Guilt of a Phantom

by Powerdrainer

Action, Reaction, Consequences

Edited by Slayerseba

Action, Reaction, Consequences

<<>><<>><<>>

It was the dawn of a new day, and Danny found himself lying in a far too small bed; feet sticking out at the end, and a blanket loosely wrapped around them.

Tiredly, he looked up at the ceiling, wasting some time searching for patterns and images in the natural grain of the tree Twilight called home.

So far he found a rough image somewhat looking like a dog, or a chicken riding a velociraptor depending on how you looked at it.

"Who," the other occupant of the room called out, and Danny turned his head to look at Owlicious. The owl had found his way into the guest room some time earlier.

"And who to you, as well," Danny croaked, rubbing his eyes as he sat up. "Guess Twilight and Spike are still asleep, assuming they were able to," he said aloud, not sure if he was talking to himself, or Owlicious.

"Who."

Danny chuckled lightly, looking at the bird perched on the chair also holding his clothes.

"Nice try, but I'm not falling for it."

"Who."

Swinging his legs out of bed, he placed his elbows on his knees and rested his head in his hands with a tired sigh. "But what a mess all of this is," he groaned. "Apple Bloom, Scootaloo… Sweetie Belle. Not to mention all the others. When did all of this get so complicated?"

"Who."

"And on top of it all, I need to keep things from falling apart. At least for long enough so I can work out a way to-"

A knock on the door cut him off

"Danny?" Twilight's voice came from the other side.

"Guess she couldn't sleep either," he murmured to himself. Only wearing his boxers, he quickly threw the blanket over his lower half for modesty. "I'm up," he answered, and the door slowly swung open.

"Can't sleep too, huh," he said simply as Twilight stepped in.

"I'm afraid not," she replied tiredly. "Who were you talking to?"

"My roommate."

"Who?" asked Twilight.

"Who," Owlicious hooted.

"Who," Danny added jokingly.

For a moment they were all silent. Then, beginning with a chuckle, both Danny and Twilight were laughing.

"But yeah," Danny picked up, the good mood quickly deflating, it's been difficult to fall asleep."

"Yes," Twilight agreed. "I know what you mean. After what happened… what is still happening with Zecora… It's difficult to just sit here and do nothing."

"Seems to be about the only thing we really can do, though," he supplied.

"Yeah," Twilight agreed, unhappy. "I really dislike feeling this useless; this powerless."

"Don't we all."

Twilight agreed with a sigh. Then, perking up noticeably, she changed the subject.

"Are you hungry?" She asked. "I know it's early, but seeing how both of us are awake, do you want an early breakfast?"

Eager to accept the change, lest either one of them got hung up on what ifs, with doubt or worry gnawing at them, though for vastly different reasons, Danny nodded.

"Breakfast would be nice."

"Great," Twilight smiled.

"Just let me put on some clothes, and I'll join you."

Only now realizing Danny was without clothes, something strangely alien to her, she felt her cheeks flush while her eyes moved to his naked upper half on their own.

"R-right. You do that, and I'll be in the kitchen," she flustered, quickly excusing herself, trying to hide the crimson hue she knew her face must have become.

"... What was that about?" Danny asked after she had noisily departed.

"Who," Owlicious informed him.

With a sigh and shake of his head, Danny stood up and retrieved his clothes.

"Ponies are weird," he concluded.

"Who," Owlicious agreed, flying to the headboard of the bed as Danny grabbed his pants.

"I just hope today will be less chaotic than the last few days," he said to no-one in particular. "I could use the break."

"Who," Owlicious slightly narrowed his eyes. "If only you knew, child."

<<>><<>><<>>

By the time Danny entered the kitchen Twilight had already finished setting two plates, glasses, and was now rummaging through her fridge looking for the few items remaining after last days impromptu 'feast' Applejack, Bellflower and Pinkie Pie had made.

A moment later some cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and daffodils slowly flew to the table, encased in Twilight's magic.

"Need a hand?" Danny asked, and Twilight bonked her head on a shelf with a yelp; the items she held a moment before falling on the table, knocking over both glasses; one tomato rolling over the edge and falling on the floor.

"Ehh… sorry," Danny apologised sheepishly as Twilight withdrew from the fridge, rubbing her head just above her horn.

"It's okay," Twilight replied, turning to look at him. "You just took me by surprise."

"So, ehh… need some help?" Danny asked again.

"Thanks, but no. I got this. Besides, you're my guest. Just take a seat and I'll finish setting the table."

Nodding, Danny did as she said, though at least making himself useful by picking up the tomato which had fallen. Standing back up, he noticed all the items carelessly dropped to the table now glowed lavender and moved to a more orderly place, while the glasses righted themselves, and a loaf of bread, as well as a pitcher of orange juice, came flying from behind him.

"Well, can't beat that," he remarked as he sat down in a seat cushion, placing the tomato next to the other. "Gotta say, that whole magic thing is really useful."

"It sure is," Twilight agreed as she joined him.

"So," Danny looked at the pair of plates and glasses. "Spike is still asleep I guess?" this drew a giggle from Twilight.

"There is little that can keep Spike from his sleep. Even less that can wake him," she said. "And while I usually try to have him follow at least something of a normal sleep schedule, should he sleep in today I don't think I would blame him," she shook her head with a sigh. "Anyhow, I hope you don't mind the…" she pointed at the few items placed on the table, "meager options available. I haven't yet had a chance to restock, which I hope I can do today… If I can get anypony to come out of their houses, that is."

"It's okay. And do you expect it to be that much of a problem? I mean, I understand the whole ghost scare. Have experienced it plenty myself, but none of them has gone through what we have."

"I know, and I hate to say it but everypony here tends to overreact quite a bit. They used to lock themselves inside every time Zecora came to town to buy supplies, thinking she was an evil enchantress."

"Yet they live near the Everfree Forest?" Danny asked incredulously.

"Yes… you'd think they would get used to the odd thing happening every now and then. Though with ghosts being involved…" She sighed wearily. "Let's just change the subject. Do you want some orange juice?"

"Yes please," he agreed, and Twilight filled first his glass, then her own.

For a moment both busied themselves with preparing their meal without much being said, but after draining half his glass Danny continued their conversation.

"So what is it like living in a tree library?"

"It's great," Twilight answered almost immediately. "The books, the magic that makes it possible for my home to even exist, all of it is just amazing. I could spend hours just discussing the many different layers used in the spell that shaped this oak, and all its different applications. And the books, the knowledge they contain, the stories, and being able to share them with my fellow ponies," she shuddered in pleasure. "It's all just so wonderful."

Danny chuckled. "I got the feeling you're a purebred bookworm."

"Not just a bookworm," she stared at him. "The bookworm."

"So that's your superhero name?" he grinned, then bit into his sandwich.

Twilight snorted as her horn flashed briefly, and something struck Danny on the back of his head.

"Very funny," she deadpanned, though couldn't stop herself from grinning. "But no. Why would I even need a superhero name in the first place?"

"Well, didn't you and your friends go to a ghost cursed empire, not knowing what to expect or even that a ghost was involved? Yet none of you hesitated for a moment. Sounds like something a hero would do to me. You're just missing the cape… Maybe a mask to hide your identity."

"If I didn't know better, I'd think I was talking to Spike," Twilight giggled. "Besides, been there, done that."

"You, whu?" Danny faltered, a slice of tomato slipping out from between his bread and falling to his plate with a splat, yet went completely ignored.

Twilight laughed at his dumbfounded expression.

"Over a year ago, Rainbow Dash got a bit too much of an ego after rescuing a foal from a well. It got bad to the point the rest of my friends and I decided to one-up her in the hero business and all donned the same costume to hide who we were. Maredowell we were called. We solved quite a few issues as well, which did have the desired effect to knock down Rainbow a peg or two."

Danny looked at her for a long moment, then snorted and resumed eating. "Never a dull moment here, huh," he remarked after swallowing.

"Not often, no."

"Though I could honestly do with a dull moment right now."

"You and me both."

Finishing his drink, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Danny continued.

"So, what's keeping you busy today?"

"Honestly, I'm not really sure. A large part of me wants to go out there and look for Zecora, as much of a bad idea that is. Checking in on the Crusaders has also crossed my mind, but it hasn't even been a day since we last saw them, and I don't know how I could help them cope with what happened either way. So I think I'll just catch up on my reading. I do still have that book from the Crystal Empire, which I must have forgotten to return."

"It was a rather hectic day, so it would have been easy to forget something like that."

"True, but I should still return it when I can."

"But not after you've finished it, hmm?" Danny said the unspoken part.

"Well… seeing I've got it here now anyhow, might as well make the most of it," she said innocently, yet eager. "But what about you? After everything that has happened, what will you do? What do you feel like doing?"

