Agent of Chaos
Prelude
Princess Luna
The night was clear and perfect. Not a nightmare in the minds of my sleeping subjects. This pleased me. I loved it when a night like this was free of nightmares and evil. As long as this continued the next few nights, I felt that this year's Nightmare Night would be perfect. Despite my short mishap on my first celebration of Nightmare Night, I have grown to love the celebration. The ponies all across Equestria have grown to love my appearance in their home towns; and it was fast approaching again.
The past Nightmare Nights I would go to one of the few villages nearby, appearing to them as Nightmare Moon. Last year, I made an appearance in the Crystal Empire to welcome them into the celebrations. In the past, they never celebrated the night of my...darker self since they were sealed away. Even after they returned, they never really knew about the event. However, my friends from Ponyville, Princess Twilight and her friends, had started to introduce them to celebrations they've never had. They...didn't take Nightmare Night too well at first, but after a long night and some help from Princess Twilight and Princess Cadance, they found it was very enjoyable.
I had missed celebrating with the ponies in Ponyville, however. I celebrated my first Nightmare Night with them and it was they who helped me learn that being scary can be fun. So I planned to return to Ponyville as a surprise to them all. I just hope I don't cause any real nightmares that night.
I stood out on the balcony, looking out at the night covered land. My dear sister would be awake soon, allowing me to get some of my own sleep. I just hope my excitement for Nightmare Night wouldn't keep me up.
Alas, it would be the last thing I would have to worry about. I felt the energy from the garden and feared the worst. A year ago, Ponyville had received two unexpected guests. One was of an agent of chaos who tried to destroy our world. The other helped in sealing it into a form of a statue, much like how my sister and I had sealed up Discord, another agent of chaos. The energy I felt made me fear the worst. It was a shame it was so close to my night.
I didn't even have to awake my sister. My sister, Princess Celestia, had awoken when she too felt the release of energy and rushed out to the garden. I met her there, gliding down from the balcony. I looked from her to where the statue of the creature had once stood. The statue was gone and there was no trace of the creature that was sealed in stone.
"My dear sister," I said. "I fear we may have a huge problem."
"Agreed," my sister said, staring in awe at the missing statue.
"I suggest we call for Princess Twilight and her friends."
"Discord as well," she added. "I feel we might need his help in this matter." I nodded in agreement and turned to go summon them. However, we hadn't left the garden before we were joined by another.
"My chaos sense was tingling," came a voice from my left. I looked around and saw another statue that I hadn't seen in many moons. The creature had his clawed arm held up in the air, it's mouth wide up as it was laughing and gloating at the time of capture. However, I knew this was no statute as the creature had been freed long ago.
"Discord," my sister said, looking at the statue also. "I trust you felt that power that took your brother?"
The statue turned its head to us as color filled it. Discord had long since been freed from his imprisonment and had been reformed, but he still felt a need to make an entrance. "I have indeed," he said, flowing over to us as if he was swimming through the air. "And as much as I would say I would love to see my dear brother again, I fear that no good would come of his return."
"Would you know where he has gone?" I asked him. "We must make heist to stop him."
"I agree, my dear princess," he said. "But I'm afraid he has escaped this realm."
"He's not in Equestria?" I asked.
"What about your realm?" my sister suggested.
"Mine?” he asked in slight surprise. “I'm afraid not. He wouldn’t dare step into my realm. But I have a pretty good idea of where he might have gone off to."
"Then we must ask for your assistant in recapturing him," my sister said. "We will send for Princess Twilight and her friends to join you."
"Well, excuse me, princess, but I must request you leave them out of this," the Draconequus said. "If my suspicion is correct, the world that Chaogent went to will be overwhelming for them. It is not a place for them or any other pony for that matter."
I looked at my sister who had looked at me in turn. "Is it really that bad?" I asked.
"Regardless if you feel it dangerous for them or not," my sister said, "I feel that you would need their help."
I saw true concern in Discord's face. "As much as I feel the same that I could use their help, they would be in more danger from other things of the world than my brother." I've never known Discord to be so worried about the ponies. This world that Discord believed was so horrible really scared him to the point that he would rather risk his life doing this alone than take Princess Twilight and her friends. Then again, there was always the possibility that his brother went somewhere else.
"Let us locate him first," I suggested. "It's possible he is in another realm, one different than the one you believe he went to."
He thought about it for a moment. "Perhaps we should have them decide," my sister suggested. "I propose we bring the situation to them first and let them decide if they want to go or not."
I would go on with this back and forth, but I must say it took a while for us to make an agreement. We decided to let Discord go and locate his brother first and return with news. We even made a backup plan if things went awry.
It was only after Discord had been gone for more than a day we sent for Princess Twilight and her friends. Once they arrived, I let my sister explain the situation. I saw the worry in their faces. I also could tell that they would go wherever they were needed to stop this creature. There was something else in their worried expressions too. So, I pushed to see what was troubling them.
"Well," Princess Twilight began. "You see, the last time we faced Chaogent, we needed help from our friend to stop him. The pony we had told you about, remember?"
"That is true," I said. "I remember you telling us about this-” I stopped to think of the name. “Hero was it?" They nodded. "I can't say for sure, but we might not have his help this time. Unless Discord has contacted him after leaving here, you will have to rely on your power to stop Chaogent."
"Speaking of which," Twilight continued. "Where is Discord? You mention you sent him out yesterday and he hasn't reported back yet. How are we going to know where Chaogent went? And how are we going to get there?"
"Oh, I hope Discord is alright," Fluttershy added with a worried voice.
"I'm sure he is fine," my sister said. "But we have taken measures in case Discord hasn't returned. It was his suggestion to keep you out of this for your safety, but it may seem that you'll have to go after him. Discord may want to protect you from this other realm, but I'm afraid we may have no choice. We'll be able to send you to it, the one he told us about. Maybe you'll be able to meet up with Discord. Be warned, though, once we send you, you won't be able to come back until you find Discord. Only his power can bring you back."
"Stay together," I added. "Discord seemed very concern about sending you there. If this place is that bad, you'll need to stick together to be safe."
They nodded in understanding. Princess Twilight looked at her friends, consulting them. Once she was done, she looked at us with determined eyes and nodded. "We're ready," she said.
My sister and I nodded to them. We pooled our magic, focusing and using the spell Discord had told us about before he left. It was difficult, but between the two of us, we were able to surround them in a ball of light and send them on their way. The ball of light rose into the air and with them inside it. It flashed, the ball disappeared, and they were gone.
"Let us hope they make it," my sister said. "I fear if they don't return by Nightmare Night, than all hope will be lost."
"I fear you are right," I said. Now I had to worry if Nightmare Night would turn into a day of tragedy for us. And I had grown so fawned of that night over these past few hundred moons.