//------------------------------// // Project Erroria Arc Part 15: And what is found! // Story: MLDC: SHAZAM, Equestria's Mightest Mare! // by Michael_Ravencroft //------------------------------// DAY 1 Alula tossed and turned, groaning and muttering incoherently. Suddenly, she awoke with a start, gasping for air as if she had been held underwater, her tiny body was dripping with sweat, and her irises shrunk to the size of pinpricks. The - at this time - Earth pony filly, glanced about her surroundings. She wasn’t in Wayward House, no, Wayward House was torn apart, this room she was in, it was twice as big as anything in the orphanage. It was very spacious, with ornate furniture littering the room. The young filly took notice of the bed, the silky smooth sheets that begged anypony who lied down upon them to sleep in, and the awning that hung overhead that had embroidered, velvety red drapes hanging from them. It was all too surreal. The tribe shifter began to panic, this definitely wasn’t her home, in fact, she didn’t know any place in Ponyville that had such nice accommodations. Diamond Tiara came to mind, but she was pretty sure that her house was damaged during the attack. Alula’s panic rose even more when she saw the door at the other end of the room open up. A myriad of bad things ran through her head. Was she foalnapped? What was the pony who took her going to do her? There were no shortage of horror stories of what could befall her, if the whispered talks of the other orphan foals was any indication. The door finally opened, revealing a pegasus mare, with a fuchsia coat, and neon blue mane. She wore a maid outfit, and had a kindly smile upon her face. “Oh my, Young Miss, you’re finally awake!” “W-Who are you?! Where am I?!” Alula demanded. “Just a moment! - Mistress! Mistress she’s awake!” The sound of galloping hooves echoed from the other side of the door. The pegasus maid backed away and allowed the one she called Mistress to enter, but before she could see this mysterious mare, Alula ducked under the covers. She didn’t know what to expect, she didn’t want to imagine it. She was foalnapped, and in the home of somepony who would do Faust knows what to her. “She’s awake, truly?! Let me see!” Wait…I know that voice… Alula, with great caution, peeked from behind the covers. She was surprised, and relieved, to see a familiar face. That of the kind mare who offered her and Aura a ride to Wayward House, somepony who everypony knew was kind and caring. “Thorn Blackforest!” Alula exclaimed. The brown colored unicorn mare strode to the filly’s bedside and released a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness, I feared you wouldn’t wake. How are you feeling, little Alula?” “A-Alright, I guess, but how…how did I get here? And where is here?” “You’re in my mansion, I found you outside, alone. I remembered you from my visit to Ponyville and quickly had my staff bring you inside, I’ve had my best doctors looking after you, I apologize for not taking you to a hospital sooner, but something told me that a public place was not good at this time,” explained Thorn. “Tell me, what do you remember?” Alula rubbed her head, her memories were fuzzy, but there was one thing she knew happened, and made her pulse race. “PONYVILLE! We were attacked by some bad ponies, Shazam helped! What happened?!” Thorn nodded solemnly and began to brush the young filly’s mane with her hoof. “I’m afraid…Ponyville was decimated…The Princess of Friendship and some of the residents made it out…but Shazam…Shazam has fallen.” Alula’s eyes widened with horror, her heart feeling as if it stopped completely. The heat of her blood felt as if it had been stolen, and time itself crawled at a snail’s pace. “No…That can’t be…Sco - Shazam, she’s too strong to be beaten like that!” With a saddened gaze Thorn looked to Alula. “I’m afraid it is true, she sacrificed her life to defeat the monster that attacked everypony.” Alula felt as if the world was spinning, Scootaloo was…gone. She defeated the monster and lost her life in the process. The one thing she feared would happen, has happened. Alula’s vision became blurry as tears formed within her eyes. Thorn reached out and brought the young filly into an embrace, one that Alula gladly accepted as she began to sob into the mare’s chest, her home was destroyed, and the filly she loved was dead, it was all too much for her, she couldn’t understand why this was happening. It took a couple of hours before Alula calmed down, her eyes were red and puffy from the crying, and she began to feel really tired from her crying. “I’m a little sleepy,” said Alula. “If you wish, I could leave you alone. I know you must be feeling a little overwhelmed.” As Thorn motioned to leave she felt tiny forelegs wrap around her left foreleg. The unicorn mare looked back and saw that she was being held captive by the distraught Alula. “Please…can…can you stay in here a little longer, just until I fall asleep…please…?” A gentle smile appeared upon Thorn’s lips. With a flash of her horn, Alula was lifted up and placed just so within the comforting embrace of the silk sheets, tucked in with care. Thorn got onto the bed and laid on top of the sheets beside her. “Of course I will.” Alula curled up next to Thorn, and the mare continued to stroke Alula’s mane, lulling her into sleep. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ DAY 2 Alula stood at the window to her room, well it was not her room per say, it was one of Thorn Blackforest’s guest rooms. The sun was high in the sky, casting its light on the flower garden down below. Many gardener ponies were walking about, attending to the delicate roses which made for a beautiful sight. But even the beauty of nature could not lift Alula’s spirits, to her, right now, the world might as well be colored gray and black. Her fillyfriend was dead, and her home practically destroyed. Yes some ponies made it, but the majority didn’t, all the residents of the town she called her home, their smiling faces and warm greetings. She would no longer hear or see any of them. Alula cursed herself, she wished she had asked Scootaloo to grant her access to the Rock of Eternity like she did Princess Twilight. But the Princess and Scootaloo didn’t want Alula to accidentally enter the fortress without one of them by her side, apparently the inside was more or less infinite and filled with many magical and dangerous things. Even though Murmur would be there, she might not always reach her in time. “Plus…if she’s really gone, there’s no way I’d still be able to get in…whose to say that the door shuts automatically when the person who has the power…” Alula couldn’t finish that sentence, she could say “dies”, because it would just drive the fact that much more home. Thanks to Thorn, Alula found out that she had been asleep for three days. After everything that happened, she had no doubts that there were ponies who would count her among the dead. It was probably just as well, she was just another orphan foal. A freaky, orphan foal. A knock came at the door, but Alula didn’t turn to see who it was. “Come in.” Thorn peeked into the room, looking at Alula with concern. “Alula, my maids tell me that you’re not eating, Dear.” “I’m not very hungry.” Thorn walked to Alula, standing next to her as she gazed out through the window. “I understand how much it hurts, believe me. You feel as if nothing matters, that the world has become less colorful.” Alula glanced up at the older mare curiously. “Ms. Blackforest, did you…did you lose somepony too?” Thorn looked down at Alula, but Alula quickly looked away. “Sorry! I-I didn’t mean to -!” “I lost my baby.” The Earth filly snapped her head back up to see Thorn. “You…You lost your foal?” “I was a little younger, it was a few years ago. She was my first and only child, and I was so proud of her, because I knew she would do great things one day…but, sadly I’ll never know,” said Thorn forlornly. Alula’s ears drooped in sadness. “I…I’m sorry, was it…um, what’s the word…miss carry?” Thorn shook her head. “No, she was born. She was healthy, and I held her in my arms. But…One day, she just disappeared. I felt as if the world was ending, that nothing - not even my own life - mattered. But, the fact that she just vanished gave me hope. I guess that’s why I sponsor and help so many orphanages, because I hope that one day I’ll find her there. That, and my motherly instincts compel me to help foals when I can.” Silence prevailed over the room for several seconds before a word was uttered. “I wish I could have that kind of hope, but…the pony I really cared about is…gone, and I know for sure she is….” “This filly, you were in love with her, weren’t you?” Thorn asked. Alula’s cheeks tinted red, but in spite of her sadness, she smiled and nodded. “What was she like?” “She was brave, strong, and not just like she can lift something heavy kind of strong, but strong in a way that I can’t describe. Everypony, well some bullies, told her that she would never fly, that she was a flightless pegasus, but she never let that bring her down. Until, one day, she flew, and she got her cutie mark on top of it. She never stopped believing, and I admired that. I knew that she’d get adopted to somepony nice, and she did, but she still hung out with us despite that. And she was even willing to be my fillyfriend, even after finding out about…” Thorn raised an eyebrow. “About what, Alula?” The young filly sighed. Did it really matter now that her home was gone? Thorn Blackforest had been kind enough to let her stay and recover, but she couldn’t keep this a secret if she intended to continue staying at her mansion. Alula stood back, feeling the change coming. Thorn looked curiously at Alula, but her eyes widened when she spotted a red glow around her forehead, and immediately, a unicorn horn grew out. Alula figured that Thorn could tell that it wasn’t an illusion, or a spell, that Alula literally grew functioning unicorn horn. “Alula…” “I’m just a freak…I don’t know what tribe I’m even supposed to be…but Scootaloo, she didn’t care, she cared about me. I had resigned myself to never being adopted, because, well, who would want to adopt a filly who can  change their tribe at random…” Thorn  shook her head, walking over to Alula and sitting down before her. “I think anypony who would judge based on that, and not see the filly within doesn’t deserve to be your parent, Alula.” Thorn blushed as she made circles in the carpet with her hoof. “I…If you wish, Alula, you could stay? Live with me.” Alula’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “Ms. Blackforest, are…are you saying…you’ll adopt me?!” “I don’t want to send you away to another orphanage, and honestly, after what you have been through, the last thing I want is for you to be alone. If you want, Alula, I could adopt you, but only if you want me to,” said Thorn with all sincerity.   “Miss Blackforest you…you’d really adopt me?!” Thorn opened her forelegs, welcoming Alula. Without hesitation, Alula jumped into them, feeling those forelegs wrap around her, and offer her protection and comfort. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ “You’re quite the twisted little minx aren’t you?” Pink Tulip teased. “Not now,” said Thorn. Thorn and Pink Tulip were standing before a tank filled with green liquid, and floating within it, was Alula. Two unicorn mares were standing on either side of the vat, their horns glowing as a machine mounted to the top of the tank blinked and pulsated. Pink Tulip walked up to the machine, inspecting it carefully. “So, this machine absorbs the spell from these two fine mares, and uses that power to bring to life the script that you’ve written, to feed it into this filly’s mind and practically brainwash her. Am I correct so far?” Pink Tulip asked. “Yes, but it’s not so much brainwashing as it is giving her the memories she was always meant to have. After all, she is my biological daughter,” said Thorn in all earnest. Pink Tulip gasped at hearing that little revelation, sidling up next to Thorn grinning lasciviously under her mask. “Oh my, Thorn! I had no idea she was literally your daughter! So, who’s the lucky stallion……or mare?”   Thorn scoffed at the mare. “Why must everything with you be perverted! For the Archivist, you’re not very scholarly!” The brown unicorn mare took a moment to calm down before she explained. “I mean to say, I used an egg from my own womb to grow her. The Xanthos magic, along with base DNA of pegasi and earth pony, were introduced to make her.” Tulip looked upon the filly again, regarding her in a new light. “Aaaah, so you were trying to create an alicorn, and you are technically her mother. Soooo~ how did you manage to extract your own egg? I don’t suppose there was some kinky method in doing so?” “I had one of my assistants help with the extraction, utilizing a phasing spell and -” “Yeah, yeah, boring science way. Why do you have to go and ruin my fantasies?” Tulip once again glanced upon the filly in the vat. “So, are you still going through with your plan?” Thorn walked up to the vat, placing a hoof gently to its surface. “I will not let her be used in such a way. My Alpha, my Erroria, she was meant to be beautiful. Truthfully, once the Kingdom had done its work, she and the rest of my ‘children’ would wipe out the lot of them, and take the place of the useless Royals who have let Equestria slip into danger time and again.” Pink Tulip smiled. “Is that so? But there are those who who won’t allow your plan to come true, they may even try to kill you.” “Is that a threat?” Thorn asked with a sharp glare. “A warning, dear, only a warning.” Thorn chuckled. “She was meant to be a symbol, ponies would look up to her and see mercy. But when her enemies look upon her, they will know only terror the likes of which the depths of Tartarus can ever know. Will you still stand with me, ‘Pink Tulip’?” Pink Tulip put on a sultry smile and sidled next to Thorn, practically having their cutie marks touch. “I stand next to those who hold my interest, those who have the potential to cause a great change, and I see that in you. Plus, I find you to hold my interest in the physical sense as well.” Thorn rolled her eyes. “And…I can sympathize with your desire…mother to mother,” whispered Pink Tulip. “What?” Thorn asked. “Nothing! Now, how about my reward for bringing you Caballeron? You still haven’t given it to me.” “Ugh…”   PONYVILLE Cheerilee walked back and forth in her living room, she didn’t know what to do for her adopted daughter. She hadn’t come out of her room for two days, Cheerilee had been leaving food at the door to her room, and Scootaloo seemed to be eating it. But upon inspecting it, there were small nibbles, her appetite hadn’t improved, and the only time she heard her come out was to go to the bathroom. Babs, Sweetie, Aura, and Apple Bloom had come to visit Scootaloo, in hopes of cheering her up. But each attempt was met with the same result, a closed door, and no response. It made Cheerilee sad every time she saw Scootaloo’s dearest friends come and stay for hours trying to talk to her, but leaving not being able to coax her out of the room. Cheerilee felt helpless, she couldn’t offer any words of comfort to Scootaloo. What do you say for a situation like this? Her special somepony was taken from her, and the young filly was powerless to help, even Twilight, even Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, proved to be powerless against the might of the Kingdom…even Shazam. It was the weekend now, and Cheerilee had her sister, Berry Punch over. She was at her wits end with how to help Scootaloo, and decided to ask somepony who already had experience. “Jeez, Sis, that’s…Well, are the Princesses going to mount a rescue or something?! That thing foalnapped a kid! They can’t just let that stand!” Berry argued. “Believe me, Twilight is going over every possible way to locate Alula…Even Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have mobilized the Royal Guard to start scouring known shady area of Equestria, and even making contact with allies in the Minotaur City States, the Eastern Regions of Neighpon, Prance, anypony at this point. But no luck as of yet.” Berry sipped a glass of grape juice, nonalcoholic, she needed her wits about her, and sighed heavily. “I wish I knew what to do, it’d be one thing if the one you’re crushing on up and moved away, but foalnapped…I…” Cheerilee rubbed her temples as she continued on. “To make matters worse, she thinks it’s her fault somehow. I don’t know where she got such an idea! She’s only a foal, a little filly! I’m starting to think having Rainbow Dash as her ‘big sister’ is starting to make her think that she’s meant to be a hero like her, or