Chapter 10: Harmony
Discord broke into laughter from the sight. He curled up as he did so, not being able to contain his joy.
“And what are you laughing at?!” Pinkie Pie yelled at him, only further adding to his throes.
“Oh, you ponies are just the most fun I've had in eons!” he said out loud, completely ignoring the aggravated pink pony. He had to wipe a large tear from his eye because of how much he was laughing.
“Well, quit it! You'd better think before you laugh at the Pink—” she screamed back, getting in his unique face, “—ie Pie!”
“Oh, yeah?” Fluttershy mocked. “Well, ha, ha.”
“Quit it!”
“No. Ha, ha.”
“Quit it!” Pinkie Pie all but bellowed to the cruel pegasus.
“No. Ha, ha-ha haha,” the cream-colored mare mocked.
Applejack went up to the massive “diamond” Rarity was carefully guarding. She stroked it with a hoof, admiring it.
“Rarity?” The seamstress came over. “This here diamond of yours? Twilight said we should split it seven ways since we, uh, found it together.” Applejack’s eyes avoided Rarity’s as she lied.
The unicorn initiated a flying kick, sending her country friend tumbling back after slamming a hoof into her barrel.
“Try it, punk. He's mine. All mine!” she said insanely, her voice sounding savage on the last word.
Twilight did not know what was happening. Her friends were acting like completely different ponies.
“Girls, why are you all acting like this?”
Pinkie Pie kept screaming at Fluttershy, who was continuing to laugh at her with more ichor. “We need to stick together!”
She ran to her friends, trying to calm them down, but they just continued torturing each other. Sorin went over to her side, looking equally confused about the situation.
“It's just too entertaining,” Discord commented from behind them. He was sitting on a plush red couch, tossing popcorn into his mouth as he watched the “show” in front of him.
“Stop it, Discord,” she said, stomping her hoof on the ground. “You're not playing fair.”
“I'm not playing fair?” he laughed. “Perhaps we haven't met. I'm Discord, Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. Hello?” He threw some more popcorn in his mouth, spitting a kernel at Twilight.
“How are we supposed to find the Elements of Harmony when you took away the labyrinth before we could get to the end?” she angrily said as another kernel bounced off of her head.
“Oh, wait, did you…” he started, pointing a talon at her before breaking into guffaws. “How funny! You thought the Elements were in the labyrinth?”
He waved his paw, creating a distorted image in front of him. There was Celestia, standing next to the Elements as Discord’s glass figure spoke.
“Twists and turns are my master plan. Then find the Elements back where you began.”
With another wave, the memory was gone. He was now standing in between Twilight and Sorin, one of whom was freaking out.
“I never said they were in the labyrinth.”
“Keep trying, Twilight Sparkle.” He put up his arms, jesting as he told her, “Maybe the magic of Friendship can help you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some chaos to wreak.”
With that, he started his teleportation spell. Sorin flung a fireball at the draconequus, but he vanished before it hit. Rocks were scattered everywhere as the projectile landed on the ground instead.
Twilight let out a defeated sigh, completely lost as to where Discord had hidden the Elements. She walked away, going off to think.
“This may work to my advantage,” Sorin told himself. “If Discord was strong enough to do this, he can also serve me. While I cannot destroy the Elements—yet—if we combine our powers, we can defeat them, once and for all.”
He smiled at his new plan, pacing back and forth. “After that, only the royal sisters will stand in our way. We will conquer them, Death and Chaos, leaving only him to stop me from domination. By then, I should have enough power to destroy him, leaving all of Equestria to me.”
He stopped his pacing, looking down at the rocks around him. He lifted a hoof and slammed it onto one of the shattered rocks, cutting deep into his hoof as blood ran from it.
The small pool of his essence swam away from him, headed towards the edge of the crater before crawling up the dirt walls.
“Yes, this may work to my advantage.”
Discord was admiring his work. Standing on a hill near Ponyville, he looked down upon the village. Giant sections of it were floating in the air, suspended by nothing but air, with houses on top of them. Abominations ran through the streets, terrifying the ponies bold enough to be outside.
