The Empire of Discord

by themultiversewatcher

The Ponyville Rebels

The Ponyville relay station was the largest building in the town, covered in intersecting wires coming from all directions. It was quite clearly the central hub for communication from around Equestria. Workers and Guard members were in a constant flow in and out, and there was rarely a quiet moment. Dusty and Chase followed Fluttershy through the large doors and into a round lobby area. In the middle were several telephones that were marked for public use, while behind them were large windows with service ponies. To each side stood tall wooden doors, each leading into the rest of the command center. Moving through the doors to the right, most of the Guards dispersed to their own personal rooms for the day, leaving only Dusty, Chase and Fluttershy. They were led into the last room before the wall.

The large room was filled with lines for private orders and other things of that nature. Fluttershy stopped next to the center-most line in the room.

"Excuse me for a moment," she told the two strangers. Dialing a number, she waited for the other end to pick up. It took a minute before someone answered.

"Census Paper. State your business."

"Commander Fluttershy, Ponyville Branch, Earth Forces here. I have two unidentified ponies here. They are...shoot. Excuse me, what were your names?"

"Lightning Dust and Nightchaser," Dusty responded, a little annoyed.

"Sorry," Fluttershy apologized, "Lightning Dust and Nightchaser."

"Huh," Census said thoughtfully, "Another two unidentified ponies? We don't have them on record, either. Please fill out the proper forms."

"Of course. Right away."

The line went dead as Census hung up. Grabbing the papers, Fluttershy handed them to the two newcomers.

"Please sign the forms, and I will take care of the rest."

After filling their names in, Dusty and Chase returned the forms. Fluttershy thanked them and sent them on their way. Alone at last, she slumped down in the chair. Breathing a deep sigh, she thought about her position. Being a commander was definitely not on the list of things she would like to do, but, of course, duty came first. As the leader of the Ponyville Guard and the calmest member of the entire army, she definitely had the disposition for leadership. Or, at least, she would, if she weren't so unsure of herself. It certainly didn't help that she failed the flying course, the only pegasus to actually do so in the entire thirty-year reign of Lord Discord.

Thinking about these things was never a good idea, though. Fluttershy thought about what she was good at, interrogation. For some reason, if somepony knew something they weren't telling, her calm disposition unnerved them enough to reveal all they knew. She and Applejack made the best team, with the other commander being able to tell when somepony was lying a mile away. However, Applejack's temperament was barely suited for the grilling room, as she had a propensity for annoyance and would often overreact if things didn't go exactly according to procedure.

Slowly filling out the rest of the papers, she lost herself deeper and deeper into thought. Fluttershy thought about what life would be like after she was done with her duty. Perhaps she would move into the Everfree Forest and become a hermit, taking care of animals while avoiding all contact with ponykind. It obviously would be a lot less glamorous than being a commander, but that was something she liked about the idea. Being the center of attention was not something she wanted, and with her current position, she was tired of it. Hearing a door open, she snapped her head in the sound's direction. Standing in the doorway was a slightly older stallion, a big red male appropriately named Big Mac, Applejack's older brother.

"Ah, Mac, just the one I wanted to see," Fluttershy said, looking at him intently, "Finished with your rounds, are you?"

"Eeyup," Big Mac answered.

"Did you see anything out of the ordinary?"

"Nope."

"Well then, I think you should go home and take care of Applebloom now. She needs you, you know. First, though, can you send these to Census by Dragon Mail, please?"

"Eeyup," Mac replied in his usual one syllable style.

Fluttershy watched him leave, smiling slightly. Big Mac was always dependable. His shy demeanor fit her really well, and he was brave on top. He was also a devoted brother, always sure to keep an eye on his little sisters to make sure they didn't get into trouble, an attribute she had always admired. He was a breath of fresh air from the usual staleness that surrounded the Empire.

Getting up from her position, she left her room. If anyone wanted to reach her, they knew where to find her. Once in the hallway, she noticed a pony rushing to greet her, a look of discomfort on his face.

"Commander Fluttershy," he said breathlessly, "The prisoner is acting up again. We need your assistance."

