Chapter 37: It's Just Over
Little shafts of light broke through the gray clouds, hitting the ice and slush covered land. Snow crinkled and sloshed underneath Twilight’s hooves as she walked beside the floating draconequus. “Y’know, choosing me isn’t going to win you any points with Starlight. Plus, she’ll have to be our servant,” he mentioned. “Though I suppose if you asked nicely I could help in getting you into her good graces. In exchange for a few kisses, of course.”
“I’m more worried about Tirek’s reaction and your gloating,” she replied, her smile waning at the thought. “Regardless, we should get it over with as soon as we return to the castle. I don’t need Pinkie Pie guessing it correctly in front everypony, spoiling my good news.”
“Oh please. You’re going to be a little late for that. I’m sure she’s already sensed it and has formed a party in our honor, telling everyone to meet at your castle or something like that.”
“Very funny. Pinkie is pretty good at guessing things, but even she isn’t that-” She paused. Her eyes squinted at a mass of black forming between a few Ponyville homes and shops. “But I have been wrong before. Though, something tells me that isn’t a parade for us.”
“Well, they’re not burning the town down. No screams of maimed ponies. No foals crying for their mothers. Whatever they’re doing, it’s boring,” Discord quipped. “Definitely not one of Pinkie’s parties.”
Twilight’s eyes dragged from the group of changelings to a few blurry black dots outside her castle. “Y’know, just once I’d like to give good news and not be bombarded with some sort of attack on my person, friends, or town.” Her head hung low as she sighed and groaned. “C’mon. Let’s see who’s causing a commotion.”
As they made their way to the castle noises began to ring out from the town behind them with even more changelings flying overhead. Just outside, on the steps of the castle, Rainbow Dash sat impatiently. “There you are Twilight! We’ve got big problems! Where have you been for the last two days!? Everything is out of control!”
“Two days?” Discord asked as he slumped down to Twilight’s level.
She tapped her cheek, smiling nervously as she said, “I couldn’t really return to the castle – Tirek would be there. Zecora was kind enough to let me stay a couple days to get my head sorted on. Plus it was raining. Didn’t really want to return in the rain.”
“So you decided to come over to Fluttershy’s in the rain instead…”
“Er, well, y’know…” she mumbled and then turned her head back to Rainbow Dash. “What’s been going on?” she asked, hoping to avoid Discord’s curious grin.
“While you were gone, Chrysalis came and claimed herself ruler of Ponyville! She used the rain to mobilize her changelings without anyone noticing! A bunch of ponies are locked up in their homes. I just started gathering up everypony to stop her an hour ago, but when I brought Pinkie Pie I found Starlight and Spike were there supporting Chrysalis! They’re not letting anyone see her.”
“I knew Chrysalis hadn’t changed! Rainbow, go get Fluttershy. I think you were right to call the Elements together,” Twilight commanded. Rainbow gave a nod before cutting the air like a knife, bursting off to Fluttershy’s cottage. “C’mon, Discord. It’s time to dethrone a queen.”
“Really? That’s the best one-liner you could come up with? We’ll have to work on that later.”
Twilight rolled her eyes and threw open the castle doors with her magic, only to have her eardrums bombarded by screaming and hollering. Light poured in through the open doorway onto the angered group of friends. Spike stood shaking his fist at Sombra, Rarity, and Applejack, while Starlight fiercely argued with Tirek and Pinkie Pie. The echoing tirade of yells was only ceased once Twilight shouted for them to stop. “Enough!” She strolled through the foyer to the group, Discord right on her tail. “What’s going on? Where’s Chrysalis!?”
A deep, menacing laugh fell from the stairs as the changeling queen made her way down, taking her time with each step. Twilight spread her hooves out and pointed her horn, preparing to defend against whatever unforeseen trick that the changeling had planned. A green spark lit up from the queen’s horn and Starlight and Spike rushed to her side. “What good little servants you two have been, but I have no more use for you.” A blinding light burst from the mouths of the two, feeding the queen whatever love they had left.
Once the light had faded, Twilight yelled, “Chrysalis! What is the meaning of this!?”
Spike and Starlight fell to the ground, their eyes closed and soft groans sounded out. “Come, Twilight. You and I have much to discuss,” the queen commanded, ignoring the alicorn’s question. She stepped past the group of angry ponies and sole centaur, waltzing in-between Twilight and Discord as she headed for the door.
Rainbow Dash skidded to a halt on the red and purple rug. “Twilight! Fluttershy’s right behind me-” She hesitated to continue as she became face to face with Chrysalis. The changeling stepped past her as if she didn’t even notice the blue pegasus, doing the same for the dawdling Fluttershy.
Twilight looked to her beaten apprentice and assistant. Applejack and Rarity stood around Spike, attempting to wake him up, while Tirek and Pinkie did the same for Starlight. “I’m going to find out what she wants,” she muttered as she turned back to Discord. “All of you stay here.”
“I can tell you what she wants right now. A one on one where she can easily overpower and beat you, preventing you from using the Elements on her,” Discord answered as he sidled up next to her. “Or preventing that crazy hair power-up you six have. I swear, it’s a revolving door of new powers for you all, I can’t keep track,” he remarked, a nail file appearing in his hand. “Nevertheless, having a powerful draconequus with you might tip the scales, if you’d like.”
