Midnight Meeting
Princess Luna glided stealthily through the night, hooves touching silently on the forest floor. Her horn glowed with a dark blue aura. A large chest floated beside her, wrapped in a similar light. After several hours of hiking and very brief scuffle with an irritated manticore, she had finally arrived at her destination.
“It has been a while,” she said, looking up at the ancient castle. It had been her home before becoming Nightmare Moon. After her banishment Celestia had moved the capital to Canterlot. Over the next few centuries, the Everfree Forest had claimed their old home.
The nostalgia faded after a moment and she strode forward, features set in determination. She’d set the Elements of Harmony down in the main hall, right where they’d been for centuries. Hopefully nopony would look for them there until she could talk things out with Celestia. Should trouble arise, it would be simple enough to retrieve them.
“Are we finally done walking, Princess?”
Luna jumped in surprise and spun toward the entrance. Standing in the open doorway was a small white unicorn with a blue mane.
“What art thou doing here?” Luna asked, levitating the chest behind her.
“Following thou, oh great and obvious ruler.” Crystal Ball trotted into the room, smirking at the princess. “Clever, not using a teleportation spell. The energy needed to travel such a distance may have been noticed, but really, did you think nopony would follow you if you went on foot?”
“We know not what thou speak of. We were simply enjoying our nightly walk.” Luna laughed nervously and gave her a clearly forced smile.
“Oh, drop it, princess. I already know you stole the Elements of Harmony. And before you get any ideas, I’m not the only one who knows. If you don’t follow our orders, we’ll just have to tell your sister and you’ll be on your way for a repeat lunar vacation.”
“Then we will just return them now. Nopony knows they are missing, and they won’t believe you over me.”
“Oh, you’re probably right,” Crystal Ball said, smiling even wider. “Except everypony knows. You see, Discord broke free tonight. They tried to keep him trapped, but the elements were gone. Such a tragic coincidence.”
The chest slipped from Luna’s magic grip, bouncing once on the cracked tile and falling open. The princess stared at the filly in shocked silence, a stupefied expression of dread on her face.
“Good, I see you understand your position. Now, if you want your secret safe, you’ll do what we tell you. First, do not tell anypony where the elements are. Don’t try to return them, just pretend they’re missing.”
*****
For the first time in months, Scootaloo was alone. Rainbow Dash visited twice while she stayed in Canterlot Castle. The Princess had talked to her every day or two. Everypony was nice enough to her, if only because they didn’t know what she’d done. She still felt alone.
Twilight’s brother, Shining Armor, had begun casting his shield spell again to keep Discord’s magic from reaching Canterlot. Scootaloo hadn’t realized how much she had enjoyed the usual conversations with Discord. He’d been there to warn her of trouble, keep her company when she was alone, and cheer her up when she was sad.
The crusaders hadn’t been allowed to visit her yet, and everypony that saw her cutie mark kept her at a distance, even if they weren’t actually mean. With a cutie mark like hers, what else could she expect?
It was even worse at night. When she was alone in bed, it was almost like she could feel the cutie mark. It was a constant reminder, a sign telling all of Equestria what she really was. A traitor. The Element of Betrayal.
She constantly reminded herself of Discord’s promise. It had been a dream before, a world where cutie marks didn’t matter, a world of chaos where ponies were free to be whatever they wanted. But things changed. Discord had no choice but to challenge Celestia.
If it meant a better Equestria, Scootaloo was happy to help.
Scootaloo waited under the covers of her bed, heart pounding. It had been one week since Discord had been freed. She had to go now, or miss the chance.
Hoofsteps passed by her door. She counted to twenty and slipped back out of bed and across the room. Another twenty seconds, and she eased the door open. The hallway was empty, but only for a few moments. She snuck down the hall and ducked into nearest hall just as the guard’s steady hoofsteps rounded the corner behind her.
She moved steadily forward, down a flight of stairs and through another hall. She’d planned her route over the past few days, and with a bit of patience and timing, made it to an empty room on the second floor without alerting anypony to her pressence.