"Honestly," he leaned back a bit and almost fell, forgetting there wasn't a backrest. "I think I'll go and see if the cafe is open again; catch up with Grill and Ruby. It may have only been a few days, but it honestly feels like years since I last saw them. And it would be nice to get back to a normal, far more boring day."

"Oh, that's right. The cafe was closed for some time because-"

"The Crusaders managed to make a mess of things," finished Danny. "Ya know, these conversations seem to circle back either to ghosts or the fillies. Not sure how I feel about that."

"That makes two of us," Twilight sighed. "It really has taken over our lives, hasn't it?"

"These things usually do, if my experience is anything to go by."

Twilight looked down at her plate and half-eaten sandwich, silent for a moment. Then, releasing a deep breath, she looked up at Danny. "But we can't let fear rule us. As you said, if we do, the ghosts win. As difficult as it will be… we must go on with our lives."

"Exactly," Danny agreed, nodding. "So here's to a nice, boring, uneventful day to get back in the swing of things," he rose his empty glass. "We've had enough excitement for a while."

Twilight chuckled as she raised her glass as well.

A loud belch came from above and pony and human, the latter noticeably impressed, looked back towards the stairs as Spike slowly clambered down; rubbing an eye with one claw, holding a scroll in the other.

"Twi- YAWN -light. You've got a letter," he held up the scroll, which was quickly grabbed in a lavender aura and pulled to the unicorn.

"This early?" She remarked, slightly worried. "It has to be important."

Breaking the seal and unfurling the scroll, she quickly read the letter; eyes widening the longer she read until her magic simply stopped and the letter fell to the floor.

"Anything bad?" asked Danny.

"I'm afraid I have to cancel on the uneventful, boring day," she answered, leaving both Danny and Spike confused. "If anything," she swallowed heavily, "things will be much more chaotic."

<<>><<>><<>>

"They want to do WHAT!?" Rainbow Dash yelled.

After Twilight had received the letter, she had quickly rushed to alarm her friends, despite the early hour.

Of course with what happened with the fillies the day before, none of them wanted to leave them alone. And while Apple Bloom would be watched over by both her brother and grandmother, Rarity was understandingly reluctant to leave Sweetie Belle alone. And thus everypony, drake and even human all gathered at Carousel Boutique, crowding together in Rarity's living room.

The haste and early hour also showed itself as all ponies present still sported bed-manes in various states of defiance to gravity, with Rainbow Dash's unkempt mess being the worst, while Rarity's usual stylish curls were nowhere to be found. Most of them also showed bags under their eyes, a clear indication that, just like Twilight and Danny, none of them had been able to sleep much, if at all.

Once all had arrived, and it was made certain a particular filly was still asleep, and obviously to at least one bipedal occupant in the room she was clearly not eavesdropping from the stairs above, Twilight informed them of the letter she had received.

"The princesses are planning to release Discord, under our care obviously, and attempt to reform him," she replied to Rainbow Dash's outburst.

"Twi, Ah know ya know tha princesses better than most, an' Ah have never had any reason ta question their judgment and such, but Ah think Ah speak for everypony… everyone here when Ah say: Have they gone insane?" Applejack asked with a sense of urgency in her voice, despite the forced calm she showed.

"Yeah, what AJ says," Rainbow Dash picked up, wildly gesturing. "Don't they know what happened yesterday? What we've been through? Why do they think of doing that?"

"Because of what has happened," Twilight answered. Sighing while shaking her head, she continued. "The princesses believe that considering the now clear and growing threat, the best course of action to, hopefully, prevent another Baltimare from happening, is to have Discord protect us."

A pin drop could be heard in the silence that followed, which lasted for a full ten seconds before the dam burst.

"WHAT!?" Nearly all shouted, while Fluttershy had instead opted to hide underneath one of Rarity's couches. Danny meanwhile stood in confusion while trying to get the ringing out of his ears.

"So," he started, using his pinky to clean out his left ear, "going by your combined decibel count, I take it this is a bad thing."

"BAD!?" Rainbow Dash shouted, apparently stuck on this level of volume. "IT'S A DISASTER!"

"Rainbow, dear. Indoor voice, please," Rarity admonished. "But yes, she is right. Discord is most… uncouth."

"He's scary," Fluttershy squeaked from underneath the couch.

"He's vermin of tha worst kind," Applejack added, stomping a hoof.

"He's a meany mean pants who I will never give a party," Pinkie Pie supplied, frowning.

"So a bad guy. Got it," said Danny.

"No, Danny. You don't," Twilight shook her head. "Discord is not just some convict serving time in some cell. He is the pure embodiment of chaos itself, who can control all of reality at a whim without rime or reason."

This got Danny's attention, and he stiffened noticeably. A reaction, the ponies attributed to him understanding, while in reality, his mind jumped back to Freakshow and the Reality Gauntlet.

"The only thing that can stop him is our Elements, and he knows it. He broke free from his prison some time ago, and set out to drive a wedge between us to keep us from using the Elements against him… and almost succeeded."

"I… see," Danny said slowly. "And how does Discord do this… reality control thing?"

"Nopony knows. He just does."

"And the princesses want to release him," Danny now asked, starting to understand the others their earlier reaction, "so he can help fight the ghosts."

"Yes," Twilight nodded with a sigh.

"The same princesses who thought it a good idea to send six mares and a dragon to a city which returned after a thousand years, without a good idea what they were sending you into?" He added. "The same princesses who, while doing that, also decided in their infinite wisdom to send you with a train too small to even carry a fraction of said city's citizens should an evacuation be needed?" He paused, blinked, looking at the mares and dragon staring up at him. "... They are insane," he concluded. "No-one in their right mind would do something like that."

"SEE!" Rainbow Dash pointed animatedly. "Even Danny understands."

Various emotions played out on Twilight's face as she was once again pointed at the flaws in their princesses reasoning. Eventually, she settled on a weary sigh, head hanging.

"I know," she was forced to admit. "Releasing Discord on its own is bad enough. But now, with ghosts present. It's a recipe for disaster."

"At least this is a disaster we can prevent from happening," Rarity supplied. "As much as it displeases me to say this, we simply have no other choice than to refuse the princesses their plan."

Most present agreed with her, while Twilight looked as if she was trying to swallow an orange whole.

"And without us, there is no way he can break free out of his statue," Rainbow Dash added.

"Statue?" Danny reacted, confused.

"When we used our Elements on him last time, he was turned to stone," Rarity informed him.

"... I see," he trailed off. "And how did he escape last time?"

A sudden silence fell over them, and Danny looked at them in confusion.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No, you didn't," Twilight answered. "It's just… last time, as was later discovered, he managed to break free as a result of an accumulation of small instances of chaos near him. And the final drop, so to speak, that managed to weaken his petrification enough to escape was by Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom during a school field trip."

"... That," Danny hesitated, momentarily fumbling for words. "I see," he eventually said.

"Yes…" Twilight agreed. "And worse still, as if the girls haven't gone through enough already, Discord is brought to Ponyville as we speak and should be here soon."

"Not jus' tha girls, Twi," said Applejack. "Tha whole village was hit hard last time he was here. There ain't no tellin' how they all react when they find out Discord's brought here."

"Which is why the princesses decided to transport Discord now, while most ponies are still asleep."

"Whoa, hold on for a moment," Danny called out, a hand raised in a stopping sign. "Didn't you just say he managed to escape last time through an accumulation of chaos?" Twilight nodded. "And they think it is a wise decision to bring this guy to an unsuspecting village still suffering from a serious ghost scare. Just how chaotic do you think it will be when everyone finds out? It's like they want him to escape again."

A ripple of shocked realization passed through the group at his words.

"I'm really starting to doubt the princesses ability for logical thought," he remarked irritably.

"Spike," Twilight turned to her number one assistant, a certain urgency in her voice. "Take a letter."

Spike, ever diligent, quickly pulled an inked quill and blank parchment out of Pinkie Pie's tail.

"What?" He looked at the perplexed faces of almost everyone. "She said I could store them there in case of a writing a letter emergency."

"Hmhmm," Pinkie nodded her approval.

"Ready, Twilight," he said, quill held just shy of touching the parchment.

"Dear Princess Celestia," Twilight started as she began to pace on the spot. "In regards to your last letter, I'm afraid certain… problems have come to light which I believe you and princess Luna may have overlooked. Because of this-"

"Hue… hold on," Spike said suddenly, a rumble coming from his abdomen. Then, with a fiery belch, a new scroll materialized.
Quickly grabbing the scroll in her magic before gravity could assert its grasp over it, Twilight wasted no time breaking the seal and reading its contents.

"The princesses are here," she said, somewhat frightened. Believing for a short moment they somehow knew what she and her friends had discussed, before the more logical part of her mind stomped down that thought. "At the library," she clarified. "They wish to speak to us to explain what is happening, and why."

"Rather convenient timing," Danny remarked.

"Ah say," Applejack agreed as she pulled on her Stetson.