“No,” Twilight replied. “This may be the only moment I have to convince her to turn away from whatever she is planning. It’s a trap, I know it is, but I have to try. You’re the one that convinced me of that.” She took a deep breath and pursed her lips out, giving him a smile before she added, “I suppose if something does go wrong, having a powerful draconequus as a trump card might tip the scales.”
“Clever. Just scream or whatnot if you need my help,” he replied as he trimmed his nails with the file.
She stared back at him as she continued out the door. The smile she had faded as she stepped back into the snow, the castle doors closing behind her. The queen’s black body stood as a blatant contrast to the winter wonderland that surrounded them. Snow crinkled under Twilight’s hooves again as she drew closer to the queen. Her mind plotted every movement she took, making sure to maintain a safe distance while also attempting to be close enough to seem welcoming.
“Whatever you’re thinking, whatever you’re planning, Chrysalis, you need to know it won’t work,” told the alicorn. “But if you stop right now, I can say that you will be forgiven. Though you’ll still be punished, I know that the punishment won’t be nearly as bad as if you turn your back on reforming. You were so close, why give it up now?”
“You really think I came here to be reformed? I have no need for petty alliances! I came to become powerful, to make my species powerful. My changelings have never been stronger!” Her voice boomed as she rose up, standing bipedal and throwing her forelegs in the air. A shadow began to form, blotting out the sun over both them and the castle. It wasn’t another cloud, but the hundreds of changelings flocking together above them. “I saw the perfect opportunity to usurp you while you bawled your eyes out on the boundaries of Ponyville. Step aside, make way for a real queen!”
“They’ve been cured! Your whole goal to rule so that they could feed is meaningless! All you’re doing now is dooming you and your fellow changelings to a prison cell! Is that what you want? For them to be in shackles? This is your last chance. Do you really want their lives ruined just so you could try and rule over all Equestria!? Is it that important!?”
Chrysalis grinned, her snow white teeth bore like that of a monster hiding under a foal’s bed. “You didn’t just cure my kind, Twilight Sparkle.” Her horn began to light up with a dark green energy. “You made us more powerful than all the alicorn’s combined!” The energy unleashed, bolting its way toward Twilight who was more than prepared for it. A magenta bubble shielded Twilight from the blast, creating a cloud of smoke that surrounded her shield. She let down her guard to wave away the smoke with her wings, only to be slammed into by the changeling queen.
The black hooves of the queen pressed against the alicorn’s throat, pinning her to the ground. Chrysalis’s mouth opened wide, leaving only a moment for Twilight to scream before the same light that had been pulled from Starlight and Spike began flooding from Twilight’s mouth. The energy drained from the alicorn quicker than she had expected, leaving her unable to fight back or push the changeling off.
A bolt broke the light and the queen jumped off, landing a few meters back. Twilight’s eyes shifted and stirred in her head as she tried to focus. She rolled to her side just in time to see Discord and her other friends pour out from inside the castle. Tirek brought the weakened Starlight to Twilight’s side while Applejack brought Spike. Discord jumped over the alicorn, coming between the changeling queen and her. “Telegram for Twilight Sparkle,” Discord said, looking over his shoulder at Twilight. “Oh look, it’s a big, fat told you so from none other than myself! How sweet of me. He also wants to know if dinner at nine is acceptable.”
“D-Discord?” Her head leaned to see the backside of the draconequus, then fell back, coming face to face with Starlight.
“I-I’m so sorry, Twilight.” Starlight’s apologetic eyes were filled with tears. “I-I wasn’t-”
Twilight pushed up with her hoof, attempting to stand. “It’s okay Starlight. You don’t need to apologize. I need to apologize to you.” As she rose to all four hooves, she turned to Discord and Chrysalis. “I know how badly you wanted Chrysalis to change, but I failed. I failed and now we must deal with my failure.” Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash crowded around behind Twilight. “We can’t let her win.”
“We’re ready whenever you are, Twilight,” Applejack said.
“Nobody hurts our friends, especially after we’ve been so kind to her!” Rarity added.
“Fools.” Chrysalis seemed to ignore the draconequus that stood between them. “You really think I wouldn’t have anticipated this? Show them what their kindness has brought upon them!” Chrysalis yelled. The shadow above dissipated as sticky green goo poured onto each of the Element bearers, coating their coats and preventing them from moving. Sombra, Tirek, and Discord prepared for their own shipment of goo, but instead, the changelings flew around and made a large circle, surrounding the group and Chrysalis. Having done what they were told, the changelings watched from the sidelines.
Rainbow Dash squirmed and fought as Rarity screamed, “My mane!” repeatedly. Starlight stuck a hoof on Twilight’s horn, trying to rid the goo that covered her, only to become stuck herself.
“What? None for us?” Tirek asked as he kneeled to help Pinkie, but refused to touch her once he saw Starlight had become stuck. “I’m going to assume there’s some reason for that,” he added as he stood and faced the changeling queen.
“It’s pretty obvious, Tirek,” said Sombra. “The time has come, she believes she has won. Though I am surprised Discord isn’t covered in goo… unless…”
“Unless I’m planning on having all three of you side with me? You’d be right. I’ll give each of you the chance, and since Discord is the one who cured my species, he has earned that right,” Chrysalis explained. “So what do you three say? Have I won or do you plan on getting in my way?”
