Darkness Rises, Darkness Falls

by jwizard

Chapter Two

Equestria, Canterlot Castle, 07-08-06 A.N.M., 4:37 P.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

Twilight watched as Sunset paced back and forth. The two were not in her office, but were actually in Raven Brightmoon’s.

Raven was Celestia’s personal assistant, as well as the Secretary of the Interior. It was her responsibility to make sure that Canterlot ran as smoothly as it did. She was the liaison between the royal houses and the common pony.

And Celestia would never be half as effective as she was without this seemingly ageless mare.

Twilight shook her head to dismiss maudlin speculation. “Sunset, you need to stop worrying. A few hundred shadow-spawn isn’t going to be able to do much of anything with Rainbow watching from her Realm. We’ve got ponies from my guard on all of its citizens, plus ten on each of the disaster trio.”

Sunset- who had been muttering under her breath almost non-stop, looked up at her fellow alicorn. “What? Oh, Ponyville’s safe. No, I’m impatient because Discord asked us to be here, and then he makes us wait. I know he’s all good now, but this is not the time for pranks.”

“Oh Sunny; you should know by now that this is the best time for pranks. As Pinke would tell you, laughing away the ghosties works wonders.” The two mares looked up to see a smirking Draconequus hovering next to the only austentatious piece of furniture in the office; the chandelier. “Besides, Chaos waits for no-one, but can make others wait on it.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Well, you made us wait here for like, three hours. If you yourself was going to be like the human doctors, you should have told me.”

Discord shook his head. “No, you both had to be here so that our foe wouldn’t know to look for you. I’m right on time; the geasa on me will lift at precisely four-forty.”

Twilight frowned. “Wait, this is the precise time you first showed up after taking the Elements six years ago.” Discord huffed.

“Yes, remind me of my chimera days why don’t you.” He chuckled. “No, little miss-bookworm, this was before I took the Elements. In fact, this time now is why I was only able to do what I did in that fight. I lost because I challenged the wrong pony.” As the minute hand on the new clock model on Raven’s wall hit 4:40, he began to glow.

“Finally! I have more power at my disposal now than I did then, but having my memories blocked from everypony but moi is so annoying. So, story time.” He waved a paw, causing a polka-dotted chair to appear next to Twilight’s”

“So, little miss bookworm; why do you think you won so handily? Because I wasn’t toying with you, I assure you. Discorded ponies don’t break from the mold by a simple memory spell, and you still needed the elements for it to work.”

“You already told us this! Clover the Clever sealed you away to burn all of the Chaotic mana you had as a result of your creation! I don’t see what that has to do with any of this Discord.” Discord, for once, was actually scowling at Twilight.

“Oh, certainly, it did so. But then, I was able to gather more after being sealed in stone with the Elements.” He waved a paw at the direction of Ponyville. “Once I escaped, I was able to access the stored power of one thousand years worth of chaotic events. Not much in Equestria, but the minotaur are wonderfully chaotic.”

“No, if you had gotten there when I first escaped, I would have had the six off you dancing to my tune like so many parasprites. The reason I was able to get to the Elements is that, at the time, Celly and little Lulu were busy trying to contain everything.”

“What really happened was this…”

---

Raven watched impassively as a book fluttered past her, dropping explosive dung bombs. Already, there were several very large holes in the cobblestones from the bombs.

Another one- this one with teeth -latched onto her tail. Raven went from being amused to annoyed, and channeled a burst of Harmonic power to Cleanse the street.

This, predictably, brought Discord. “Ah, so there’s another Harmonic user. Pity; I thought by turning the Chapel into gingerbread would keep you all out of my tail, but I guess not all are that lucky, eh?” This was a purely rhetorical statement.

“All I see before me is a clown that didn’t learn the first time. Go bug Celestia and Luna; maybe this time you’ll actually get something to stick,” Raven said coolly. “I have business elsewheres.”

“I don’t like your tune,” he said, frowning. Another Discord popped up behind her and grabbed her back hooves. “Fortunately, I can always change that.”

Raven glared at the chimera. “Let. Me. Go. Now. Before. I. Cut. Off. Your. Tail.”

Discord shrugged. “There are two of me, so you’ll only get one shot. Anyway, I need to see if my little trick still works.” He made to poke her in the rump, where an inkwell and scroll was prominently displayed.

Before he could do so however, two swipes from a previously invisible blade cut off the tails of both the doppelganger and the real Discord. The fake flashed into a pile of horseshit while the original let out an earsplitting shriek. His eyes glowed red as he glared at Raven with murderous intent.

However, Raven wasn’t finished. Two more slices chopped off both wings before the blade flashed to the base of his neck. It drew itself a third of the way through his head, causing him to screech, as all his chaotic energies were now devoted to keeping him alive.

The Bound blade started using Harmonic energies to burn away the one thousand years worth of stored power in the chimera. Discord watched in disbelief as Raven began to change. She grew taller and more stately, fully as large as Celestia. Her horn grew longer, and wings appeared. Her Cutie Mark flashed, fully revealing itself as one that Discord knew all too well.

