Shining Armour
“Well?” asked Tirek, looking down at Discord. “Got nothing to say, have you?”
Shining Armour nervously brushed a lock of electric-blue mane back under his helmet, and poked Discord in the back with his spear again. It really was a very sharp spear.
Discord grinned widely. It wasn't the grin of a defeated dragonequus; it was the grin of a dragonequus who knows something very important that the person he is grinning at doesn't. And a dragonequus has a very large mouth to grin with.
And then Discord opened his mouth. A potion vial, which had been resting on his tongue, dropped and fell to the floor.
“What?” asked Tirek, as a cloud of smoke billowed out from the shattered vial, hiding the ponies temporarily from his sight. He took a deep breath, and blew with all his might... the cloud drifted away after only a few moments, but now Discord was lying flat on his back in front of Tirek's throne, relaxing, as if on a beach.
“You know,” said Discord, “I really do miss the days I could do that with just a snap of my claws.”
“You've done something.” said Tirek, placing one hoof on Discord's chest and stomping down, hard. “I know you have, but...”
Tirek suddenly noticed what was missing.
“The amulet!” he said, pointing at Twilight's bare neck. “Scorpan's amulet! What have you done with it?”
“I ate it.” said Twilight, promptly.
“Threw it out the window, of course.” wheezed Discord, waving his lion paw in the direction of the window he'd shattered in his escape. “Had an accomplice waiting outside... thing's halfway to Baltimare by now, no doubt.”
Tirek frowned at Discord, and then deliberately shifted more weight onto the dragonequus.
“Guard captain.” he said.
Shining Armour saluted. “Sir?”
“I don't know what Discord's planning, but he let himself get recaptured just to get that amulet out. Round up the guard, find that amulet, get it back. Remember, it might not be headed for Baltimare!”
“Yes, sir.” Shining saluted again, turned around, and marched out of the throne room.
“In the meantime,” said Tirek, finally removing his hoof from Discord's torso and dragging the dragonequus up to eye level with his stolen magic, “we are going to have a little discussion about your escape. And what do you know – I already have the red-hot coals all ready.”
Discord looked down at the hot coals, and then up at Spike, hanging by his claws. He burst out laughing. “Oh dear, oh dear, were you actually trying to torture a dragon with fire?”
* * *
Zecora looked over Daring's shoulder as she finally closed the Friendship Diary. “Have you found what you sought, or has your search been for nought?” she asked.
“There's definitely clues in there.” said Daring. “The first five... now that I know what they are I can spot the pattern. Interestingly enough, the entries are dated at fairly regular intervals as well, if I follow that pattern, the sixth key should have been related to the final pony in the diary – Twilight Sparkle – and should have been obtained around about...”
Daring frowned at the stalactites for a moment, and then finished “...around about the same time as the fight against Tirek. Princess Sparkle was heavily involved in that, right?”
“She certainly fought, yet at the end she was caught.”
“Yesssss... if the other keys follow the pattern of this one, then she should have been given something either before, during, or shortly after that battle, some object which would serve as the sixth key, in thanks for some lesson learnt about... either magic or friendship... either way, Princess Sparkle will know what it is... she was there when I broke into Tirek's throne room.” Daring paused for a moment, tapping the book with one hoof. “She... had an amulet around her neck. That's probably what we're looking for. But after I got in there, Tirek will be guarding his palace better... it won't be easy to get the amulet out...”
Daring didn't pay attention when three fillies glanced at each other, then quietly tip-hooved out of the cave.
* * *
Shining Armour hurried through the halls of Canterlot Castle, calling out orders to the grey-maned Royal Guard. “Squad one, to Manehatten! Squad two, Baltimare! Squad three, Fillydelfia, but be careful, they didn't report in on time, there may be some trouble there! Squads four, five and six, Las Pegasus, and see if you can figure out why nopony else ever comes back from there while you're looking. Squad seven, with me, we're going to Ponyville.”
* * *
The Friendship Express pulled in to Ponyville, and a full squad of Royal Guards marched off. None of them paid any attention at all to the three small fillies quietly getting on to the train.
“You lot!” barked Shining Armour. “Check the south side of town. You lot! North side. Lieutenant Bubblegum! Take three guards and sweep the east quarter. The rest of you, search the west, particularly among the apple orchards! Remember! Finding the amulet is your top priority! Ignore anypony who doesn't have it!”
