"Discord! What are you up to this time?!" Twilight looked wildly around the room for the source of the voice.
"Oh, do calm yourself, Twilight Sparkle, we get in one little argument and suddenly somepony can't stop holding a grudge!" The voice chuckled.
"You turned the world upside down for your own amusement and turned all my friends against me! I hardly would call that a little argument!" Twilight all but shouted.
"You made me covet a large rock! It was so tacky!" Rarity yelled, her face etched in disgust.
"You turned me into a danged liar!
"You made me all grey and grumpy! It was hilarious! Still not very nice, when you play games with somepony you should explain the rules better!" Pinkie giggled a bit, but then put on her serious business face.
"You made me into a big meanie jerkface to all my friends! New Fluttershy should kick your flan-" Rarity shoved a hoof in her mouth. "No more of that nonsense dear." She hissed. "Well, perhaps later if it comes to it." She conceded.
"You made me betray all my friends to go nap on a cloud, not cool!"
"Please, children, we played a game, we all played well. I lost, you won. It wasn't all bad was it?"
"I... lost everypony that day..." Twilight looked about ready to cry. Pinkie Pie pulled everyone into a group hug at this.
"Oh, but you got them all back didn't you? I'm willing to bet each and every one of you became closer for having been torn apart. Where was the friendship report for that day? You did a lot of reading, but no writing! Didn't you learn anything?"
Applejack was startled by movement in the corners, some kind of smoke? It was slowly gathering.
Dash broke from the hug and rose her wings in anger. "She learned we can kick your tail when we stand together!"
Discord's disembodied voice chuckled again. "Rainbow Dash, how very loyal of you to speak up for your friend when she is in distress. However the question was directed at Twilight. I wanted to know what she had learned, but perhaps she's too upset with me to give a report right now. Or perhaps she just feels uncomfortable giving reports to anyone but Princess Celestia! Perhaps instead she'd like to hear what I learned."
There, in another corner! Was it fog? No, it reminded her of something...
Discord descended from the ceiling where previously there had been no visible entrance. Fluttershy looked up in bemusement at what appeared to be a giant kitten head peeking from the hole before it vanished completely. He was being rained on by a pink cotton candy cloud. He had on a garish green shower cap. In one hand he was scrubbing himself with a rubber duck and in the other he held a shower brush that squeaked whenever he gripped it tightly.
Rarity laughed a bit. "That doesn't even make any sense."
He tossed the shower brush to the side, where it exploded into a flock of doves, which in turn exploded into confetti. He reached up under his cap and pulled out a snow globe which he balanced precariously on one claw. In the snow globe was a very familiar scene, one the girls had seen many times on their travels, Canterlot Castle.
He gazed into the snow globe, ignoring the flummoxed alicorns before him for the moment. "Dear Princess Celestia, I recently learned from your dear protege just how powerful friendship can be. At first I scoffed at its power, I felt there was no force on Equestria greater than Chaos. Then I witnessed firsthand just how powerful six friends can be in the face of disaster. I was truly impressed. So much so I resolved then and there that I would make some friends of my own, and so, I did." He snapped his fingers.
Six grey Alicorns appeared in a flash of light behind him, their eyes flashing in anger.
Inside the snow globe, movement showed, the Wonderbolts were flying, an airship took off... "No" Twilight thought. "No that's not true. That's impossible... Of course it's possible he is the god of chaos! Get your head in the game, Sparkle!"
Applejack could make out lights in the smoke now, they almost looked like... stars?
Twilight spoke in a low voice "Canterlot..."
Pinkie grinned. "It's only a model!"
Twilight looked annoyed. "No Pinkie, this is the model! Discord has Canterlot in that snow globe!"
"Oh, did somepony finally get a clue? Would anypony care to buy a vowel? Maybe I should just solve the puzzle for you? Yes, you've guessed it, they're all inside here, none of them even know what is going on quite yet. There was quite the panic just now with a giant eyeball peering in from the sky, I think they sent the Wonderbolts to ineffectively try to save the day again, poor dears."
Dash reared up again. "Nopony insults the Wonderbolts, pal!"
Twilight had calmed down by now, and stood up defiantly. "What's the game this time?"
"Calm yourself, Twilight! I have been fair in the past, have I not? I not only gave you your wings and horns back I gave you added bonuses! It's quite simple really, the six of you against the six of them, one on one. In six days if there is no clear majority a final free-for-all will occur."
Pinkie was counting on her hooves, which seemed to be multiplying. "One... two... three... four... five... six... seven... that's not fair that's seven versus six!"
Applejack was fairly certain she remembered now... it looked almost like... oh hay, this was not good, no way she could be back...
Discord grinned, although even he had looked a bit shaken by the seven hooves on one pony. "Well should it come down to that, I will release Luna and Celestia to fight at your side, and at mine.... Well let's say I have an Ace up my sleeve."