Taking a deep breath, she nodded, following the stallion to the prison section on the other side of the station.

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Outside, Dusty and Chase found themselves with nothing to do. They had already eaten, and they weren't tired. Looking between themselves, they tried to collaborate.

"Well, we're here now," said Dusty, "We need to figure out what we're going to do."

"I think that we should try to find someplace to stay," Chase said, "It wouldn't be a very good idea to just stay out all night. Besides, we could drop off our things at the hotel."

"It's settled, then. Let's find ourselves a place to stay."

The two friends began their self-guided tour of Ponyville, searching for the best place to stay. The fairly small town was easy to trek through, granted half the town worked with or for the Guard. Searching through the area, they eventually came across a small inn, the Sleeping Mare. Walking through the entrance, they were greeted by the receptionist's smiling face.

"Welcome to the Sleeping Mare," she said cheerfully, "I'm Goodnight, the owner. What can I do for you?"

"We'd like to rent a room, please," said Chase.

"A room for two. Got it. It's rare to see a couple like yourselves in a small place like this. Ponyville isn't exactly a sightseeing destination."

"Couple?" Dusty asked, "We're really just friends passing through. We'd like separate beds, if at all possible."

"Oh...well that's too bad. Sure. Here's your room key. It's room 105. Please, enjoy your stay, and don't be afraid to ask me for anything at all. Oh, before I go, I'm going to need your names."

"I'm Lightning Dust and this is Nightchaser."

"There we go. All set! Once again, enjoy your stay."

Turning around, Goodnight left the two alone again. Sharing a glance, they laughed before moving towards their room. It was located at the end of the hall, just before the stairs. Entering, they found themselves in a mid-size room with two beds in close proximity. Placing their gear down, the companions sat on the beds. The soft, plush material felt great on their coats.

"Hey, Dusty?" Chase asked, "Do you feel like explorin' a little more? I have a feelin' that there is somethin' we didn't notice here."

"You too, huh?" Dusty answered, "It felt like there was something in the lobby we didn't see, like a tingling sensation, right?"

"Yeah. Come on, I think I might know what it is."

Leaving their room, the two of them quickly returned to the foyer. The strange sensation they felt earlier was still there. However, as they looked about themselves, they couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Staring intently at the wall next to the counter, Chase began to see the faint outline of a doorway right where the wall should have been. Moving slowly, not taking his eyes off the opening, he tentatively reached out a hoof. Reaching forward, he watched as his hoof went through the wall and into a secret passageway. Dusty watched the whole thing, not quite believing her eyes as Chase disappeared from sight. Following right behind him, she took one more cursory look behind her before taking the plunge.

The passage was well lit. It was clear that the entrance was not meant to be found by anyone who may have glanced in. At the end of the hall, stairs descended downwards and into a large open space filled with ponies. They were sitting around tables, chatting and feasting merrily, while lively ragtime music played in the background, contrasting the depressing world outside. The two newcomers scanned the room, awe written on their faces. If there was one thing they weren't expecting, it was for there to be such a large group in the town.

"Cool, ain't it," came a voice behind them. They turned around to find themselves facing Goodnight. "Not many know how to find this place. Welcome to the rebel hideout! Since you aren't Chaos Guards, you're welcome to share in all we have."

"Wow," said Dusty, her voice filled with wonder, "This place is huge! How'd you do all this? Wouldn't the Guard find out?"

"We are very careful. Thanks to some unicorns, soundproofing spells, and a barrier that can't be detected by anything affected by chaos magic, we were able to excavate without any outsiders knowing anything. Quite ingenious, you might say." The three ponies moved to a table. Goodnight ordered them a round of drinks, which were quickly delivered. "Now, you said you were passing through. Would you mind telling me about it? I'd love to hear it."

Looking between each other, Dusty and Chase mentally agreed to tell the hostess about their mission. After all, it didn't hurt to have a little bit of outside help, considering they didn't know where they were going.

"Okay," Chase agreed, "We're travelin' to find the locations of all the commanders. We're tryin' to fight Discord, and it's probably good to know just how far his influence reaches."

