//------------------------------// // The Journey Begins // Story: Deeper than friendship? // by TheDiscontent //------------------------------// As Twilight and her friends began their trek outside of the castle they stopped in the courtyard after Apple Jack spoke up. "So which Element should we go searching fer first Twi?" She asked with anxiety to defeat discord. "Actually, I think we should split up." Twilight said. "It would be for the best when we do come to find the Elements, whatever Discord did to them." "I suggest we split into groups of two," said Rarity, "that way nopony has to travel alone and we can cover more ground rather than traveling as a group." "Are ya'll sure that's a good idea? after all now that Discords on the loose, it may be close to impossible to traverse the land!" "That may be but this is the best way to get things done ass quickly as possible. So everypony pair up and lets get the Elements and stop Discord before somepony ends up hurt!" The ponies nodded and broke into pairs: Rainbow dash and Applejack hoof-bumped and began to head down the road towards the train station. Rarity and Fluttershy nodded to each other before heading into the deeper parts of Canterlot to search. And finally Twilight looked to Pinkie Pie and smiled before leading them off towards her old living quarters to see if they might find any clues. The search had officially begun. As he watched all of this through a mirror he had conjured up, Discord chuckled to himself before the mirror disappeared. "Those little Ponies actually believe they will find their Elements! This is just to entertaining!" he said chuckling, "Not only do they know what they're looking for as they haven't seen what I've done to the Elements back in the cave but then they'll have to find out how to make them tick! It's full proof!" "Yes full-proof" his clone mocked as he floated up to the real Discord, I'm sure they won't figure this out eventually, WRONG! You fool, don't you realize that once these ponies figure out what to do thats it? Done! Over!" "Oh and what chance do we have of that happening hmm?" "Oh I don't know why don't we step back and look at all the other times they've bested the impossible." The clone spat before bringing one of the cotton candy clouds over and smoothing it out into a screen which immediately showed a clip of the ponies standing in the castle of the two sisters with Nightmare Moon. "Lets start with their first victory, Good ol' Lu Lu and her little Temper tantrum that sent her to the moon. Hmm she just smashed the Elements! All hope seems lost! Its pointless to continue to defy her!" The clone said with a dramatic voice and pose making the real Discord roll his eyes. "Oh but wait! Miss Twilight Sparkle starts up her little speech! Whats this? The shards of the Elements begin to float around each pony she names? Oh hey! She just Defeated all odds by doing nothing but making friends!" The Clone shouted. "Yes yes now why don't you tell me why you decided to waste my time showing me this when I could be making glorious chaos." "Oh wait but there's more!" The clone said as the cloud screen began to flash different times when the Main 6 had defeated foes, Sometimes without using the Elements even. "An ursa Minor, Chrysalis, You!" Plenty of times when things could seem like its hopeless for these ponies yet they always pull through! But you know which is my Favorite? Yours, Because you had done everything you needed to, you stole the Elements, you turned them against each other nearly destroying their friendships completely and had turned their home upside down! Literally! But still they defeated you. "Hey!" Discord yelled, "They Defeated Us! Clone or no your still me basically! Plus I had no knowledge that my spell over them was broken enabling them to once again use the Elements! Had I known they were of free influence once again, I would've been out of there in a flash before they could activate those Death traps!" He defended himself. "Oh I've heard it all before, save it for a clone who cares! The point is, if you let those ponies go on their merry little way it's only a matter of time before they've found the Elements. And granted it may take just as long if not longer for them to realize what they would have to do to activate them and then meaningfully perform it at that, it would still happen and then WHAM! We're back to stone for another millennium!" "Huh, I suppose that I may have been a bit naive with these ponies haven't I?" Discord said as he pondered the other Discord's points. He had not pondered upon the past of these ponies often as he did not have need of their history, only their weakness and how he could stop them. "Very well, I concede, I do see your point of view as you have stated however What may I ask do you suppose we do about it? I mean I've already got plenty of ideas but I'd like the "Master" of these ponies to tell me how he thinks we should deal with them." "Weeeeelllll," The clone droned with a grin, "I may have a scheme or two!" he chuckled. "Ooh! Do tell!" Discord said with a grin as he and the clone got to work. Apple Jack and Rainbow Dash were running through Canterlot, much to the distress of nearby nobles, as they began their search before they stopped near the station. "Alright Dash, who do ya'll reckon we should find first, your Element or mine?" AJ asked as if she didn't know Dash's answer. "Well