"While I agree that current circumstances are decidedly concerning, there is still such a thing as coincidence," Rarity interjected. "Besides, the least we can do is go and hear what they have to say. Perhaps there is a good explanation for all of this. And it would also give us a chance to voice our concerns in person."

"Of course, that's it!" Twilight exclaimed.

"What's it?" Asked Rainbow Dash.

"The princesses must have been unable to provide more details in their letter, which makes their reasoning seemed flawed. After all, when Discord is concerned, anything resembling reason or sense goes out of the window."

"Hmm…" Pinkie Pie hummed, hoof held under her muzzle as she stared pondering at the ceiling. "Makes sense," she then said.

"What, no it doesn't," Rainbow Dash balked.

"That's why it makes sense," Pinkie replied sagely.

"MAYBE," Applejack cut in before Rainbow Dash could reply, "we ought to ask tha princesses themselves. We certainly ain't goin' ta figure this out on our own jus' standin' here."

All present found themselves unable to argue her point, and any other protest was quickly stifled.

Shifting nervously, Rarity spoke up. "Twilight, darling. Do you think you could ask the princesses to come here? I know it is only a short walk to your home, but I rather not leave Sweetie Belle alone right now."

"Don't worry about that," Danny quickly replied before Twilight could. "I'll stay and make sure she's safe. None of this has anything to do with me anyhow. To begin with, the only reason I'm here is that Twilight didn't want to leave me alone either."

"Yo- I mean… Are you sure?" Rarity asked, surprised. "After what happened… You don't hav-"

Danny silenced her by raising a hand.

"After what happened, I think it is no trouble for me to sit on a couch, make sure nothing happens while you do what you need to do."

"I… Thank you, Danny," Rarity said gratefully.

"Of course," he gave a nod, then turned to Twilight. "Want me to look after Spike as well?"

With a huff, Spike crossed his arms, irritated. "I can look after myself, thank you. Besides, somepony needs to keep Rar- everypony safe," he added bashfully.

"Our brave dragon," Rarity said as she affectionately rubbed the spikes on his head. "What would we do without you?"

"Well, with that finally sorted out, can we go now?!" Rainbow Dash cut through. "Cause I want some freaking answers right about now."

"Hold yer horses, Dash. We're comin'," Applejack responded.

"She's got a point, though," said Danny. "Best not to keep them waiting," he added as he gestured to the door. "And don't worry. Sweetie Belle and I will both still be here when you return."

Nothing more was said, though the gleam in Rarity's eyes spoke volume as the mares and dragon left.

With a chime of the bell above the door, the door closed behind the group, and for a minute Danny stood in silence; watching, waiting, and giving a silent command to Eclipse to observe events; the shade pulling her fragmented self from all the duplicates, leaving all Dannys without a shadow, she left.

Once he was sure the group wouldn't return, he turned his attention to the stairs leading to the first floor.

"So, what's your take on all of this?"

Silence.

"I know you were listening. Hard not to notice. I know how you changelings think after my time in the Murgröna."

"I still have difficulties believing that," Devora replied as she, in the guise of Sweetie Belle, walked down the stairs. "But to answer your question, I'm not sure. I know of Discord. Most of everyone in this world does after he escaped not too long ago. But to say I know him… all I can say is that he's trouble. A lot of it."

"Guess Astina knew this was about to happen then. She did say I would find out eventually."

"Wait, what," Devora said, looking up at Danny.

"Haven't you spoken with Erlea?" He asked.

"No," she shook her head. "She has been unusually quiet. The rest of the Hive doesn't know much either."

"Hmm," Danny nodded. "A lot did happen while we were gone."

"But… how would you know that. And what is this about Astina?"

"I've got my own little hive mind," he tapped a finger against his temple. "Eclipse is keeping me informed about everything going on with my other-selves. As for Astina. She's real, and I, well, another me managed to contact her and got her to agree to confront Celestia when the time comes."

Devora stared at him dumbly, not even blinking.

"Erlea was there when this happened, and it turned out to be too much for her. She passed out shortly thereafter. There is some good news, too. Perhaps you have already picked up on it, but queen Chrysalis has broken through her fever. She still has a long road of recovery ahead of her, but she is not in any immediate danger of the sickness anymore."

"... What exactly are you?" Devora asked.

"Huh?"

"For centuries we struggled to survive, doing whatever was needed, losing much of what we were in doing so. Then those three ponies show up and everything we know gets flipped on its head. But then you come along, and in one night you manage to do what noling thought possible. A way to cure the sickness. A way to pull the frost from the air. Reawaken and connect with the Murgröna. And now you claim Astina; ASTINA, our collector of souls is real and has agreed to help you, us, against Celestia… What are you?"

"Just some guy who wants to do what is right," he said simply. "Besides, I didn't cure the sickness. Fenris did. And the only reason he was there is because Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom went into the Ghost Zone to find a cure. And if those fillies hadn't decided to help you, I wouldn't even have been there, to begin with. So when you have the chance, maybe thank them for all they have done. "

"... Nothing of this makes any sense."

"Sense is overrated anyhow. And in my experience, the less sense something makes, the more likely it is the actual truth."

"Ah, a human after my own heart."

"WHAT!?" Danny whirled around, and came face to face with a most perplexing creature whose body was a mix of mismatched body parts; standing on two legs, one a dragon's, the other a goat's, leading to a serpentine body, with a dragon's tail ending with a white tuft.

A mismatched pair of wings, one a bat, the other not unlike a pegasus wing sprouting out of the back. While higher up, Danny noticed the creature had both a lion and eagle leg making up his arms.

Topping it all off, a vague pony like head with yellow and red eyes. A single fang sticking out past the upper lip, while a deer's antler and a bent and twisted horn grew out the top of his head.

"Boo," the creature said, and snapped his talon. Both he and Danny disappeared.

<<>><<>><<>>

With a crash, Rainbow Dash slammed into the door of Twilight's library; almost knocking the door of its hinges, had it not been for the spell put in place by Twilight to prevent this from happening after the third time Rainbow Dash had used her front door to cushion her 'landing', and the brazen pegasus came to a screeching stop in front of the two alicorns waiting inside.

"Are you INSANE!?" She shouted before any of the others even had a chance to enter.

"RAINBOW DASH!" Twilight shouted as she entered next; ignoring the two guards standing on both sides of the door, one of which peeking inside after Rainbow Dash's meteoric entrance. "How many times do I need to tell you not to fly into my door like that!?" She exhaled an angry huff, then remembered why they rushed back here in the first place. "Princess Celestia. Princess Luna," she said, looking at the two alicorns who had remained silent during this short, but heated turn of events.

"While Ah don't agree with how she asked it," Applejack spoke up as she, and the others entered next, "Ah do agree with tha reason behind it," she gave the princesses a hard, level glare. "Tha letter ya jus' send said ya wanted ta explain why ya think it's a good idea ta release Discord. Especially durin' a crisis like we're goin' through right now. Well, we're here," her eyes locked with both Celestia and Luna. "Explain."

"Of course," Celestia dipped her head. "And I must start by apologising for the tone of the first letter I send. It was only after I did so, I realized how lacking in detail it is as it was written in haste."

"Time is of the essence, as you may understand. We are currently under attack by an enemy whose motives are unknown to us, and who we have no way of predicting where and when they may strike again," Luna explained. "As such, drastic measures are required. And it is our… hope releasing Discord may prove to be the drastic measure required to face this threat."

"By having him turn the world upside down again?" Spike asked, more to himself, but loud enough for all to hear.

"Nay," Luna countered quickly. "We would not have him run rampant besides the ghosts."

"It is our hope that, with the appropriate…" Celestia paused for a bit, "guidance, Discord can be made to see reason; perhaps even more. But at the very least, I believe that it is possible to steer his more destructive habits towards the ghosts, if for no other reason than to slow them down while our ghost hunters capture these spectral fiends."

"And this guidance you speak of, would I be correct in the assumption you referred to us, and the Elements?" Rarity interjected.

"You are correct in your assumption, miss Rarity," Luna nodded. "Discord, while dangerous, is someone who has been bested before. Both by my sister and I, as well as thee and thy friends."

"We understand this may seem like a plan born out of desperation," Celestia allowed a sigh to escape her. "Which, in all fairness, is exactly that."

"But princess," Twilight began, then bit her lip as she doubted her next words. "Do you… don't you think... " A weary sigh escaped her. "Can't you see bringing Discord to Ponyville is a terrible idea?!" she blurted out before she could stop herself. "Discord gains strength from chaos. It is what allowed him to break free last time, after absorbing small instances of chaos over the centuries. But right now, with what is going on here, the fear that has swept through this town; the chaos it has caused. Don't you think bringing him into such an environment truly is the smartest thing to do?"

For an instance, the otherwise collected mask Celestia showed the ponies around her cracked at Twilight's words, and a tired sigh came from her as she closed her eyes.

