//------------------------------// // Confrontation // Story: An Alternate Ending to A Canterlot Wedding // by MeadowRosePony //------------------------------// "Not to worry, Twilight," Discord said as he appeared above her. "I'm here!" With a snap of his claws, the guards vanished, leaving just Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy blocking Twilight's exit. "Hey you big block of ugly! What'd you do with all the guards?!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she flew up into Discord's face. "Now now, there's no need for name-calling." Discord said as he pinched her wings together and tied her into a stool. "I just gave them an early vacation so we could talk in peace." "Let me go you...mpmph!" Rainbow started before Discord zippered her mouth shut. Fluttershy gasped and flew over to unzip Rainbow. "Hey! That wasn't very nice!" Pinkie Pie shouted as she bounced into the room with Applejack, Rarity and Spike behind her. "Twilight!" They all yelled as Pinkie Pie rushed up to hug her. "Oof!" Pinkie said as she collided with an invisible force field, sending her bouncing back across the room. "Twilight?" Pinkie Pie asked, once she had come to a stop. "What in tarnation?!" Applejack exclaimed as she and Rarity tried to get through the force field. "Discord! Why did you put up a shield?" Twilight asked. "I'm sorry, Twilight. I simply didn't want anypony else attacking us." Discord said, smiling gently down at her. "Attacking you?" Rarity gasped. "Why, we would never stoop to such barbaric measures!" "Let go of Twilight you brute!" Spike yelled and released a stream of dragon fire on the shield. "Honestly, is it so hard to come up with an original insult?" Discord muttered before turning to Twilight. "See, Twilight?" Discord said, "This is why we needed a shield. Everypony is jumping to conclusions and we just got here." "Everypony calm down!" Twilight yelled. Her friends stared at her in shock as she tried to explain. "Discord isn't evil. He just wants a chance to prove himself." "By taking you hostage!?" Rainbow Dash yelled, having been freed by Pinkie Pie. "He didn't-" Twilight started before being interrupted. "By vanishing all of the guards?" Applejack asked looking around the room. "He just-" "By tying up Rainbow Dash?" Rarity said "She was-" "By putting up a force field?" Spike demanded in between bursts of flame. "That's just-" "By not letting you go to the 'Super Secret Report Super Secret Party'?!" Pinkie Pie demanded. "What?" she asked innocently as everypony facehoofed. "THAT'S NOT WHATS HAPPENING!" Twilight shouted, her horn starting to give off sparks. "Enough." Everypony (and Spike and Discord) looked towards the vault doors as Princess Celestia strode into the room followed by Princess Cadance and Shining Armor. "Release her Discord, and you will merely be returned to stone!" Princess Celestia commanded. Discord sighed. "I'm not holding her hostage." He said sadly. "You see, Twilight, no matter what I do, ponies will always think I'm a monster." With a snap of his claws the force field disappeared. Discord held out his arms and poofed a pair of hoof cuffs onto them. "I was a fool to think I'd get a second chance." Shining Armor's horn glowed as he started a spell. "No!" Twilight yelled, poofing herself in front of Discord. "He's not evil! Just give him a chance!" Twilight yelled, her own horn glowing with a counter-spell. "Twilight, he's playing mind-games with you." Cadance said as she stepped towards her old foal sitting charge. "Stay back!" Twilight yelled, turning her horn towards Cadance. "Twilight, my faithful student, Discord is the Lord of Chaos. He cannot change. He is simply using you to gain power." Princess Celestia said. Twilight's spell faltered. "Discord... is this true?" She asked softly. "It's alright, Twilight" Princess Celestia said, "Discord is a master manipulator." Twilight's horn flickered out as she took a step towards her mentor. Her friends smiled, thinking they had gotten through to her. They were all so focused on Twilight that they didn't notice the split second grin on Discord's face before he sighed loudly. "I was afraid of this." Discord said. "That's enough, Discord!" Shining Armor said, lowering his horn. "By order of the Royal Guard, you're under arrest!" "I didn't want to have to show you this, Twilight, but they've left me no choice." Discord said, ignoring Shining Armor and snapping his claws. All around Twilight, screens appeared. Each one showed a scene. Twilight looked in disbelief as she saw her friends laughing with her brother and the princesses, Shining Armor eating dessert and snuggling with Cadance, Pinkie Pie singing and dancing as Princess Celestia giggled. She saw the banner and decorations for Pinkie Pie's 'Super Secret Report Super Secret Party' but she wasn't able to read the words. "You...threw a party?" Twilight asked in disbelief as tears pooled in her eyes. "Did you even miss me at all?" Discord poofed out of his hoof cuffs and patted Twilight's shoulder. "There, there, Twilight, I'm still your friend." Discord said, wrapping his tail around her. "Twilight, we..." Applejack started. "You what?!" Twilight demanded, tears of anger streaming down her face. "You didn't eat cake with the princesses?" "Well... Ah..." Applejack stammered as she tried to come up with something to say. "Twilight, darling..." Rarity said as she took a step towards Twilight. "You didn't collapse with laughter in the castle dining hall?" Twilight demanded. Rarity backed up under Twilight's furious glance. "You didn't visit with the animals in the royal gardens?" Twilight continued, facing Fluttershy as she pointed to the picture showing Fluttershy talking to some squirrels. Fluttershy was too upset to explain that she was asking them for help in finding Twilight so she hid behind Rainbow Dash. "Twilight..." Rainbow Dash barely got her name out before Twilight turned to her. "Don't play innocent, Rainbow Dash! I can see you right here practicing your stunts. I bet you just showed up for the chance to meet the Wonderbolts!" Twilight accused her. "Twilight, we missed you!" Pinkie Pie spluttered out before Twilight could cut her off. "Is that why you threw a party?!" Twilight demanded. "Uh...yes?" Pinkie Pie smiled sheepishly as her friends facehoofed. "Twilight, please..." Cadance said, putting a hoof on Pinkieas she comforted Pinkie Pie. Twilight turned to her as fresh tears streamed down her face, "I thought you at least cared about me. I thought I actually mattered to you." She wiped the tears from her face as she glared at her former foal sitter. "Did you ever actually care for me at all?' She demanded angrily, "or was I just an excuse for you to hang out with my brother!" She shouted pointing to the screen showing Cadance snuggling with Shining Armor. "Twily..." Shining Armor reached towards his sister, only for her to turn on him. "Don't even bother, Shining! You've done enough!" She said motioning towards the screen showing him yelling at her during the wedding rehearsal. He winced and took a step back. "Twilight, that is enough! Listen to me." Princess Celestia said taking a step towards her student. "No!" Twilight yelled, lowering her horn. "I'm done listening to you! You listen to me! I'm done being ignored and forgotten!" She pointed an accusing hoof at the ponies in question with each word. "I'm done being used and betrayed! I'm done being your faithful student!" Angry tears filled her eyes as Twilight teleported away with a blinding flash of light. CLAP... CLAP... CLAP... Princess Celestia turned to Discord, who was slowly clapping as he laughed. "Oh, that was too good!" He cackled as he poofed up a new screen and started replaying the past few minutes. "You should have seen the looks on your faces! Priceless!" He laughed poofing up a bag of popcorn. "You may have corrupted Twilight," Princess Celestia said, "but we can still defeat you!" Discord grinned and shook his head. "How? You need the Elements of Harmony to turn me to stone. And you can't use them with out the Element of Magic, Twilight Sparkle. Besides, even if you could find somepony else to wear the sixth Element, it still wouldn't work. Because you don't even have them anymore!" With a final peel of laughter Discord vanished, leaving the screens playing.