//------------------------------// // 2| Or Else // Story: The Matrix of Friendship // by MrSp33dy123 //------------------------------// The two about-turned and ran for their lives. Spike was right. This was a shape-shifter. The small dragon extended its wings, and shot up into the air, going at a speed rivaling Rainbow Dash’s, and creating a sonic boom. All of a sudden it exploded into a full size dragon, almost 300 feet long. The shock-wave from the rapid expansion blew Fluttershy and Spike off their feet and face first into the grass. The dragon blew rivers of flame out of its mouth as it somersaulted in mid-air before crashing down onto Fluttershy’s cottage, flattening it instantly, birds, and various land creatures scurrying for their lives. The dragon wasted no time in perusing Spike and Fluttershy. He bolted towards them leaving a trail of destruction behind him. The pair had barely enough time to get back up before the dragon was upon them, staring down at them with dark, blood red eyes, filled with rage. The dragon arched its neck back in preparation of the raging torrent of fire that was to come. The dragon brought its head down to look at the two petrified creatures, before opening its mouth in an ear-piercing roar of flame. The flames crashed down onto Spike and Fluttershy, blowing them into the air, and singeing Fluttershy. The pair flew through the air, for spike, it was in Slow motion. Everything was happening too fast. Every little detail he picked up on. The dragon and its fire breath, Fluttershy screaming and slowly becoming a shade of black, all the animals running from the now flattened cottage. In that moment, a brilliant yellow ball of light appeared above the dragon. A beam of white light shot out of it towards the dragon, on contact, sending cracks down its form from which a brilliant white light beamed. The dragon exploded in a brilliant show of light and debris, leaving the yellow ball hovering in the air. The ball of light descended towards the ground. As it contacted the charred ground, it revealed the Princess of the sun, Princess Celestia. She slowly walked up to Spike and Fluttershy, who were now lying at the bottom of a small crater. Spike looked over at Fluttershy. Her mane and fur were singed, and much of her skin had been burnt. She wasn’t moving. “Fluttershy?” She didn’t say anything. Spike scrambled over to Fluttershy and looked into her eyes. “Spike, don’t leave me. I’m scared.” Spike began to tear up. He picked up Fluttershy and held her in his arms. Fluttershy’s body was tense, and then she relaxed. “Fluttershy?” No response. “Fluttershy?!” Still no response. See was gone. Tears were flowing down Spike’s face, he couldn’t contain them. One of his best friends and the element of kindness had just been killed. No…Please. Princess Celestia arrived on the scene. Her face was emotionless, a poker face mastered over thousands of years. Spike knew, however, that under that face was emotion. Sadness. Mourning. Regret. The sun god spoke up. “Fluttershy in her time with us, graced us with unparalleled kindness. Kindness that no pony in history or future could hope to match. Fluttershy was a good mare, it’s tragic that she had to leave us so soon.” Spike was lost. What were they to do now? “What are we going to do?” The princess coughed, Spike was sure she was trying to hold back tears. “There is someone I think we should inform of these events.” Almost as if it was on cue, a tall draconequus being, one with the head of a donkey, appeared. “Fluttershy! I here for my Tuesday tea party!” He opened his eyes and took a look at the flattened house and trashed garden. “Oh! I do like what you’ve done with the place. It screams… ‘chaos’.” Discord walked up to where the door on the house would normally be, and opened it. A piece of torn wood rotated in the background. He walked forward and sat in mid-air, where Fluttershy’s couch should be. “Fluttershy? Hello?” “Hello, Discord.” That was not Fluttershy, it was Princess Celestia. “Oh good morning, Celestia. I wasn’t expecting you to be here. I like what Fluttershy’s done to the place, don’t you think?” “Discord…” I mean, you have to have some chaos every now and again, otherwise it just gets boring…” “Discord!” “I wonder where Flutters is. I hope she hasn’t forgotten about our little tea party.” “DISCORD!” “WHAT!!?! Why are you even here, anyway!?” Celestia lowered her head. “Discord, there’s something you need to see.” “Argh, can’t it wait?” “Discord, please.” “Fiinnneee.” Celestia turned and led Discord to where Fluttershy lay. Instantly, Discord’s agitated expression turned to one of pure horror. “Flutters?” Spike and Celestia just looked to discord with mournful eyes. “No. No! Flutters!” With a snap of his fingers discord was at Fluttershy’s side. He bent down, picking up the much smaller pony. He