"You are correct, of course. Bringing Discord into a chaotic environment will only aid in his escape. Unfortunately, for this same reason, we can't keep him in Canterlot any longer." She slowly opened her eyes again, looking imploringly at all the mares. "During your time at the Crystal Empire there was a ghost attack over at Canterlot," everypony gasped in shock. "For a while now, we have been working together with the humans to put together a method to, hopefully, allow us to bring this ghostly threat to a stop before things become worse. Unfortunately, despite our efforts to keep this undertaking hidden, the ghosts seem to have found out what we are doing. The city itself was spared, with none of the citizens aware of what exactly transpired, but the damage they did cause is significant."

"A significant number of both humans and ponies were wounded in the chaos." Luna informed them. "Thankfully nothing too serious, except for one critically wounded human. But to make matters worse, the night after your return from the Empire, another attack was conducted on the castle itself. A number of guards were found unconscious, but fortunately not wounded. Adding to this catastrophe, the changelings we held prisoner after their attack were no longer present. We can only assume what hath transpired exactly, but for now, it looks like they were freed by these ghosts. This, as you all would understand, makes our situation even worse."

"You mean the changelings and ghosts are working together!?" Twilight gasped, horrified, while Fluttershy shrieked in fear over this revelation, diving for cover under one of the seating cushions found in the library's reading room.

"We can only assume," Celestia replied, "but the changelings would not have been able to escape themselves. But all assumptions aside, the chaos that was created during all of this no doubt would have an effect on Discord. Knowing this, we must act before it is too late and Discord manages to escape."

"By setting him free ourselves?!" Rainbow Dash asked, aghast.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Celestia confirmed. "In doing so we can also act immediately should Discord try anything."

"An' with we, ya mean us," Applejack said, clearly not impressed.

"Y- yes," Celestia had to admit. "I know this is asking a lot, especially considering all that has already happened the last few days, but I do believe that, through your combined effort, Discord can be reformed and even help against the ghosts."

"So we have to do this, whether we want to or not," Rainbow Dash scoffed. "Because if we don't, Discord will escape on his own, thanks to all the chaos these stinking ghosts have caused."

"But does he have to be brought here?" asked Rarity. "Surely there are better places where you can take his statue? Someplace less chaotic, and not here. I shudder to think about how this would affect everypony else in town, not to mention Sweetie Belle and her friends. And Danny, too. After what they went through, should Discord go rampant again, who knows how they will react?"

"It's too late for that," a small voice rose up, and all turned to look at a very hesitant Sweetie Belle standing in the open doorway.

"Sweetie Belle!?" Rarity rushed to her little sister. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you back home with Danny."

Sweetie Belle looked up at 'her sister', obviously conflicted about something.

"It's Discord," she said after a moment of hesitation. "He was in our home. He took Danny,"

"WHAT?!" Nearly all shouted, while Fluttershy managed to hide even further underneath the seating cushion. Both princesses, while able to keep themselves from being as vocal as the others, were no less shocked by this worrying reveal.

"Sweetie Belle, what are you talking about?" Rarity asked, worried, afraid. "Discord is still locked up in his statue…" she looked back at the princesses. "Right?"

"There has been no sign he broke free," Celestia was quick to reply, a deep frown etching her features. "Tell me, my little pony are you sur-"

"I know what I saw," Sweetie Belle snapped harshly, glaring at Celestia.

"Sweetie Belle," Rarity said, scandalized.

"It was Discord," Sweetie Belle continued, ignoring her 'sister'. "He's free again."

<<>><<>><<>>

"What the-" Danny faltered as he found himself someplace bizarre, and yet eerily familiar as he watched the numerous chunks of land lazily drift in the air around him.

While at first glance it looked like the Ghost Zone, as he took his surroundings in more detail the vast differences became impossible to ignore.

Back in the Ghost Zone, the only place he knew with any kind of plant life was Skulker's hunting ground. Yet here, nearly all chunks of land showed signs of life… or something else entirely, and he struggled to wrap his mind around the absurdity he was seeing.

One chunk of land had a tree growing in its center, surrounded by orange-red dirt which, somehow, flowed down one side; now clearly a liquid as it cascaded onto a lower mass of land, turning green as it hit the pool of liquid eroded into the ground. The ground that, somehow, was made up of smooth tiles of ceramic from which a pair of trees grew. The foliage of which could best be described as chocolate chip cookies.

A rope bridge connected this chunk of land with another, except that the rope bridge was missing the rope part, and only a collection of planks hung suspended between the two bodies of land… or should that be ice cream? It was the only fitting description for the other mass the bridge led to. A pink mass of ice cream with numerous star prints decorating it, and a squirt of chocolate sauce on top. A blue trunked, red leaves tree growing out of it.

Another not rope, rope bridge connected this odd thing with land covered in lush green grass; a paved path leading to a quaint-looking house surrounded by a white picket fence, a tall, normal-looking tree growing beside it.

"What is this place?" Danny asked aloud, confused as he looked around. "... Are those train tracks?" he added as he noticed a bright red track just floating around, leading to nowhere in the dark swirls of purple shades that dominated this alien place.

"Why, it is home, of course."

Quickly spinning around, right hand raised and aglow, Danny faced who had spoken.

"Oh, don't be like that," and with a snap of his talon and a flash of light, an oversized oven mitt covered Danny's hand.

Jumping back in reflex, Danny quickly pulled the oven mitt off; only to discover that he couldn't. And to his horror, as he took a second to see why, he discovered the oven mitt wasn't covering his hand. It was his hand.

Pushing his panic down, he glared at the creature smiling innocently at him.

"Discord, I presume," he growled.

"Correct on the first guess," Discord clapped his mismatched hands together. "Bravo. And you are Daniel Fenton. Or is it Manson? Or do you prefer Danny Phantom? Terror of Amity Park? Great One? Halfa? Ghost Brat? Oh, so many names. So many identities. Why it is almost as if you've got something to hide."

Shocked, Danny stumbled back, only to bump into Discord who stood behind him.

"Yes, quite something indeed," Discord continued without interruption, laying an arm over Danny's shoulder as if they were long time friends.

Forcing himself to remain still, Danny glared at Discord.

"Why do I feel like this is as much a threat as it is a warning?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Discord asked, seemingly genuine as he held his lion's paw against his chest.

Danny pushed away from him, "You know who I am, and what obviously. You pull me away from Rarity's house, after waiting for all the others to leave so there wouldn't be anyone to see, except Sweetie Belle-"

"Ah, your shapeshifting cohort," Discord interrupted.

"Who will most likely inform the others, despite her personal feelings against them," Danny continued forcefully. "Meaning you want them to know you escaped. So just cut the crap and tell me what you want from me."

"Well, you're no fun," Discord pouted. "But if you want to know," he suddenly grinned deviously, "I just had to meet the wonderfully chaotic human who set me free."

"WHAT?!"

Discord chuckled as he sat down on a floating throne that hadn't been there a second before, sucking on a swirly straw in an empty glass that slowly filled with chocolate milk as he drank.

"What do you mean? I never freed you!" Danny shouted, glaring at the chaotic being.

"Haven't you?" Discord threw the now full glass over his shoulder, which burst apart in a cloud of confetti on impact with the ground, after which each piece blew up with grenade-like force.

Crossing his legs and steepling his finger together, he simply stared at the angry human with a knowing smirk.

"So you aren't the half-mortal, half-ghost who managed to tear a hole through reality itself, bridging your world with mine, and allowing a whole chaotic slew of ghosts to pass through as more and more of these tears popped open?" He said, sounding far too cheerful about it.

"That was years ago," Danny growled.

"Oh, my dear half dead friend. Chaos can last for ages. Spreading out, disrupting lives, changing personalities. Why the potential is practically limitless."

Danny was silent as he thought back to all the reports he heard about, eyes slowly widening.

"Do you see? A little ghost attack here, a few broken minds there, some deaths over yonder, and a ripple of chaotic brilliance sweeping across the world. And the best thing is, you weren't even trying. Oh goodness me."

"... And this ripple of chaos eventually reached you," Danny deduced.

Discord leaned forwards to Danny, stretching far farther than should be possible, partially hiding his mouth with his lion's paw for the unseen audience on the other side of the screen. "Just between you and me, those delightful chaotic fillies didn't really free me. Their little spat was but a drop of chaos compared to the flood you have unleashed. And while entertaining, it really didn't matter."

"You had already managed to escape before that and used it as an excuse to keep them from looking into it more than you wanted them to," Danny surmised, disgusted.

"Exactly!" Discord exclaimed. "I knew I would like you. You understand how things work. Not like those boring ponies and their magic of friendship," he shuddered. "They think they have it aaall figured out, but you and I both know there is so much more, just hidden in plain sight."