Shazam!” Berry rubbed the back of her head, chuckling a little. “You’d be surprised how much kids idolize somepony who’s their hero, and how harshly the judge themselves when they don’t meet up to that of their idol. My Berry Pinch was like that, still like that. She sees me as Super Mom, and says she wants to be like me when she grows up…I really hope not.” Cheerilee glanced to her sister, her expression morphing to one of compassion. “Berry, you were young and reckless, yes, but you weren’t a bad pony.” “Getting drunk off my ass, partying day and night - oh, and let's not forget the number of mares and stallions I slept with in between! Crap, Cheers, I don’t even know if Pinch’s other parent is a unicorn mare who spelled herself with the proper equipment, or if it was a stallion! And yet she defends me, it’s not like the other foals’ parents don’t talk, and their kids hear it and repeat it.” Berry shook her head. “Ugh, getting off topic, this is about you and Scoots! Sorry, I don’t have any good advice in this…” Cheerilee sighed, but gave a small smile. “It’s fine, I guess it’ll just be one of those things that we’ll have to figure out together.” The purple mare placed her hoof over Cheerliee’s and gave it reaffirming squeeze. “Hey, don’t forget, you’re not alone. I’m here, so is Pinch, she’s our family too you know and Pinchy’s been wanting to spend more time with her new cousin. Maybe when this is over we can figure out a family outing.” The school teacher’s smile widened. “I’d like that, and I think Scootaloo would too.” “Good, now how about you marry that hot piece of alicorn flank so we can have a proper family outting?” Cheerilee’s face switched from its normal mulberry color to full red. “BERRY PUNCH! Honestly, between you, and Scootaloo,  I don’t know who embarrasses Twilight and I more!” Suddenly, they heard a clicking noise coming from upstairs, not soon after the sound of hooves descending the stairs caught their ears. Cheerilee and Berry watched as Scootaloo came down the stairs, her movements were sluggish, as if she were moving through molasses, her gaze downcast as she barely even acknowledged their presence. “Hey Scoots, it’s your Aunt Berry!” Berry called out. Scootaloo raised her head to look in their direction, her eyes looked as if she were somewhere far away, despite her body being physically here. “Hey…” “Um, Scootaloo, did you need something sweetheart?” Cheerilee asked. “I’m going out…” Scootaloo replied. “Oh…um, are you heading to Twilight’s? Rainbow Dash’s place, or maybe one of your friends?” Scootaloo turned her back to Cheerilee and Berry and began walking towards the door. “Scootaloo?” The orange pegasus filly didn’t respond. “Scootaloo.” Again, no response. “Scootaloo?!” “I’m just going out, I don’t know where! Maybe I’ll fly up and hang out on a cloud! Maybe I’ll go to the Apple Orchard and get myself lost in the trees! I don’t know where I’m going so just stop asking!” Scootaloo snapped as she did an about face. Cheerilee was taken aback by the harsh tone Scootaloo took, even Berry Punch was surprised. It finally sunk in what she had done and Scootaloo’s face quickly changed from one of anger to one of apology. “I-I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry Cheerilee! I…I just…” Scootaloo hung her head, tears beginning to form. “Please…Please don’t hate me…” Cheerilee rose from the couch and walked to her little filly. She sat before her and gently stroked her mane. “I could never hate you, Scootaloo. You just surprised me is all. I’m sorry to ask you so many times, but I’m just worried about you, and after all that’s happened, I don’t want to lose you.” Scootaloo moved closer and nuzzled into Cheerliee’s chest. The older mare lowered her head and nuzzled the top of Scootaloo’s head. “I just need to get out for a bit…is that alright?” Scootaloo asked? “Alright…just promise me you’ll be home before the sun sets?” Scootaloo backed up and nodded to her. With that, Scootaloo left the house, leaving Cheerilee to sigh and worry for her adopted daughter. “Well, guess I’m staying. No way I’m leaving you alone,” said Berry Punch. “Thanks Berry.” “No prob, so how about you bust out the good stuff and we’ll play a round of Shot or Dare!” Cheerilee face hoofed herself. “The last time we played that you dared me to - brrr,” the mulberry mare shivered at the memory, “you had me do that!” “Hey you could’ve just taken the shot, but uh, to be fair, you didn’t seem like you were disliking the dare that much, Sis,” said Berry with a wiggling eyebrow. “You do know my marefriend can send you to the moon, right?”                             Scootaloo began wandering Ponyville, not really going anywhere in particular. The loss against the Beast was made all the more painful by losing Alula, her first fillyfriend, and she let her get taken by a monster, to an organization of ponies who’ll do, Faust knows what. In the back of Scootaloo’s mind though, she had an idea, she knew all too well how cruel some adults could be to foals, her own past was evident of that. It made Scootaloo’s blood boil, to the point that she almost uttered the Word of Power. Unfortunately, just as soon as the hot blooded fervor was stoked, it died out in the face of cold logic. Even if she did transform, she had no way of finding Alula, and even so, she was still no match for the Kingdom’s Assassins who wield Xanthos magic. Scootaloo may be the bearer of the Living Lighting, but she was no champion. In her mind, losing Alula was grounds for dismissal as a hero. If a hero can’t protect those they love, how can they call