"Well, now. What a coincidence that you found just the right ponies to help you out with that. Our bases are everywhere, and we have informants in all major Chaos Guard controlled cities. I'm sure you'd like to know just where the next commander is, am I right?" The two travelers nodded. "The closest city run by one of the leaders is Cloudsdale, where Rainbow Dash runs the Chaos Armory for all Air Force division troops. However, Nightchaser, you might have trouble moving around up there."

"I think I may know the answer," Dusty said suddenly, causing the two others at the table to jump, "If I remember correctly, the library has a book with a spell that allows for non-pegasi to walk on clouds. That's what we need. One of us is going to have to break in and steal that book."

"I'll do it," Chase said, "Let's face it, Dusty, you'd be too noticeable, while I can teleport. I can sneak in, find the book, and leave without being noticed."

"Alright, then," Goodnight said with finality, "It sounds like you're all set. Be careful, though. I've heard that the Guard watches that place very closely. I wouldn't be surprised if it has a magical perimeter alarm."

Chase stood up, ready for his mission. After thanking Goodnight, he started to leave. Dusty, however, stopped him before he got too far.

"Chase," she said, "Don't get caught, okay? I don't think I could go on this adventure alone. Besides, Treble and Rose expect us to come back together. We can't let them down."

"Of course," Chase replied with a wink, "I'll be back before you know it."

With those last words, he left the two mares alone, making his way through the passage and out the hotel doors. Taking a deep breath, he turned in the direction of the library, which he and Dusty passed on the way. Moving down the street, trying to act like he knew where he was going, Chase approached the big building. The brick walls looked imposing, the red color dulled due to the dark night. In the shadows of the walls, Chase felt rather insignificant. Glancing towards the large doors, he noticed a Guard standing at the ready, ushering passing ponies along. The fact that what looked to be a public library was closed off was rather strange. It was as if it held some secret the government didn't want to be leaked.

Through the windows, Chase could see rows upon rows of shelved books. Steeling himself, he readied the teleportation spell. With a bright flash, he found himself within the library. Peering about, he concluded he was quite alone. Walking along the shelves, he read the spines of the books. There were tomes of everything, from dangerous beasts to advanced spells. Carefully examining each one, he came upon a small book with the title Terrain Spells. Picking the book up, he opened to the table of contents. Reading through them, he eventually came upon his quarry. Reading carefully, he studied how the spell worked. Once he was done, he placed it in his saddlebags, which he had carried into the rebel's hideout.

While his initial quest was finished, Chase thought it better to search the library more. Returning the way he came, he picked up several books along the way, mostly the ones dealing with combat magic. It seemed like a good idea to learn how to fight better, should he need to. Moving towards the back, he kept up his activities. Along the back walls were many new-looking books. Some of them had never been touched. However, one single book stood out. It was well worn, as though the owner had a soft spot for it. Enveloping it in his magic, Chase attempted to lift it from its position. The book refused leave the shelf, staying stubbornly in place. Suddenly, he had an idea. Still using his magic, he tried pushing it deeper into place.

An audible click sounded through the room, causing the unicorn to flinch. After a loud grinding sound, a bookcase shifted from its location, sliding to the side, revealing a long staircase leading down into darkness. Nearing the opening, Chase peered downwards into the abyss. As soon as he looked down, the torches that lined the walls lit up. Taking cautious steps, he began his decent. Eventually, he reached the bottom. Laid out in front of him was a large pillar of wood, looking for all the world like the trunk of a tree. Surrounding the column were scientific instruments of all kinds. The room was large enough to fit equipment he had never seen before. Strewn about the floor were notes on experimental magic enhancers, no doubt made for the Chaos Guards.

Backing slowly up, he bumped into something soft. Turning around, he had to turn his gaze upwards, only to find a red stallion standing right in front of him. Without warning, the stallion lashed out, slamming his large hoof into Chase's face, causing him to black out.