"And why are you telling me all this?" Danny demanded to know. "And for that matter, why bring me here? And why does this place look like the Ghost Zone?"

"Oh, questions, questions," Discord sat back in his throne, "but so little answers," Danny glared at him with green glowing eyes. "Oh, I suppose I can answer one of them. Just because I'm such a nice guy," he proceeded to clear his throat. Then a flash of light blinded Danny.

With a cry, Danny raised an arm to shield his eyes.

When nothing happened, he slowly lowered his arm, carefully opening his eyes to see what Discord had done.

"What the…" he trailed off as he saw the strange suit Discord now wore.

It looked somewhat like a loose-fitting robe with wide sleeves, covering Discord's entire body. Red was the dominant color, with a wide, black line splitting the robe vertically down the middle. The ends of the sleeves also were black, while a very intricate, large, gold necklace with numerous red gems across its band rested around his neck.

He also wore a hood of sorts, stretching out high above his head, covering his antler and horn and giving his head an angular, somewhat triangle form, leaving only his face exposed.

"You, Daniel Fenton of Manson of Phantom, are brought here today to stand trial and to be judged for your crimes."

"What!" Danny shouted. "What crimes?"

"Why, those you have yet to commit of course."

"Whu…?"

"Oh, mon Capitaine. If you would," Discord looked at someone behind Danny.

"Why of course, your honor," another Discord stepped forwards, this one also dressed in a red and black suit, though certainly more form-fitting than the other. With the shirt being mostly red, but the shoulders and sides were black and the pants being fully black.

At first glance, it appeared to be made of some kind of spandex, much like the protective suits Danny's parents prefered to wear. A better look revealed it was something else, but he wasn't sure what kind of material it was. He did notice a strange emblem attached on the left side of the chest and four metal buttons on the right side of the neck.

Pulling a tablet out of thin air, Discord tapped the screen a few times.

"The accused stands before you today for the future crime of planning a coup de grace against royal highness, princess Celestia of sunbutt. Reason for which being: lies en mass, ongoing genocide against the changeling species, and numerous grievances against cakes and pastries alike," he paused as he scrolled down. "Additionally, the accused has inflicted numerous scares on the populace in the past and has a high probability of doing so again. The same goes for the possession of individuals, with a manticore already being overshadowed before."

Again he scrolled down.

"Furthermore, the accused is currently busy with the training of one Sweetie Belle, who has become a half-mortal through means as of yet unknown, with the possibility of miss Sweetie Belle engaging in vigilante activities both illegal and unwarranted of one her age as a result of this training."

He flipped the tablet over to the next page.

"Additionally, the accused his clone is present in, and has already caused significant damage to the area of Canterlot, as well as herself. It is up to your Grace to determine if the actions of this clone, on a genetic level the accused himself, could be attributed to the defendant. If so, the ongoing sabotage of construction work in progress should also be included."

"My my, quite a list of delightfully chaotic transgressions you've managed to accomplish in such a short time here," the other Discord said.

"What?!" Danny balked in disbelief. "You can't be serious?"

"Oh, but I am," Discord said, leering down at Danny. The other Discord having departed and could be seen sailing away on a mighty sail ship named Enterprise. "And don't tell me any of what was said is a lie."

"But you… you can't… What!?"

"Oh, Daniel, Daniel, Daniel. Such potential, yet blind to the truth you live in," Discord said condescendingly, shaking his head as he leaned back into his throne. "You act without thought, without a plan other than what you make up on the spot, and expect everything to work out in the end. I must say, I'm impressed you made it this far," he rested an arm on the throne's armrest, leaning forwards. "Action, reaction, consequences. That is an unbreakable rule to all, even me. And I do so love breaking rules. But you, you are all about action and reaction, but you never really stopped to think about the consequences. What do you think would happen if you expose Celestia; reveal everything to all? That she would get a slap on the wrist? Disapproving frowns? Maybe some community service? Or would it be more reasonable--" he said the word with obvious disgust, "--to assume her rule would be over?" he asked. Danny stood silent.

"The death of tens of thousands. Genocide. Pushing an entire species to the brink where they were forced to become the monsters she made them out to be, making her ultimately responsible for any and all hostility the changelings have inflicted upon the world's population. How would her precious little ponies react to such news? The griffons? Minotaurs? All of them? No no no, her time on that well worn in throne would be quite over with. But you never considered this, did you?" Danny remained silent, though his eyes were wide in dawning realization.

"And what about our delightfully chaotic spirit filly? What do you think might happen after she masters her abilities? She can't just go out into the world and pretend to be a hero. Oh~ho~ho, no, no, no. The mere sight of her would cause mass panic. Which, admittedly, would still be the case even without control over herself," Discord said, stroking his beard. "Still, even without all of that, everything else you've done, whether it is possessing someone, or just being there, you managed to elicit quite the response. I could hear dear old Luna all the way over here when she was off hunting you," he clapped slowly. "Very impressive, I will add."

"And you are here to stop me?" Danny finally said, releasing a deep breath.

"Stop you?" Discord said, surprised, then grinned. "Why would I do such a thing? To prevent you from causing such a delightful amount of chaos, well, that simply won't do."

"Then why am I here? Why did you tell me all of this?"

"Action, reaction, consequences," Discord repeated. "You planned on doing all these things, thinking that, in the end, you would be the hero even if the rest didn't see it like this. And that in the end, everything would be all perfect, with everyone smiling, living happily ever after. I'm merely shattering this illusion, showing you that, no matter what, there will be no winners at the end of all of this. You keep true to your promise, expose Celestia, end her rule and plunge a world dependent on her abilities to keep the sun going in uncertainty and chaos. Or, now knowing what will happen, you break your promise, keep things going as they are and live with the crushing guilt of all the deaths you will become an accomplice to. And that is not even considering the response of the changelings should you do this, and how this might affect these delightful fillies who went out of their way to help them," he now smiled evilly at Danny, who felt his legs go weak as the full weight of his actions pressed down on him. "As I said, a ripple of chaotic brilliance, and you weren't even trying."

Discord sat straighter on his throne, clearing his throat.

"So, does the accused have any words in defense?"

For a moment, Danny just looked out into the void around them, lost for words. Then his eyes sharpened, and he gave a glare at Discord.

"You are really, truly full of it," he said through teeth. "I've dealt with phoney authorities before, making rules as they saw fit; believing themselves better than anyone else. And I've dealt with reality benders too. Been one myself for a little while, before I destroyed the Reality Gauntlet-"

"You what?" Discord cut through, surprised.

"-but ignoring all that," he took a deep breath, held it for a while, then slowly let the air escape. "I can't deny the truth… twisted as it may be. No," his green glowing eyes bore into Discord's. "I did not consider what my actions could cause in the long run. And knowing what might happen if I continue… I made a promise, and I will keep it. And even if what you said is true, and Celestia will lose her throne, someone with that much blood on her hands… hooves shouldn't be in power, to begin with. She must be brought to justice, and I will be the one who will do this. But what will happen to her when the truth is revealed is not for me to decide, but those who were wronged by her. But I shall not," he took a step towards Discord, "allow anyone else to be hurt like that again. Even if it means I must reveal myself, and be shunned and hunted by society, I will. Even if it means I must go back in time and undo centuries worth of history, I will. Even if it kills me, I will."

By now he levitated at eye level with Discord; glaring at the draconequus with an intensity which caused Discord to lean away from him.

"But I will never," his voice was low, filled with barely restrained rage, "never abandon those who need my help. So if you want to pass judgment on me, go right ahead," he grabbed Discord by the collar, pulling him closer. "But I want you to understand one thing clearly. If you do anything to bring me down, I will make sure you go down with me. And no amount of reality-bending power can prevent me from keeping true to my word."

He let go of Discord, shoving him back into his throne.

"Now give me back my hand!"

Discord straightened himself, then smirked.

"I find the accused guilty--" he snapped his talons, and with a flash, Danny's hand reverted back to normal. "--for being exactly what this world needs," and with another snap, both he and Danny vanished.

<<>><<>><<>>

Despite the fear of ghosts still weighing heavily over Ponyville, several of the more daring ponies risked opening their windows or doors to look outside.

The reason for which was the sudden increase of activity in and around Carousel Boutique by the Element bearers wearing their Elements, as well as both princesses.

"There is an obvious trace of chaos magic present," Princess Luna stated, horn aglow as she methodically swept the area. "He is not even trying to hide it."

"Indeed," Princess Celestia, her horn also glowing, agreed, stepping outside the Boutique. "It is strongest inside, agreeing with Sweetie Belle's story."

"But why would Discord take Danny?" asked a frantic Twilight.

"Why does he do what he does?" Luna asked in turn. "Deliberate thought or plan is not how Discord works, so his reason for taking mister Manson is unknown to any, perhaps even himself."

