"What do I want?" Starlight bellowed before continuing on with her rant.
"So... Uhh..." I started to say, turning my head towards Thunder Head. "You wouldn't happen to have a weapon I can use?"
Thunder Head reached behind his wing and pulled out a small cylinder and gave it to me. "Flip the catch on the side and it'll extend." He told me, and I did. The cylinder extended into the long spear that Guardsponies are often seen holding while standing at their posts.
"Cool..." I said to myself.
"...I want to rip her life to shreds like she did mine, and I want her to watch as I do it." Starlight said coldly before turning to stare directly into my eyes. "Starting with you."
Her horn flared and two of the biggest creatures I had ever seen shimmered into existence, and their eyes glowed crimson like the unicorn who controlled them. The Timberwolves stood over ten feet tall and snarled at us.
"Miss Fluttershy! Go to town and get reinforcements!" Thunder Head ordered before activating his own spear and standing his ground.
"Oh... Okay!" Fluttershy answered and flew off into the air towards town.
Then the Timberwolves charged with their fangs bared.
"They're weak! It won't take much to break them apart!" Thunder Head yelled, skillfully dodging the wooden monster attacking him.
The massive ten-foot tall abomination made a lunge for my torso, but before it could land a killing blow, I swung the bottom end of my spear at the beast's jaw, sending it flying.
The creature backed off for a second and made a gargled whimpering sound before the lower jaw I knocked off started to glow greenish-red and snap back in place.
"Well, that's not good," I remarked after I dodged a swipe from one of its claws. Seeing an opening, I plunged the spear into the joint where the neck joined the torso, causing the beast to fall to pieces. "Aim for the joints!"
Just as I yelled, Thunder Head flew into the air to dodge a second charge, only to dive back down, impaling his spear through the neck of his Timberwolf, making it fall to the ground in a pile.
We both looked over at Starlight, who was seething in the distance. The amulet around her neck was glowing bright, and her eyes were now pure red that were almost too bright to look at. When her horn flashed to life, the piles of wood began to shake and reassemble themselves. We backed off to avoid being hit by the flying wood and stood our ground side by side.
She flashed an evil grin as the two Timberwolves stood once again before us, snarling.
"Now, I do think that's quite enough fun for you two today." A playful voice from behind us said as Discord clapped his claw and paw together, making the two beasts shrink to the size of small puppies.
The two wolves eyes shifted from red to green and looked at each other then started whimpering in fear.
"I was wondering when Fluttershy's pet would show himself," Starlight said coldly, walking toward us. As she passed the cowering animals, her horn flashed, immolating them both. All of us watched helplessly as they howled in gut-wrenching screams of pain.
"Now now, that's just rude." Discord said, his eyes flashing with annoyance.
"You're one to talk, I've read about you. You're hardly the most polite, are you?" She countered.
"I may like to have my fun and sow a little chaos here and there, but I'm not so callous that I would murder an innocent creature on a whim." Discord said flatly, his voice taking on an icy edge.
"I highly doubt that!" She spat. "You're telling me that when you ruled Equestria nopony ever died?" She asked incredulously.
"Starlight, Starlight, Starlight. How little you understand about chaos." Discord said, snapping his claw, aperating a blackboard and putting Starlight in a desk in front of it. "You see here," He said, pointing a yard stick at a crudely drawn foal. "Life is the root of all chaos. As long as something is alive, it's chaotic potential is limitless." He continued, pointing to the next crudely drawn image, this one depicting what I could only guess is Fluttershy and the other girls. "As I explained to my friend James here earlier, when life ends, the chaos goes with it." He explained solemnly, pointing at an exquisitely drawn depiction of Fluttershy crying at Angel's grave. Despite it being done in chalk, it seemed almost life-like.
"So to answer your question, no." Discord finished. "And neither will you if I have anything to do about it."
Starlight's horn flashed once more, setting the desk and blackboard ablaze, leaving them in a pile of ash, causing Thunder Head and I to recoil from the heat.
"So, if you won't kill me, just how do you think you're going to stop me?"
