Rearranging Perspectives

by The Dimension Traveler

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Rearranging Perspectives

Chapter 13: Something wicked this way comes

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An unnatural hush had fallen over Canterlot. The streets, normally bustling with activity, were empty. Shutters had been closed and doors had been locked. Nopony knew why, but since the sun had risen that morning, something had felt wrong.

Princess Celestia was in her chambers, drinking tea to steady her nerves. Even she was not immune to the feeling of wrongness. If she had watched Star Wars, she might have compared it to a disturbance in the Force. As it was, she was on edge, just waiting for the disaster the feeling must surely be forewarning her of.

Just as she finished her third cup of tea (Or maybe third pot, she wasn’t quite sure), she decided she had to do something, even if she didn’t know what. With a plan starting to form in her mind, she left her chambers, only to run into Luna.

“Why Luna, what brings you here?” Celestia asked, even as she took note of her sister’s agitated state. Her mane and tail were fluttering wildly and she couldn’t stop fidgeting ever-so-slightly. If Celestia hadn’t known better, she might have suspected her younger sister had partaken in the ‘wonders of coffee’, as Luna put it when she had first discovered it. Celestia would not soon forget that week.

“I merely wanted to make sure you were alright,” Luna replied and Celestia raised an eyebrow. Luna refused to meet Celestia’s look for a few moments, then muttered something Celestia didn’t quite catch.

“What was that?” Celestia asked

“I said…I’m afraid…” Luna admitted, “There is something unnatural in the air and I am worried that horrible things are about to happen.”

“And here I thought it was just me,” Snarked Sam as he appeared in the hallway.

“If you’re only here to make a pest of yourself, then kindly pester somepony else instead,” Luna shot back

“As much as I would love to make your blood pressure higher than even Nephthys can, I do actually have something to report. Those bad vibes everyone’s been getting this morning? Discord and a bunch of Sun Eaters are headed this way and they’ve got some kind of machine with them. My guess is it’s some kind of fear generating machine. At present speed, ETA is five hours,” Sam stated and with that, preparations began.

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This was it. Discord had appeared and now the battle with him was mere hours away. Twilight tried to put on a brave face, but inside, she was shaking like a leaf. Discord had been a ready source of nightmare fuel since they had first met. Twilight wanted to conquer her fears, but knew she might be the one getting conquered.

However, it had been quite a while since they had fought. Even if Twilight wasn’t aware of it, she wasn’t exactly the same pony she was then. She and her friends had gone through so much over the course of that year. Even now, being thrown headfirst into a war, she was growing into a strong individual. As they say, the strongest steel is forged in the hottest flames.

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As Fluttershy prepared the beds for the inevitable incoming injured, her mind wandered. She thought of the times she had spent with her friends. How that time had almost come to a close because of Discord. She wondered when the war would end. Her musings flittered about from one topic to the next like a hummingbird pollinating flowers. In truth, she was just trying to distract herself.

Despite all that Discord had done to her and her friends, she couldn’t think of him as evil. After all, nopony had gotten hurt in any lasting way and Discord had only engaged the Elements because they were a threat to him. Now, however, he was under the control of something that was actively trying to destroy all of Equestria. Thus, she was doing everything in her power to not think about the body count that was sure to rise.

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Luna watched as so many brave ponies marched off to meet Discord and the Sun Eaters. How many would return? How many would still be whole? These questions and more gnawed at her. She wanted more than anything to be marching with them, but Celestia insisted that she stayed. Luna didn’t see the point, as Celestia had already proven she was capable of taking care of both the Sun and Moon should anything go wrong, but obeyed her older sister’s wishes.

Thus, Luna only watched and prayed, like some damsel in a novel, as much as the comparison grated her.

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The host marched onward, ready to face their foe and protect their home. Then, they stopped. Their enemy was directly in front of them, across the plain. Discord was at their head. This was it. If they lost here, it would all be over.

With a mighty cry, both armies surged forward. For Victory or Oblivion.

Author's Note:

Sorry this took so long, I just can't seem to write the battle with Discord in a way that I like. So I decided to cut the chapter and give you what I did have to tide you all over. Hopefully, the next chapter will be written before I pull all of my hair out.