"Not knowing what I do myself?" A joyful voice drew their attention skywards, and all tensed up, ready to attack. "Why princess, you make it sound like you hardly know me at all," Discord said, mock hurt as he lounged on a recliner, staring down at them over a pair of glasses; fake eyes attached to springs bouncing around with his movement. "And we have so much history together."

"Discord," Celestia said, resentful, "What did you do to Danny Manson?"

"Manson, Manson. Danny Manson," Discord tapped his chin, looking as if deep in thought. "You mean a mostly bald primate, about yay high," he held his hands apart farther than his arms were long, "Black, spiky hair. Wears clothes a lot, and keeps quiet about his personal life?" he asked. "Hmm, no. Can't say it rings a bell."

"DISCORD," Twilight seethed, horn sparking as she glared daggers at him. "What did you do to Danny?!"

"Oh ho ho, my dearest Twilight," he lay an arm over her withers, pulling her to his side as he was now suddenly beside her. "What makes you think I have done anything to your purely platonic friend?" With a flash, Twilight teleported away from him. "And speaking of not doing something," Discord continued, arm still draped around her. "I can't help but notice you and your lovely friends have yet to fire your delightful friendship canon at me. I wonder why?"

"You think we need the Elements to beat your sorry flank?!" Rainbow Dash shouted aggressively, flying at Discord with blurring speed, and slammed headfirst into a solid oak door.

"Ah, I thought I heard somepony knock," Discord said casually as he opened the door, seeing a dazed, but no less angry pegasus lying on the ground.

Stepping through the door and over Rainbow Dash, Discord closed the door, folded it up into an increasingly smaller package, then threw it up and swallowed it in a single gulp.

"DISCORD!" Celestia flared her wings, eyes ablaze. "Where is Danny Manson?!"

"Where indeed?" He replied, leaning nonchalantly on Celestia, picking his teeth with a talon. "You know, it's almost as if you refuse to use your precious Elements against me because you don't know where he is. Why, you could almost say I have something you need. Something you don't want to risk losing," he remarked, then pulled a long, tangled wad of purple hair out from between his teeth.

Rarity screamed at her now bald tail.

Throwing the former stylish tail away with a flick of his wrist, he grinned down at the ponies.

"But that couldn't be it, right?" He asked, back in his recliner. "After all, you need something from me; a tiny little bit of help with a certain undead problem. Naturally, such a thing would mean you have something for me. A fair compensation for services rendered. Because, why, wouldn't that be the sensible thing to do? So, my little ponies," he looked at Celestia and Luna, "and littler ponies," he looked at the rest, "what is it you have that I need? Riches?" One of the mountains in the background turned into a pile of gold. "Unlimited power?" Everypony looked around in worry, only for nothing to happen, "or perhaps my guaranteed freedom?" a pair of shackles around his wrists unlocked, falling to the ground; bursting into the fire as it hit, leaving a spot of ice as it burned up.

"Tell me, what is your dear old human friend worth to you?"

Stepping forwards with forced calm, Celestia glared at Discord. "And what is it you want?"

"Why, isn't that an interesting question," Discord mused, leaning back in his recliner, playing with his beard. "What do I want, hmmm?"

"What about my Element?" Twilight stepped forwards, glaring at Discord. "My…. My Element for Danny."

A collective gasp came from around her, her friends looking at her in stunned silence, except for Rarity who could still be heard weeping over her tragic loss, while both princesses were only barely able to hide their shock.

Twilight didn't acknowledge any of them as she kept her eyes locked on Discord; the draconequus also unmoving as he regarded the purple mare below him, a grin slowly creeping on his face.

"My my, what an interesting offer," he said, snaking down to ground level, standing before Twilight. "Giving up your precious Element. Are you sure you want to make such a sacrifice for him?"

Never breaking eye contact, Twilight grabbed her Element in her magic, lifting it off her head.

"Yes, under two conditions. One, return Danny. And two, you will help us fight the ghosts!"

"Hmmm," Discord placed a hand on his chin, thinking as he slowly walked a circle around Twilight. "And what if I won't? After all, you would give up the only means you have to stop me. So why would I play by your rules when I can make my own?"

Twilight's glare hardened, and she grabbed Discord by his beard with her magic, pulling him down to eye level.

"Element or no Element, my friends and I will fight you no matter what," she spoke in a low, threatening voice. "So do we have a deal?"

Shock only showed for a second, before a self-satisfied smirk took its place and Discord stood up straight.

"My my, somepony grew a backbone," he said. "Very well, we have a deal," and he grabbed Twilight's Element out of her aura, then snapped his fingers.

When nothing happened, Twilight took a step closer to Discord. "You said you'd return Danny!" She all but growled.

"I did," he grinned. "But you never specified where I needed to return him to."

"WHERE IS HE?!" Twilight shouted.

"Oh, I'm sure you will find out soon enough. I even left him gift wrapped just for you. Now if you excuse me, I have some chaotic intervention to do," and before any protest could be voiced he vanished.

"DISCORD!" Twilight yelled in anger.

"Eh, Twi," Applejack cautiously stepped closer. "Ya sure, ya did tha right thing there?"

"What else could we have done?" Twilight returned, scraping a hoof on the ground. In the silence that followed, Rarity could be heard wailing: "My ta-a-ailll," as she cradled the vandalized limb in her hooves.

"Had we used the Elements on him," Twilight continued, "we might not have been able to find Danny ever again."

"But we don't even know where he is right now," Rainbow Dash pointed out, while Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie did their best to comfort their distraught friend. "Or if Discord even did bring him back in the first place."

"She's right," Applejack agreed. "And we now lost our only way ta stop him."

"Then what else should I have done?" Twilight asked, head slowly lowering down as she sighed.

"Sometimes there are no good choices," Celestia spoke up, "and you must decide between bad or worse."

"Like deciding to release Discord or not, without checking to make sure he hadn't already escaped?" Twilight shot back bitterly, turning to her mentor.

Celestia jerked back as if physically struck, at a loss for words.

"Your anger is justified, Twilight, " Luna said. "The fault for not realizing Discord's hath escaped is for my sister and I. And the one to suffer the most for it is your friend, who already went through a terrible ordeal prior."

"Yeah, but how didn't you know he escaped?" Rainbow Dash interjected brazenly, "Don't you keep watch over him, or something, since his last escape?"

"Of course we took the required precautions to ensure Discord would remain petrified," Luna reassured them. "And no sign was found that the spell put on him by the Elements was weakening as of yet. Which is why we ultimately decided to move him before the recent chaos could undo the petrification."

"Yet he still escaped," Applejack said plainly, obviously not satisfied with this answer. "Mind explainin' that ta us?"

Neither Luna nor Celestia was able to. But before their silence could lapse into anything more but shameful admission of failure, one of the two guards who had accompanied them, and subsequently remained at the library to watch over Spike and Sweetie Belle, rushed over to them.

"Your highnesses," he said with urgency. "The human, Danny Manson, has unexpectedly appeared within Miss Twilight's home. He is-"

"WHAT!" Twilight shouted, then, with a burst of her horn, she vanished.

"So, Discord did return him," Luna remarked.

"Has he been injured in any way?" Celestia asked, while both Rainbow Dash and Applejack already hurried back to the library.

"Not that I can tell," the guard answered. "But…"

"Yes?"

"We found mister Manson in a… difficult position."

"Difficult, how?"

"Well…"

<<>><<>><<>>

With a burst of light, Twilight appeared in her library, frantically looking around for any sign of Danny the second she materialized.

"DANNY!?" She called, hoping he would answer.

"Up here," Spike called back from upstairs.

Wasting no time, Twilight all but flew up the stairs and towards her bedroom from which she heard Spike call her. When she arrived, though, she came to a screeching stop, stumped, eyes wide, her face rapidly turning several shades redder.

"So," Danny began, voice flat but with a mountain of irritation laced in. "As far as that nice and boring day is concerned, can't say we're off to a good start."

Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash rushed in at this point, both also coming to a stop at what they saw; Applejack's eyes wide, a blush also forming while Rainbow Dash, despite the situation, clearly fought a losing battle to keep in her laughter.

"And now we wait for the rest to show up," Danny groaned in defeat.

True to his expectations, only a short minute later Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy arrived, joined by a reluctant Rarity in the middle to keep her tail hidden as much as possible. And behind them, the princesses and the guard who left to inform them. All of them showed various levels of embarrassment at what they saw.

"Getting a bit crowded in here, wouldn't you say?" Danny remarked as he saw the rest arrive.

"Danny, what happened?" Asked Twilight.

"... What does it look like?" He asked with only a hint of sarcasm.

Twilight faltered for words as she looked at him, lying on her bed, which had become much larger to support his full length, with both his arms cuffed to the bedposts. Same with his legs. The cuffs, at closer inspection, looked unusual, with a recognizable Fenton logo printed on them.

As for Danny, most of his clothes were gone, save his boxers, while a red ribbon was placed in his hair and a small card attached to it.

