Episode 12
Sure enough, Ponyville had become an unruly and chaotic mess. The once humble and quaint little town had become so twisted, inverted, upside down and back again that it was unrecognizable. All that remained that could show that this place had once been a town, were the few houses which had remained unchanged and were floating a few feet off the ground, and the townsponies who were running around in a panic, looking for cover from the madness that had now taken root in their once lovely residence. And at its center, where the town hall had once been, stood a tall castle made entirely out of playing cards which towered over the area. Technicolored clouds swirled high around the castle's spires, as if preparing to brew up a storm. Inside, in the throne room, Discord lounged in his high-backed throne, wearing a golden crown and a red, ermine trimmed cape just for the heck of it, and summoned some of civilians he'd captured and put to work to entertain him. In a flash they appeared before him. There was Scootaloo, now dressed as a medieval tumbler, Sweetie Belle, who was suspended by strings and made to look like a marionette, Apple Bloom, dressed in a jester's outfit, and Spike, wearing a minstrel's outfit not unlike the one he wore during the Hearth's Warming Eve play a while back.
"What in tarnation?!" cried Apple Bloom in shock, looking to her friends, and then down at her own getup. Spike looked up at Discord and pointed a claw at him.
"What are you up to this time, Discord?" asked Spike. Discord merely smirked as he twiddled his thumbs.
"Oh, it's quite simple really, I want you to amuse me." he said. "You're the entertainers, so entertain." Discord flicked a single claw of his talon through the air, as he cast a little spell with his magic.
"Huh? Whoa, what's going on?!" cried Scootaloo, as she was suddenly lifted into the air and placed on a tightrope without a safety net, and began to do tumbles and balancing acts on it.
"My body is moving on it's own!" cried Sweetie Bell, as the puppet strings moved her through the air, making her dance not unlike a ballerina.
"Me too!" cried Apple Bloom, as she was now on a unicycle, juggling an odd array of objects. Spike's eyes widened, and he turned back to face Discord.
"Leave them alone Discord," he said, trying to sound brave. Discord chuckled.
"Oh, but it's so fun." he said.
"Well, they're not having fun." pointed out Spike. Discord waved a paw.
"That's of no consequence." Discord snapped his lion paw, and a lute appeared in Spike's arms. "Now, play me something, minstrel."
"Why should I?" asked Spike, folding his arms. A devilish smile and a wicked glint appeared on Discord's face, making Spike get chills down his spine.
"Because if you don't," said Discord examining his talons, "Then I'll turn you into a fire-breathing wagon, and see if maybe that will amuse me." Spike sweated and smiled nervously.
"A-alright, one song coming up." said Spike, he did his best as he strummed the lute.
"Now sing." said Discord. "And don't forget to dance." Spike then hopped about the throne room, as he belted out a song, his voice cracking at the high notes.
"Oh, traipse and traipse and traipse galore. And traipse and traipse and traipse some more!" Discord chortled at the sight, they all looked so ridiculous! Spike stopped singing but continued to play and dance.
"Twilight and the others will stop you, you know." said Spike. "Then you won't be laughing anymore." These words only made Discord laugh louder.
"Stop me? Oh please." he said, batting his lion paw. "What can a little band of ponies possibly do to stop me? Ask me to turn everything back just because they say so? Ha!"
"They've done it before!"
"Believe what you like, little dragon, but the fact is that nopony can stop me, and nopony ever will."
"Fluttershy could! If she were here now, she'd get you to put a stop to all this and apologize to everypony for what you've done." Discord looked at Spike and blinked.
"Who is Fluttershy?" he questioned. Spike stopped his lute playing and hopping, giving Discord a shocked expression.
"You know, Fluttershy. Pegasus, long pink mane, very shy, like animals. She's your first and best friend." said Spike. Discord snorted and then burst out laughing.
"Me, friends with a...with a pony? Ha!" he continued to laugh. "The idea! You really are too much." Spike had just about had it, and smashed the lute against the throne room floor, causing it to splinter with a loud Twang! Discord stopped laughing as the little dragon stopped up to him in a huff.
"That's enough!" he cried. "You may be a spirit of chaos or whatever, but to insult Fluttershy like that? Acting like she doesn't exist or that your friendship with her doesn't matter? That's too cruel, even for you."
"Really?" asked Scootaloo, trying to keep herself from falling. "That's where you draw the line?" But Spike wasn't listening.
"Fluttershy was heartbroken when she came back from Canterlot, after you told her you weren't friends. She looked like she was on the verge of tears." said Spike. Discord had listened. He recalled a Pegasus in Canterlot, and how downtrodden she look as he left her and cleared up the delusion she had that he knew her or that the two of them were friends. Had the thought of not being his friend really made her that upset? He didn't even know her. Or, at least, he believed he didn't know her. His mind still felt a little foggy in some parts, and the name Fluttershy seemed faintly familiar. But Discord shook his head and folded his arms across his chest.
"I think that's enough out of you." he said. Snap! Spike disappeared to the dungeon he'd made, and the CMC soon followed suit. "Friends. I don't have any friends, let alone one." With a flash, Discord teleported to his bedroom chambers, where the glass statue stood a few feet away from his bedside. He sprawled himself out on the bed and looked over at the statue, particularly in its eyes. It was almost as if the sadness was directed at him, showing him pity. Discord let out a groan, and decided to take a midday nap to help rest his chaotic thoughts, and perhaps provide himself with some interesting inspiration from one of his dreams. He closed his eyes, and after a few moments, he was out like a light, as the panicked screams of ponies rang out below.
Nightshade couldn't have been more pleased. Everything was coming together oh so perfectly. In his secret hideout, he'd nearly finished concocting the spell. All he had to do now was let the potion in the cauldron simmer until nightfall, and then he could enact the ritual. He held out the pure heart he'd stolen before him. How warm it felt, and how brightly its soft glow seemed to shine. And very soon, it would provide him with the power he needed in order to take over this pitiful world. He used his magic to create a projection of Ponyville, now in chaos.
"I've let the Draconequus have his fun." he said. "But soon, very soon, it shall be my turn." he let out a cold cackle, lightning flashed from out of nowhere, and the heart beat became even more rapidly in his hoof, sensing the danger that it was in.