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Commander Fluttershy slowly entered the prison section, ready for anything. On the far side, she could hear the smug sound of the rebel stallion they had captured a few days ago. Shivering a little, she moved towards the sounds. Outside the cage stood her subordinate, Gleaming Shield, who wore a nervous expression on her face. Gleaming had been a student of Commander Twilight's brother, General Shining Armor, the head of the Chaos Guard and Discord's personal military second in command. She had been a great asset to the military, having captured thirty rebels, including three of their leaders. Inside the cage opposite the mare was one of those leaders, a stallion by the name Cold Shoulder. He was currently harassing the poor girl, smiling slightly all the while.

"Ah, Commander," he said, "Just the mare I wanted to see. By the way, Lieutenant Commander Gleaming Shield, why don't you just run along and let the two adults talk things out."

Gleaming turned to leave, relief flooding her expression. Brushing past the commander, she made her way straight towards the doors at the end of the hall. Fluttershy stared after her before turning to Cold.

"I wish you wouldn't torment the young ones," she stated flatly, "It's not befitting a stallion of your standing. If you don't mind, that is."

"Sometimes, I wonder if you're too soft, Commander. We are, after all, enemies. That one day was enough to change my views of the world. You know, I was only captured because I let myself be caught."

"You made me aware several times already. Also, I believe that all ponies, whether they be criminals such as yourself, or keepers of peace like Gleaming Shield, have the right to have somepony be kind to them. So, why did you wish to see me?"

"I just wanted to see you, that's all. Oh, and to tell you that tomorrow, I'm getting out of here. I've learned all I wanted to, and now it's time to go."

"You're escaping? And you're telling me, why?"

"Because you've been so kind to me. That, and I know you won't be able to stop me."

"We'll see about that. Anyhow, I've wasted enough time here. Excuse me, but I'm going to bed."

When all was said and done, Fluttershy left the stallion all alone. Once outside, she breathed a large sigh of relief. Ordering extra guards to be posted, she stepped out into the cold nighttime air. Moving quickly towards her cottage, she couldn't help but think back on what the rebel leader had to say. He sounded like he was serious about escaping. However, with her troop's diligence, there was no way he could leave without her knowing.

Chancing a look at the library, she witnessed Big Mac entering the building. While she wanted to know what he was doing, she was way too tired to do so. Deciding it could wait until the morning, she continued on her way. Once she reached her house on the edge of town, she went inside. There to greet her was a small white rabbit. He was lying on the floor, fast asleep. The creature, named Angel Bunny III, was one of her pets, named after her original rabbit. Smiling sweetly, she scooped up the small animal and made her way up the stairs to her room. Laying him down gently on his little bed in the corner, she thought back on times passed.

Fluttershy thought about the first Angel, and what happened when she came back that first day, five years ago. He was laying in the corner, old and grey, having lived way longer than any little bunny should have. He slowly stood, making his way shakily over to her. He hugged her hoof tightly, and died right there. Her heart was struck with a sadness that enveloped her entire being. Sniffling, she turned away and climbed into bed. Slowly and quietly, she cried herself to sleep.

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It had been several hours since Chase had left for his mission. The whole while, Dusty paced away, practically drilling a hole in the floor. What was taking so long, she wondered worriedly. It was bad enough she knew he went on a dangerous outing, but for her to hear nothing was disconcerting.

"Calm down," Goodnight said, "He's fine."

"You want me to calm down?" the athlete asked, "For all I know, he could be dead! I told him to be safe, and he must not have listened."

"I'm highly doubtful that he died. If anything, he was captured, where he'll stay until the commander arrives."

"How can you be so calm!" Dusty exclaimed, frustrated at the other mare, "Even if that's true, won't he be killed for rebelling in the morning, once they get the information they are after? I don't want anything to happen to him. He's my responsibility, you know."

"I can be calm," Goodnight said serenely, "Because we're going to rescue him tomorrow. You see, one of our leaders is also in prison. We planned several weeks ago for him to be captured, so that he can have surveillance on the activities of the Chaos Guard. The operation begins at eight sharp, and will be quick. It's just an in-and-out extraction. There should be no casualties on either side, and we can use the cover to escape. How would you like to become an official part of our rebellion and save your friend?"

"I would absolutely love to help out," Dusty agreed, "It will help us in our own fight against Discord."

"All right, here's the plan..."