He put his claw to his face as he thought about what to do next when he heard something nearby. He stopped stroking his chin, listening to every sound. The bushes rattled, and he whipped his head around, finding nothing there.
Another bush rustled, and he launched a bolt of Chaos energy towards it, but it never hit. The floating black mass divided its body, opening a space where the bolt would have landed and let it pass through before shifting back into one body.
“What are you?” Discord demanded of the creature. It only chuckled creepily.
“A friend,” it simply replied, darting around his body. His head followed it, twisting his neck several times over.
“Why are you here?” he questioned in a bored manner after letting his neck unscrew like a twisted rubber band.
“I’ve come to offer you a deal.”
The cloud formed in front of him, taking a shape identical to Discord.
“It is a simple one that will benefit us both.” It walked around, putting its hands behind its back as it did. “Do you truly think the Elements are defeated?”
Discord laughed at the audacity of whatever was talking to him. “Of course they are. Soon enough, dear Twilight won’t know what to do now that her precious friends are gone.” He waved a paw dismissively, turning away.
The mass walked in Discord’s way, looking straight at him.
“Who is to say Celestia won’t bring them back to their true selves, or that over time your spell will wear off? Sure, you’ll rule for a few years, but then you will be imprisoned—again.”
He had never thought about what would happen after he turned them against each other. He would rule, but what would happen? Had this entity seen something the Lord of Chaos had not?
Noticing his lack of response, the shadowy figure continued.
“Here is my offer,” he raised a hand. “You continue with your plan, likely being stopped by the magic of Friendship, or,” it said, raising the other, “we work together.
“On our own, we cannot destroy the Elements, and I doubt that anyone can, but what if we combine our powers?” That got Discord thinking. “I’m sure you can see the strength I hold, which should help you realize we can render them useless.
“If you keep the Elements in their negative forms and make sure they bring the actual Elements to us when we are ready, we can perform the spell together and unbind them from their bearers, rendering them useless gems. Only then will they be out of the way.”
Yogg-Saron returned to his shapeless shape as he awaited a response. The draconequus was pensive, imagining what would happen if he agreed. The Elements would be gone, and then he would rule alongside this being or destroy it, whichever he wanted once he was king. The princesses would not be able to stop them simply because they were only two ponies.
“Do we have a deal, Lord of Chaos?”
“Yes, we do.” Discord chuckled to himself. “Twilight Sparkle and her friends are about to find the Elements, only to realize they don’t work because they are no longer friends.
“I will keep them busy, and soon enough, they will be out of the picture.”
“See you soon,” the wisp said evilly before sinking into the ground and disappearing.
As it sunk into the ground, it sensed something from Discord it had not felt before, something he had not expected to feel.
It can’t be.
Twilight put her head on a hoof, smacking the two together as she tried to make sense of the riddle. What did it mean?
“Think, Twilight, think!” She paced around. “‘Find the Elements back where you began.’ Back where you began…”
The sounds of her friends going at each other’s throats only made concentrating harder, making her let an annoyed snort escape her mouth.
“I just want to go home,” she whispered to herself at the sight of her friends. As she said that, her revelation started to form. “Wait a minute… home!” The riddle never said the Elements were in the labyrinth, just like Discord said.
“‘Back where you began!’ The Elements must be in Ponyville.” She turned to her friends, who were still fighting, knowing what to do. “Girls!” she shouted. They stopped, looking at her with malice and making her shrink back just a little.
“I think we have to get to Ponyville. That’s where Discord hid the Elements!”
The faintest spark of who they once were showed as they heard this. Even though they had been turned into their opposites, they still had a link to the Elements that would outlast any spell of Discord’s.
So, they went to her, Rarity carrying her boulder still, and followed.
“Come on, girls. I'm certain this is what Discord's riddle really meant. If we get back to the library, I have a book that I just know can give us a clue,” Twilight said, leading five mares down the road, almost back to Ponyville.