Once she’d eased the heavy wooden door shut, paying careful attention not to grind its squeaky hinges, she quickly trotted to the corner and uncovered a makeshift rope she’d hidden there - a length of bed sheets tied together. She threw open the window and tossed it out, then climbed out. Hugging the line with all four legs, she began sliding down the last thirty feet to the open ground below.
A small tearing sound caught her attention.
“Uh, good rope, nice rope. Don’t tear. Don’t—”
Rip!
Scootaloo dropped half a dozen feet, a scream caught in her throat as her wings fell open and...
“Oh yeah,” she breathed, hovering a few feet above the ground as she rolled her eyes. “Well that was anticlimactic.”
*****
Scootaloo faced four guards at the main road leading from Canterlot. Just past them was the gate, a small area of the protective shield that could be walked through unless purposefully closed. She took a tentative step forward, expecting shouts and accusations from the guards.
The older ponies didn’t react. They didn’t so much as glance at her.
The small charm around her neck buzzed with a small amount of power. It’d been left for her near the remains of Discords statue, just as promised. It was smaller than a bit, nothing more than a glass marble on a fine chain.
Scootaloo took another step and, feeling emboldened by the success of the charm, trotted right past the guards and through the force field. It tingled slightly as the energy slid past her coat, but she was otherwise unaffected by the shield.
Scootaloo made her way down the dark street, leaving the city noise behind her. After a few moments, she realized she wasn’t entirely alone.
So, everything going smoothly?
She smiled at the familiar voice. “Yeah. I told the princess everything, though I gave her fake descriptions of the other element wielders, like you told me to.”
Good. I’m sure she’ll still be cautious of you, but as long as everypony truly believes I’m evil, they won’t even consider the idea that I might actually be your friend. Have they made any progress in finding the elements?
“Not yet. Rainbow Dash says Twilight’s tried every tracking spell she knows, but none of them have gone through. Uh, what did happen to the elements? Everypony thinks they went missing before you were freed.”
“Oh, they did.” Discord said, suddenly walking alongside her.
Scootaloo managed to keep from flinching, but only just. “We were all at the sculpture gardens. Then...” She trailed off for a moment, thinking, “then somepony else is on our side too?”
“More or less. She has her own motivation, but there’s no reason we can’t work together.”
“Is it Princess Luna?”
Discord stopped in his tracks, actually blinking in surprise for a moment before laughing softly. “Now Scootaloo, how did you figure that out?”
“Rainbow Dash told me you or Chrysalis stole them. Everypony thinks so, since there were supposed to be really strong spells guarding them. I know you two didn’t, and Princess Celestia let it slip that Princess Luna has been avoiding her lately.”
Discord laughed again and snapped his fingers. Scootaloo felt her hooves drop out from under her for a moment, as though she’d missed a step while climbing stairs. A flash of light disoriented her, and then they were standing inside a room. To be exact, they were standing on the stone wall of a room. She looked down to see a window just in front of her. Trees grew below, disappearing into the darkness.
To her left a chandelier hung sideways. A long, ragged carpet on her right led to a large abstract statue, some kind of five armed pedestal.
“Huh,” Discord muttered. “I never have gotten the hang of gravity.” With a nod he led Scootaloo to the floor. Leaning back and stepping up onto it, she felt everything shift and spin as the world righted itself around her. “Right then!” Discord said, “Welcome to the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, conveniently located in scenic Everfree Forest.”
“This is where Rainbow Dash and the others found the elements,” Scootaloo said.
“Yes, and our current base of operations. Chrysie and I have been busily planning our next move, as well as our long term goal of replacing Celestia with a real monarch.”
Scootaloo had thought about that goal herself over the past week, and took a shot in the dark. “You mean turn her to stone?”
Discord laughed again. “You really are more clever than some ponies give you credit for.”
Scootaloo shrugged. “It was either that or send her to the moon. How else do you keep an immortal Alicorn from taking over?”