themselves heroes, she thought. As Scootaloo walked she found herself bumping into somepony, sending her going rumb first to the ground. “Sorry, I-I wasn’t watching where I was - DISCORD?!” Well, it wasn’t just one Discord, it was a team of Discords, all flying around Ponyville and using their chaos magic to fix up the town. The Discord that Scootaloo bumped into had on denim overalls, an orange plaid shirt, and a yellow hardhat. Around his waist were various tools, a hammer, wrench, measuring tape, and other items. Discord turned his head, looking back and forth before finally looking down and seeing Scootaloo. “Sorry little filly, but access to this road is strictly off limits until construction is complete.” “Wha…What are you doing here?!” Scootaloo asked. “Oh, well, you know the construction industry is booming right now, what with all the superpowered beings smashing walls, and the now and again little crisis Ponyville has from time to time, I thought to myself, ‘Discord, why not start a construction company and make Ponyville your prime local?!’” Discord lowered his head to Scootaloo’s level and whispered in her ear. “Between you and me, with the amount of mishaps this town has, I’ll be able to retire in less than a month!” Scootaloo raised an eyebrow at that. “Seriously?” Discord pouted. “Oh alright, Twilight asked me to help……and Fluttershy may’ve had a hoof in it, too.” “Uh-huh, so why did the other yous stop working?” Discord turned around and spotted his various clones all setting, drinking coffee and eating donuts. Discord zipped over to one of his clones and gave them a stern look. “And why are you lazing about?! We still have work to do!” “Union break,” the clone answered. Discord slapped his forehead with his lion’s paw. “I swear, the things I put up with.” The Spirit of Chaos turned to talk to Scootaloo, but soon found that the pegasus filly had already begun walking the other way. Not achieving more than five feet of distance between them, did Discord teleport to Scootaloo, hovering over her. “Now, what’s with the looong face? I mean other than the fact that you’re a pony, but then, you’re faces aren’t very long, unlike that one horse I know with the terrible bad luck, now that’s a long face.” “Ugh, why do you care?” Scootaloo asked. “Because, you and your little trio get into all kinds of chaos, and it’s always fun to see what kind of mishap you get into next. So when one of you looks a little down in the dumps, it affects the chaos! So what’s wrong?” Suddenly, with a snap of his claw, Scootaloo found herself lying on a couch, and Discord sitting on a stool with a clipboard, a lab coat, and wearing some large frame glasses. “Tell Dr. Discord what troubles you, remember, everything that’s said is held in strict confidence.” Scootaloo gave the Spirit of Chaos a deadpan look and hopped off the couch. “Look, I’m not really in the mood for your mind games, I just want to be alone right now.” “Hmm,” hummed Discord as he stroked his goatee. “Now what exactly can be troubling a young, twelve-year-old filly like yourself? Colt trouble? Filly trouble perhaps? Has to be filly trouble, the ratio of stallions to mares in this place is severely off kilter, how can you not end up with a another filly and/or mare?!” “Discord,” said Scootaloo in a warning tone. “Perhaps it’s a friendship problem? In which case this would’ve been solved two chapters ago, but seeing the current length of this story, it’s definitely not that. That or the author is long winded.” Scootaloo stopped in her tracks on that one. “Wait what?” Discord began pacing around Scootaloo, well, his bottom half did so while his top half just hovered there and thought hard. “Oh well, if it isn’t any of that then it must have something to do with your losing the filly you cared about, and getting beaten soundly by a supercharged, mutant pony monster, thing.” Scootaloo’s jaw dropped, time felt as if it had ground to a halt, and every hair on her body stood on end. Well, the time grinding to a halt may have something to do with the fact that nothing and nopony was moving, at all. “Wha…Wha…I mean, what are you talking about?!” Scootaloo asked, trying to feign ignorance. “Oh please, you really think I wouldn’t have figured it out? Filly please, I knew you had that Ancient Magic the moment you came back from that Rock of Whatever.” “YOU KNOW ABOUT THE ROCK OF ETERNITY?!” Scootaloo quickly slapped her hooves over her mouth, cursing herself for yelling out the name of her interdimensional fortress. “Ah don’t worry, time has completely halted, they can’t see or hear us. Ooh, one moment!” Scootaloo watched as Discord teleported over to two ponies. The pegasus filly knew these two as Lyra Heartstrings and Bonbon, Ponyville’s closet mare couple, who constantly kept saying they’re “best friends”. After having a fillyfriend of her own, Scootaloo was able to tell just how obvious those two were. Discord, in pure chaos fashion, worked his magic and somehow joined both mares at the middle. Scootaloo’s eye twitched at the odd sight, seeing how Bonbon’s top half, and seeing as her vanilla coat color transitioned into Lyra’s mint green coat color, and ending up with the top of Lyra. Discord then teleported over to the local Mailmare, Derpy Hooves. She was with her daughter, and fellow classmate of Scootaloo’s, Dinky Hooves. Scootaloo dreaded what DIscord would do, but after a snap of his paw, Derpy had been transformed into a filly, and Dinky had changed into a grown mare. Which, oddly enough, made Scootaloo’s jaw drop at how hot she looked. With one last