Discord put a paw to his head, a pounding ache blasting within his skull. Where was he? What happened. He opened his eyes to find that he was back in Equestria, not far from Canterlot. As the headache began to pass, all sorts of chaotic thoughts began to enter through his head. 'How long has it been since I had any real fun?' he asked himself. Discord tapped his cloven hoof onto the ground, turning it into a checkerboard pattern that spread out as far as the borders of Canterlot. Discord grinned and decided to go further. He influenced his Draconequus magic onto the plant life, causing flowers to grow larger than their normal size and trees to turn neon colors and sprout fat pumpkins and squashes.
"Needs something more." said Discord. With each act of chaos, the more he enjoyed it, not concerning himself with whatever consequences that could come of this. In fact, he could care less what happened to anypony. Why should he if it got in the way of his fun? He turned his attention to Canterlot, a devilish grin spreading across his face. What good was all this glorious mayhem if there was nopony to react to it? Yes, the only good thing about ponies were their hilarious reactions to his outbursts.
"Next stop Canterlot." he said. As he headed toward the city, he thought, 'and then, Equestria.'
Princess Twilight and her friends were sharing a pancake breakfast in the friendship castle. Pinkie's delicious pancakes stacked high, covered with cream, berries, syrups, and other toppings that pleased the ponies.
"You've done it again Pinkie." said Twilight. "Another excellent batch of pancakes."
"I'll say." said Spike, munching his own stack of pancakes. Rarity looked at Fluttershy, who hardly even so much as nibbled her pancakes.
"Everything alright darling?" she asked. Fluttershy snapped to attention and stammered a reply.
"O-oh, I-I'm fine girls, really. I'm just a little worried about Discord, he hasn't come back or sent and word since yesterday."
"Have some pancakes." said Pinkie Pie, pushing the plate toward Fluttershy. "Food is a good cure all for any sour mood."
"Until it makes you fat." said Rarity under her breath. She daintily ate a berry from her plate. Fluttershy didn't want to worry her friends anymore than she already had, so she took a bite from the pancakes to show all was well. Spike sighed and patted his belly from the good morning meal, when he could feel a large burp rise up and belched out a scroll from his green fire.
"Heh, heh, excuse me." said Spike embarrassed. Twilight levitated the scroll, unrolling it to find a curious message. What's more curious was the sender. She read it aloud for her friends to hear.
Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,
I'm in dire need of your assistance. There is trouble in Canterlot, and I fear I am unable to stop it on my own. You and your friends must come at once. I shall further explain once you arrive. Please hurry, there's no time to waste.
-Sincerely, Princess Luna
"What do think could be going on?" asked Applejack.
"Nothing we can't handle." said Rainbow Dash confidently. Twilight looked at the letter, a puzzled expression.
"But why is Princess Luna informing us instead of Princess Celestia?"
"Maybe she's super duper busy, and isn't able to write us a warning." said Pinkie Pie.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" said Rainbow Dash, zipping out of her seat and heading out the door. Rarity patted a napkin on her mouth and followed after her.
"The meal was lovely Pinkie." she said. Pinkie skipped after them smiling cheerfully.
"Looks like another adventure." said Applejack. Twilight and Fluttershy were the last to leave.
"Guess I'll stay here and hold the fort." said Spike, sitting at the table in the empty room.
The girls took the train to Canterlot, not sure what to expect. The problem was evident as soon as they stepped onto the station.
"What in Equestria happened here?" asked Rarity, just as shocked as the rest of the Mane 6. The high society city had been turned into a hodge podge mess. Some of the buildings were leaning, or appeared to be made of some jello-y material. Ponies were being chased by random objects given life. And uprooted trees were floating in the air.
"Gee, who could possibly have caused this?" Rainbow Dash said sarcastically. Twilight shot at a speeding hat box that nearly crashed into them, freezing it in place.
"We need to find Princess Celestia and Luna, now." The girls nodded in agreement, and galloped toward the castle. Along the way, they stopped to help ponies out of predicaments such as quicksand sidewalks, talking lampposts, and a mini ice cream blizzard. Pinkie Pie was disappointed to leave the ice cream blizzard behind, but they had an important mission. Finally they made it the castle, where the guards were doing their best to battle the outside forces from entering.
"We were sent by the princess." said Twilight. The guards let them pass inside. They hurried as fast as they could to the throne room. There, they found Princess Luna, gazing out at the calamity that had struck the city.
"Princess Luna, we came as soon as we could." said Twilight. Luna's blue eyes looked sadly at the 6 ponies.
"Twilight Sparkle, thank goodness you received my letter. There is much that needs to be done."
"Princess, where's Celestia? What's going on out there?" Princess Luna lifted her head, her dark mane flowing behind her.
"I'm afraid that Discord is the cause of the mess you see outside." said Luna.
"He can't be!" Everypony focused on Fluttershy, who'd spoken up. "He'd never do something like this, not after everything that's happened."
"It is the truth dear Fluttershy." But Fluttershy shook her head.
"I don't believe you, you're lying!" Fluttershy stormed out of the room.
"Fluttershy, wait!" called Rainbow, trying to fly after her, only to be tugged back Twilight.
"Let her be Rainbow, she needs time to think." Rainbow looked out as her friend left and nodded.
"It's no surprise that this is all Discord's work." said Rarity, gesturing a hoof to the window and all that as outside it. "But I'd never think he'd go this far, and risking the disappointment of Fluttershy." Luna's eyes darted to the window once more.
"I'm not so sure that this is entirely his fault." she said.
Fluttershy ran outside, the storm of chaos continuing to brew. Wherever she looked, only showed her further proof that Discord was behind all this. She shut her eyes. 'It can't be true! It just can't!' She heard a familiar laugh, and saw Discord himself causing trouble for a poor pony couple. He laughed at their misfortune.