“And where will you be, sir?” asked one of the guards.
“I am going to the Everfree Forest.” stated Shining Armour. “I've heard of a zebra who lives in there.”
* * *
Shining didn't particularly bother to be quiet, as he clattered down the stone steps that led to the Cave of Harmony. He stepped inside, and there was the tree, there was the box with five keys, and there was the zebra. What he didn't see was Daring Do, carefully lowering herself from the ceiling behind him, and aiming a blowgun at his rear.
“Zecora!” he called out.
“That is my name, the very same.” said the zebra.
Shining Armour reached under his armour and pulled out Scorpan's amulet. “I understand you'll know what to do with this.” he said.
* * *
“It's quite simple, really.” said Discord, hanging from his mismatched wrists by the ropes that had once held Spike. “What it comes down to is, you're an idiot. All I had to do to defeat you was drop a few hints here and there... oh, and fetch an album of wedding photographs from the Crystal Empire.” Discord's smile broadened. “That's what you get for using my magic to try to force loyalty. I know how to undo it, and that can be done without any magic at all.”
“You haven't won yet.” snarled Tirek.
“Oh yes, I have.” said Discord. “Why don't you take a look out the window?
Tirek turned his head, just in time to see a giant rainbow arc its way up from Ponyville. It reached high into the sky, turned and fell to Equestria again... right in the middle of Tirek's throne room. The giant centaur cringed, and closed his eyes, as the light of harmony filled the room... and then faded again, leaving him untouched.
Tirek cautiously opened his eyes. “Ha!” he said, straightening up and dusting himself off. “Was that the best you could do, Discord? It hasn't had any effect on me at all!”
“Oh Tirek.” said Discord, rolling his eyes. “Why must everything always be about you?” He nodded to the throne behind Tirek, where six ponies rose up, surrounded by a magical light. “I think the rainbow worked perfectly, myself.”
Tirek turned around, and barely had time to stare in astonishment as the rainbow powers of Harmony blasted the stolen magic out of him and sent him directly back to his imprisonment in Tartarus.
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4994290
How do they raise taxes? They just raise insurance premiums. I think you're thinking of Internal Revenue...
4995601
More has arrived!
And this is why you always muzzle the God of Chaos.
Though I was kind of expecting the extended CMC to get the Rainbow Super Saiyan juice.
Hmm..
Magic for Zecora,
Generosity for Sweetie
Honesty for AB
Loyalty for Scootaloo
Kindness for Daring Do(she kind of gets the shaft here)
And Laughter for Discord.
Ah well. Tirek's about to get a good, old fashioned passionate ass whipping and that is quality entertainment right there.
Rule number one Tirek, DON'T KEEP YOUR ENEMIES ALIVE!!! On another note, taste the rainbow!
4996668 Errr
CMC liers?
*Runs away*
4996678
I'm not sure you've got those elements right. I mean, Sweetie Belle isn't Generosity - she's more Kindness, I think, or Loyalty. And Daring is more inclined to Honesty than Kindness... Scootaloo might be a good fit for Generosity... Applebloom might make a good Loyalty... Discord might be utterly annhilated if he tries to take on pure Harmony magic, but if not he could probably manage Magic just as well as Kindness...
4996698
Shhh! Don't give him ideas!
DAMN IT DISCORD!
Clever trick with Shining being un-Discorded.
Ha ha! That's right, get wrecked Tirek! You really do get dumber the more magic you eat.
"This is you on your honeymoon with your dearest Princess Cadance. No effect? This is you on the ferris wheel isn't that just precious? Here's one of you taking a picture together by the waterfall. Oh and here you are sharing cotton candy together. Still no effect? You are a tough nut to crack Shining Armor, I must say! Oh here we go. You devil you, you snuck a camera into your bedchambers. Remember that position? And that one? And the strawberries?"
"So, honey, what memories brought you out of that mind control spell?"
"It was our trip on the ferris wheel, dear."
Ah. The box just had to be opened. No one the ones who were granted the power needed to be the ones who did so. Also, nice touch with mentioning the color of Shining's mane.
Also, Tirek? This is why you shouldn't stop thinking when you get some power in you.
Looking forward to the conclusion.
The number one villain flaw.
Well, that was a bit anti-climactic... I do like how it seemed that Discord was hedging his bets by hinting at the amulet, but not outright mentioning it, thus ensuring that his attempt happened FIRST.