Duh! We gotta go get yours first!" Dash answered a bit annoyed that Apple Jack didn't know this." "Alright alri- Wait, Did you just say we should find MINE first?" "Yea, why?" "Well ah just figured that ya'll would want to find yours first seeing as you like to be lead pony all the time and all." "Nah, after all. I gotta save the Best for last!" Dash answered with a grin as AJ rolled her eyes, "So where we looking first?" "Ah'm not sure, Discord ain't given us no clues as to where our Elements could be this time so we're searchin blind here. "That you are my dear Apple Jack!" "You have got to be kidding m-" "Not even a little!" Discord chimed happily as he rose from under Apple jacks stetson and onto her head. "What do you want Dip-cord?" Dash asked angrily as she struggled to keep from attacking the draconequues again. "Who? Me? Oh I just wanted to help two of my best friends with their little quest! Is that so much to ask?" He asked as he put on the best excuse of a puppy dog face he could make. "Yes" Dash and AJ said in unision. "Fine. I guess you don't want my help in finding the Elements, you know, those little trinkets of yours that can defeat me in a matter of seconds that you have absolutely no idea where to find? Oh well, I guess I'll just go ahead and spread some more chaos within some of Equestria. Maybe I'll try and remodel Ponyville again." "Hold on a sec, You wanna help us?" Dash asked with genuine confusion. "But of course!" After all, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't?" "You ain't our friend." Applejack stated plainly. "Oh! Well I'm truly hurt, especially since that came from honest applejack! Woe is me! Not really, you want to know where the Element is or not?" "Alright alright, so where are the Elements then?" Applejack asked mostly to try and get rid of the lord of chaos. "Oh I can't tell you where they're all at, oh no! That would be far to easy, no, I will only tell you where one of them is, and it just so happens to belong to miss Rainbow Dash here!" Discord said as he tapped his talon on Rainbow's nose. "I thought we were gonna go get yours first AJ." "Well you could, but Yours is closer, in fact its right here in canterlot! Wouldn't want to waste time going out to find Honesty when Loyalty is staring you in the face here would you?" Discord asked. "He's got a point Rainbow, it wouldn't make a lot of sense ta come back here if we're already nearby it." "Fine" "Splendid!" Discord cheered, "Now To find the Element of Loyalty, you must go and find a boring team!" "A boring team?" Applejack asked. "Well they're boring to me, But you ponies might know them as the "Best" Fliers in all of Equestria." Discord said with a yawn. "MY ELEMENT IS WITH THE WONDERBOLTS!?" Dash yelled, Excited at the thought of being able to see her personal heroes again. "Yes yes, but I would say more like a part of the wonderbolts." "And just what do ya'll mean by that?" Said AJ. "Well I'm sure you ponies know what I did to the Elements don't you?" At this Applejack paused and glared at the draconequus before muttering ".....Maybe...". "You don't? How fun! I'll have to keep that in mind with your other friends!" Discord said with a laugh. "Anyway, I've turned Your Element Rainbow Dash into a Stallion." Discord stated matter of factly. "As if the first fifty times I told you all wasn't enough, But I can't blame you, who would pay attention to that with all this Beautiful Chaos to enjoy instead?" He then laughed and disappeared leaving a group of dancing buffalo in tu tu's in his place. "A Stallion?" Applejack asked. "How in the hay did he think turning the Element of Loyalty into a Stallion was a good idea?" "Beats me but apparently the Wonderbolts were kind enough to take him in, Probably just to give him a place to call his own for a bit. Lets go!" Dash exclaimed before flying off towards the Wonderbolts Stadium. "Right Behind ya!" said AJ as she ran off after Rainbow Dash. "Remind me why I had to tell them again?" Discord asked his clone above one of the Buildings in the deeper parts of Canterlot. "Not only did you make me reveal what I've done to the Elements, again. But you've had me tell them where one was! Are you trying to get us turned to stone again!?" "Oh Relax would you? It's all part of the Plan!" "What plan!? All you've told me is that I had to tell them about the Element of Loyalty's location!" Discord shouted. "Well think about it! Rainbow Dash's heroes are the Wonderbolts, it's been her dream to join them since she was a filly!" "Yes and?" "Well, we create the stallion she has to learn to "Love" in order to defeat us, and we place him into the Wonderbolts team, Before she gets in." "Go on.." Says Discord starting to catch on. "She finds out he's in the Team before her without even trying and only being just created a few hours ago. He tells her he's just better than her once they fight about how he got on the team and she hasn't. She ends up hating him and therefore strengthening our Goal!" The Clone exclaimed proudly. "Wow, thats ..... Brilliant!" Discord proclaimed. "I'm Discord, was there ever any doubt?" The Clone asked. "I'M Discord! Don't push your limits Disc 2.0! Oh by the way, I've decided to call you Disc 2.0, is that alright? As if I care anyway?" The clone simply bowed. "I would feel offended otherwise". And with that they shared a horrible sounding laugh and vanished to perform the rest of their plan.