"Discord! Why are you doing this?" Discord turned his head and looked down at the pegasus. Fluttershy stifled a gasp as she saw his eyes and the way they looked at her.
"Why? I'm the spirit of chaos, you figure it out." he said snidely.
"B-but, I thought you'd turned your back on all this. I thought we were friends." Discord roared with laughter.
"Friends? Now that is a joke. I don't have any friends, and you are certainly not one of mine." Discord vanished to continue his work elsewhere. Leaving Fluttershy standing there, her legs knocking inward, as she collapsed to the ground. The image of those eyes in her mind. Once showing warmth, they now looked at her with no recognition, as though she was a stranger. Her friend gone from them.
Princess Luna led the ponies to her sister's room, two guards posted in front of its doors. They opened the doors for Luna.
"As there been any change?" asked Luna. They shook their heads sadly. Twilight looked past Luna's shoulder and let out a gasp. She pushed Luna aside and rushed to her old teacher's bedside.
"Princess Celestia!" cried Twilight. She shook the alicorn's shoulder, hoping to get her to respond. Luna pulled her back.
"She can't hear you...she can't hear anypony." Luna's voice was filled with sadness and helplessness.
"What caused this?" asked Applejack.
"I don't know." said Luna. "I have reason to believe that this is the work of a shadow I encountered while on the astral plane. It threatened to trap me and my sister there, and so far it's kept word."
"Poor princess." said Pinkie Pie sadly, looking at Celestia who still suffered her nightmare.
"Is the shadow the reason you called Discord's help?" asked Twilight. Luna nodded.
"Yes, now it seems as though he's been affected by it, though not in the same way as my sister." A voice spoke.
"It's much more than that princess." Everypony whirled around to find a dark purple unicorn stallion standing in the corner, a dark grin on his face..
"WHO ARE YOU?!" bellowed Luna.
"Where are my manners? I am Nightshade, your highness." he said with a mock bow.
"Nightshade?"
"I'm not surprised you haven't heard of me. I came after your time, in the first days of your banishment. Like you, you're sister decided to seal me away, weakening my former powers considerably." Twilight stood tall.
"You did this!" she seethed.
"And what of it? This is what she rightfully deserves after what she did to me. I'm simply returning the favor." His tone was icy and sharp.
"You cur!" cried Princess Luna. She shot a beam of magic at Nightshade who deflected it as if it were nothing.
"I thought you'd put up much more of fight, a pity." Rainbow, was ready to charge at him, and Applejack was ready to join her.
"Unfortunately, I'm not in the position to attack, not yet anyway."
"Did you just come here to scare us?" asked Rarity, keeping her distance from him. Nightshade smirked.
"All will be cleared ponies. And by then, it shall be too late." Nightshade disappeared. Luna stomped her hoof.
"Coward." she growled.
"At least we know who we're supposed to fight." said Pinkie, trying to look at the bright side of the situation.
"Do we?" asked Luna. Her voice betraying the helplessness she felt, despite her hard expression. A guard knocked on the door and stepped in.
"Princess, the Draconequus has moved on from Canterlot, what are your orders?" The girls turned to Princess Luna, all this responsibility now squarely on her shoulders.
"Send in troops to help clean up the city. I shall contact Shining Armor and ask for his assistance in protecting Canterlot should Discord return, await further orders." The guard bowed his head and did as he was told. Luna trotted to her sister, hanging her head.
"Princess Luna," said Twilight. "if you need any help, I'd be happy to do what I can." Luna didn't look up. Instead she mumbled, "Thank you, Twilight Sparkle."
"I'll stay behind with the princess," said Twilight to her friends. "The rest of you should head back to Ponyville." Applejack nodded.
"Will do." she said.
"Let's see if we can try and find Fluttershy." said Rarity. With her friends gone, Twilight took hold of Celestia's hoof. 'Don't worry Princess Celestia, I swear I'll stop Nightshade and free you from this nightmare.' she thought. This Nightshade, whoever he was, wouldn't get away with doing this to the princess.
It wasn't very hard to find Fluttershy, the girls found her kneeling on the ground, holding back tears.
"Fluttershy!" cried Rainbow Dash. She knelt down next her friend. "Are you okay? What happened?"
"D-Discord...h-he..." Rainbow's eyes narrowed.
"What did he do? Did he hurt you?" Fluttershy shook her head. She couldn't speak with her voice breaking to tears.
"Come on sugarcube, let's get you home." said Applejack. Fluttershy didn't say a word during the trip back, instead she listened as her friends filled her in on what happened. About Princess Celestia, Nightshade, and how he was somehow behind Discord's rampage.
"What do you think we should do?" asked Pinkie Pie.
"I'll tell you what we should do, we should find that Nightshade guy and get him to lift whatever freaky spell he put on the princess." said Rainbow Dash.
"I don't think brute force is going to work." said Rarity. "And besides, we don't know where he is!" Rainbow slumped in her seat.
"Oh, right."
"Maybe one of Twilight's books can help." offered Pinkie Pie. Applejack gave her a nod.
"I'm with Pinkie. Perhaps this Nightshade character could be in one of those old history books."
"If it'll help Twilight and the princess, I'm up for it!"
"Count me in." Pinkie tapped Fluttershy on the shoulder.
"What about you Fluttershy? You wanna join us?" Fluttershy just remained silent and faced the window.
"I think it's best that she goes home." said Applejack. "It's been a big day for all of us."
"I'll help her home." offered Rainbow Dash.
"Alright, meet us up at the friendship castle when you're done." The rest of the train ride continued on in silence, nopony having any more to say. All of them wondering and worrying what was going to happen next.