On his left side, the other guard was trying to unlock one of the cuffs with little success, while near the wall on his other side, Spike and Sweetie Belle looked at him with large eyes, confused.

"I don't suppose any of you happen to have a key?" He asked when no answer came.

"I'm afraid not," Princess Celestia said as she stepped closer. "But perhaps we won't need to," her horn lit up.

There was a flash of golden light, and all four cuffs lit up green, but nothing else happened.

"What?" Celestia said, surprised as her teleportation spell failed, then frowned. "Discord."

"He left a note," Danny said simply, holding a hand in a slightly awkward angle to point at the card attached to the ribbon.

A midnight blue aura encompassed the card, and Luna pulled the item towards herself, casting a dome field around it before opening the potential trap.

"Well, what does it say?" Rainbow Dash asked, hovering next to Luna as she tried to see what was written.

"It says I am not the intended recipient," she answered after a moment, then slowly, carefully, levitated the card to Twilight. "It is for you."

Just as reluctant as Luna was to give her the card, Twilight accepted it with the same hesitation; casting a similar protective field around it as she brought it closer.

The card looked simple enough, made from cardboard with a colorful image on the front.

Of course, it being from Discord meant it was anything but normal.

The image depicted was of, of course, Discord, sailing a ship named Enterprise while wearing a strange red and black suit.

Opening the card, only three words were written in cursive: Action. Reaction. Consequences.

After reading the message out loud, a key fell out of the card, which hadn't been there a second before, and all present watched as it clattered on the floor.

"What…?" Twilight struggled for words as she took a step away from the key. "What does this even mean?"

"I think Discord wants you to make a decision," said Luna, "to either set mister Manson free or not."

"But why, and why?"

"Screw the why," Rainbow Dash cut in, agitated. "It's just Discord being a jerk. Let's just free Danny already!"

"Right… right," Twilight agreed, taking a few deep breaths to help her calm down.

Reaching out with her magic, she carefully picked up the key. When nothing happened, she brought the key to the cuff closest to her and released Danny's left leg.

The moment it released, a cannon shot made everyone jump, and all attention was brought back to the card now lying on the floor. A small plume of smoke rising from the image as Discord could now be seen standing behind a cannon, ready to lit a fuse of a second canon already primed for firing; grinning expectantly at them.

"I really hate that guy," Danny said, breaking the tense silence.

"Join the club," Rainbow Dash groaned.

With a sigh, a shake of her head and more magic, Twilight proceeded to unlock the remaining cuffs. All accompanied by a cannon shots as she did.

"Thanks," Danny said as he sat up, massaging his left wrist while glaring at the ghost hunting cuffs. 'No way that was just a joke on his part.'

"Are you alright?" Asked Twilight.

"Better than I was a minute ago," he replied readily. "Better still when I get some clothes back on me," he shook his head, looking at everyone in the room. "So… Discord, huh?"

"I'm afraid so," Luna dipped her head. "He managed to escape without us noticing."

"And let me guess, he took me as leverage against you," he said simply, not even asking.

"Indeed," Luna said, surprised. "You seem to understand the situation surprisingly well."

"Not that hard to," Danny shrugged.

"And you are not angered by this?"

"Oh, I'm plenty angry. Believe me. But it would do nothing to help us," he said, standing up with a groan, working the stiffness out of his muscles. "So if you excuse me, I'm going to get dressed before I end up someplace even more crowded in just my boxers," and he strode back to the guest room before they could reply.

"He takes this surprisingly well," Celestia said after he left.

"Well, he was jus' abducted, an' managed ta escape from ghosts all in one day," Applejack supplied. "An' he has lived on a world filled with ghosts all his life. Tha has to harden ya, Ah guess."

"Hmmm, perhaps," Celestia mused, then shook her head. "But the important thing is that Danny is safe again."

"Yeah, again," Rainbow Dash pointed out.

"He does seem to have a lot of bad luck lately," Rarity agreed, not yet over the desecration of her tail, but able to push on in the face of greater woes than her tragic loss.

"An' now Discord is free ta do as he pleases," Applejack added, frowning.

"But isn't it strange nothing absurdly chaotic has happened yet?" asked Twilight. "Last time the entire world turned upside-down and inside-out. Why not this time?"

"Well, duhuu," Pinkie Pie giggle snorted. "That would be predictable."

Twilight raised a hoof in protest, failed to find any flaw in her friend's reasoning, then slowly lowered her hoof to the floor.

"That makes just too much sense," said Rainbow Dash. "And it was Pinkie who said it."

"There are dark days ahead of us," Applejack said fearfully. "Dark days indeed."

<<>><<>><<>>

'That was too close,' thought Danny as he grabbed a new set of clothes.

'Far too close,' Eclipse agreed. 'What happened? You just vanished, and I couldn't find you. It was mere luck I was able to get to you before the others when you returned. But those cuffs blocked me from returning to you as much as they blocked your powers. And it is much harder pretending to be your shadow than actually being your shadow.'

'The short version, Discord is a reality bender on the level of Freakshow with the Reality Gauntlet, except worse because his power does not seem to come from an item like the gauntlet, but more in line of Desiree. Though he does not seem to be limited by the desires and wishes of others,' he informed her, describing in short what happened to him when Discord took him.

'Any thoughts on this, Fenris?' He asked after putting on his pants.

'I do not know this Freakshow you speak of, nor was I with you when Discord took you, so I cannot make comparisons. But the fact I wasn't with you is telling in its own way. Meaning he knew about me, as much as he knew of your shade. Taking you when she was separated from you while blocking me somehow. This demonstrates Discord is an adversary not to be taken lightly and is far more cunning than one who acts merely through means of chaos as the ponies imply.'

'The chaos he creates is as much a signature of him as it is a smokescreen,' Danny agreed with Fenris' assessment. 'Create chaos in one place, watch as everyone converges to fix it, blinded to the ripple it caused, it spreads out as they do so while he watches the world change in response. And while they think they can undo what was done, small changes remain, festering, growing. Action, reaction, consequences,' he pulled his shirt over his head. 'Damn… he has a better idea of what he's doing than he lets on. Though he does not know everything if what he said about Sweetie Belle is anything to go by. Still, it's about the only thing I can think of that may work in our advantage against him, though.'

'So what should we do now?'

'For now, nothing. Nothing directly, at least,' Danny paused for a second, thinking. 'But inform the others. They need to know about what happened and, more importantly, Discord most likely knows about all of my duplicates. But if we want to actually be able to oppose him, should this become necessary, we first need to understand who and what we're dealing with. Meaning another visit to the ghost library may be in order,' he smoothed some wrinkles out of his shirt, hearing the mares outside quietly talking, obviously waiting on him.

'But for now, better to keep on Discord's good side… lest he gets creative.'

<<>><<>><<>>

Jumping down the stairs while taking the third left turn on his right, Discord hummed a mismatched tune in clear satisfaction. Carrying with him, Twilight's Element. Twirling it around a finger as he pulled a ladder down out of his bathroom sink, he descended up into the basement of his lovely home located deep in the Dark Zone.

"Well, I must say today progressed far better than expected," he said, pleased with himself.

"I made myself known to the wonderfully chaotic Daniel, putting him in his place while simultaneously using him to make dear old Twilight give up her Element. And all I needed to do was giving them back the very thing they also want me to stop. Oh, Danny. If only you could understand the absolute brilliance your dual nature means to the chaotic imbalance. You can't help it. Wherever you go, chaos follows," he laughed, twirling the Element around his finger as he walked.

"Though," he slowed down a bit, "there is the matter of you saying you destroyed my Reality Gauntlet. Hmmm," he stopped, thought, then turned around and entered his kitchen.

"But that can't be right. No no no, not at all."

He pulled open his fridge and froze.

"Oh," he said after thawing.

Slowly pulling out a tray, a pile of destroyed gold and several gems glistened in the light of the sun providing illumination in the refrigerator.

"Oh my. That… that should not be possible," he placed the tray on a one-legged table, hopping in place. None of the pieces moved or shifted from the bouncing. "You should not have been able to do this. So how did you?"

"Action. Reaction. Consequences," a painfully familiar voice replied, and Discord slowly turned around with a scowl showing.

"Necronomicon," he glowered, glaring at the being whose body existed in various stages of decay. "I should have known."

"It's good seeing you again, brother," Necronomicon said in turn.

"Funny," Discord said, sounding anything but amused. "Can't say the feeling is mutual," he snorted in disgust. "Should have known, though. The filly reeks of your stink. Same with Sunbutt and little miss tantrum. And, what's his name? Sorbet...? But whatever you're planning, it won't work."

"Who says I am planning anything."

"Oh, don't even start. I make my destiny. Destiny does not make me."