The mist that had been gathering at their feet coalesced, and formed into a very familiar shape. "Not so much an Ace as a Queen, but then how is a Joker expected to know the value of other cards?"
Twilight looked on in fright. "How? Luna is free, there is no way-"
Discord smiled slowly, in a grin that seemed to exceed the confines of his face. "Yes, Luna is still free, that's her-" gesturing to Nightmare. "-stake in this. You see we all have our goals, I want to be free to wreak chaos as I choose. Nightmare here wishes to rejoin Luna, or Celestia, or any of you for that matter, she is not picky. In her current form she is powerful, but she is a needs a host to attain full strength. My new friends here simply desire justice for their imprisonment and subsequent use as tools for the ends of Celestia. You most likely desire to see me turned to stone again, and to have your princesses returned to you unharmed. So then, the terms are set, wagers are made, shall we play a game?"
Shall we play a game.....That's gotta be a reference, I just know it.
Oh, this shit is about to get serious.
Enjoyed, very much
305069 added a youtube link
So.... When does Celestia fire up the Orbital Friendship Cannon to destroy all agents of Chaos!
305095 Error. Orbital Friendship Cannon Power Source is missing. Please connect Power Source and try again.
"Fluttershy looked up in bemusement at what appeared to be a giant kitten head peeking from the hole before it vanished completely."
CEILING CAT IS WATCHING YOU ARGUE WITH THE GOD OF CHAOS!
What did Twilight learn that day?
"I'll tell you what we've learned, Discord. We've learned that friendship isn't always easy, but there's no doubt it's worth fighting for"
-Twilight Sparkle, Return of Harmony Part 2
305152 In fairness, when she said that, he was a bit busy getting blasted in the face by rainbows, he may have missed it. Twilight was probably too horrified that princess celestia was missing, then found out she was IN A SNOWGLOBE to worry about it, and rainbow did in fact say the same thing for her.
images.cheezburger.com/completestore/2011/9/22/6653e01d-f52e-43f7-87b6-8764844eb4a7.jpg
Caught me in a canonical error. So we're going with he was a little distracted by the whole friendship wave to the face thing and was picking on her for not doing a written report.
encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQMGGdDRZhObu5n_0DhxtV-wCyCyP8N5Jt7u-f-SSXpDWUTI9IU
305069
dont need link to say "SAW"
305219 actually thats not the reference i was going for, and those are horrible movies. click the link to find out what it was
The most dangerous game.
305220
nah, the first one was a really good suspense movie, but I heard they derailed to cheap horror on the others
....
Ohhhhhh war games!
...but dont you prefer a nice game of chess?
Nobody can beat the Q! Hwahwahwahwahwa
I feel like the Free-for-All WILL happen.... seeing as how itll be Alicorns vs Alicorns + Deranged God of Chaos, and that from your representation of Alicorns.... that theyre goddamn GODS
I'm imagining Yami Yugi in the Shadow Games arc (season 0) when he's always like "Let's play a game." And then invariably the opponent has to play a "penalty game." Creepy.
Also, loved the cameo from Ceiling Cat.
Great chapter, I need moar. XD
Please never end this, and if you do, i would like to see a story of their alicorn lives
THIS...IS...A FREE-FOR-ALL! Let the battle begin heh heh. This was awesome as always (then again I do love Discord with my heart and soul). Hope to see you on soon-to-be war for freedom!
305226
Later. Let's play Global Thermonuclear Friendship.
305220
The refernce was from a movie, I don't remember but it had a super computer and the computer and a boy plays Thermonuclear war.
Or was it Global Thermonuclear War?
Shit's about to get crazy(er).
306244
Movie's name: WarGames. Old Matthew Broderick film. One of my personal favorites. The Super Computer's name was WOPR (War Operations Planned Response), but the software was named after the computer's developer's dead son, 'Joshua'.
...Don't play games with Joshua - he never quite learned the difference between 'Simulation' and 'Real', and at one point the US apparantly hooked him up with Live Rounds...
I doubt this is what you were referring to, but would you like to play a game? How about a nice game of chess?
*checks link*
Oh. Well. I was right. You WERE referencing Wargames! I misquoted it though...
305069 saw reference bro.
I was too busy thinking the "shall we play a game" was a Saw reference, even though I haven't seen any of the movies I still recognize the phrase, that I TOTALLY forgot about Wargames, I read the book AND saw the movie. I am ashamed at my own neglect. I use Joshua's lesson quite a lot actually, "what a strange game, the only way to win is not to play" I say if you are fighting a losing battle why should you try.
You see we all our have goals, =_= hummmmm
SPOILER ALERT!!!
"Well, perhaps later if it comes to it."
-I have hear it said that "Chivalry is the willingness to find reasons to beat people up."... or something like that. Rarity is very Chivalrous (granted she either took most of her karate lessons AFTER "A Dog and Pony Show", or she was showing mercy).
Applejack was startled by moment in the corners,
-movement
It was slowly gathering.