teleport, Discord appeared before Scootaloo, leaning on a lamppost. “Sorry about that, had to get jiggy with the chaos while I could. Now what were you saying?” Scootaloo shook her head and gave the draconequus an intense glare. “How the hay do you know about the Rock of Eternity, and how do you know I’m Shazam?!” Discord’s lips formed a somewhat sinister grin. “Because, my little pony, I once battled the Ancient Magic. Back before there was a Champion of Magic, before existence, there was only Chaos and Order - Order being the Ancient Magic.” “For eons both Chaos and Order fought against each other, struggling for supremacy. And then, existence came into being. Worlds were created, life sprang up, and with it, those whom Order chose to wield it’s power, the Ancient Magic. The Six Gods of SHAZAM. Through them, the power of Chaos would be beaten back and defeated time and again. Oh sure, there have been those who try to wield its power, but they all fell short and were left wanting.” “That’s when Chaos chose to create its own envoy, its own personification, the Spirit of Chaos!” Scootaloo gulped. “You?” Discord, after somehow acquiring a game show host suit, turned around and pointed to a weird electronic board. “Show me ‘Discord’?!” In less than a second, the board flashed with Discord’s face, ringing loudly. “Give the filly a solid gold cupi doll!” Suddenly, a gold doll in the form of a pegasus holding a bow and arrow fell from the sky and landed next to Scootaloo with a “thud”, making the pegasus filly jump to the side. “DISCORD!” “Heh, heh, sorry, that should have just appeared on the ground. But yes, I was the enemy of your predecessors. For a time anyway. Until the Ancient Magic left, and Harmony took its place. It was then that I thought to myself, why does chaos have to be destruction and all around bad stuff, fun things can happen from chaos, too you know!” Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, but sometimes your definition of ‘fun’ involves turning reality inside out.” Discord huffed. “Now that’s unfair, I’ve mellowed out over the years! Mostly.” “So, what, are you…going to fight me or…?” Discord regarded the little filly for a moment. “I have no need to fight, it’s been sooooo long since those years, besides, there’s other things brewing that require the return the power you wield. And by the way, why haven’t you shouted out your battlecry and sped off to save your bonny lass?” Scootaloo hung her head in shame. “Because…I’m not a hero…I can’t beat the Kingdom…and if I can’t beat them…I can’t save Alula…” The pegasus filly looked back to her flank, seeing the golden thunderbolt, the symbol of her heroic persona, the mark of her destiny to be a hero. “I don’t deserve this…the Wizard made a mistake! Discord, use your magic to take it off of me, I don’t deserve this mark!”   “Hmmm, nope. Not my thing to steal cutie marks, that’s more of a certain unicorn mare’s thing in this little village - nevermind. In any case, I won’t be taking it - not saying I can’t - but I won’t.”   Scootaloo glared at the Spirit of Chaos, of all the times Discord would pull a prank or do something that would be near catastrophe levels, he did it without question, and now here she was, practically offering him the chance to get rid of an old enemy and he wouldn’t take it. “WHY WON’T YOU!!? I’M NOT WORTHY OF THIS POWER, OR THIS MARK! JUST…Just take it away away…all of it…it was a mistake to make me a hero…” Discord raised an eyebrow at the young filly, and, possibly the only other time he’d ever show it. The Spirit of Chaos, had a serious expression. “So, you don’t think you’re worthy? Don’t think that you’re supposed to be a hero?” Discord glanced off to the side and nodded as if affirming his decision. “Come with me.” The draconequus turned around and snapped his fingers. In an instant a door appeared and opened to a world of light. Discord motioned with this paw for Scootaloo to follow, the pegasus filly sighed, she had nowhere to be right now, especially with time having been frozen. So she followed the Spirit of Chaos into the doorway, which shut behind her and disappeared from sight. “Where are we?” Scootaloo’s eyes widened when she beheld an infinite expanse of stars, and gasped when she noticed that she was standing on a platform made of light. The pegasus filly knew this wasn’t the normal night sky that she’d normally see, there was power around her, echoes coming from the distance and reverberating throughout the expanse. “Welcome to the Multiverse! Well, our little corner of it anyways!” Discord announced. “‘Multiverse’, what’s that?” Discord reached out and somehow plucked a few stars from the sky, he then had them float before the both of them as he held his claw and paw behind his back. “The full explanation would take too long, but simply put, it’s the idea that many universes exist, ones that are based upon different choices we make. For instance…” An orb rose up from the rest and showed Ponyville, the orb fast forwarded and showed herself, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle. She didn’t think anything of it, not at first, it looked like a normal day, but then something caught her attention. “Wait…Class President? I don’t remember doing this for Pip?” She continued to watch as the three of them learned of Diamond Tiara’s real reason for being the way she was, and how she came to realize what she was meant to be. Further into watching, Scootaloo witnessed as the three of them gained their cutie marks, together. “This…This never happened! What kind of trick is this?!” Scootaloo shouted. “It’s