"So you say; have said," Necky sighed, shaking his skeletal head, "and have paid the price. I had hoped time would have you see reason," Discord snorted at the mere notion, "but obviously it was a false hope," he sighed, slumping his shoulders. "Then, what is it you hope to accomplish by taking the Element of Magic?"

"Don't play dumb with me," Discord sneered. "You know just as well as I what this really is," he shifted the crown around in his hand. "And I begin to suspect you have something to do with the sudden appearance of this set of Embodied Artifacts all those years ago."

"Not as much as our sister has," Necronomicon told him.

"What," Discord took a step back, shocked. "She would never interfere in the lives of mortals as such."

"Not unless she was given a very good reason to, no."

For a while, nothing was said, tension building in the silence between the two brothers while Discord's grip on the Element tightened in anger.

"Why are you really here?" Discord finally asked, spitting the words out.

"The same reason why we have always met."

"Still trying to put me on the same leash that is choking you? Of course, you are."

"What you fail to realize is that all of reality does not revolve around only you."

"Of course it does, if I so wish," Discord snapped back.

"No, you influence it. You do not control it, no one does."

"Watch me!"

"Yet your gauntlet lays destroyed," Necky gave a single nod at the shattered pieces on the hoping table. "You yourself said that should not have happened, yet it did. Why is that you think?"

"That old thing? Bah, it must have decayed on its own over the millennia, after I got over that phase. That human just broke something already broken."

"Yet you were surprised to see it in such a state."

"And what of it?" Discord crossed his arms.

Despite the situation, Necky couldn't help but chuckle lightly.

"And what's so funny?"

"You try so hard to ignore the truth before you, but the truth does not ignore you. Daniel did destroy your gauntlet. I can confirm as much. But he did not break something already broken. In fact, your toy saw quite some use prior to its destruction. Go ahead, take a proper look. You'll see what I mean."

Still glowering at his brother, Discord glanced sideways at the pile of scrap.

A glance quickly became a look, then an intense stare as he carefully picked up the four gems used to power the gauntlet.

"That energy signature... " he murmured, then remembered who stood silently waiting behind him. "Bah, fine, maybe he got lucky."

"Oh no, luck most certainly has nothing to do with it. That would be someone else's Embodiment. But you know this, just as you know how Danny managed to destroy your gauntlet, even if you refuse to acknowledge it."

"No," Discord shook his head. "What you say is impossible. In all of time, there has never been anyone, dead or alive, capable of holding on to this Embodime-" Discord froze, realization kicking in.

"Not dead or alive, no. But never has there been someone who is both, until very recently. And now there are four."

"But it still wouldn't be enough. The strain would be destructive."

"Yes," Necky agreed, "quite so. It already caused significant damage to a shopping district when he tapped into this power as a child. Yet here he is, still alive, still dead, still in one piece, and slowly growing in the role he is Destined to fill."

Realization struck Discord as a punch in the gut.

"And I have been playing along this entire time," he said, disgusted.

"I have never tried to put you back on this leash, as you call it. You were never free from it, to begin with. All that you did, even before Daniel’s great, great, great grandparents were conceived, you did what needed to be done for you to be here and now; to be freed by the chaos he accidentally brought forth on this world and gain your attention."

"I've never been free," Discord said, aghast. "Never free to choose. Never free to do as I please, without it being part of some scheme."

"I'm afraid not," Necky said regretfully. "Because, while we're free to choose, our choices do not come free. And you chose to bend your personal reality, to believe your own story, and damn the consequences. But you can't. Action, reaction… consequences. An unbreakable rule, even to you."

Twilight's Element clattered to the floor, rolling away a short distance, then came to a wobbly stop.

"Danny… what is he?" Discord asked through teeth, growling.

"It's not about what he is," Necronomicon said simply, "but what he could become."

"Could?" Discord repeated the word.

"His life is one of uncertainty, with near-endless possibilities. One such possibility led to the near-complete destruction of his world, and time had to be rewritten to avert this disaster. But for Destiny's plan to work, he needs to become more than what he is."

"By destroying him to the point where he flees his own world?"

"To steer him where he needs to be. And," Necronomicon breathed out a long, tense sigh, "sometimes the only way to build something is by tearing down what existed before."

"And you expect me to help with this?"

"No. But then, I don't have to. You're already doing it regardless."

Discord looked sick, glaring at his brother with barely restrained rage.

"And regardless of what I chose to do now, none of it truly matters. Because in the end, all I did was what I was meant to do. Like some puppet made to perform. Forced to abide by the stale chaotic uncertainty if what I choose is my own free will, or some intricate plot of an unseen force steering everything to the desired outcome."

"I'm afraid so," Necky lifted the fallen Element, placing it on the table next to the destroyed gauntlet. "As for what you choose to do, well, that is for you to decide. Either way, Destiny will run its course."

"Then what choice do I even have?"

"That is the truest of questions anyone could ask. After all, choice has always been the problem."

Author's Note:

Well, let me just start by saying a merry (belated) Christmas and Heart's Warming, and may the next year be better to all than the current crap fest we've had to deal with.

Also, no chapter for SS at the moment. I haven't been able to finish it yet due to other things getting in the way (video games and work) so that one will be published sometime (hopefully) January.

You may have also noticed only one of my editors is listed at the top of this chapter. This is because the others were unable to edit this time around because of the holidays. So if you find any mistake that slipped through, please let me know down in the comments. And while you're at it, why not throw in a comment telling me what you liked as well.

See you all next year,

~Powerdrainer

Comments

[Midnight Nexus]

Year is about to end.
Powerdrainer releases a new chapter.
Suprised happy face.
I'm not doing anything productive today...

[Popamile]

10607184
Thanks that helps a lot

P.S. Being a huge MLP and Danny Phantom fan (I actually got Butch Hartman himself to draw my Danny Phantom OC character) its safe to say that I'm enjoying your work.

[DarkMagicEn-Forcer1]

Dread it, run from it. Destiny still arrives all the same.

[Raistlin]

Despite how much of a jerk he is, I can sympathize with Discord's plight: to be the embodiment of Chaos, yet still bound by Fate.

“We're all puppets, Laurie. I'm just a puppet who can see the strings.”.~ Dr. Manhattan.

[Clopian26]

That was a great chapter discord is free but bound by Fate

[NpL21]

Thanks for this good chapter, I missed the story. Happy New Year

[Jlan]

Gotta say, this Discord would be insanely jealous of an Elder Scrolls protag. For those who aren't major Elder Scrolls lore buffs, the MCs of the game series all fall into the metaphysical archetype of the Prisoner. In the metaphysics of those games a Prisoner is one who has perceived the metaphysical "walls" of their reality, and found the door to step beyond them. This literally makes them the physical manifestation of the very concepts of "free will" and "choice". That is the in game explanation for why your character is able to do all the things they can do even if they directly contradict one another. The very laws of causality are nothing more than annoyances to be ignored to a Prisoner. Actions, reactions, consequences? None of that ever can or will hold a Prisoner. Only their own choices can bind them, and even then only for as long as they allow it. Of course this all comes at the cost of eventually not being able to "hold together" their infinite possibilities and being scattered into nothing but disjointed futures that merge with the fabric of reality, bringing an end to their existence as a mortal. That is unless they make a choice that stabilizes them as a specific entity, at the cost of them no longer falling into the Prisoner role and being once more bound by causality.

[Shadowblade019]

"He takes this surprisingly well," Celestia said after he left.

Cause of the fuckin brony pussy-whipped Influence.

[Raistlin]

10608277

Nah, he is waiting for deliver the end of Celestia reign via Nuremberg Trial. Best served cold.

Now that I think about it, is Pariah Dark doing Fate's work as well?

[Powerdrainer]

10608744
Yes.

But how...?

[Powerdrainer]

10611840
It is part of the show no-one notices this obvious detail, and I saw no reason to change this. Not to mention, with Danny hiding from his friends and family, it does make sense for him to use a fake name, but a fake name with a lot of meaning to him.

[Popamile]

10625750
Sweet. The IDW comics version of Sombra is actually what made him one of my favorite villas since it really flushed out his character (unlike what the show did in Season 9) so it will be fun to see your version of him.

[Socram]

Serious clockwork the brother of Discord? In this fanfic

[Powerdrainer]

10626279
Eh, no. Clockwork is not Discord's brother.

[Popamile]

10626831
Although thinking about it I feel like Discord would feel right at home in the Ghost Zone.

[Powerdrainer]

10629936
Hmmm...

i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/963/987/70c.jpeg

[ObamnaSoda]

I hope that a Danny v Celestia fight actually does happen, which I don’t at this point see why it wouldn’t. He seems pretty dedicated to it at this point. Danny would be genuinely goated if that happens not gonna lie, regardless of outcome. Also pretty intrigued to get some more specific elements what Celestia did to fuck over the Changelings

[furryman]

The Bookworm

"Quick Index! To the Bookmobile!"

[Powerdrainer]

10636904

[Killerwolf154]