Discord had remained with his arms outstretched, facing the changeling queen. “To be honest, I’m not much of a fighter. And I’d rather let these six manage their own problems. I was just telling Fluttershy how they’d learn nothing if I snapped you or any other ne’er-do-well out of existence. Yet, here I am, having to put my cloven hoof down to prevent them from becoming, well, whatever you bug brains do with your victims. Alas, the things I do for love…” His smug grin wiggled as he finished speaking.
“Very well, Discord. You’ve made your choice, but how will you fare against three opponents?” asked the queen. “Tirek? Sombra? Shall we?”
Tirek folded his arms and shifted his weight to his right hooves. “You expect us to join you before you’ve taken care of Discord? Do you think I’m as foolish as he is? You may think you’ve won this, but if you’re right then you should be able to take care of him no problem,” Tirek argued. Sombra nodded his head in agreement.
Chrysalis tapped her chin, a simple grin forming on her face. “I wonder if all centaurs are as cunning as you, or if that’s just past experience talking. If I lose, you don’t have to betray anyone. If I win, then it doesn’t matter if you betray them.” Her grin widened. “Very well. I absorbed more than enough of Twilight’s love. Let me show you the true power I possess!”
Green sparks formed in the queen’s horn, unleashing a beam of energy at the draconequus who sent his own beam from a single finger. The beams connected, hitting each other and producing an audible hum. Discord maintained himself but was forced to add another finger to keep his beam strong, then another, and another. Eventually, the beams exploded at the center, sending dirt and snow into the air. When the smoke cleared, a smiling Chrysalis stared across at the draconequus, readying another spell.
“If that princess is so precious to you-” Chrysalis burned with green fire, transforming into a copy of Twilight “-then surely you wouldn’t want to harm her!” The changeling’s voice was mirroring perfectly with Twilight’s. “Come, Discord. Fight your love!” A ball of green magic hurled from her horn at the draconequus.
With a flick of his wrist, Discord deflected the ball into the sky. In the same instant, he transformed into a duplicate of Sombra. “Well, nothing hurts a mare more than bringing up past lovers. How about it, Chrysalis?” he asked, shaking his black rump at her.
“That stallion?” she laughed. Green flame once again surrounded the queen, transforming her back into her normal state. “He’s not the bane of my existence. If you want my scorn, then this is for all the bug puns!” A beam once again shot out of her horn, aimed at the defiant draconequus.
Quickly returning to his form, Discord held out both hands, blocking the beam with his own might. The beam exploded in his palms, surrounding him in a cloud of dust. As it settled, he was found to be on one knee, clutching his right hand. Or, at least, what would have been his right hand. “It seems I’ve been dis-armed,” he quipped, holding the stump of his right arm. “Hold on, let me see if I have an extra.” He reached into the fur on his leg and searched through, pulling out a rubber chicken, a magic lamp, and a miniature Tantabus. “Ah, here it is!” He slapped on the spare hand and twisted. After it was on, he popped the knuckles, making sure each finger worked properly.
“Chrysalis is quite impressive, but Discord is Discord. I doubt anyone other than myself can beat him so easily,” Tirek added his two bits.
“You think highly of yourself, Tirek,” Chrysalis replied. “Discord, stand for me.”
Discord laughed and smiled as he attempted to pull himself off his one knee. His jolly grin soon faltered as he failed to stand up with all his might. When he couldn’t, he placed his new hand on the ground and pushed up, forcing himself back onto both legs.
“Even spirits can be defeated by those who are strong,” Chrysalis giddily explained. “This fight is as good as over unless you’d like to join in, Tirek. Perhaps exact a little revenge on the simpleton. I’ll even give you Twilight if you maintain a good behavior.”
“Your arrogance is duly noted.” Tirek turned his focus to Sombra who stood on the opposite side of Discord. “What do you think, Sombra? Shall we join in?” he yelled across the snowy battleground.
Sombra stared back at Rarity and Applejack, his eyes filled with distress at seeing them entangled. “I stopped being a king a long time ago. If you want to join in, then I’ll follow your lead.”
“So, what’s it going to be, Tirek? Me or her?” Discord asked, his face still focused on Chrysalis, his knees still wobbling beneath him.
Tirek clapped his hands and stepped away from the draconequus, planting himself closer to the changeling queen. “It’s quite obvious who the winner is after that little display.” Sombra followed suit, stepping along the sidelines to the center of the battlefield.
Discord’s hands spread out as he prepared to fight all three. His eyes shifted between the two stallions and the mare. Sweat began to slip down his forehead, screaming in joy as they departed from him. The Elements, Starlight, and Spike trembled as they sat stuck together, waiting for the real fight to begin and hoping Discord could prevail.
“Yes. Yes! Soon we’ll be rid of the Elements once and for all! Nothing will stop us!” Chrysalis cheered, stomping her hooves with a delight to rival that of a foal’s happiness on their birthday.
“The Elements,” Sombra reiterated. “It seems that at the first sign of trouble they’ll come running. It’s as if they have a knack for getting in the way. A deterrent really, against trying anything evil.”
Tirek nodded, clenching a fist in front of him. “I’d have to agree, though being evil is certainly more fun.” His head swiveled back towards the draconequus. “Three on one, Discord. Those are some really good odds. You’re just a bumbling fool.”
“Three on one!” Chrysalis’s laugh bellowed from within her. “Three on one! Now Tirek, absorb his energy!”