“Oh, of course,” Discord agreed. “And it’s only as permanent as we make it. Once our new world is in order, so to speak, and everypony realizes how happy they are, we can free her, so long as she sees that we aren’t actually evil.”
“Of course.” Scootaloo breathed a sigh of relief as muscles she hadn’t known were tensed relaxed a bit. Of course they wouldn’t imprison the princess forever. That was something villains did.
It was also something Celestia did. Twice, in fact.
“So, what now?” She asked, following Discord up the stairs and deeper into the castle.
*****
“You can do this, Trixie,” The Great and Powerful Trixie told her reflection. “She is nothing before the awesome might of the Element of Power. Trixie is the greatest unicorn alive.”
“Hey, Trixie,” Crystal Ball called from outside the trailer, “are you done yet?”
“Just a moment,” she called back. She looked back into the mirror again, giving her one of her best, most confident smiles.
Twilight Sparkle wouldn’t know what hit her.
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Been waiting for this. This story is getting more and more better! Can't wait for more!
So is Luna really working with Discord now? Trixie is about to face Twilight this should be a good fight. You really should think about making a fan trailer for this story on youtube.
Keep going please. I love this story.
Element of power...nice
A master manipulater, Discord is. Right now, I wonder how the Elements of Harmony are going to win. I know they are going to win though.
And I'm going to enjoy this ride until they do.
Awww yeaaaa!
1012674 They better not. That would be so anticlimactic.
Trixie's going to blow their cover! You idiot of an element you!
i feel better now... and i was wondering where their HQ was going to be. i thought it would have been in a little crevice in a cliff or somthing.
Scootaloo had thought about that goal herself over the past week, and took a shot in the dark. “You mean turn her to stone?”
Discord never struck me as THAT kind of liar. When he said he didn't turn ponies to stone, it had more to do with his PRIDE (which he has tons of) as a spirit of chaos. Stone is constant, boring, it doesn't fit his style.
I know I've blabbed this until your ears likely are bleeding. But I can't help but think how 'standing on your own two feet' isn't always a BAD thing. If that's really what the element Trixie has been given embodies.
The way Discord talked about Power implies there is more to it than implied. The way he had to justify it felt forced, like he was selling something (like how he sold Diamond Tiara with the idea she was destine to become royalty since she didn't want to believe her cutie mark meant she was only good for wearing jewelry).
Is the real opposite of magic = Tragedy? And Discord TOLD HER it was power for the sake of playing her? It would fit his personality. OR... is it something more simple? Something the self centered, self important, selfish Trixie has in abundance? Loneliness?
And he way Trixie spoke, implies that she KNOWS deep down how Twilight is out of her league, she's SCARED, but is still willing to try. Ironically Trixie DOES have courage, sadly she buries it under his tall tales and taking the easy way out.
When you stop and think about it, Discord played ALL his six elements on their doubts and fears and telling them what they wanted to hear. For instance, I doubt Chrysalis WANTS to hear that her scheme to take over Equestria was suicide and ultimate did her people more harm than good!
1012763
Like I said, I'm going to enjoy the ride. I said they were going to win...I didn't it was going to be easy (or painless.)
Ya I took the elements wanna fight about it? dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/shrug_Luna_apple.png
FINALLY!!! Now all I have to do is wait for the next chapter. I still feel bad for Scoots though.
1012763
You know, I'm honestly getting fed up with all of you who keep saying that good guys win = bad thing.
1012763
I think it's really dependent on how it's done. If Scootaloo just sits up one morning and says, "Wait, Discord is a bad guy." Then yes, that would be bad writing. Whichever side wins, they'll have to work for it.
Gotta state, just devil's advocate here--- this is rather out of character for Discord. In this fanfic, he's a very careful and methodical a plotter. But canonically he's a rather mediocre Mephistopheles... Flamboyant, overt, overconfident, even slapdash.