"Oh, goodness me, you think I'm going to stop you?" Discord responded, appearing by her side in an instant with his arm around her. "I'm just here to distract you." He said coldly before snapping his claws and disappearing.
Both Thunder Head and I appeared behind her at the same time. It took us a second to realize what Discord had done, but we both sprung into action and charged at Starlight with our Spears.
Only to hit a solid wall of nothing.
In the instant that Discord disappeared and we charged at Starlight, she had put up an impressive barrier around her. When our spears hit it, they superheated in an instant, forcing us to drop them as they melted and burned a patch into the grass.
In our pain, we never saw it coming. We found ourselves thrown into the air. I watched as Thunder head slammed into the wall of Fluttershy's cabin and collapse onto the ground just before I too hit the ground. Hard.
I rolled on the grass, unable to get up and struggling to breath. Finally rolling onto my back, I saw a shadow cross my face. Straining to face its source, I saw Starlight ten yards away, the setting sun behind her. Her eyes continued to glow red, but now an aetherial glowing smoke emanated from them.
Also in the distance, was Discord, now encased in stone. I don't know how she managed it, but she had sealed him away, something that I thought only the Elements of Harmony could do.
"Now," She said, her voice meanacing. "It's just you and me."
It took effort, but I managed to get to my knees as her horn flashed to life, a torrent of reddish-green energy bolted towards my chest.
Closing my eyes, I waited for it to hit me.
Waited a little too long.
"You are a rude little witch, aren't you." Discord said, not even bothering to mask his anger. "I've worked long and hard to make sure I never again find myself the repository for avian excrement."
I looked on in wonder, unable to move, as the bolt of energy hung in the air, suspended in time. Discord walked nonchalantly between Starlight and I, who also appeared to be as surprised as I was at the current turn of events. Taking his clawed hand, he brushed off a final chip of white stone from his shoulder.
"There was a time when I would have enjoyed any kind of chaos. Even that which came from the death of somepony else." He told Starlight directly. "But I've learned a lot since becoming Fluttershy's friend, I've come to care for her, even love her." He admited, turning to me for a second and tossing me a wink. "I've seen what sadness looks like on her face, and it's something I never want to see again.
"You see, you've over played your position. The amount of magic you used to seal me away was too much for that there trinket you have. It's already starting to crack, and I think this little lightshow you're putting on may be what destroys it forever." He continued. "Seriously, what was I thinking when I gave that to Sombra... Anyways, back on topic." Discord said with a smile. "I will do anything to make sure my dearest Fluttershy is never sad again," He told her, then turned to me. "James, I hope you can forgive me, but I don't think that's really going to be an issue." He said with another wink.
Discord snapped the claws on his hand, and the magic changed colour to yellow with bolts of white then resumed its course.
I screamed in pain as my whole world turned white, my body feeling like it was on fire. The last thing I heard was Fluttershy scream my name.
"Physically, he's in perfect health, there's no reason why we can't release him right away."
"But he's not the same!"
"Sadly, that's out of my expertise."
"I've already tried every transformation spell I know that wouldn't hurt him, but I think it's like Discord told us: It's premanent, and I'm inclined to agree with him. I'm sorry Fluttershy."
My head pounded with pressure as I awoke in a hospital bed. I could hear ponies around me talking but I couldn't really grasp what they were saying.
"Wha... What's going on?" I asked.
"James!" Fluttershy screamed with joyous glee as she raced to embrace me. I felt her tears on my neck. "I was so worried, when you wouldn't wake up, I didn't know what to do, I'm so glad you're ok!" She said, planting a kiss on my lips.
"It's good to see you're awake, James." Dr. Horse told me, leaning in with a flashlight to check my eyes before placing a stethoscope on my chest. "Just like I said, perfect health."
"I'm sorry James, I tried everything, but I'm afraid you're stuck like this." Twilight said, staring at her hooves.
"It's alright Twilight," I told her before it clicked in my head. "Stuck like what?!"
Twilight facehoofed then levitated a mirror in front of my face.
My wings flared as I was left stunned staring at the reflection of a Stallion with a light brown coat, black mane and black goatee.
"Huh..." Was all I could muster.