Sorin jumped to the side as a stampede of bunnies charged at him and her. Narrowly avoiding them, he rolled on the ground, but she was too caught up to do the same. They slammed into her, forcing her into the ground as they walked all over her.
With many groans, she stood up. She winced at the dozens of small bruises she now had, but she had to push forward for Equestria, and so she did. She could hear Fluttershy snickering from behind as she thanked the bunnies who trampled her “friend.”
They reached the top of the hill they were going up, now being able to see Ponyville. The ground was purple with a checkerboard-like pattern on it, and parts of the town were floating. Crazy animals were running rampant through the town, some breaking into houses while others danced wildly outside. The roadways were turned into soap, making it rather annoying to walk on them.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Twilight found Discord skating past her, reaching out a hoof over the hill. “This is the new and improved Ponyville, and these are only my first of changes,” he said like a child on Christmas day.
Sorin growled at him, baring his teeth. It would have been more effective if he had sharp teeth instead of flat ones.
Discord booped him on the nose like a dog, making the pony release a blast of energy which Discord let phase through his body, leaving him unharmed.
“Picture it, the chaos capital of the world,” he said, picking up Twilight so she could look at the new Ponyville. Just then, the sun fell from the sky, the moon taking its place.
Sorin froze in place, caught off guard by that. Somehow, Discord was able to affect the sun and moon that the royal sisters controlled.
“I can’t picture anything; it’s too dark,” Twilight flatly said.
With a huff, the Lord of Chaos dropped her, walking away. “Well, wait a few minutes and you’ll see it in the beautiful light of day. Or not.”
He made his exit with a snap of his talons, vanishing into the air.
“Ponyville, the chaos capital of the world? Not if I have anything to say about it,” she said with determination, focused on finding the Elements so Discord could be stopped.
The seven ponies finally reached the treehouse, Sorin coming up to Twilight and staring at the library. He slowly rotated his head to look at her.
“Let’s hope this goes well.”
“We can only hope,” she deadpanned.
“Okay, we're here. Everyone please, please, please just go inside, please?”
He went inside, trotting to the center of the room. The others came in after a while, Twilight being the last one while carrying Rarity’s boulder. Water splashed over his face as Spike was pelted with a bucketful of water. The poor dragon screamed as he awoke from his slumber, confused as to who poured water over him.
Sorin walked around the library, inspecting the various books along the walls.
“Twilight, what's going on? Why does everybody look so… grey?” Spike asked.
“Don't ask.” She needed to get looking. “I need you to help me find something.”
He nodded, ready to help her out.
“Hey, Twilight, what's soaking wet and clueless?” Fluttershy asked condescendingly, holding another pale in her hands.
“Fluttershy, I've had just about enough—” she tried to answer before being drenched, making her face contort in anger.
“Your face!” the pegasus shot back.
Spike went back over to her, worried for his friends. “What's happened to everypony?”
“No time to explain. We've got to find the reference guide to the Elements of Harmony before somepony does something she'll regret.”
“The Elements of Harmony? Oh, I know exactly where that book is,” he said before rushing over to the wall and climbing up the ladder. He pulled the book from its shelf, getting her attention as he waved it around.
Fluttershy swooped in and took the book straight out of his claws.
Sorin sat in boredom as the Elements started to fight over the book, tossing it to one another to stop Twilight from getting it. Just when she thought she would get it, they stole it from her grasp and continued the game.
“GIVE ME THAT BOOK!” she bellowed, charging at the one holding her prize. After slamming into the boulder, she shook her head and jumped onto the nearest pony.
Growing tired of the quarrel, Sorin grabbed the book with his magic, pulling it away from everypony and into his hooves. Twilight emerged from the brawl, coming over to him and scooping up the book while Spike stood guard around them with a scroll.
“Get back. All of you! This is my book, and I'm going to READ IT!” she shouted, clutching onto the cover and opening it, only to see the Elements of Harmony.
“The Elements!” she gasped in surprise. “The Elements! They were here all along!”