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Fluttershy's eyes fluttered opened, the bright light of day streaming through the window. Looking to the side, she read the clock. Seven o'clock. Realizing she had to move quickly, she ran down the stairs. Within minutes, she had made her breakfast of Honey Clusters with Oats. Eating as though her life depended on it, she choked halfway through. Grabbing a glass of water, she washed down the offending lump, and resumed shoving her food into her mouth. Once she was done, she offhoofedly made Angel III his breakfast, apologizing to the small white rabbit, who thudded his large hind foot on the ground. Once more saying sorry, she threw on her uniform, and galloped into town.

Panting hard, she made her way into her office, where she slumped down hard into her chair. Mulling over the mad dash, she suddenly thought of many things she had forgotten to do. Glancing at the time pasted in large digital numbers on the console in front of her, she saw that it was now seven thirty. Luckily, she had made great time, considering how far away her cottage was from the station. Normally, she would have gotten up faithfully at six, but the return of the sad memories the night before had taken their toll on her stamina. While her shift was supposed to begin at seven, she was allowed a certain amount of leeway in the time she could arrive at work, given her position. She had just barely made it in time. A knock sounded from the door, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Please, come in," she said, "It's open."

The door swung open, revealing Big Mac on the other side. Walking inside, he sat down across the desk.

"What do you have to report from your library visit last night," she asked, assuming that was the reason he was there.

"Somepony broke into the Library," he said simply.

"What did they do there?"

"They found it."

The news shocked Fluttershy. In the five years she had memory of, no one had ever broken into the library. That wasn't the surprising part. The astonishing thing was that they had found the laboratory. She would have to contact Twilight immediately.

"Who was it?" she asked, curious to find out.

"The new stallion," came the reply.

With all the information she had obtained, she dismissed the red stallion. She would have to deal with the threat as soon as she had finished her contact with Arch-mage Twilight.

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Eight o'clock came charging in like a bull. Nightchaser's eyes snapped open, and he found himself in a prison cell. Looking around, he saw an ice blue unicorn stallion lying in one of the cages next to him. Suddenly, he felt a massive headache. Glancing upwards, he noticed a huge welt surrounding his horn. The events of the previous night rushed back, and he remembered being knocked out by a massive red stallion. Figuring that the assailant was a Chaos Guard, and that he seemed to be in a round prison, he realized that he had to be in the Ponyville relay station.

"So, you're finally awake," came a voice that must have come from the stallion in the adjacent cage, "You know, you're lucky. I overheard the guards talking about somepony breaking into the library. The only reason you are alive is so that they can figure out why you were there. It's an act of rebellion, after all, though I'm not completely certain why."

"You knew?" Chase said, surprised, "Hey, why are you in here?"

"Oh, I'm one of the rebellion's leaders. The name's Cold Shoulder. Today is your lucky day, my friend! I'm waiting to be released from imprisonment as we speak. I'll make sure you are also taken care of. Shhhh, here comes the Commander, right on schedule."

Looking towards the door at the end of the circular hallway, Chase watched as Commander Fluttershy entered the space. Marching straight up to his cage, she sat down, a hard look set on her face.

"Nightchaser," she said, her voice cold as ice, "I just received a report from one of my subordinates that you were caught in the Ponyville Library. You are being charged with breaking and entering a restricted building. Not only that, but you also trespassed on a top secret military research area. Now, I would like you to tell me why you decided to commit these crimes."

Chase found himself unable to speak, the mare's piercing gaze paralyzing him, the cold, quiet, calculating tone of her voice only causing him to shrink more and more towards the back of the cage. He opened and closed his mouth, but no words would spring forth. Cold watched with amusement at the display in front of him. As it was apparent that the dark blue unicorn would be unable to give his reasons, he spoke in his place.

"If I were to guess, he is part of the rebel troops, although I've never seen him before. It's obvious that your infamous stare has rendered him mute."

"Thank you for your input, Cold," Fluttershy responded frigidly, "Although I don't remember asking for you to speak. However, you seem to be right in one aspect. He is clearly in no position to answer to anypony, least of all me. Very well, I'll continue this later. Mark my words, though, I will find my answers, one way or another."