Both of Tirek’s white eyebrows rose as he looked back at Chrysalis. “Oh. Oh, I’m sorry. I mean, Discord is a bumbling fool who manages to breathe solely through his mouth and somehow not suffocate – but you? Well, apparently you’re just an idiot. It’s three on one.”
Chrysalis’s eyes shifted from Discord to Tirek just as slowly as her smile faded. Before she could figure out what he had meant, crystals poured from the ground in a line and shot up against her body. The crystals pushed into her holes and covered her legs and torso, trapping her like the goo trapped the Elements. Even her horn formed with crystals, preventing her from casting any magic. “You insolent buffoons! You both will pay for betraying me!”
“Betraying?” Tirek laughed as he stood in front of the queen. “Did I warm up to you? Claim you as my friend? Give you a necklace that supposedly meant I was loyal to you? Any of those things? Betraying them would mean I’m out of the running for Twilight, yet all you could offer is a meager showing of your power.” Before she could say another word, Tirek unhinged his mouth and began to drain every ounce of magic from her body. She screamed in agony until all the magic she had was absorbed by the centaur.
“Perhaps if you had been strong enough to defeat Discord then you wouldn’t be in this situation. Creaking knees? Come now. He and I have a few thousand years on you. Creaking knees come with the age.” Tirek stepped back as the magic filled him with power, increasing his size tenfold. The earth shook beneath him as he moved, standing at only a few stories shorter than the castle they were in front of. The other changelings moved to accommodate his size, hoping not to be squished. “Now this is true power! She absorbed quite a lot of magic, almost enough for three alicorns.” He flexed for a moment before leaning down on his forelegs, and asked, “Alright, who wants some magic?”
Twilight stared up from the gooey prison, marveling at the size of his smile. “Please, return Starlight and Spike’s first,” Twilight pleaded. “Who knows how long they’ve been drained by Chrysalis. They need it more.”
Discord stood befuddled, watching as Tirek shrunk in size as he filled Spike with magic, and then Starlight. “I… Uh… Wha-What just happened!?” he shouted his question, throwing his hands in the air.
“Honestly. Do you really believe me to be as stupid as you are, Discord?” Tirek asked after finishing with Starlight. “As if I’d be gullible enough to betray the very ponies who beat me, you, and Sombra. Every moment I’m around you I’m reminded not to follow in your mistake.”
“Well, don’t expect me to thank you.” Discord crossed his arms and snorted. “I could have taken all three of you on and not even broke a sweat. Probably… Most likely,” he replied.
With Starlight’s power returned, her horn lit up and a spell was cast, popping the goo off the Elements and freeing them from their sticky shackles. Just as the goo was lifted, Tirek finished pouring the leftover magic back into Twilight. “Discord. It would have been smarter for you to have removed the goo from us, and then we could have taken care of her,” Twilight mentioned.
“What’s the point of having a trump card if you’re not going to use it?” he smugly retorted.
“Removing the goo would have been nice. It’s going to take hours to clean my wings,” Fluttershy mentioned.
“Your wings? My hair!” Rarity shouted. “This is just the worst possible thing!”
“Would you quit your cryin’, Rarity?” Applejack shook her hat, flinging out whatever goo was left inside. “We all have to deal with it.”
Twilight looked out at the surrounding changelings. “I’d have to agree with Applejack. We’ve still got to deal with the remaining changelings, though they don’t look too interested in helping their queen anymore.” She studied the chatter and panic the changelings had. “You can cry later, Rarity.”
Spike rose a claw. “That’s not Rarity,” he said, pointing to the crystal captured queen.
The Elements and ex-villains silenced themselves as they listened to Chrysalis wail. Tears streamed down her face as she yelled and moaned, thrashing about in her crystal prison. “It’s not fair. It’s just not fair! I never get my way! I never win! What have I done to deserve so much pain? Why has karma never once given me a break!? It’s not fair!”
“Wow,” Sombra remarked as he released the changeling queen from the crystals, allowing her to sulk on the snow. “I feel bad for her.”
“What do you think we should do with her?” Starlight asked Twilight.
Her mouth swayed as she contemplated the queen’s fate. Eventually, an idea popped into her head. “Tirek, Discord. What would you two suggest be her punishment? She’s clearly failed reformation, but I’d rather not be extreme.”
Tirek looked to Discord with a deep frown set in on his bearded face. “A thousand years in stone or Tartarus would be a hilarious irony.”
“Though I’d suggest a max of twelve days in either would be a far more suiting punishment,” Discord finished Tirek’s train of thought.
The pounding on the ground interrupted their plans for Chrysalis’s punishment. Snow kicked up with each hit of her hooves, getting stuck within the open holes. “Why am I the one who is forced to be lonely? Why can’t I ever be happy with what I have!? Is it a curse? Am I still cursed?” Her words weren’t meant to be answered. It was as if she was the only one there, the only one who she could talk to.
“Sombra, do you know anything about this? Is she lonely?” Rarity asked.
“I-I don’t know. I’ve never seen this side of her,” he answered. “When I was with her we only talked about strategy. We never discussed personal feelings. We were just tools for each other.” He paused, his eyes brows drew together. “If… If I had known she was lonely I wouldn’t have…” His jaw clenched shut as Rarity slid beside him, patting him on the back.