“This is great! Now you guys can defeat Discord and put everything back to normal,” Spike eagerly said.
“See, girls? We did it! We found the Elements of Harmony; together!”
Sorin huffed at that.
“You don't even care, do you?” she asked, devoid of emotion again. Her friends all screamed out, “No!”
“I never thought it would happen. My friends… have turned into complete jerks!”
She grabbed the Elements, putting each necklace around her friends’ necks before lowering her crown onto her head. She started to make her way out the door when Spike stopped her.
“But Twilight, aren't you missing somepony?”
“Nope,” she replied. “We've got the liar, the grump, the hoarder, and the brute. That just about covers it.”
“But what about Rainbow Dash?”
“Congratulations, Spike, you're the new Rainbow Dash.” She put the Element of Loyalty around his neck, much to his displeasure. “Now let's go!”
The dragon rambled on to her about impersonating Rainbow Dash and the horrors of doing such a thing.
“Now let's go defeat Discord so we don't ever have to talk to each other again,” she finished with, leaving the house. Sorin followed the other Elements, making sure they actually left. She had to come back and push “Tom” through the window, breaking part of the tree.
All seven ponies and the one dragon were standing in the street when Discord made his presence known.
“Well, well, well, I see you've found the Elements of Harmony. How terrifying,” he rambled, throwing a paw to his head in feigned terror.
“Discord! I've figured out your lame riddle. You're in for it now!” Twilight snapped back.
This will be interesting.
“I certainly am. You've clearly out-dueled me, and now it's time to meet my fate.” He threw on a pair of awkward sunglasses. “I'm prepared to be defeated now, ladies. Fire when ready,” he chimed, making a large target appear on his midsection, his boasting unhindered.
“Formation, now!” All five of the Elements came over to Twilight, forming a small group. She had to call “Rainbow Dash” over from the boulder he was hiding behind. As he got into position, Sorin stood slightly behind her.
“Alright, let's get this over with.” Once she finished, she closed her eyes as she let Magic flow through her. She raised into the air, her crown glowing with divine light as the other Elements floated around her.
She opened her eyes, more light spewing from them than anywhere else, making them giant balls of energy. Her crown released a wave, connecting to the other Elements of Harmony as light surrounded them, only for the connection to fail.
The ponies who wore the Elements were not true, so the ritual ceased, causing everypony to fall to the ground.
“What's going on?” Twilight mouthed in shock.
Discord was busy chuckling to himself, now sure that he had put down Equestria’s heroes for the time being. All he had to do was wait for Twilight to break, and then he would be able to proceed with his end of the bargain.
Sorin was thinking the same thing, silently chuckling to himself as well.
“Bravo, ponies, bravo!” Discord applauded out of pure jest. “Harmony in Equestria is officially dead. Discord rules, Celestia drools.” He booped Twilight on the nose as he finished, letting out a few spiteful laughs. He jumped onto the soapy road, skating away while continuing to laugh.
Sorin watched as each of his friends abandoned each other. They despised one another, and Twilight was the only one left who still cared. But seeing her closest friends forsake her drew out her anger.
“Fine. Leave. See if I care! I don't need you guys either!” Her words came apart the moment she uttered them, her anger disappearing at the same time. “With friends like you, who needs—” She realized she had only helped to drive her friends away when they needed her most, and now she was without them.
“—enemies…”
That last word was filled with pure regret. Her head fell, and her hope followed as the colors of her tail faded to grey. Like a disease, the lack of color spread, washing over her entire body until the end of her nose was covered. A tear fell from her eye, splashing the ground and making the shape of a broken heart.
“He was right; Harmony is dead,” Sorin said as he watched the former Twilight Sparkle walk away with her head down in defeat.
He turned around, slowly trotting back to the library. He opened the door, closing it as he went in. He went up the stairs, going into his room like any other day and plopping onto his bed. He smiled, relaxing for a few moments.
At long last, the Eleme—
Just then, the front door creaked back open. It quickly closed as hoofsteps echoed through the house. He stood back up, hearing the pony reach the top of the stairs and go into the room opposite of his.