no trick, Scootaloo, this is a glimpse of a world that took a different path, where you and your little friends all gained your marks together. Quite an amazing feat I might add. There are other worlds like this one Scootaloo, ones where you’re still with your parents before anything ever bad happened, and never did. Others where Nightmare Moon became victorious, where Queen Chrysalis terrorizes the land, and others where…Tirek is large and in charge.” At the last one, Discord snorted some flames, the sting of betrayal still fresh. “Then you run into other ones, worlds that splinter off from the main path, some, are due to the influence of other universes, powers that have somehow injected themselves into Equestria’s universe and caused all kinds of wondrous things, and sometimes awful things. Take this world, I’m sure Twilight has filled you in on her little venture to a parallel world?” “Y-Yeah…” Discord brought forth another orb, one that showed the pony that stole Twilight’s crown, Sunset Shimmer. But, there was another Twilight there. Both, Sunset, and this other Twilight, seemed to be enemies, but then they attained powers by calling out the word “FIRESTORM!!!”  Scootaloo backed away, covering her eyes until the glow subsided. She gasped upon seeing both non-pony Sunset and Twilight transform into fiery warriors. “What is this?!” “A world where an organization, not unlike the Kingdom, is threatening global domination through the use of that power you see. Dear Twilight and Sunset are opposing this currently, but are in bit of a rough spot, but sadly, no spoilers!” Discord then proceeded to toss the orb back behind him, which then shot off back into the universe behind him. “Oh, I think you’ll find this one interesting! A world where seven lights powered by seven different emotions, and the beings who are the sources of this light, come to Equestria and seek refuge from a War of Light.” Scootaloo looked upon this orb, regarding it with great fascination, but blushed when she saw herself and a blue pegasus filly kiss. “And did I forget to mention that you happened to fall in love with one of them? She embodies hope itself, so A+!” Scootaloo shoved the orb away and glared to Discord. “Why are you showing me all this?! These different worlds?!” “Haven’t you wondered why I haven’t been able to help much lately?” Discord asked. Scootaloo opened her mouth to explain, but, after thinking it over for a second, she didn’t know. After everything that had happened lately, not once had Discord come to intervene, and nopony seemed to know where he was during this time. “What…What have you been doing?” Discord pointed a single digit up to the expanse above. “Look, it’s about to happen.” Scootaloo looked up and watched as something red and fiery came straight for them. The tween filly was about to speak the Word of Power, but at the last second, the object struck something. An invisible wall crafted of chaos magic, which stretched on for as far as the eye could see. The red comet, which took on a shape similar to that of the non-pony beings in that parallel world, struck the barrier again and again, spewing crimson flames that seemed endless. Finally, the creature changed form and shot off into the distance. “W-What was that?!” “An invader, something that was attracted to this world because it shares similarities with whatever world it came from. It happens frequently, and my job is to keep our universe safe from outside influence such as that. That’s why I haven’t helped much, why my powers are mostly limited to my usual brand of chaos and nothing reality warping.” “Because you’re using all your power to keep the universe safe…does Twilight know?! Do the Princesses know?!” Scootaloo asked in a frantic state.         Discord shook his head. “Twilight does not, and Celestia has an inkling, and nothing more. But that’s why you are needed more than ever.” The filly tilted her head in confusion. “The power of the Ancient Magic, it’s return means that there’s a crisis coming that warrants the return of the Champion of Magic, and out off all the ponies and living beings in our universe, I knew you would be chosen. Even before the old snowbeard knew himself.” Scootaloo’s head felt as if it was going to burst open. Discord knew about her, there were other worlds, he was protecting everypony from otherworldly threats? Scootaloo felt as if she needed to transform just to have the wisdom needed to process this information. “I…Okay, so why, why am I the only one out of everypony on our planet?!” Discord waved his paw over Scootaloo, and immediately, a field of azure blue and white, and a field of violet and red, formed around Scootaloo. “Every living thing has two halves to them. The good and the bad, the light and the darkness, Chaos and Harmony. Your unique, in that part of your life was filled with chaos, the likes of which even your friends wouldn’t dare to even speculate or say aloud.” Discord watched as the young filly turned her gaze away, tears beginning to leak from the corners of her eyes.  “But, because of that, it’s allowed you to see the good and makes you strive to be even better than what your past could’ve done.” Discord waved his paw and brought both dual auras to bear before Scootaloo. “Your powers are hinging on this duality. When you’re confident, brave, and selfless in the face of danger, your aura of Harmony is that much stronger, and you’re powers answer to that strength.” The blue and white aura began to grow, shrinking the red and violet aura. “But when you’re in doubt, when you fear of your past may take hold, it poisons your power.” The violet and red aura began to grow, and push back against the blue and white aura. Scootaloo hung her head low. “So, I’m my own worst enemy, but more proof that I shouldn’t be the Champion, at all!” Discord waved his paw and made the aura return to a state of transparency. He then teleported next to Scootaloo, and hovered there as he spoke. “I have witnessed many paths that you could’ve taken. Paths that have led you to doing things similar to what you suffered, but with those you care about, your friends, and those you look up to, like a kind of poison. Others I’ve seen show you going so far into the darkness that not even light or friendship would dare touch you.” Scootaloo screwed her eyes shut, she knew all this, she knew she was messed up inside. How could she not be? After what her mother put her through, did to her, how could anypony expect to escape that and not be broken or messed up. Scootaloo had made sure to push all those memories so far into the back of her mind that they would only be bad dreams and nightmares when she slept, afraid that those things would come back and her brokenness would hurt her friends, and corrupt those she cared about and looked out for her. Rainbow Dash, Cheerilee, Twilight, she couldn’t bare to drag any of them into that. “But you know what, all of those possibilities vanished the moment you spoke the word ‘Shazam’.” The pegasus filly opened her eyes and glanced at Discord, half expecting to see a mocking grin. But, his expression was not mocking, it was actually sincere, he was even smiling. A kind smile, not his usual Cheshire cat grin. “You…You mean that?” “Yes, I watched that moment carefully, because at that moment a number of scenario worlds were about to be born in which you chose a different path, a dark path, a painful path, and ones that would - after a lot of hardship and drama - would bring you to a somewhat happy ending. But you chose this, and from then on, well, it’s completely up to you. Because this world needs a Champion to watch it, I watch the outside, while you watch over the inside.” Discord placed his claw on the filly’s mane and ruffled it, earning a groan from the filly, but Scootaloo smiled nonetheless. “The world chose you to be a hero, but it was your decision to answer the call, and you accepted it, which makes you that much stronger. No more doubts?” Scootaloo looked up to the infinite universe above her, every glow of light, every star was another world, a different existence where she wasn’t a superhero, where things weren’t as crazy as they are now, and ones that were probably even crazier than her own situation. How many other versions of her were fighting to live a better life? How many versions of her became heroes, even superheroes? How many were fighting this very moment, with everything they had to save the ponies they cared about? One thing was for sure, there was no time for the sadsack routine. She was chosen, but she made the choice to be the Champion of Magic, to become Equestria’s Mightiest Mare. All kinds of bad things happened to her before she came to Ponyville, and a lot of good things happened after she got there. Friends, the start of a family, and a filly she could call her very special somepony. The Kingdom would not take that from her, nor would she let them do that to anypony. “Discord, take me back.” The Spirit of Chaos raised an eyebrow. “Oh, why’s that? Time’s still frozen on the other side.” “I have a mission to start, and a pony to bring back home!” Scootaloo declared with vigor. Discord grinned and snapped his paw, creating a door that swung open to Ponyville. “Go get ‘em!” Scootaloo nodded and dashed for the doorway, but just before she crossed over, Discord's eyes and mouth appeared in the middle of space, making Scootaloo come to a screeching halt. “Oopsie doodles, almost forgot! You may want to have a look in Twilight’s throne room, there may or may not be something that can help,” said Discord with a winking left eye. Normally Scootaloo would roll her eyes and blow off his advise, but this time, she felt as if she could trust the Spirit of Chaos. With an affirming nod, Scootaloo charged through the doorway, with the door closing shut behind her. Discord righted himself, standing on his cloven hoof and dragon foot. “You play a dangerous game Discord.” The Spirit of Chaos grinned as he turned around and saw a blue-green flame flicker behind him. “No more dangerous than what’s going on,” replied Discord. “You didn’t need to show her this, it’s too much for her to understand! Right now she needs to focus on saving Alula!”  Discord turned around and put his claw and paw on his hips, where his hips would be anyway. “Yes, but as you could see, she was a little down in the dumps, and nothing you could’ve done would’ve helped. She needed a pep talk, and I gave her one, and it wasn’t as if what I was saying was untrue.” The blue-green flame flickered in agitation. “What you say is true, but that doesn’t mean she’s ready for what’s to come!”  “No one is. But trust me, knowing now will save you some trouble later.” The flicker formed itself into a question mark. “And how do you figure?”  Discord pulled an orb from the infinite expanse. In the orb was the image of a battlefield, ravaged by unparalleled destruction. Amidst the chaos, seven figures stood together. Lightning flashed, fire roared, lights beamed, magic and chaos were unleashed, and cannons were fired, all while these seven charged forth into battle, against impossible odds. “Let’s just say, you’ll bear witness to Legends.”