//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 // Story: MLP: Eternal Dream // by kurusagi16 //------------------------------// Chapter 12 Discord's claw and paw tightened into clenched fists as he glared down Eve who in turn gave him an irritating smile, not fearing him in the slightest. It was rather irritating. "What, in the name of all things chaos did you do to Fluttershy?!" he growled. Eve pulled Fluttershy closer to her, and Fluttershy showed no resistance to this. She couldn't move even if she wanted to, not even in the slightest. "I needed her to see things my way, it was for her own good." Eve said. A possessive look taking over her features. "I'd hoped to have her all to myself, once I helped her forget about you lot." Discord let out a guttural growl at hearing that eve had made Fluttershy forget about him. Eve's smile was replaced with a bitter scowl. "But she was starting to remember! I would've lost her all over again. Well, not anymore, now she'll stay here with me, and not even you two can stop me." "Try me." said Discord. He was going to snap his talons to get Fluttershy back, but Eve clapped her hooves, and the stuffed animals attacked Discord and Twilight, restraining them. It was hard to think straight while fighting off a squishy horde of plush playthings, that continuously swarmed over you. "Hey! Get off me!" "Watch it, that tickles!" Twilight bucked the animals off and faced Eve, dead set on the Nightmare and her almost sadistic smile. "Eve, this isn't right! Do you really want Fluttershy to stay like this? Is this how you want to be, a lifeless doll?" Eve's smile faded. "You don't know what you're saying." she said. Tugging Fluttershy even closer, not wanting Twilight to reach out and snatch her up from her grasp. "I know that if you truly cared about Fluttershy, you would've let her choose what she wanted, instead of taking away her will and the ability to choose. Forcing her into this crazy delusion of yours." Eve bit the inside of her cheek. 'That's not true! This isn't a delusion, it's a dream made real.' "SHUT UP! You don't know me, or Fluttershy. You don't know anything!" Eve screamed. Twilight didn't flinch away. She needed to think of something. Something that could convince Eve to relinquish Fluttershy freely. But how? That's when she had it. It was a long shot, but it could work. "If you care about Fluttershy that much, then how about we make a deal?" Eve was intrigued by this, but tried to appear disinterested. "What sort of deal?" she asked, her grip on Fluttershy still strong and unwavering. "We have a duel, and the winner gets Fluttershy, the loser must give her up and never bother her or the winner ever again." Twilight waited for an answer, it was a good deal in Eve's mind. She grinned. "Alright, I'll play you for her." Eve said, stomping her hooves onto the floor. The room transformed into a stone coliseum. Fluttershy was safely out of harm's way, sitting on a red, plush throne. Like a motionless doll. Twilight looked to her side to see Discord brushing himself up. "I could've used a little assistance with plush hairballs." Discord said, somewhat irritated. "You were doing just fine without me." said Twilight. The coliseum lit up, Eve was prepared to duel. "How should we go about this?" asked Eve. "We battle one on one until one is left standing, winner takes all." Eve cocked her head. "Hardly seems like a fair fight, since there's two of you, luckily I have a fighting partner with me." By her side, a hulking, monstrous bunny made of lint and dust appeared. "And begin!" A gong rang out, and the monster bunny charged at Twilight. She blasted magic at it, but there was no affect. "What the-?" "Oh, did I forget to mention that he's magic resistant so long as he's in the ring?" asked Eve mockingly. Discord cracked his knuckles, causing the stone ground beneath him to turn into a checkered pattern. "Let's see what you've got." said Discord. Eve smiled and narrowed her eyes, ready to face whatever he had. She felt strong, like she could take on the world itself. "Bring it." Discord used his magic to make the stones collapse below the Eve's hooves. Eve managed to jump to safety before she could fall. "Alright, try this!" she said. Discord was lifted up, in the clutches of a metal giant that was squeezing the life out of him. Discord teleported on top of its head and turned the giant into a bloby pile of goo. It was Eve's move next, and she conjured up a full-grown dragon. Discord snapped the dragon's wings into teeny bee wings and had put a muzzle on its snout. "Is that the best you can think of? Really, such a lack of creativity." He taunted. "You want creativity? How's this for creativity?!" Discord was hanging upside down, wrapped up in chains and a straight jacket, locked inside a tank full of water. The dragon's muzzle came off, and swallowed the tank whole. "HA! In your face! And I made sure that tank was magic resistant, so there's no escaping that." In a white flash, Discord reappeared, giving Eve a bow and with a wave of his claw he made the dragon disappear. Eve was both shocked and enraged. "H-how?!" "You should've made your locks magic resistant, otherwise it was a mildly amusing." he chuckled. Twilight tussled with her fighting partner until she had managed to trick the monster bunny into falling out of the coliseum, as it landed on the ground below, it turned into a smaller, much more harmless dust bunny. "Phew! Finally." she said with relief, wiping sweat of her forehead. Twilight let out a cry of surprise as she was forced to sit down in a chair, watching the action from the stands. She tried to get up from the seat, but was unable to move. She could still talk, and blink, but other than that, she was as stiff as a board. Discord and Eve continued to duel, their moves becoming more and more wacky as they fought. Discord's barrage included a tidal wave of peas porridge, exploding pies, a piranha plant, etc. She could see that Discord was eager to let loose on his magic, and at finally having a go at Eve, something he'd been dying to do ever since the day he was first introduced to the Nightmare. He stole a glance at the pegasus. It was horrible to see his friend in such a pitiful state. It was because of Eve, that Fluttershy was like this. Her lovely face would no longer smile or show any other emotion if he lost and she was left in Eve's care. Forever forced into fun and games, and one-sided conversations, when Fluttershy deserved better than that, It was these thoughts flooding through his head that filled him up with a fighting spirit, and his attacks all the more purpose. 