He could hear muffled words coming from inside as he strained his ears to listen. He went into the hall, now hearing the voice much better to the point where he knew exactly who it was.
“These are all the letters I've written to the princess since I've lived in Ponyville. But why would she send them back?”
What.
He nudged the door, poking his head inside to confirm his suspicions. Twilight held a scroll in front of her, reading through it aloud. He went all the way inside, spotting Spike lying in his bed and looking sickly. There was a large pile of scrolls like the one she was holding, each of them sealed with red wax. His attention returned to her as she finished.
“…maybe even before she's met them."
He watched as her true colors were revealed, forcing the grey of her fur away for good. As the top of her horn returned to its purple shade, her eyes went wide with enlightenment.
“Spike! Spike, it's all so clear!” She levitated him into her arms. “Can't you see? Discord's trying to distract us from what's important. He knows how powerful our friendships are, and he's trying to keep us from seeing it.”
No.
She hugged him tightly. “Do you remember what I said the first day we arrived in Ponyville? I told you that the future of Equestria didn't rest on me making friends. But the opposite is true! The friendships I've made since I've been here are what saved Equestria from Nightmare Moon. And now they need to save it from Discord!”
Sorin ground his teeth into each other.
“You're right, Spike. I've got to fight for my friendships. For them. For me. For Equestria!” Twilight finished, her confidence restored.
Fools.
She headed for the exit, only to find Sorin looking… puzzled.
“We have to go find the others; we can still stop Discord, but we must do it together!” He nodded in understanding, following closely behind as she left her room, Spike resting in his bed.
One by one, Sorin aided her in finding her friends and showing them who they are, freeing them from their current state. Remembering what they stood for, they all put their Element around their necks again.
The only one who had not been found was Rainbow Dash. After she flew off to save Cloudsdale, no pony had seen her.
“Now, to stop Discord!” Twilight said.
“But Twilight,” Sorin interjected while coming up to her, “we must find Rainbow Dash.”
“Of course,” she said, folding her ears against her head to hide the fact she may have forgotten about her.
“If we are to stop him, we need every one of us.”
If my plan is to still work, I need every Element in one place.
The first place to look was her home: a small mansion made of clouds that rested in the air over Ponyville. Fluttershy flew up to it, searching through the house.
“She’s not here.” She went back down to her friends, who were starting to get worried.
“Without Rainbow Dash, we can’t use the Elements.”
“She could be anywhere by now. We’re never going to find her,” Applejack added dejectedly.
“Yeah we will, ‘cause she’s right there,” Pinkie Pie pointed out, her hoof aimed at a small cloud nearby. Laying on the cloud, stretched out with her head on her arms, was a grey Rainbow Dash.
“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight said out of reflex.
“Hey, guys,” the pegasus called back.
“We’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
“That’s nice.”
“Discord’s still on the loose; we need you to help us defeat him with your Element: Loyalty!”
She scoffed, too blinded to see what she was doing. “Loyalty, schmoyalty. Have you guys seen Ponyville?” She pointed at the chaotic town. “It’s a disaster! I’m staying here in Cloudsdale, where everything’s awesome.”
“She is too stubborn and selfish right now to listen. We are going to have to force her back to normal, I’m afraid,” Sorin said.
“Time for plan B.”
They had gotten a hot air balloon and prepped it for flight so they could fly up to Rainbow Dash. As they all boarded, Sorin untied the rope with his magic, the balloon lifting off the ground. Moving at a steady pace, they eventually made it over to the cloud she was calling home.
Sorin watched as Fluttershy rushed down to the sleeping mare, supposed to hold her down while Twilight gave her her memories back. Instead, the shy pegasus gently tapped on her. As Rainbow Dash stirred, she looked up to her former friend.
“I’m just wondering if it’s okay if I hold you down against your will for a little bit?”
Everypony in the balloon facehoofed.