just stared at her, for what felt like hours, then finally, his expression turned very serious. He looked up at Celestia. “You have to bring her back.” His voice was lower than it usually was, and quite dark. “You know I can’t do that Discord. It would be unfair to every other pony in Equestria. If ponies never died, we would never be able to have new ones born.” Discord seemed to ignore everything she said. “But this is different! This is Fluttershy!” “I’m sorry, Discord, I’m not going to do it.” “She’s the element of kindness! She is kind to everypony! Even me, even after I betrayed her! Can’t we show her some kindness!?!” “No, I’ve made my decision.” Sadness gave way to anger, rage. Discord couldn’t conceive a life without Fluttershy. “Celestia, bring her back… now.” Celestia picked up on Discord’s changing expression, and adjusted hers as such. “No.” “I’m not asking.” “And I’m not giving you a choice.” “I don’t want one.” Celestia knew what was about to go down. “Spike, get out of here!” The little dragon picked himself up before turning tail and running behind a willow tree. Celestia turned her attention back to Discord, who had snapped into existence a coffin around Fluttershy. “You don’t have to do this Discord. I don’t want to turn you back to stone.” “You don’t have to, dearest Celestia. Just bring her back… or else.” Celestia just stood there, motionless. Not an expression on her face. Discord waited a moment, then finally spoke up. “Else it is, then.” With that, hundreds of Discord copies popped into existence around Celestia. Celestia responded by spreading her immense wings, and rocketing into the air. She then dived, creating a sonic rainboom, before smashing into the ground, eliciting a massive shockwave cracking the ground, and destroying all Discords but one. “Oops, looks like you found me! Here’s your prize!” Discord handed Celestia a present. It was red, with gold ribbons and a gold bow on top- a classic design. Hesitantly, she opened it. Immediately, Discord sprung from it, stealing her wings, attaching them to himself. He flew into the air, now with 4 wings, all mismatched and out of place. “Do try to put up a fight, Celestia.” Celestia swirled her head around, casting a spell. A deep hum increased in volume, before giving way to a yellow beam of light shooting towards Discord. Discord snapped his fingers and immediately the beam of light was going the other way, straight into Celestia. The impact knocked her into the air, and without wings, she hit the ground hard on her side. Celestia didn’t move. Discord was still cautious, though. “Oh? What’s this?” She still lay silent. Maybe he had actually won. “You’re not very good at playing god, Celestia. No, there is only room for ONE god here, and that’s me. The god of chaos.” Celestia finally moved. “I’m the most powerful being in existence. Did you really think I’d go down this easy? I haven’t been playing god, no. All this time, I’ve been playing pony.” Celestia rose up from the ground, hovering a few feet in the air, she rose up onto her hind legs. I wished this day would never come. The sun pulsed, becoming much more powerful for a moment. Celestia looked up. A tiny spec of white light was slowly getting closer. As it got closer, it was apparent that it was not a spec, but a massive beam. The light hit Celestia, and it transformed into a giant, pulsing, blinding yellow globe in her forehooves. Almost like the sun. Her hooves tilted horizontal, towards Discord. The glove left her hands and instantly found its way towards Discord. With a fraction of a nanosecond to react, Discord snapped his fingers, teleporting Celestia to him. Of COURSE it’s not the other way around. Argh. In practically no time at all, the ball impacted. The visible spectrum of light was flying out in all directions, like a sonic rainboom, but upwards too. The sheer amount of energy released in the impact caused the air to expand instantly, creating a shockwave and enlarging the already existing crater. Discord’s spell did little to help him as he was blown into oblivion. Celestia quickly faded out of his view. Discord awoke. He stretched, letting out a supressed groan as he did so. He opened one eye. The other soon followed suit. This was not his normal house, in his 4th dimension home. Here, there was nothing. Nothing. Darkness everywhere, save for discord himself. “Where the buck am I? Not funny, Celestia!” He tried his magic but all that was returned was a quiet splutter. Discord did not like the idea of spending any amount of time without being able to bring at least a little chaos. “Am I dead?” No. I can’t be. I’m a god, after all. In the darkness, a moon appeared. The moon flashed a pale white, revealing a dark blue Alicorn with a flowing mane. She spread her wings, revealing herself to discord. The princess of the night.