is magic," Fluttershy said. "I mean, if that's possible..."
"Oh, please, Fluttershy," Rainbow scoffed. "There's no such thing as a magic cloud. I mean sure, unicorns have been able to control clouds with their magic, but that doesn't make the clouds magic. I know that doesn't explain what's going on here, but..."
Twilight had been listening intently to Rainbow Dash talk, but then she noticed something behind Rainbow Dash. Twilight tilted her head and squinted her eyes to get a better look. It appeared that part of the cloud was opening up right behind Rainbow Dash. Rainbow was so busy talking, she didn't notice a thing, and neither did anybody else, since they were all paying attention to Rainbow Dash. Twilight kept watching as the opening in the cloud started to glow, glowing brighter and brighter. Then, small electrical surges started to come out of the light, and Twilight’s eyes widened with horrific realization. “Rainbow Dash! Look out behind you!!”
“Huh??” Rainbow Dash said in confusion. She then turned her head around and saw the glowing part of the cloud, and with lightning-fast reflexes, Rainbow moved her body to the left just as a bolt of white lightning blasted out of the cloud. The bolt went right past Rainbow and zapped the nearby apple tree, making the tree glow white for a few seconds, then turn back to normal. Everyone gasped in shock at what had just happened. Rainbow was mystified with what just happened, and was trying to piece it all together in her mind. But then, as she looked up, she saw the cloud moving right over her, the others below her and the others.
"Hey, where's it going?" Pinkie asked. Everyone watched the tree as it passed over the apple tree near them. They all then looked around the tree as the cloud floated away by itself.
"It's...going in the direction of Ponyville!" Twilight exclaimed, horrified. “We have to stop it!”
“I’ll take care of that cloud!” Rainbow angrily said. “It tried to zap me, so now, it’s personal,” she said as she squinted her eyes in anger. “I don’t know where this cloud came from or what kind of cloud it is," everyone below turned towards Rainbow to listen to her. "But nothing will stop me from—woah!!” Rainbow was interrupted when she was suddenly pulled downwards. Everyone was shocked to see Rainbow being pulled around by a long tree root that had her by the tail. While that was going on, a noise was heard behind the other ponies and Spike, and they all turned around to see more long tree roots that were coming from the apple tree! Each of the tree roots started snatching up the others one by one.
When one of the roots tried to grab Applejack, she turned around and bucked her legs to kick the root, but the root dodged her attack, and then it wrapped around her hind legs and pulled her up into the air.
One of the roots wrapped around Fluttershy's body and her wings, and started pulling her off the ground. Fluttershy grabbed onto a root that was in the ground to hold on to feeling very afraid. But then, the root she was holding onto lifted out of the ground, making Fluttershy let go and get helplessly pulled into the air.