“Nice try. Ponyville’s your problem, not mine,” she answered, gripping her cloud and shooting away with her powerful wings.
“Come on, Fluttershy,” Twilight shouted down to her while lowering a rope, “we’ve got to catch her!”
She quickly put the rope in her mouth, chasing after Rainbow Dash. They were barely making ground since their whole balloon was being pulled by one Fluttershy.
Looking over her shoulder, Rainbow Dash saw them following her.
“Catch me if you can,” she said to herself, suddenly changing momentum.
Sorin saw her zooming around the balloon, barely a blur as she moved.
“We have to get her to stay still,” Applejack shouted from the top of the vehicle.
“Throw up the rope,” Sorin told Twilight, “I’ll handle this.”
He spotted the mare in the air, watching her flight path intently. He recognized the pattern she was using to avoid them after a few cycles around the hot air balloon.
He powered his horn, aiming his spell at where Rainbow Dash would be in a few seconds. “Here goes nothin’,” he said, releasing the spell.
The air in front of her warped like a collapsing star, falling in upon itself in an instant. A thunderous clap rang out from the spot, blasting her ears and causing them to ring loudly as everything else was drowned out. Then, the shockwave came.
She had been flying toward the hot air balloon with incredible speed, but the sheer force of the shockwave sent her hurdling backward just as fast as she had been flying forward.
She struggled to right herself, quickly dropping to the same level as the balloon. Her wings finally kicked into action as she caught the wind, and with a final flap, she started going directly away from the pursuing balloon.
Before she could rush away, a rope wrapped around her barrel, pulling tightly against her. She went against it, now being slowed down by the weight of two ponies beneath her.
“What did you do?!” Twilight shouted to Sorin after seeing how he “handled” the situation.
“I had to slow her down, or else we would never have caught her.”
“But you could have hurt her!” she snapped back over the blowing air while glaring at him.
“Don’t worry, I knew where she would be and how close I needed to land the blast to throw her off without harming her,” Sorin explained. “She is fine.”
She could not argue against him, so she resorted to defiant pouting. She also had to deal with two of her friends dangling hundreds of feet above the ground by only a rope.
“I can’t!” Fluttershy shouted to the two asking her to fly faster. She was already pushing her wings to the limit, and it was starting to hurt.
“If you can’t catch her, Discord wins!” Twilight yelled down to her. That was the perfect motivator.
“That big.”
“Dumb.”
“MEANIE!” Fluttershy roared, propelling through the air with a surge of might, her aching wings suddenly healed. Sorin had to grab onto the sides of the carriage to stop himself from falling over the edge.
They were gaining on Rainbow Dash rapidly since she was weighed down so much. Applejack held the last rope in her mouth, sizing up the distance from the runaway mare.
They inched the last of the way to throwing range, Applejack hurling the rope with all the strength she had. Rainbow Dash looked back to see her captors too late, for the rope tightly gripped the same area as the other.
The hot air balloon lowered to the ground as she struggled against her bonds, finally touching down in a forest clearing. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were able to crawl out of their ropes, holding their friend with them. The friend in question was kicking and bucking, trying to escape.
“Lemme go! I don’t need you guys! Leave me alone!”
Sorin came forward to her, but she kicked him in the center of his chest. That was what he wanted because Twilight came out from behind him, putting her horn onto Rainbow Dash’s head.
The memories of her past flooded through her as she gained her vibrant colors back.
“Chaos is a wonderful thing,” Discord said out loud, sitting in his throne comfortably. It was a strange one, weirdly shaped horns extending from the top like his own. Two gemstones were next to his ears, each of them blood red.
He was about to sip his glass of chocolate milk when a lavender unicorn interrupted him.
“Not as wonderful as Friendship!”
“Oh, this again?” he deadpanned, drinking the glass itself and tossing it behind him, resulting in an explosion nearby. His face rested in an unamused way as he looked at the seven ponies in front of him again.
“That’s right,” Applejack sternly said to him. “You couldn’t break apart our friendship for long.”