“You think-” Chrysalis began to say as she stood up, her legs wobbling beneath her “-I would have wanted you?” Her gritted teeth turned their focus on the group as she lifted her colorless eyes to them. “You. Sombra. You were nothing more than a tool. You are nothing more than a tool! I didn’t want you. I wanted power! I wanted to rule this land with my brood, my kin!”
Twilight stepped past Discord, extending a hoof to the queen. “But you could have been happy! We could have been friends. We can still be friends! It doesn’t have to just end poorly for you. Can’t you see that?”
“She’s right, Chrysalis!” Starlight stepped beside her teacher. “Even after everything you’ve done to me, I’d still be willing to forgive you just as long as you were truly sorry. We can still be friends. We can still try!”
“You’re wrong!” Tears poured down the queen’s face. “There’s nothing to try anymore!”
Spike rushed beside Twilight. “That’s not true! I’ve seen the comic book-loving side of you! I know you can change. It’s never too late. Look at Tirek, look at Sombra. They’ve changed. And look at Discord! He risked his neck to protect all of us – he’d have never done that for anyone else! You can change! You’re a changeling!”
“No. Discord was right. I’m a bug,” Chrysalis spat. “I am a little tiny bug, a fly on the wall. On the wall of every conversation, of every important meeting. Following along to find your dirty secrets, anything that I can use to defeat all of you.” Her eyes shifted to Sombra. “I knew bringing that pathetic stallion back from the brink would do me good. I knew he’d lead me to the power he had once controlled.”
“Wait. What does that mean?” Sombra inquired, his eyes widening.
A grin formed beside the tear stained cheeks, revealing her pearly whites in a more menacing light than they had ever been seen. “A backup plan.” Her horn lit up, dissolving the crystals. An object levitated from underneath the snow a few meters away. “To the backup plan.” The glass container levitated its way beside her. Inside was a black, empty hole that continuously spun.
“T-The void!” shouted Twilight, quiveringly.
“She’s the one that stole it!” Sombra stomped his hooves and pointed his horn at the queen. “I’ll never let anyone use that thing for evil ever again!”
“So that’s what it looks like. I’m assuming one wrong move and the glass pops off, sucking all of Ponyville into oblivion, right?” Discord presumed, tapping his chin. “I probably shouldn’t be touching something so chaotic.” He nervously grabbed his neck and pulled, like a collar on a shirt.
“If I’m going down, I’m going to make sure you all go with me!” Chrysalis removed the latches on the glass, leaving the lid on to prevent the void’s escape until she was ready to unleash it.
Sombra scurried to stand near Twilight. “What should we do? I’m not losing another thousand years!”
“We’ll have to give in to her demands until we can whisk that thing away. No matter what she wants, no matter how impossible, we’ll have to give it to her,” Twilight answered.
“Wrong again, Twilight Sparkle. My demand isn’t something you can give,” Chrysalis vaguely described, grinning as she spoke. “My demand is something only I can give.” She slammed her front hooves into the snow. “I demand to see you pests in a thousand years!”
Upon lifting the glass just a few centimeters from the base, the void reacted to the fresh air. The blackness sucked the container into oblivion with the queen and her hysterical laughter following right behind. Sombra was quick to act, placing a bubble around the opened void. “Help me contain it!” he yelled as his bubble pulsated and became smaller and smaller. Starlight and Twilight cast their own shields, empowering his with their magic. Rarity stepped forward as well to add whatever magic she could offer.
“What’s the plan here?” Starlight anxiously asked as she attempted to maintain her piece of the bubble, sweat pouring from her brow.
Even though it was contained by the magic, the sound it emitted remained. It made noises worse than any thunderstorm, blaring out wind like that of a pegasus-made tornado, though no wind could be felt. At times a train horn could be heard as if it were right next to them. The deafening noises were accompanied by each pulse of the magical bubble.
“I-I’ve never wanted to keep it contained! I only set it off once and that was enough!” Sombra answered as he dug his hooves into the snow.
Twilight pushed down with all her might, trying to force the bubble to destroy whatever remained inside. “I don’t know if we can beat it! The glass container is gone!”
“There’s got to be something we can do!” Rainbow Dash whined. “What about the rainbow power? We used it to return Equestrian magic after we defeated Tirek! Maybe we can do it again!”
“We got that from a mysterious box that came from a magical tree, Dash,” Applejack answered. “If you got another one of them lyin’ around, I’ll gladly smash off the locks.”
Discord hadn’t moved an inch since the void had been released, his arms firmly at his sides. The blank-faced, slack-jawed look he had could tell anyone that looked at him that he was lost in thought. His clever mind tried to understand what he would lose if the bubble failed. Thoughts and ideas had been racing through his mind before a moment of clarity finally hit the draconequus. He turned to the centaur that stood just as slack-jawed as he had been. He grabbed Tirek by the shoulders and shook. “Take my magic! Get big!” he yelled with an incoherent manner.
The sudden shake snapped Tirek out of his stupor. “W-What? What are you saying, fool?”
“Take my magic! Use it to increase your size and then grab the bubble and fling it into the stratosphere!”
Tirek’s eyebrow raised as he asked, “Have you lost that pea sized brain of yours? How would that help?”
“Have you ever been to The Crystal Empire?”
“Erm, well, no,” answered the centaur.
“I have. Their main castle is about a half size taller than Twilight’s. That means it can take at least the length of that castle to the ground. If you send that thing high enough when it releases it’ll go a certain distance and stop. If I’m right, then once it reaches the maximum distance for The Crystal Empire, it’ll cease and vanish!”