Rather complicated and clever writing here. From an outsider's perspective, it could be a rather tough call on whether Celestia or Discord was in the wrong. Discord caused havoc but he never actually HURT anyone. Celestia, on the other hand, has on at least two occasions imprisoned living beings in ways that practically invoke "I have no mouth and I must scream." Mortal ponies are actively afraid of her. Even her own apprentice freaks out at the very notion of her displeasure.
And Scootaloo is very much an outsider to Celestia's utopia. Poor, homeless, subjected to abuse for not being marked like other ponies, for not being wealthy, for not having parents... fallen through the cracks and left to freeze and starve. Who is she going to be loyal to, the beautiful but distant Princess who has done nothing for her, or the "villain" who feeds and shelters her on the coldest night of the year? And would she really be wrong to do it?
And isn't that the most dangerous kind of traitor? The one who actually believes that they are doing good?
i honestly hope that for once, the bad guys win, it would be such a twist ending, and with your writing style i can see you pulling it off.
keep up the good work none the less
1012789 I thought it would have been something that made no sense. Like Twilight's Basement.
Nooooo a cliffhanger ( I really hate those)
This story is so intresting I come here each day to see if the new chapter is out. I am still waiting for the epic battle between the elements of harmony and disharmony but I think its very close (next chaptet maybe?)
Anyway hurry up im dying to see how this all plays out
Wait a minute, now that this chapter's over I have to wait for another one! Shit!
1012983>>1012970>>1013309
I just want to say, that while I think the good guys winning wouldn't be a good thing at this point, what's to say that their first fight has to be their last?
I don't know if Ezra has said anything to the contrary, but I honestly don't see why the bad guys winning followed up by the ultimate triumph of good over evil isn't being considered by anyone. Hell, I don't see why the bad guys winning and then realising they are horrible at running a country couldn't be done.
But so far, from all the comments I've seen, everyone thinks that the first battle is going to be the only confrontation they have. I know the show is full of 'one fight and finished' episodes, but the beauty of fanfiction is that you can take the show and expand on it to the point where it is better than the original.
I'm loving this story, and I'm really looking forward to the rest of it.
Gaaah I hate when an awesome chapter ends!
1013268
Fitting name, given the post
Honestly, I think it comes down to everyone's personal interpretation of Discord's plan. Discord hasn't been able to be as flamboyant and over the top in this fic so far because he was trapped in stone with limited magic. I honestly feel in the show he was a plotter hidden under all the randomness. He was able to completely break the Elements of Harmony, and even used the items shown in their cutie marks to do so (Except Fluttershy, which is when he showed his short temper). He was even able to break the most powerful element by forcing her friends to fight with her. I personally think it was a clever plan, and the only reason he lost was that he underestimated their friendship. Of course, a story told from the point of view of his ally rather than his enemies will look further into the planning of his schemes.
Of course, that's just the way I see it. There's really no right or wrong in something like this, and I wouldn't say that my views on Discord are the only good ones.
1013359
I did indeed read it, and thank you.
1013642
Actually, I have considered those various paths. Heck, I've read those particular scenarios and loved them.
I just keep seeing posts that come across as saying the villains must emerge victorious in the final conflict of the story for it to have any value and that really irks me.
Right now, I'm foreseeing a path that has Discord win, only for Scootaloo to realize that he really is the jerk everyone says he is when things in Equestria get worse instead of better and thus decides to betray him.
What can I say? I love a good 'hoist by his own petard'.
1012763
Everyone knows good is going to win, the status quo is god after all. It is simply a matter of time.
I love this story!
I had thought that once Discord was freed he would screw the anti elements and cause chaos, but this is much better!
Except now I have to wait again...
NEED MOAR!!!
I know i asked for this before but: Please please please let scoots betray discord and become ruler once all else is said and done.
please.
Also, it's not that the good guys winning would be bad it's just that it's so expected and would happen in the show. But this isn't the show so it doesn't have to follow it's rules. Particularly the one that says "Good guys always win." in my opinion at least.
To each their own.
I broke the 666 comments!