Taking her leave, the commander moved off. Finding his voice again, Chase turned to the rebel leader, "What was that? What happened to me?"

"That was her stare," Cold said, "It apparently is supposed to instill fear and unease. I've heard she only uses it when she's serious about something. You must have found something extremely dangerous to national security in that library."

"She said it was a restricted area. It's a public library, right?"

"It used to be. Five years ago, it became some sort of base of operations, and now the only way to enter is by the permission of the Guard. Basically, you need to either be somepony important, or a member of the Guard. That's all I know about it, really."

Suddenly, a huge explosion rocked the building. The sound came from the Guard quarters. Glancing around in a panic, Chase began to wonder what went wrong. Cold Shoulder, however, just remained calm, smiling widely. A smaller explosion, barely loud enough to echo through the prison, blasted a hole in the large wall. Through the opening came a pegasus mare. Fixing his gaze, Chase let out a happy gasp, glad to see a familiar face.

"I thought I told you not to get caught," Dusty scolded, a smile belying her tone, "We're here to get you out of here."

Flying up to the large bolt holding the cage closed, she released it, causing the door to swing open. Once she opened Cold's cell, she landed by the opening. Out of nowhere, Chase tackled her in a large bear hug. Without skipping a beat, he gave her a quick peck on the lips. Needless to say, she was taken aback by the unexpected kiss.

"You don't know how happy I am to see you!"

Blushing furiously, Dusty stammered, "Y-yeah. It-it was nothing. C-come on, let's just get out of here."

Smiling giddily, Chase followed the embarrassed mare and the rebel stallion out of the prison. Once outside, they were greeted by a small group of ponies from the rebel base. Silently, the crew made a swift escape, but not in the direction of Goodnight's hotel. Instead, they made their way to the Whitetail Woods. Now fully recovered from her shocking experience, Dusty returned to Chase's side. Only when Ponyville was lost from sight did the group begin to slow down.

"Well, so much for the books I gathered," said Chase, disappointment clear in his voice, "And I worked so hard to get them, too."

"You mean these books?" Dusty said smugly, pointing to the second saddlebag strapped to her back, "You were too busy glomping me to notice, weren't you."

Smiling sheepishly, Chase answered, "Yeah. Thanks again. You're a real friend."

"Well, now," came a female voice, "If it isn't the two not-lovebirds." Striding up to the pair was Goodnight, who had a huge grin on her face, "I thought you were 'just friends'. Nudge nudge, wink wink."

"That was spur of the moment," Dusty replied a little too quickly, "He was just happy to see me. It didn't mean anything."

"Yeah, yeah, I've used that before. What do you say, Nightchaser?"

"First of all, you can call me Chase. Second...uh, yeah...what she said," Chase responded, a faint look of disappointment present on his face.

"We're here," called Cold, "Welcome to our headquarters. Please, watch your step, it's a small opening."

One by one, the group filed into a hole in the side of a cliff and down a long hallway.

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Fluttershy stared at the small hole and the opened cages. She had been bested. While her guards were busy putting out the fire from the large explosion, the prisoners had escaped. Gritting her teeth, she let out a quiet scream of frustration. After all the work her subordinates had put into the rounding up of these rebels, only for them to slip away, unnoticed was infuriating. Kicking herself mentally, she returned to her office to write up her unfortunate report. She knew failure was punished, and she had to be prepared for the consequences.

Author's Note:

So, now we have the other major players in the story, the rebel faction. Of course, I didn't quite know how I was going to justify the break-in to the Ponyville Library. When Dusty and Chase were so indecisive, I was probably inserting my own vexation with how, exactly, I was going to make this chapter work. So much for planning. This is how it turned out, and it was probably for the better.
How was I with Fluttershy? I think she is one of my favorite characters to write for. She only says what is needed, but she isn't as quiet as Big Mac, who is actually kind of boring to write. Of course, on the other end of the spectrum is Zecora, who is, pardon my language, a bitch when she speaks. Never enough time for the right rhyme. (see what I did there?)
One more thing! I was searching through the Internet, and I came across this. I listened to it, and decided that I would make it the music that was playing in the rebel hideout.