//------------------------------// // Orderly chaos // Story: Divided We Stand // by Nexas //------------------------------// Everyone looked on in fear at the reality warper that stood before them, his very presence causing small cracks and distortions in the earth. Celestia turned to Chrysalis, seething uncharacteristically with rage. "You fool!" She shouted at the Queen. "Do you have any idea of what you've done? Do you?!" Chrysalis snapped back with as much ferocity. "It is your own fault for not helping us! We needed a way to turn back and this is our last chance!" Meanwhile, Mirror Edge was having his own argument with Rainbow Dash. "You were spying on us this whole time?!" "No I wasn't! I'm not a spy!" She snorted in rage, reeling up on her hind hooves and stomping the ground. "Well you were part of the invasion right? You planned it didn't you?!" "No!" He feared for his life at this point. "I mean it was that way at first but then I changed!" "Liar!" Dash tried to charge Mirror but was restrained by Pinkie. The other three just sat and watched. "Dashie please! He's not as mean as you think!" Dash refused to listen; she shook Pinkie off and lunged for Mirror only to be tackle to the ground by a Changeling. "Mirror?" The Changeling buzzed. "Copycat?" He remarked, recognizing the voice. Everyone stopped when Discord started to laugh; an evil guffawing laugh that bounced off the buildings. He stopped laughing and wiped an imaginary tear form his eye. "And what are you laughing at?" Luna eyed him with anger matching her sisters. "Oh, it's just too much!" He chuckled. "You're all being driven into the throws of chaos and all I'm doing is standing here." He somehow managed to smooth his horns back, though they snapped back a moment later. "I'm amazing." "You're Discord?" Copycat suddenly popped up, as quizzical as ever. Discord smiled his snagle toothed smile, leaning down to talk to her like a grandparent talking to his grandkid. "Why yes I am little....thing." He soothingly talked to her. "Are you a fan of my work?" All emotion seemed to drop from her face. "You're the monster that cursed us." Nopony had expected that, least of all Discord who decided to ignore her and go back to gloating over his enemies. "You know?!" Mirror Edge asked Copycat. "Well I-" She tried to explain but was interrupted by Twilight. "Discord!" She jumped forward, her horn glowing unstably with magic. "What have you done with Fluttershy?" "Oh, nothing much, she's over there in that inescapable cage." He pointed a talon to the cage behind them where a Fluttershy with glowing eyes was screaming for help. "All it took was a simple hypnotize spell and a few special effects." He snapped his fingers and the captured Pegasus's eyes regained their normality. She cried out from the inside of the cage, her eyes streaming with tears. "I'm so sorry! I tried to warn you!" The five Ponies plus Mirror Edge and Copycat ran at Discord, rage burning in each of their eyes. Discord simply yawned and snapped his fingers again. The group was suddenly picked off the ground by an unseen force and floated around the mad reality warper. He twirled the Elements book on one finger. "You Ponies are so boring! Always doing trying to stop my fun doing other boring things." Applejack floated upside down, her hat somehow staying on her head. "But ah don't understand, how did ya get your mitts on the Elements?" Discord smirked; he had wanted to tell them this. *** "Changelings! Oh! Those horrible things?" Rarity remarked. "We need to catch this terrible thing immedientely." Pinkie Pie stayed unusually quiet during the discussion, not that anypony noticed. "Come on girls!" Applejack hollered. "We got a monster to catch." The five of them left Fluttershy in the library and took off in the direction of her cottage, Pinkie Pie trailing behind. Fluttershy watched them go, an evil smile growing on her face. "Those Ponies will fall for anything. This really is too easy." Discord secretly muttered, walking into the library. He noticed Twilight's Dragon assistant, Spike. He was tending to the books like he always did. "Ugh, why do I always have to stay home while they go on some fantastic adventure?" He groaned under his breath. not noticing that Discord had entered the room. He didn't even notice Discord running at him with a big book. *** "And that is exactly what happened. More or less." Discord said. He looked at his captives, expecting horror or at least disbelief. Instead