“And if you’re wrong? What if it’s an everlasting portal of nothingness with no limits!?”
“It’s math! Math is always chaotic!” Discord yelled over the deafening wind.
“I don’t think that’s true. I’m pretty sure it’s the opposite of chaotic.”
“Do you want to be lost for another thousand years? Because I don’t! And I can only come up with chaotic answers for this chaotic problem!”
Tirek stared into Discord’s eyes. With a simple shrug, he agreed. “I suppose if this doesn’t work I can just blame you. After we return in a thousand years, of course.” Tirek quickly absorbed as much magic as Discord could allow, increasing his size to the point he towered over the group. Even at that height, the sounds of bellowing gusts rattled his eardrums.
“Alright, good!” Discord hollered as he rushed to be by Twilight’s side. “Let’s keep it sealed!” He added the last of his magic to the bubble, hoping it would be enough to keep it contained while Tirek held it.
“What’s going on?” Twilight yelled her question, taking a moment to look up at the gray-eyed draconequus.
“I’m taking Fluttershy’s advice! Without you, my life would be incredibly boring again. I’m not going to let that happen, especially since I only just got you! We’ve read enough books that end tragically for new couples, I’ve grown sick and tired of that atrocious cliché! I’m keeping you!” he answered, smiling down at her.
She didn’t understand what that meant until she saw the large hand of Tirek swoop down and grasp the shielded void in his hand. He couldn’t feel the void itself, but the pulsating bubble vibrated frantically in his hand. Taking his time to reel back, Tirek put all his weight into sending the magic orb as far as he could into the sky. They watched as it sailed past the clouds, becoming a speck in the sky before Discord finally called out. “Release your magic!” The unicorns and alicorn released their pieces of the shield, leaving the void to be free to absorb whatever surrounded it.
Wind no longer only howled, instead, the pressure that had been building up exploded from its center, pulling the clouds into its nothingness in an instant. Tree leaves, snow, and hay on roofs flew up to the sky as the void drew in as much as it could. Though its size was small, its power seemed limitless. The group of heroes, the circle of changelings, and every pony in Ponyville attempted to hold on for dear life as the void took all it could.
And just like that, it was over.
The void had stretched the limits of Sombra’s original design, disappearing once it reached the edges the curse had preordained. The partially clouded sky that had remained after the rain was no more. A crisp, blue sky had been returned, leaving not a trace of the void that had just been there moments ago. No wind, no earsplitting howling, not even a single speck of black. The only thing that remained was snow that slowly fell back to the earth, covering less than it already had.
As everyone stood in disbelief, the changelings let out an uproar of cheers. Many of them hugged each other while others hopped up and down, feeling the relief that had been given to them. “Why are they cheering?” Tirek asked as he returned the magic Discord had given him. “They just lost their queen. Not sure that’s a good reason to be happy.”
Twilight smirked as she looked out at the celebrating brood. “I think that’s why they’re rejoicing.”
“Orrrr, maybe they’re rejoicing because their hero, Discord the Almighty, just saved all of them,” Discord proudly said, placing a hand on his chest and pointing his nose to the sky.
Tirek snapped his finger at the draconequus. “I better get half the credit since I’m the one who tossed it in the air. I want my name on the parade banner at the very least!”
“I’m not so sure we should be celebrating, or counting this as a victory,” Starlight interrupted with her mournful thought.
“Though Chrysalis irked me, I have to agree with Starlight,” Sombra believed. “All this was just a desperate attempt by a mare who felt unloved and unwanted, ending with her own doom. I feel sorry for aiding in that, even unknowingly.” The others stood around, nodding or staring at the ground, feeling guilty for the preemptive happiness.
“Actually, I think there is something to celebrate,” Twilight objected. “She might have done it for the wrong reasons, and she might be gone for those same reasons, but in the end, she helped her species survive.” She took a step forward, listening as the changelings cried their victory. “I don’t think I even need to speak to them to know why they acted the way they did. They couldn’t betray their queen as much as Tirek could betray us. Without her, they will be in charge of their own lives. Perhaps, in some small way, Chrysalis knew that.”
The ponies seemed to agree, but Discord’s laughter broke the sweet sentiment. “I just realized she called us pests at the last moment. After all the bug puns I threw at her you’d think she’d have chosen a better final word.”
Everyone stood around, staring at Discord with looks of displeasure, disgust, or annoyance until the silence was broken by Tirek’s bellowing guffaw. “D-Do you think in a thousand years she’ll return and realize what she said? I wouldn’t mind being a fly on the wall for that reaction!” Tirek added, placing a hand on Discord’s shoulder as they continued to laugh.
“Well, at least one good thing happened from all this. They’re finally getting along,” Starlight noted.
“Wonder how long that will last,” Spike sneered.
Twilight shook her head. “A thousand years?”
“Did Twilight really just make a joke?” asked Rainbow.
“I’m pretty sure she did. I guess Discord’s being rubbing off on her, in more ways than one!” Pinkie replied with a snort and giggle.
“Pinkie!” Twilight growled. “Don’t blab and tell everyone that I’m with Discord!” The ponies gasped in shock at the revelation, to which Twilight shoved her hooves to her mouth. “Whoops.”