Astrolia, Bound Alicorn of the Stars, trotted forward and touched her horn to Discord’s goat head. He cried out as his own memories were bound by a geasa from the fourth eldest pegacorn. She snorted when she was finished.

“I said all those years ago that I pitied you for what they did. I had the same for Eris and her daughters. But I will not let you do what you are doing at my Enemies’ direction.” Astrolia looked on as Discord’s tail reattached itself. She pulled Starlight away from his neck slowly, and watched as the wound closed.

Discord screeched as he burst away to Ponyville, as his other double went and retrieved the Elements.

Astrolia rolled her eyes. “All too predictable really.”

---

“So, as you can see, Equestria is once again in the debt of somepony who will never collect, just as much as I am. I will be forever grateful for Astrolia’s sympathy; I would never have met my friends if that wasn’t the case. Or my sisters, but that’s not part of this tale.” Discord smiled at the two mares as he rocked in what had been at the start an ordinary love seat, albeit a small one.

“Well, this is a nice story and all-- but not only is there no evidence to confirm it, I’m wondering why you’re telling us now,” Sunset said. “Aside from the fact that my half-sister is involved- yet again -in stopping yet another threat to Equestria, this doesn’t really have anything to do with what’s happening in Ponyville.” Sunset snorted. “That’s just like her. But what was so important that you had to tell that tale?”

The smirk Discord was wearing fell at this. “Aheh, well, the two books in question were a pair that Clover had written.” He sat down two books that had mysteriously appeared. “One was just a general ‘Book of Prophecy.’ None of them are attributed to the Temple of Chronos, but the one underlined one on page 626.” He chuckled. “That number’s got me all in Stitches.”

Twilight had already opened the aforementioned book, leaving the other to Sunset. She stiffened at the underlined passage. “And in the seventh month of the Year of the Aurora, the Child of Friendship shall journey to the lands of Shadow to save the heart of Honesty, Generosity, and Loyalty.” She looked at the date. “T-that’s preposterous! This pre-dates Equestria by three millennia! Just how much of my life has been scripted?!” She slammed the book shut in disgust.

“All of that crap about prophecy, and the first thing you try and do is the same claptrap. Yes, I know that I followed the ‘Mare in the Moon’ prophecy to Ponyville, but that ultimately became a destiny I chose. How often do I have to fear the same for me and my friends; this one is ominous.”

Sunset looked up in confusion. “Why were these passages underlined? ‘Seek not to discount the words of the past, for there is wisdom to be found there.’ Then there’s this one; ‘You have little to fear but Fear itself; but if you master your fears, you can change the world.’ The last one at least makes some sense; ‘A redeemed soul is a friend for life, for their words carry wisdom that is learned via hard lessons.’” She shook her head as she read the cover. “‘Clover’s Book of Life Lessons.’ Sounds like a self help manual.”

Twilight didn’t get a chance to respond, as at that moment a dragonfire-imbued scroll materialized in front of her. She quickly unsealed and read the scroll. “Clever Marigold was on another assignment watching for rogue changelings. She said that a small band- around twenty -were last spotted heading for Apploosa.” She closed her eyes to briefly send a light-pulse message to Rainbow Dash. Her eyes suddenly flew open in fright.

“Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom went with Braeburn to Appleloosa! Their cart was just found on the trail to the south of Whitetail, with a slew of dead changelings. Rainbow says that a hard light duplicate of her spotted Bloom’s bow on one of them. I don’t know where the fillies are now, but they’re likely headed to danger. We should have been looking or changelings too; Metamorpha is still at large.”

Twilight summoned her saddlebags to her. “Sunset, I’m giving you temporary Regency. This can’t wait until Celestia and Luna return; those three girls are the very heart of their sisters. Rainbow was right; we should have kept Scoots here. Whatever is leading them is not Applejack’s cousin, but I don’t think it's a changeling either. I have to go now; Rainbow’s already on her way back here. Hold the fort until she gets here.”

With that, Twilight teleported away.

---

Author's Note:

After a long hiatus, I finally got over my hump.

This chapter may be coming out of left field, but there are clues to be had.

Expect smaller chapters, and more each day. I actually plan to write at least a chapter a day in between Bloodborne stints.

Comments

[SC_Orion]

After taking a break from this series to read other stories, this is very much so, once more, confusing. So many character names I don't remember or vaguely remember.

Well, onward to adventure! I look forward to more chapters. I'm partially tempted to wait until this story is finished before reading any new chapters, but if I do that, then I might never get around to finishing reading this, assuming you finish writing it.

I've not noticed any mistakes which stood out in your writing. Keep up the good work!

[jwizard]

8366410

Honestly, I need to write my own syllabus for all the names that this series has created. Sorry if it confuses you, but it really can't be helped.

As for finishing this story goes, once I really get started on it, it shouldn't take nowhere near as long as the other two did. Most of what I had planned for this one was originally supposed to be part of PSDAL. However, it really didn't fit all that well with Nightingale's story, even though part of this one will involve her.

I think I might have said too much there....