he got looks of confusion from everyone involved. He facepalmed. "None of you saw that flashback did you?" Everyone was in an even larger state of confusion, all except for Pinkie who raised a hoof, acidentally punching Rainbow dash in the process. "I did!" "Of course you did." Discord waved her away, his hand still on his face. He snapped his fingers and everyone fell to the ground again. Mirror Edge, Copycat and the Ponies quickly got to their hooves. "You can't beat us this time Discord!" Twilight pointed an accusing hoof at the Draconequus. "We won't be turned against each other again!" "Oh we are well aware of that." Chrysalis spoke up, buzzing through the air to Discords side. "That is why I had Discord take the Elements away from you." Discord opened the book, revealing the hollowed out interior inside. Out of the book floated five necklaces and a crown, the Elements of Harmony. They floated around discord, he didn't look at them though, it was almost as if they caused him pain if he looked at them for too long. "The Elements of Harmony, the gems in these trinkets are the only things that are strong enough to stop me." With a soft clicking noise, the gems from each of the necklaces and the crown popped out and went into Discord hand. "And we can't have that now can we?" "No..." Was all Celestia whispered. *CRUNCH* Discord had closed his hand around the gems and with one swift clench had crushed the stones into dust. He then opened his hand, letting the dust run through his fingers to the ground below and be blown away. The Ponies gasped in collective shock, watching their one salvation be blown away. "And now that that's over with, it's time to get to business." He clapped his hands together, eliminating what was left of the dust. "It can't be..." Twilight half-consciously said, watching the dust flow around them and away. "Oh, but it is." Chrysalis laughed. "Enough with this blabbering, that's what I do." Discord waved them silent, his face now sporting a malicious grin. "It's time for the real fun to begin!" He tried to reach for Twilight but Mirror Edge jumped in front of her. "If you want them, you have to go through me." He snarled. Discord starred at him for a moment and shrugged. "Okay, I can do that. But it will be horribly messy though." Before he could do anything, a soft glow washed over the seven. "Celestia?" Rainbow Dash turned to see the Princess's horn glowing in concentration. "We will not let you do this Discord." Luna yelled at the Draconequus, her wings unfurled and horn raised. "Celestia!" Twilight shouted to her mentor. Celestia shook her head. "I'm sorry Twilight." With a great flash of light, the Mane six minus Fluttershy were gone, as well as the two Changelings. The Princesses, The Queen and her swarm as well as the Draconequus all inspected the area where the group of seven had just been. "Huh, just like before." Discord mumbled, eyeing the Princesses who have been a pain in his side for far too long. It was no matter though, he was free and soon nothing would matter. "Now that your subjects are out of the way, prepare to meet your defeat!" Chrysalis yelled at the two, her horn glowing a sickly green. "After that, my end of the deal will be through! Right Discord?" "Yeah....about that." Discord scratched his beard uncomfortably. Chrysalis turned towards him, slightly confused. "But Discord, I'm supposed to destroy Celestia and Luna. That is the deal we made." "Yeah, you see, I don't want to destroy them. That would end my fun." He shook his head. "And to be honest, I don't want you to change back; it would ruin all the chaos you have caused." Chrysalis's face was paling in fridge realization, her pride dropping a few notches. "But...but, Discord! We had a deal! You were to lift our curse!" He nodded. "Yes I was, but you see...." He flew up to her, their faces inches apart. "I don't want you to change." With a swipe of his claw he created enough force to send her flying through the air and crashing into the Princesses. The three regained their footing quickly and looked on at the reality warper before them, grinning monstrously. "It's time for chaos to reign again." *** "Guh..." Mirror Edge weakly opened his eyes, teleportation was always an uneasy subject for Changelings and the suddenness of this one made it even worse. Looking around from the floor he was lying on, he could see something pink lying not too far from him. Slowly, realization came to him. "PINKIE!"