'For Fluttershy.' Twilight also looked to Fluttershy sadly. What if they lost? What would happen to their friend then? Fluttershy.... Fluttershy's mind was fogged up, unable to speak, unable to move, she was nothing more than a lifeless doll. The world around her was clouded over, yet she didn't even attempt to make out the shapes and blobs that passed by her. Even sound was muffled to her. She however, could still feel faint changes around her. She'd felt herself being moved from one place to another. She continued to sit motionless, her eyes open, but unable to see what she could sense as a great commotion happening before her. Then, a change occurred. The fog cleared by a certain degree, and she was able to see a little bit of what was happening, though her eyes were still glazed. She watched, curious as to why a mismatched creature was attacking the pony while on the back of sea monster, wielding a foot-long sub sandwich as if it were a sword. "Have at thee!" He cried. Fluttershy wanted to smile, or even giggle a little. She couldn't help but find it funny. Little by little, her senses cleared, she still was motionless, but she could see and hear as well as any pony else. The creature bonked the pony over the head with the sandwich. "Hey!" yelped the pony, rubbing her head. "That's just a taste of what you'll get for everything you've done to poor Fluttershy." he said. The creature knew her name. Was he fighting...for her? If so, why? That's when, as if a key had been turned in the lock of her mind, it all came rushing back to her. That pony was Eve, her old friend who'd kidnapped her from her home and her friends. Her eyes wandered over to the sidelines. And in the stands....was that Twilight? Her eyes locked on the Draconequus, she whispered his name in a voice only she could hear. "Discord...." He was here, and it felt good to see him again. She watched as the two continued to fight, until they both paused momentarily, catching their breaths. "You ready to give up?" Eve asked. "I was going to ask the same of you." said Discord. Eve scoffed. "As if, let's put an end to this, once and for all." she said. Discord grinned, liking the sound of that. The two began to generate massive amounts of power. Fluttershy's eyes widened in fear. They were going to get hurt, or worse! Two of her friends, one old, one new, ready to fight to the end. "Stop..." she tried to shout, but was still weakened and her word came out as a barely audible whisper. Eve and Discord took a few paces back and launched the powerful blasts at one another. At that same instant, Fluttershy willed herself to move and managed to get off her chair. She flew in between the two sides, between the blasts as they were going to collide. "Stop this!!" She shouted. Discord and Eve saw her, their mouths agape. "Fluttershy?!" uttered a shocked Discord. He snapped his talons, and made the blasts fizzle out. A second later and Fluttershy would've been caught in the blast. "No..." Eve said, flabbergasted. "It should've worked, the dust...how could you?!" Eve suddenly let out a cry collapsed, weakened by the power she'd tried to shoot out at Discord. It had drained her considerably. The coliseum faded into the mansion from before, the mansion faded into a giant cage, and the cage turned into shadows that also faded into nonexistence. A that was left was Eve, Twilight, Discord and Fluttershy standing in a clearing where the structures had been. The illusion had been broken. "Fluttershy! You're alright!" Twilight cried happily, she pulled the pegasus into a hug, glad that the worst seemed to had passed. "Twilight! It's good to see you, I missed you and everypony so much!" said Fluttershy. Discord also bent down and scooped the pony into a hug, looking beyond overjoyed, before setting her down and giving her a stern look. "What were you thinking?" he asked. "I mean, I enjoy a little foolery of course, but what you just did was beyond foolish!" A smile sprang upon his face. "But I'm glad that you're well my dear." Eve had been watching the tender reunion from the sidelines. All the dark magic, all the anger, all the twisted craziness drained from her body, and was replaced with sadness and regret. It was over. She no longer had the will to fight or try anymore tricks, she was defeated. Fluttershy would never forgive her for as long as she lived, and soon she'd be punished by the queen for her crimes. What more was there left for her? She, she was a nobody, with nothing to live for. She wished...that she could just disappear right then and there. As you wish. Eve's head jerked up at the voice. Eve let out a cry as she was suddenly set upon by the thorn vines that were now wrapping around her back hooves and dragging her into the tangled thicket of brambles that surrounded the clearing. Discord and the girls heard these cries and looked to see her being dragged. "Eve!" Fluttershy cried worriedly. She leaped into action, grabbing Eve's hooves, and began to try and pull her free. "Don't let go." she said, straining to keep hold. Eve was puzzled. Why was Fluttershy helping her? Fluttershy dug her hooves in, pulling with all her might. More vines strapped onto Eve, pulling her and Fluttershy further in. Twilight used her magic to assist in helping to keep the ponies from being dragged in, but the vines were too strong. "I've had enough of this place." Discord declared. He picked up Twilight like she was luggage and snapped his talons, making him, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Eve vanish completely from the clearing. Hmmm. A shame that delightful Nightmare couldn't stay. Oh well, she served her purpose, and the power and negative emotions she generated were very...delicious.