//------------------------------// // Chapter 22: Discord’s Challenge. // Story: Harry Houdini: The Great and Powerful // by CrackedInkWell //------------------------------// Harry woke up to the strong scent of ammonia. Turning his head to get away from the awful smell, he quickly found that it had followed him. He opened his eyes, seeing one of the Solar guards in front of him, holding an open glass bottle with a foul-smelling liquid. “Ugh, what?” Harry asked, trying to figure out what had happened. “She’s waking up, too,” another guard spoke from beside him. Harry turned over to see another guard holding a similar-looking bottle near his wife. “Bess?” Harry crawled over to his spouse. “Bess, are you alright?” “Ugh, Harry?” Bess asked, now waking up. “Did I just fall asleep? I think I just had the strangest dream. It was about something with two faces and bunny ears.” “Welcome back to the land of the living, you two.” The new voice startled the couple. They both turned over to find the thing in their dreams standing before them. “Now, since I have your attention, I have some news to give.” “A-and what’s that?” Bess asked timidly. The draconequus pulled a neon yellow lollipop out of his ears and gave it a few licks. “After Madame Order scolded my ears off about how I shouldn’t bend the rules of space and time for the sake of entertainment, I’m sorry to say that I’m afraid all of you people will be going home soon.” Discord paused for a moment before offering the butter-colored candy over to the humans. “Wanna lick? It’s earwax flavored.” “Uh… no, thank you.” Harry pushed the offering away. “But I suppose us going home is rather good to hear.” “Now, hold on a second,” Discord corrected him, “I’m not entirely finished. I can return you home, but only on one condition.” At their confused looks, he pointed over to Trixie. “I’ll let you return to New York if you and she come up with something that will entertain me. All I ask is that you pull off something original, something that would give me a good ‘wow’. Consider it a farewell to all of the ponies here in Equestria.” “A double escape?” Harry put a hand under his chin. “And something original so soon?” “Hold on,” Trixie interrupted. “Why is Trixie being thrown into this? I never agreed to such a thing.” “I thought it would be amusing if the two of you - the greatest magician and the greatest narcissist - were to try and escape from something at the same time. Think about the entertainment value! The two of you bickering while you both are suspended over a shark tank or something like that.” Harry stood, deep in thought. “He does have a point. If we’re going to leave, we might as well give everyone a show while doing it. You know what? I think I’m up to the challenge. That is if the Great and Powerful Trixie is willing.” Everypony turned to the blue magician. She was now presented with an opportunity. Perhaps if she’d agreed to do this farewell escape with Mr. Houdini, she could finally learn a secret or two in how he pulls off his illusions. Even if the humans never return, at the very least she would be the first and possibly only pony to see how it’s really done. “Alright, Trixie consents to the challenge as well.” “You’ve got me curious,” Princess Celestia piped up. “What exactly are you planning to do anyway?” “Yes,” Discord chimed in. “What sort of escape do you two plan to do?” The two illusionists stood there in thought. Harry started pacing in a tight circle while Trixie looked down at the floorboards. “It will have to be in chains and cuffs,” Trixie thought aloud. “Perhaps we could be in a tight space,” Harry suggested. “Something like one of those government mailbags, the kind with a padlock.” “Boring,” Discord cried. “Come on, you’ll have to do better than that.” “What if I was wearing an anti-magic ring on my horn? Trixie proposed. “That way, it would be extremely difficult for me to get out.” “I could wear nothing but a loincloth,” Harry added. “But where would we do this escape? A stage just won’t do, and the last time I checked, there’s no need for airplanes since a sizeable amount of the population can fly themselves.” Then, the Great and Powerful Trixie was struck with inspiration. “What if were placed in a bag, but suspended over something that no sane pony would ever do?” “And what, pray tell, would that be?” Discord asked with his arms folded. “What if we were suspended by a burning rope over the edge of the top of the Mustang Building?” This got everyone’s attention, though the Houdini’s looked confused at her suggestion. “What’s the Mustang Building?” Bess inquired. “It’s the tallest skyscraper in Manehattan,” Celestia explained. “It’s currently one of the largest structures ever built, second only to the palace of the Crystal Empire. The building possesses the modern world record of being one hundred and twenty floors high.” “So, escaping from a bag suspended by a burning rope while hanging over the edge of the largest skyscraper in town?” Harry asked. “I think I’m beginning to like this idea more and more.” “As do I,” Discord commented. “It sounds like something out of a Daring Do novel, but with an execution device that sounds like it’s straight out of James Bond.” “Who?” Harry asked, but the draconequus just waved his claw at him. “Nevermind, it’s not important. What is important, however, is that you’ve now caught my attention. Trying to escape from something at the risk of falling off a very tall building? It’s risky, it’s dumb, it’s insanely deadly and overall completely suicidal… I’m going to need some popcorn and a Coke for this.”