Tirek and Discord had stopped laughing long enough to overhear Twilight’s goof. Their laughing was soon replaced with Tirek’s yelling, followed by him chasing the draconequus around the yard. Sombra shook his head and said, “A thousand years? They didn’t even last a thousand milliseconds.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
The door swung shut behind the alicorn as she made her way towards the stairs and headed down to the foyer. Her apprentice’s purple and cerulean mane bobbing up and down as she walked beside the teacher. “Now that we’ve determined who will be the main voice of the changelings, we can begin to mend their role in Ponyville.” Twilight stopped at the bottom step. “And you’ll be overseeing that recovery during this time.”
“Me?” Starlight asked. “I’m pretty sure you’re forgetting about the rules of the bet.”
“Actually, she isn’t.” Discord stepped out from behind the banister, munching on an apple.
Twilight acknowledged his presence with a smile before returning to Starlight. “Discord’s the one that insisted on you being the new link between the changelings and ponies. When I told him about everything I’d have to be doing in order to help them, he was worried that it would leave little time for our new relationship.”
“No wonder you chose Discord. He’s surprisingly smart and incredibly resourceful.”
“Don’t forget exotic sight,” he quipped before biting another piece of the apple.
“Yes, well. It gets you out of being a servant and helps with the changelings, but you still have your regular apprentice duties. I think you’ll be making a lot of friends, and run into a lot of issues, with the changelings. And if you ever need advice, well, I’m just two doors down as always,” Twilight surmised.
Discord leaned his head down next to Twilight’s, apple juice gleaming on his teeth as he grinned. “Just be sure to knock on her door first from now on.”
“Discord!” Twilight yelled as Starlight snickered.
As they spoke, a knock came to the castle door followed by the Elements and Sombra entering. “There’s the two love birds,” Applejack called out. “How’re things goin’ with the changelings?”
“Just wrapped up our meeting with Timber, Toy and a few of the others,” Twilight answered. “We finished right on time too since you’re all here for the sendoff.”
Confetti flew into the air as Pinkie’s cannon went off. “We’re gonna have a moving party as we make our way to the train! I’m not letting that salty centaur leave with a frown! Pokey’s setting up the balloons along the way now,” explained Pinkie as she handed a balloon to Discord. “Where is Tirek anyway?”
“Oh good. A roving party. Because I wanted to be deaf for the long train ride.” Tirek stood against the railing at the top of the stairs, Spike by his side holding a piece of luggage. “Though I guess I should be thankful that you’re not throwing a party on the train itself,” he added as he walked down the steps, Spike following behind.
“Y’know you don’t actually have to go, right? You can still hold off for a little while,” Twilight argued, hoping to change his mind.
“She’s right. You don’t have to leave. Though if you do change your mind, you can’t stay here,” added Discord. “Wouldn’t want you to be kept awake at night.” He gave a toothy grin, his nostrils flaring as he spoke.
Tirek snarled and snorted. “If I had won then I suppose I’d be saying the same thing to you. But no, I’ve already informed Scorpan of my journey. It’d be rude to turn back now.”
While they talked, Spike pulled Applejack aside to speak to her privately. His claws fidgeted as he worried about what he could say. “You don’t need to worry about a thing, Spike.” Applejack’s words gave him a bit of a boost in confidence, allowing him to center himself.
“No. I do need to worry about something. Even though I was under Chrysalis’s control, I still lead you on. The truth is…” He took a deep breath, then exhaled. “I-I’m not ready to actually be in a relationship. It was fun and games with Rarity, but with you, it was real. When I told you that, it wasn’t Chrysalis that was controlling me to say it. It was what I really felt.”
“And I just said, Spike. Don’t worry about it. Whether or not you feel anythin’ for me, you don’t need to worry about right now. I told you how I felt and I meant it. I’m not going to pressure you into anythin’, especially if you don’t feel the same way. Heck, you act like I’ve never been turned down before.”
“I’m not turning you down, but I’m not saying yes either. I’d just like to remain friends and see where life takes us,” he argued, his voice cracking as he spoke, attempting to keep his voice low.
Applejack tapped her hat and smiled at the purple dragon. “I think after all this excitement of villains, betrayal, and mind control, I’m more than ready for things to get back to normal.”
“Thank you, Applejack,” he replied as he leaned up and kissed her cheek. He then turned back to the rest of the group, not realizing they had quieted down to listen to their conversation. “Uhh. W-What’s going on?”
Twilight pranced over and wrapped a hoof around his neck. “That was very mature of you, Spike, and I think we’d all have to agree with you.”
"I'm more than eager to see where life takes us," Sombra whispered to Rarity, causing her to giggle.
“Oh sure, when he turns a pony down everyone thinks he’s adorable. But when I do it I get set on fire and then turned into stone!” Discord remarked, finishing his apple.
Fluttershy raised a curious brow as she looked up at the draconequus. “Discord, who did you turn down?” she asked.
As he swallowed the apple core, he realized all eyes were on him. At the same moment, a knock came to the castle door. “Well would you look at that, a distraction to get me out of this awkward situation,” he said, rushing to the door and pulling it open.
A blue mare stood in the doorway, a wizard hat on her cyan mane and cape fluttering on her back. She pulled the hat off and stood bipedal. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has come at last to win the heart of Twilight Sparkle!”