He snorted, annoyed by them. He constricted his talons, gripping onto her necklace with yellow energy and pulling her towards him. She resisted, but she was eventually lifted to him.
“Oh, Applejack. Don’t lie to me; I’m the one who made you a liar.” He tightened his grip, latching onto five other ponies by the neck, pulling them next to Applejack.
Twilight teleported from the ground to her friends in the air, casting a bubble around them and breaking Discord’s hold. She lowered them to the ground, green grass on their hooves again.
“I’ll tell you what we learned, Discord,” Twilight told him. He made a face of mock interest. “We’ve learned that friendship isn’t always easy, but there’s no doubt it’s worth fighting for.”
Discord was about to make a comment when he saw something behind the seven ponies. Shifting around trees, the black mass he saw earlier crept towards Sorin and the Elements.
The Lord of Chaos knew that now was the time to enact their plan to remove the Elements, and so he continued on, prompting them to use their power.
“Ugh, gag. Fine, go ahead, try and use your little Elements. Friend me.” He had to fight back the smirk that was trying to come over his face. “Just make it quick. I’m missing some excellent chaos here.”
“Alright, ladies, let’s show him what friendship can do!” Twilight boldly said, her friends getting into stance. After taking a final drink of chocolate milk, Pinkie Pie joined them with a carnivalistic growl.
Twilight’s crown began to glow as it had done before, but this time it was powered by true Friendship, not simply magical enchantments. Furious light spread out over the land, the other Elements starting to glow as well.
Magic lifted into the air, opening her eyes with a blaze of holy light. Her friends raised into the air, closing their eyes as they tapped into their Element.
Discord saw the mass of blood reach out a thick tendril of its constantly shifting blood to the floating Elements. As it neared them, a wall of pure energy burned its tendril, causing it to reel back in pain and release a harrowing screech.
Discord raised an eyebrow in concern at this. It was then that the Elements started to release their energy as shapes of the Elements of Harmony. A lightning bolt flew past his face, making him move his head in panic.
“I don’t understand, somehow they broke free!” he yelled out, now feeling the pure Friendship magic they were emitting.
“You failed to keep them in their weakened state?!” the black mass thundered within his head. “Now they are too connected to the Elements to break them apart!
“You failed.”
Discord watched the black mass flee from the expanding ball of magic around the Elements. Scurrying over a hill, it darted away with great haste to avoid the blast that was soon to come.
He knew that he could not stop them from unleashing the full power of Friendship upon him, which would turn him to stone again. So, he quickly flapped his wings, lifting himself up so he could fly away before it was too late.
As his body raised from his throne, he was yanked hard, not moving. Confused, he looked down to see thick chains connected to him. They were black, made of the same substance as the black mass was. They were bound around his wrists and his ankles, completely shackling him.
Seeing the white light become blinding, he hurriedly pulled on the chains, only for them to rattle. He snapped his talons, teleporting away, but found himself in the exact same spot.
“What?” he said in shock.
He heard quiet laughter in his ears as he continued to pull. Then, he heard the echoing voice of the black mass in his mind.
“There is no escape.”
Discord knew this to be true in the depths of his heart, so he stopped resisting, simply sitting there as his fate unraveled.
“You are no longer of use to me, Discord,” Yogg-Sorin told him, solidifying the draconequus’s fears.
The Elements all opened their eyes with white light, and a blazing rainbow erupted from them, shooting into the air. He could not look away from it.
“No.”
He saw the rainbow peak in the air, his eyes burning from the brightness.
“NO!” he yelled as it came towards him. He pulled one last time on his bonds, but it only further doomed him.
The rainbow rammed into him, cascading over him with power. The black links on his body dissolved into nothing, but it was already too late for Discord.
His hoof turned to stone, and the stone climbed up his body. He squirmed, feeling his legs turn to rock again. Like a plague, it spread further and further over his body, engulfing his entire torso and leaving only his neck and head untouched.
“NOOOO—” he screamed at the top of his lungs as his neck transformed, finally cut off as his head contorted, being encased in his all too familiar prison.