-One of the Old!Elements? Discord doesn't do much slower than he has to. Then again he COULD be weakened from taking on all of Canterlot castle at once after BARELY escaping this time.
No, it reminded her of something...
-Yeah, probably one of the Old!Elements... or maybe Luna in the mist-form she used as NMM.
Discord descended from the ceiling where previously there had been no visible entrance.
-Ok, so that means the mist certainly isn't him...
Fluttershy looked up in bemusement at what appeared to be a giant kitten head peeking from the hole before it vanished completely.
-Wow... the mini-crossovers just get more and more creative.
In one hand he was scrubbing himself with a rubber duck and in the other he held a shower brush that squeaked whenever he gripped it tightly.
-Not QUITE up there with the bit with the glass of chocolate milk that exploded in shadow instead of a flash.
He tossed the shower brush to the side, where it exploded into a flock of doves, which in turn exploded into confetti.
-Ok, you MAY be trying too hard here, but I am going to give you props anyway.
He reached up under his cap and pulled out a snow globe which he balanced precariously on one claw. In the snow globe was a very familiar scene, one the girls had seen many times on their travels, Canterlot Castle.
-Is this a Doctor Who reference or is it only "Derpy is the Doctor's Companion" that means that people say that she got trapped in the globe while working with him, and he later rescued her?
Six grey Alicorns appeared in a flash of light behind him, their eyes flashing in anger.
-Right, so the mist probably IS Luna, and Discord DOES have them minionified, rather than merely Discorded (although he might not have when Tornado was talking to Dash).
Applejack could make out lights in the smoke now, they almost looked like... stars?
-The only question now is, is she sneaking, or recovering?
In six days if there is no clear majority a final free-for-all will occur.
-Not to the death then. I also wonder if they can communicate with Celestia for tactical advice... probably not, that line of communciation was what defeated him the last time around. At the very least he will have it tapped, middle case is it is cut off, worst case is he has it falsified.
that's not fair that's seven versus six
-She is assuming that he will be joining in the free-for-all. A logical loop-hole for him to use. Of course, throwing in Luna makes it 7 vs 7 again. Luna might be good for tactical advice, even if she does have more than 1,000 less years of hooves-on experience. Then again, the amount of mental exercises she might have done in making her revenge plans as Nightmare Moon while bound into the moon might actually put her ahead. Of course, 6 days with Discord running wild will NOT be fun for Equestria, even if he doesn't take more hostages.
oh hay, this was not good, no way she could be back...
-Kinda hard to tell just by the texturing of the cloud if it is Luna or Nightmare Moon. Have to go by volume (and that might not be a constant while in mist form) or shape. The spell seems like something Luna would have in her arsenal, since it isn't a "dark power" per se.
although even he had looked a bit shaken by the seven hooves on one pony.
-Why? It is only one more than she managed before Alicornication, and it isn't THAT weird in my mind.
I will release Luna and Celestia to fight at your side, and at mine.... Well let's say I have an Ace up my sleeve.
-Ah, so a CLONE of Nightmare Moon... or more precisely, it is probably the Nightmare itself. Of course, my muzzy head finally gets around to wondering what the dishonorable plan behind this honorable plan is.
Not so much an Ace as a Queen, but then how is a Joker expected to know the value of other cards?
-Nice line...
Luna is free, there is no way-
-As I thought, the Nightmare, with no Luna attached per se.
Nightmare here wishes to rejoin Luna, or Celestia, or any of you for that matter, she is not picky.
-Sounds like a situation for a heroic sacrifice with... oh, say Fluttershy taking her in in exchange for her leaving the grand melee (which is a sure thing, one way or another). The Nightmare gets what it wants, and Fluttershy takes out a more able combatant than herself... although if anyone could make the Old!Elements come to their senses it would probably be Fluttershy.... or at least I get the vibe she would have the easiest time of it, since I suspect they will be specifically ready to counter the memory spell... wonder if all 6 of them know it now? Probably not, but Pinkie needs no training, and it seems like it MIGHT be the sort of delicate magic that Rarity would manage pretty well. As it shares similarities to Dominic Deegan's favorite spell SEE THE TRUTH! Applejack might have a natural affinity for it, and on top of that it could be called a healing spell, which Earth Ponies have as a subconscious ability.
shall we play a game?
-But where-as WOPR wasn't quite canny enough for comfort, Discord is entirely too canny for comfort. Huh... wonder if the game will end the same way? Discord unleashing his chaos on a rapidly expanding ball of monoatomic dust doesn't sound anything like his idea of "fun". He likes VICTIMS.
508548
My only thought was: "Did he just bring a flock of doves to life and then immediately kill them?"
Invoking Wargames in a Zero Wing-titled chapter? Shenanigans!
At this point turning Discord back to stone dose not sound like a fitting punishment. He has ruined so many lives he should make up for it by losing his. The moral of the story is: DON'T BE A DICK!