The door slammed shut, closed by Twilight’s magic. “Ugh. I think I’d rather date Discord.” Her face filled with blush as she realized what she had said, causing everyone to laugh. Her eyes drifted back to the draconequus who wiggled his fingers and smiled from afar. “Oh, right, I am dating Discord.”
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Final chapter is finally out! Let me know what you guys think.
Also, as far as a sequel goes I plan on writing one, but not for a long, LONG time. I've got a few other things on the burner for what I want to write that don't fall into place within the Relationships are Evil universe.
I also have to ask, would any of you mind if I made one-shots involving the characters/events and added them as miniature sequels until I come back to write the sequel? They could be rated anything from Everyone to Mature. Which also begs to question if any of you would mind if I wrote Mature stories relating to this series, or would you prefer to have them be completely separate.
Your input is valued, as always!
Well... I liked the story. Until this chapter. Ever since the chapter when Chryssie went crazy a bit, I was worried that this would end with literally only her getting the short end of the stick and voila, that exactly happens. This chapter kinda ruined the story for me.
I agree the story is well written, but with seemingly giving her a chance for redemption along the other villains, only to make it fail only in her case and then just remove her entirely (I'm guessing she won't be in any of the side stories or the sequel, unless they happen a thousand years in the future or she's freed early) kinda felt like a massive bait and switch and leaves me really disappointed in general, especially since she's my favourite character.
Two things.
First Twilight should have said for Trixie to go after Starlight instead.
Second great story really loved the TwiCord.
Would really like to see a sequel to this story. Keep up the great work.
8019032
Every time I read one of your comments I was always so heartbroken since I knew how the story ended. This ending is how I always imagined the story would end, which meant not everyone would get a happy ending. I'm glad it invoked an emotional response, especially since I quite enjoyed writing her flaws, triumphs and overall development.
Sooooooo theTimeSword
How long has it been since ive been reading this?
Holly Molly over a Year!!!
You probably notoced me mingling around here since chapter one
Always excited for more
and now we finally came to the big ending
And i have to say . . . . . I LOVED IT :DD
My interest in this story has only increased with every chapter and it got more and more exciting to read
and i was REALLY into it ;DDD and my OTP won in the end as well HURAAAAY
So yeah it was a BLAST and im totally statuisfied with this <3 <3 <3
and i'd LOOOOOVE to read a sequel someday ;3
this has probably been my most hyped Fanfic for 2016, since i always flipped when seeing a new chapter out haha which is rarely the case ^^
and i read a loooooot of Discord fanfics xDD
so yeah 9,5/10 from me ;3
absolutely loved it to the end
few senseholes here and there but hey thats fine ;3
it was a really cool and interessting story with a freaky concept used perfectly fine ;3
Thanks so much for your input in this project and im already curios what may come next from you regarding Discolight ^^
best of greetings here from Germany ;D
Chris aka NerfStranger
PS: YES !! GIMME ALL THE MINI ONE SHOTS!!! AND ALL THE MATURE ONES!!!! DO IT <3 <3 <3
Trixie is a bit late here...
Hehe, I've read this story twice now and I must say that thus far it is my favorite story on the site. Twas nice to see the the Villains reform and well become friendly with the main cast. Now granted I wish that Chrysalis hadn't done what she did and that Sombra and Rarity got juuuussst a bit more focus but otherwise I thought this was damned near perfect. So my thanks TheTimeSword.
8241868
It's always nice to hear someone enjoying my work!
Thank you for reading and enjoying!
8242070
But of course! *grins*
I'd love to see what a sequel of this would look like.
9164919
Well, love and reproduction aren't the same thing, and though they sometimes go hand-in-hand, that's not always the case. You CAN love somebody without wanting to screw their brains out. If you couldn't, incest wouldn't be illegal.
9163763
And gets beat in one day.
Twilight going out to face Chrysalis one-on-one doesn't really jive with her character. Throughout the show, she's shown a willingness to use words before force, but she's still capable of fighting when it's clear that's not going to work. At the point of returning to her castle and seeing Chrysalis drain the love from Spike and Starlight, that really should have been Go Time: Chrysalis has her changelings occupying the town, Rainbow has told Twilight that Chrysalis declared herself ruler, Spike and Starlight running to Chrysalis's side is part of a pattern of behavior that Twilight already noticed in the past, Sombra told Twilight that this was exactly what Chrysalis had wanted from the start meaning all her efforts had been a deception and not genuine. There's no "final chance" to talk her out of it, she has been committed to this course of action and has caused direct harm to others while persuing it; it's time to face the Painbow.
Aside from that, I enjoyed the story! Thank you.
10344660
Yes but it was established that both apploosa and the buffalo tribe were in equal shares of the blame by not sitting down and finding a middle ground and lets face it the real villian in that episode was pinkie cause the fight woulda been avoided were it not for that song lol also the buffalo were initially protecting land they understood to be theirs by right its like i came into your home planning to completely rennovate it to suit my needs and you then knocking me out and calling the cops only to find out the landlord added me to the lease thats all that really happened in that episode so no out right villaining going on
So, this was a lot of fun. You balanced comedy and drama very well. I felt like throughout the story each villain got a good share of the spotlight, and in turn a unique characterization. It was only near the end that I felt the focus shifted to be completely on Twi and Discord, which leads the other villains feeling in need of their own side stories/a greater epilogue. Overall, there was a lot of fun character work here and it managed to use the characters better than the show did. If this became a full-fledged 'verse, I'd be back for more.