(Btw, can't wait for the next chapter
)
1014436
With the amount of skill ezra has I'd say they could pull off any ending with grace. The writer obviously knows what they're doing and whatever happens will make most people happy. (Though to be honest the ending you describe sounds kinda stupid but like you said to each their own.)
I feel like both sides have their flaws. You can point out that Celestia imprisoned him in stone, but that's for exactly the same reason that Discord plans to do it; because if she didn't, then he would just try to take over again. You never really get a clear idea of just how evil Discord is in the show. He completely and utterly breaks the mane 6, which seems really to be only so that they can't seal him again. But at the same time, he's clearly enjoying every minute of it. Discord and Celestia really need to be able to just sit down and agree on a balanced system of chaos and order. That would probably never happen though.
1012767
Well, neither set of elements exactly had an Element of Intelligence.
Well, everything is in place to make it a very, very tough fight for the heroes.
1012763>>1013309>>1014436
You say it would be anticlimatic, or boring, or far too typical if the heroes won. And if the heroes won the first battle with no trouble at all, I'd agree. However, the way you're putting it seems to be referring to the end result. That if the story ends with the heroes winning, it would anticlimatic, boring, etc. On that point, I disagree. Stories that contain an easy triumph are as equally boring as an easy defeat, or a little bit of struggle followed by a sound defeat. No, what makes a story truly interesting is to see the heroes struggle time and time again, fighting through every obstacle along the way, reaching the final hurdle, and finally achieving victory after a hard-fought journey. A journey that saw the heroes grow and develop into something far beyond what they started out as. Without that, a story just isn't as exciting.
As far as this story is concerned, we have the obvious villain (Discord), the obvious heroes (the Elements of Harmony), and who I believe will be the true hero by the end (Scootaloo). It will be Scootaloo's development and struggles along the way that will make this story interesting.
Everyday I come and see if theres a new chapter. MOOOAAAR!
The chapters are too good to be that short, it feels like nibbling on a cookie, when I've been hungering for a full on meal! I am in the camp that checks every day for updates, and geez if this wait wasn't enough to make me insane.
This is my favourite MLP fanfiction and I don't care who wins (the debate in the comment section) just aslong as you write it.
1012937
The thing about Trixie's Element actually being something else could make sense.
After all, Friendship is Magic and all that. And the opposite of Friendship is Loneliness, which Trixie obviously is deep down. Would fit her like a glove
Can't wait for more!
While it's shorter than usual, it is still a good update.
Man, Dash is going to freak when she learns that Scootaloo left Cancerlot on her own.
I truly cannot wait to see the Elements of Chaos join up at last and finally put the Elements of Harmony in their place. This is going to be a good fight.
Please do keep up the good work upon such a great story.
It's funny how people are arguing about whether the good guys or bad guys should win. What if there was a compromise of some sort? A 'best of both worlds'-type deal? WON'T ANYPONY THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!
Argh, This needs longer chapters! What happened? For a week or two, this story was sailing along at two or three updates a week, and now it's stalling. And when a new chapter does come out, it's little more than a sound bite! Come on, man, this story's too good to stagnate!
The more I read the more I can't wait for more!! Great job!!
images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/29300000/Twilight-Vs-trixie-my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-29314889-900-600.png
Twilight vs Trixie, Magic vs Power,
vs 
, Good vs ...Annoying? Oh whatever I think you get the point, this will be the ultimate showdown!
dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Lyra.png I love how this is going and that it updated and even more do I like of this story
- was this what inspired this story I wonder?
Have a Discord dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/discord.png
So. EXCITED. Can't wait!
mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw6260-80072lyraartistsolarslashheartstringsmonoclereactionfacetea0L110.png
Plot twist incoming: Scootaloo will go to to hell and back for Discord, only to end up betraying him in the end.
-Captain Obvious
images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070526081822/uncyclopedia/images/thumb/1/15/CaptainobviousChooseOption.jpg/200px-CaptainobviousChooseOption.jpg
More I need more, this story is great.
I just caught up on 10 chapters. I went to press the 'next' button and I almost cried when it wasn't there. I need more! This is so damn good!