The rainbow split, falling around Ponyville in a dome. With a final surge, it burst, spreading over the countryside and purging it of Discord's corruption.
As the light faded, the Elements lowered to the ground, plopping onto their hooves as their eyes returned to normal. Sorin stood beside them, pointing to the statue ahead of them. It fell over, Discord’s immortally horrified face staring at them.
At last, Equestria had been rid of his chaotic rule.
Blaring trumpets rang out through Canterlot’s streets, coming from the royal castle. The sound marked the defeat of an old foe, as well as the age of new heroes. Thousands of ponies gathered at the castle gates to watch the parade honoring the saviors of Equestria. Cheers rang out from the crowd, the entire city hearing the cries of gratitude.
If you were to stand on the balcony of the castle that overlooked the street, you would see a blend of vivid fur stretching as far as the eye could see. Every one of those ponies owed a great debt to the heroes who had returned the world to order and Harmony.
Inside the castle, Princess Celestia sat on her throne, looking down the red carpet at the opening doors.
All the ponies on both sides of the room looked to the doors, watching with anticipation as seven ponies came through. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy walked down the carpet, all smiling at the onlookers.
Twilight was naturally in the front since she was who most considered the leader of the group, but all eyes were on the stallion that walked with the six mares.
No pony had seen him before, but his stature told them a lot. Everything about him screamed authority. His body dwarfed every Royal Guard in the room, and they were some of the bulkiest ponies around. His height was akin to that of the solar princess herself, and his cloak made him look like he belonged alongside her as a royal.
There was no doubt that this stallion was important. His posture stated it, and his walking with the Element bearers themselves said it. Everypony wanted to know who he was.
The princess looked at the seven ponies with beaming eyes, watching as they came to the base of the throne. She cleared her throat to address everypony with her powerful voice.
“We are gathered here today to once again honor the heroism of these six friends who stood up to the villain Discord and saved Equestria from eternal chaos,” she said with pride.
The crowd burst into a symphony of cheers, clapping their hooves together and making whistling noises for their heroes. Eventually, the room died down, and the princess elegantly cleared her throat again.
“We have also gathered to honor a new hero amongst the group. His willingness to stand alongside these six as they faced great danger is a show of true courage. That pony—” She pointed to the stallion she spoke of with a warm smile as he faced the crowd.
“—is Sorin.”
Sorin looked around, seeing the crowd erupt into cheers once again. They all applauded the stallion they knew little about, but they deemed him the same level as the Elements. They only knew that he had faced off against Discord with the others, and that was honorable enough.
His mask was a smile of reassurance, and they could not see the plethora of emotions that lay beneath it. If they had, they would have seen a being who had only furthered his own goals.
Not only had he become further entwined with the Elements, but he had also become a “hero.” To Equestria, he was now someone to be revered. They looked up to him, seeing the best of their own qualities reflected through him.
His plan had also worked. He had tricked Discord, bringing the Lord of Chaos directly to the one thing that could imprison him. He never planned on helping him, so he left himself a way out. That way was betrayal.
With the Lord of Chaos out the way, he now had only the Elements of Harmony to deal with.
He smiled at the ponies with a look that conveyed trustworthiness. If only they knew what was to come of that pony.
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I wonder what will happen once yog-sarron gets his full power back. I bet twilight and them are gonna try to use the elements, but they are facing an old god so you can see what the outcome is from a mile away
The reveal is going to sting Equestria, and it will HURT.
11005054
I highly doubt those elements will even work, or ain't "strong" enough this time.
Truly dastardly, lord saron is. I look forwards to his endless manipulation continueing ever onwards
The hero, Yogg-Sarron!
Personally, I hope that Ole Yoggy learns the joys of Friendship.
So I see you've gone with a little of column A and a little of column B - a deal was made, but it was a trick to make sure Discord gets stoned properly. Well done.
Also, I can't help but heacanon Sorin's voice as Sindri Myr from Dawn of War.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxnkmnldqi0