Episode 8: The Return of Discord Part 1
Episode 8: The Return of Discord Part 1
Canterlot Royal Gardens...
Today was the Ponyville Elementary School's field trip, and Cheerilee had taken her students to Canterlot, a certain trio of fillies along for the ride. As the group of foals followed their teacher, Cheerilee said, "I want to start our field trip here, in the world-famous Canterlot Sculpture Garden!"
As they passed a statue of several smiling ponies supporting each other on their backs, Cheerilee explained, "That one represents friendship!"
Distracted by the statue, Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle ended up bumping into each other. Once their dizziness cleared, they glared at each other. "Alright, my little ponies!" Cheerilee called, indicating a statue of a pony holding up a flag. "This statue represents victory!"
"How cool would it be to have that for a Cutie Mark?" Scootaloo asked.
"Cooool," Applebloom sarcastically remarked, "if you were actually 'victoryful' at somethin'."
"That's not a word!" Sweetie Belle complained.
"What are you, a dictionary?" Scootaloo retorted.
"Girls!" Cheerilee sternly interrupted, catching their attention as she pointed to another, rather peculiar statue of a chimera-like creature posing as if it were singing an opera. "Now this is a really interesting statue. What do you notice about it?"
"It's got an eagle claw!" Applebloom observed.
"And a lion's paw!" Scootaloo added.
"And a snake tail!" Sweetie Belle finished, jumping in front of Scootaloo much to her friend's chagrin.
"This creature is called a draconequus," Cheerilee explained. "He has the head of a pony, and a body made up of all sorts of different things! What do you suppose that represents?"
"Confusion!" Applebloom said.
Sweetie Belle pushed her aside. "Evil!"
Scootaloo shoved Sweetie Belle aside. "Chaos!"
"It's not chaos, you dodo!" Sweetie Belle snapped.
"Don't call me things I don't know the meaning of!" Scootaloo warned. "It is too chaos!"
"No it's not!" Sweetie Belle retorted, butting heads with Scootaloo.
"You're both wrong!" Applebloom interrupted.
Instantly a fight broke out amongst the three usually-inseparable friends while the other foals looked on in amusement. Hoping to calm them down, Cheerilee trotted up to them. "Actually, in a way you're all right."
The fillies finally quit fighting and looked up at her. "This statue represents Discord, which means a lack of harmony between ponies. In fact, you three have demonstrated discord so well that you're each going to write me a three-page essay explaining it."
The Cutie Mark Crusaders hung their heads in shame as the other foals chuckled. "Now let's go," Cheerilee bade, leading the class on. "And I don't want anymore fighting."
The Crusaders hung at the back of the group, continuing to argue about the meaning of discord. Unbeknownst to all, the strange statue began to crack, as if something were attempting to force its way out. A quiet, menacing laugh escaped the statue's frozen mouth.
XXXXXX
Skies above Ponyville, a short distance from the Palace of Winds...
"Hey! Get back here!" Rainbow Dash yelled in frustration as she chased after a renegade cloud that, for some strange reason, was pink.
She tackled the pink cloud and spun through the air for a moment before she managed to level herself. The cloud's contents were sticking all over Rainbow's coat. "Eww, what is this?!" she demanded before tentatively licking the stuff."Cotton...candy?"
Suddenly many more of the strange clouds of cotton candy began zipping through the air, some of them splattering straight into the walls of the Palace of Winds. Oh, Vaati was not going to like that one bit. One cloud suddenly hovered over her, a clap of thunder echoing from within. A drop of brown liquid fell on Rainbow's head. "Wait a second!" she yelled. "It's not supposed to rain until tomorrow! You can't just-!"
The cloud immediately dumped its chocolate brown contents all over the beleagered pegasus. "You did."
XXXXXX
Applejack was busy picking ears of corn when she suddenly heard Rainbow yelling as she chased after another rogue cloud, which was already starting to pour rain all over the cornfield. "Rainbow Dash, what's with all the rain?" she demanded. "I mean chocolate milk?...I mean, chocolate milk rain?!"
"There's crazy weather all over Equestria!" Rainbow cried. "Cloudsdale's gettin' soaked by a soda storm right now, but don't worry! I'm not leaving you until I've got control of Ponyville!"
Suddenly all of Applejack's corn cobs inexplicably turned into freshly-popped popcorn.
"Why would you want to stop this?" Pinkie Pie asked as she dove through the sea of chocolate milk-soaked popcorn and feasting to her heart's content.
"BECAUSE IT'S GETTING ALL OVER MY CLOTHES!" Vaati angrily roared as he tried to outrun a raining cloud that was currently chasing after him. "I'm soaked and sticky AND I WANT TO UTTERLY DESTROY WHOEVER IS RESPONSIBLE!"
Suddenly Rarity appeared as well, clothed in a heavy raincoat and protected by a fancy umbrella. "Ahem," she spoke to Applejack. "I heard about your troubles, Applejack, and I came to see if there's anything I can do. Without getting wet. Or dirty. Or out from my umbre-oh!" she squealed in shock as Vaati swiped the umbrella out of her possession and took off with it.
"Begone, you unnatural weather phenomena!" he cried, still being pursued by a cotton candy cloud.
"Vaati!" Rarity yelled as she felt herself getting soaked in chocolate milk. "Oh, the nerve of that ruffian!"
And then the apples on Applejack's trees suddenly grew to the size of watermelons, causing the trees to sag over from the added weight. The apples were immediately set upon by a horde of squirrels. "Fluttershy, do something!" Applejack begged.
Fluttershy flew up to her ravenous pet bunny, who was busily gnawing on one of the apples. "Now Angel, you know you-!"
Suddenly Angel's legs grew so long he looked like a cross between a rabbit and a giraffe. Fluttershy gasped in shock as more and more bunnies fell victim to this body horror. "No! T-that's impossible! I-I-I must be seeing things!"
"Twilight, you better know how to fix this!" Vaati roared as the librarian and Spike entered the scene, Twilight reading a spellbook very carefully.
"Don't worry, everyone!" she said. "I've learned a new spell that will fix everything!"
"Can I hear a 'Mary Sue'?" a nearby Wizzrobe commented to another as they held up their hats to ward off the chocolate rain.
Twilight's horn began to glow brilliantly as she gathered her magical energy. Then a wave of light engulfed the chaotic scene. Twilight opened her eyes to marvel at her handiwork...
Only to discover that nothing had changed.
"My failsafe spell...failed!" Twilight exclaimed. "What do we do?!"
"Uh...give up?" Spike weakly suggested.
"We need a Plan B," Twilight spoke. "Rainbow, can you corral all those clouds in one corner of the sky?"
Rainbow Dash managed to free herself from the knot of rabbit-giraffes eating the cotton candy stuck to her body and saluted, zooming off to fulfill her duty. "Applejack, I need you to bring those high-strung clouds down to earth!" Twilight ordered.
After Rainbow had forced all the smaller clouds into a single big one, Applejack lassoed the huge mass and pulled it down towards earth, squeezing the excess chocolate milk out of it. Pinkie, who had been guzzling down the rain, complained, "Hey! What happened?!"
Twilight whispered the final phase of her plan in Fluttershy's ear. "Oh, dear!" Fluttershy said out loud. "I hope that none of the animals see these delicious chocolate milk-filled cotton candy clouds! I'd hate to have to share them!"
"You and me both, sister!" Pinkie agreed, munching on the cloud before getting knocked aside by a horde of hungry animals. "Hey!"
"And when you're all done with that, feel free to have some popcorn for dessert!" Applejack said.
"It's going to take forever to get these bloody stains out," Vaati growled, squeezing out his cape. "When I find out who caused this, there will be Tartarus to pay!"
"At least we got it all taken care of," Twilight said. "And that, Spike, is why you should never give up! There's nothing we can't overcome if we work together!"
At that moment, Spike belched out fire, which condensed into a letter. Twilight levitated the letter up and read it, eliciting a gasp as she finished. "C'mon, everypony! Princess Celestia wants to see us all in Canterlot immediately!"
"Not before I get my clothes cleaned, thank you very much," Vaati responded.
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Canterlot Castle...
Princess Celestia nervously paced the grand hall, thinking on the situation. Then she heard the door creak open, and the Mane Six and Vaati hurriedly entered. "Princess Celestia!" Twilight greeted. "We came as fast as we could!"
"Thank you, Twilight," Celestia answered. "Thank you all."
"What in the bloody blue blazes is going on out there, Princess?!" Vaati demanded. "Clouds are raining chocolate milk, the animals' bodies are being twisted out of proportion, and I demand to know the reasons for this madness!"
"Follow me," Celestia ordered, her tone unusually serious as she led the group down a hall with various stained-glass windows depicting events in Equestrian history. "I've called you all here for a matter of great importance. It seems that an old foe of mine, someone I thought I had defeated long ago, has returned. His name...is Discord."
"Discord?" Vaati interrupted, folding his arms. "As in, 'spirit of chaos' Discord? Bane of Harmony and Lord of Misfortune?"
The Mane Six seemed surprised that Vaati knew about the spirit, but considering how Vaati had read every single book in the library, a feat even Twilight had yet to complete, it wasn't too much of a surprise. Celestia nodded. "The very same. Before my sister and I stood up to him, he ruled Equestria in an eternal state of unrest and unhappiness. Luna and I saw how miserable it was for Earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns alike, so after we discovered the Elements of Harmony, we combined our powers and rose up against him, turning him to stone!"
"Obviously you did something wrong if he's here now," Vaati irritably replied.
"Vaati!" Twilight chided.
"Yes, I thought the spell I cast would contain him forever, but since Luna and I are no longer connected to the Elements, the spell has been broken!"
"No longer connected?" Twilight repeated, confused.
At that moment the group reached an ornate door. "This is Canterlot Tower, where the Elements are kept inside since all of you recovered them," Celestia explained. "I need you to wield the Elements once again, and stop Discord before he thrusts Equestria into eternal chaos! Vaati, they may need your help as well!"
"Oh please, Princess," Vaati scoffed. "I've read enough about Discord to know that he's nothing special compared to myself and others of my calibur in my world. Ganon, for instance, made things a lot worse for everyone than Discord did. Tell me where he is, Celestia; I intend to make him wish he'd never been born."
"Hey, look!" Pinkie cried, pointing at one of the stained-glass windows. "We're famous!"
The statue depicted the Mane Six purging Luna of Nightmare Moon's influence.
"You six showed the full potential of the Elements by utilizing the magic of your friendship to beat a mighty foe! Although Luna and I once wielded the Elements, it is you who now control their power, and it is you who must defeat Discord!"
"I humbly protest," Vaati flatly rebuked. "You should at least give me a proper chance to demonstrate to Discord what real power is."
Celestia shook her head. "Discord is the one of the mightiest foes I have encountered. It wasn't until Luna and I discovered the Elements that we even knew we had a chance against him."
"Ah, and therein lies my argument," Vaati answered smugly. "I am not without my own source of power, after all."
Celestia raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "As it so happens, a vast amount of my magical might is due to having absorbed an ancient relic of pure light long ago when I first rose to power called the Light Force. Coupled with the power of a hat that could grant wishes, I was nearly unstoppable. I still possess all of that power, Celestia. Allow me to use it against him."
Celestia considered this for a long moment. "If you truly wish to face him yourself...you may. But we may still need the Elements to ensure he does not rise again."
Celestia then inserted her horn into a hole in the door and cast a spell. The door was then engulfed by light before it opened, revealing a beautifully carved chest sitting on a pedestal. Seeing it, Rarity said, "You can keep the Elements! I'll take that case!"
"Have no fear, everyone," Celestia assured them, levitating the box up. "I have total confidence that you will be able to defeat Discord with these."
Celestia then opened the box, eliciting gasps from the Mane Six. It was empty. "That...doesn't bode well, does it?" Vaati rhetorically asked.
Celestia dropped the empty case in shock, and for several tense moments, silence reigned. And then Pinkie, predictably, broke it. "Oh well! If anyone needs me, I'll be outside in the chocolate puddles with a swimming straw!"
"Pinkie, get back here," Vaati gruffly ordered, pulling her back by the tail.
"B-but, I don't understand!" Twilight cried. "The Elements are gone! What happened to them?!"
"That chamber is protected by a spell that only I can break!" Celestia exclaimed, pacing frantically. "This doesn't make sense!"
"Oh ho ho ho ho ho! Make sense? Oh, where's the fun in making sense?"
Vaati immediately surrounded himself with energy, ready to cast offensive spells. "Discord!" Celestia cried. "Show yourself!"
"Oh ho ho ho ho! Hm hm hm hm! Did you miss me, Celestia?" Suddenly, one of the stained-glass depictions of Discord came to life, animated by the chaotic spirit. "I missed you. It's quite lonely, being encased in stone, but you wouldn't know that, would you? Because I don't turn ponies into stone!"
"Enough!" Celestia shouted. "What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?!"
"Oh, I just borrowed them for a teensy little while," Discord answered nonchalantly.
"You won't get away with this, Discord," Celestia vowed, pawing at the ground.
"Ah yes, I forgot how grim you can be, Celestia. It's really quite boring."
"Hey!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "Nopony insults the Princess!"
The pegasus then stupidly flew into the window, hoping to hit Discord, but all she succeeded at was bruising her body. "Oh, you must be Rainbow Dash," Discord observed. "Famed for her loyalty, the Element of Harmony you represent."
"That's right! I'll always be loyal to the Princess!"
Discord flashed out of view. "We'll see about that."
"I can't believe we're wasting our time talking to a tacky window," Rarity snobbishly remarked, causing Discord to appear in the window right next to her.
"Beautiful Rarity! Bearer of the Element of Generosity, if I'm not mistaken."
"Okay, so you know who we are, big deal," Applejack interrupted.
"Oh, I know much more than that, Honest Applejack."
"And you seem to know our strengths too," Twilight said suspiciously.
"Ah yes, Twilight Sparkle. Yours is the most powerful and elusive Element, Magic. Fluttershy's is Kindness, and Pinkie Pie's is a personal favorite of mine, Laughter."
Pinkie was struggling to contain her laughter. "Pinkie!" Twilight chastised.
Pinkie then burst out laughing. "He's standing on your head!"
Discord was apparently break-dancing on Twilight's depiction in the window, chuckling to himself. "Stop stalling, Discord!" Celestia demanded. "What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?"
"Augh, so boring, Celestia, really. Fine, I'll tell you, but I'll only tell you my way."
Discord then loomed over the entire chamber through the windows. "To retrieve your precious elements, just make sense of these chains of events," he intoned in rhyme. "Twists and turns are my master plan, then find the Elements back where you began."
With that, the glass Discord returned to its place as the spirit of disharmony left it, his echoing laughter ringing in their eardrums. Vaati reluctantly dissipated his magic now that his adversary was gone and went silent. "C-can we go home now?" Fluttershy timidly asked.
"What do ya suppose he meant by all that?" Applejack asked. "Twists 'n turns and endin' up back where we started?"
"Hmm, twists and turns," Twilight said, pacing towards one of the clearer windows. "Twists and turns..."
She looked down at the Maze Garden below and was suddenly struck by an idea. "Twists and turns! That's it! I bet Discord hid the Elements in the Palace Labyrinth!"
"Not so fast there, Twilight," Vaati curtly interrupted.
"Huh?" Twilight asked the mage, confused. "What is it?"
Vaati shot a condescending glare at her. "Really Twilight, if you'd take more than two seconds to consider this riddle, things would be more obvious. Twists and turns are his master plan. He wants us to go in there. That leads me to believe all that's there in that labyrinth is a trap waiting to be sprung."
"Well then, whaddaya think he meant by findin' the Elements back where we started?" Applejack asked.
Vaati tapped his chin. "Back where we began...where we began...Wait! That's it! I know where he's taken them!"
"Where?!" everypony simultaneously asked.
"They're somewhere in Ponyville, of that I'm sure. You'll have to find them with all due haste."
Vaati then headed for the door. "Wh-what about you?!" Twilight asked. "Where are you going?!"
"To find Discord," Vaati replied ominously, glancing over his shoulder. "Get to Ponyville now."
"Good luck, everyone!" Celestia said. "The fate of Equestria rests on your shoulders."
XXXXXX
Vaati approached the entrance to the palace labyrinth, his body tense and his fingers twitching. It had been ages since he had had a good fight, and he truthfully relished the opportunity to lay low this supposed 'god of chaos'. Suddenly he saw a ball of light shining in front of him. The ball's grow brightened in intensity, and Vaati braced himself for an attack. When the light diminished, a strange creature laughed triumphantly before him. It had a long, serpentine body, and many mismatched body parts. A goat and antler horn, a lion's paw and an eagle talon for hands, a bat wing and a pegasus wing, and a goat and dragon leg. Vaati quirked an unimpressed eyebrow. "So you are Discord, I take it?" he asked.
Discord ceased laughing and bowed grandly. "The one and only! And you must be Vaati the Wind Mage."
"So you know my name too," Vaati observed.
"Really, you all act like I don't have ears," Discord flatly stated. "Of course I already knew everything about your so-called friends, but you, Vaati...you are an enigma. You've revealed much about yourself, and I still know very little about you. You fascinate me, sorcerer."
"Get in line," Vaati replied, smirking. "I keep many secrets for a reason, Discord."
The draconequus slithered around the tense sorcerer, a mischievous glint in his eye. "You'll make things quite interesting, Vaati. You have no horn, yet you possess magical prowess on a level that surpasses the Element of Magic herself. This will change the rules of our game quite a bit."
"Game?" Vaati repeated. "What game?"
"Why, the game you're going to play against me!" Discord grinned. "Or actually, the Elements were supposed to play it. No wings, no magic, no leaving. You make things rather difficult for me, since you have no wings or horn for me to take away."
"If we're going to be playing games, we do it on my terms," Vaati responded, an evil glint in his eye. "I have the perfect game in mind, one I think will be perfectly suited for us both."
Discord quirked a bushy eyebrow in curiosity. "Oh?"
"Hide and seek. You hide, and I seek. If I cannot find you in ten minutes, you win. Whoever wins gets to do whatever they want to the other. I only have two rules; no leaving the maze, and no turning yourself invisible. Will you play?"
So confident was he that he could outwit this egotistical sorcerer that Discord readily accepted. "Then let the game begin!" he cackled, disappearing in a flash.
Smirking fiendishly, Vaati stepped into the maze and conjured an invisible Eye Sentry. "Find him," he whispered.
The Sentry nodded and took to the air, scanning the maze for any sign of the draconequus. It wasn't long before it spotted Discord sitting in the middle of a square patch, with hedgerows on all sides making it appear as if each path to it led to a dead end. He had also set it up that the paths in the labyrinth would randomly change to further confuse the sorcerer. Not that it would help him, though. Vaati grinned savagely. "There you are."
Discord had just leaned back to relax when he heard the sorcerer's voice uncomfortably close by. "Found you."
Discord blinked as he saw Vaati standing on top of the hedgerow above him, an evil grin on his face. "You lose, Discord."
Vaati snapped his fingers, mocking Discord's modus operandi, causing the entire maze to burst into flame. The sorcerer vanished before the flames could consume him. Discord, caught off guard by the suddenness of Vaati's appearance, coughed and gagged as he breathed in the smoke for several moments before he teleported himself out of the burning maze. Discord hunched over, coughing profusely as his lungs cleared. Just as he recovered, he felt Vaati's presence behind him. Without turning around, Discord said, "Well, you won, and you got to give my poor lungs some trouble. That was fun, if abrupt, but now I must be on my way. I've got chaos to wreak, after all."
"Think again."
Discord stopped cold at the sorcerer's altered voice. It was louder and possessed an echoing quality. It almost sounded...demonic. Discord slowly turned around...
And for the first time in an eternity, Discord felt true fear.
Looming menacingly over the spirit of disharmony was a gigantic orb of darkness adorned with a pair of golden horns. Two pairs of bat-like wings kept it aloft in the air. A single eye with a blood-red pupil, trimmed with gold, glared at Discord, a gaze speaking volumes of the power and menace this beast held at its command. Two arms tipped with razor-sharp, golden claws reached towards the terrified, speechless draconequus. The wind whipped around the two monsters, and lightning flashed in the background, accompanied by rolling thunder, bathing the horrifying creature in a hellish glow.
From afar, Celestia watched the beast emerge with a look of astonishment and dread. This was the sorcerer at his most powerful. She had sorely underestimated what he was capable of. And it seemed Discord had too, for he was too shocked to defend himself.
A gilded claw suddenly lashed out, latching onto Discord. Before he could comprehend what was happening, Vaati's Wrath unleashed its pent-up bloodlust. The winged eye swung Discord over its body and slammed him against the ground with crushing force. The blow was enough to knock the wind out of Discord and disorient him. But Vaati was not finished. Again and again he smashed Discord into the hard ground, and the draconequus's bones were starting to weaken from the relentless assault.
Vaati then brought the groaning draconequus close up to his face, and energy began to collect between his horns. Suddenly Discord was struck again and again in the face with a series of energy balls shot in rapid succession. Discord yelped in pain with each hit, the sound almost melodious to Vaati's ears. Then he seized Discord by the tail and slammed him into the ground some more, the sounds of bones cracking audible. With each brutal collision, Discord's inner organs began to strain as well. His whole body inside and out was wracked with unfathomable agony. Then Vaati let go, glaring down at the twitching spirit. Then that eye began to glow red.
Discord's bloodcurdling scream of agony was enough to bring Celestia to her knees, unable to look any longer as a beam of intense light burst forth from Vaati's eye, hitting the weakened draconequus full-force. The beam was so intense it pushed Discord across the ground as it gouged a deep, sizzling cut in the earth. When the beam dissipated, Vaati flew over to Discord's prone form and laughed, a deep-throated, pitiless laugh as he looked down upon the creature Equestria had believed to be its greatest evil. Discord's limbs and wings were each twisted in awkward positions. He couldn't move. He could barely breathe. He was barely alive. The spirit's eyes watered from the pain and terror he felt. He was going to die. He was actually going to die.
"P-p-pl...ease..." Discord moaned weakly, starting to cry. "D...don't..."
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At that moment, Twilight and her friends arrived on the scene, Elements at the ready. "I can't believe he hid them in the library!" Rarity said.
"It's a good thing we found them so quick...ly..." Twilight began to say.
That was when the girls took in the destruction around them. The palace labyrinth was ablaze, and a huge gouge ran across the courtyard. At the very end of the gouge, Twilight saw something that made her heart stop. A menacing, winged eyeball was glaring cruelly down at Discord, who lay bleeding and broken on the ground, barely alive. "W-w-what the hay is that thing?!" Rainbow Dash gasped.
"Now do you realize the power I wield, creature of chaos?!" the winged demon snarled, its voice sounding unsettlingly familiar to the Mane Six.
Applejack's jaw dropped. "No...that...that can't be him..."
"V-V-Vaati?" Twilight timidly asked, her voice lost in the howling winds and roaring thunder.
"Do you at last understand what it means to face the Wind Mage Vaati?!" the sorcerer-turned-demon bellowed. "You are nothing, NOTHING to me! You, who fancied yourself a god of a concept that, by its very nature, is answerable to no one! The gods of creation didn't even put any thought into making you, did they? They just threw together what they had left! You're no god, pathetic creature! Never again will you threaten Equestria!"
Rainbow gasped in horror. "Oh gods...he's gonna kill him."
At that moment, Discord and Twilight's eyes met. There was no more wicked mirth in those eyes, no more smug confidence. There was only pain and fear, fear of death. Twilight felt her heart twist in a knot, and knew in that instant that she could not just stand there and let him suffer.
The winged eye raised a claw, ready to finish off the conquered draconequus. "May the afterlife hold no peace for you," he growled.
"Vaati! Vaati, stop!"
The great demon paused as Twilight, wearing a golden tiara, got between him and Discord. "Please stop this!" she begged, tears flowing down her face. "Please...no more. No more...I don't like you like this!"
Vaati glared down at Twilight. "Move," he commanded coldly.
Twilight fervently shook her head. "I can't...I won't. This isn't like you, Vaati! You're not a bloodthirsty monster anymore, remember?! Please don't kill him, Vaati...please..."
There was no sound save for the rolling thunder and crackling fire as the tiny unicorn stood up defiantly to a beast spawned from a pony's worst nightmares. Finally, after what seemed to be forever, the great demon backed away. "Very well," he spoke.
Then, before everypony's eyes, the demon eye transformed back into the familiar sorcerer, whose spiteful gaze was still centered on Discord. "Do what you will with him," he said, his voice devoid of emotion as he turned around and walked away.
Slowly, the Mane Six edged closer to where Discord lay. Their gaze betrayed no anger, no hatred, only pity and concern. Their voices were muffled, and his vision was starting to go fuzzy. Fluttershy timidly flew towards him. But the world of consciousness would not allow him to see what she planned to do to him, and before she reached him, Discord's mind slipped into darkness without dreams.
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Canterlot Castle, hospital wing…
The Mane Six and Princess Celestia all waited with bated breath outside the room where Discord was being treated for his wounds. Each of their faces was laced with worry; even though Discord was supposed to be their enemy, they hadn't even gotten a chance to face him in person and so bore no active hostility towards him. But it wasn't just Discord's condition that had them all worried; it was what had put him there in the first place.
Twilight could still vividly remember the horrific monster Vaati had become. She had never once seen something so utterly terrifying in her life, and she had gotten in its path to stop it from killing Discord. That single eye that gleamed with unfathomable malice and hatred, those huge claws that could have easily torn her to shreds, all of these things were forever burned into Twilight's mind. It was unimaginable that Vaati could transform into such a hideous shape.
Twilight found herself thinking back to when Trixie had come to town and challenged Vaati to a magic duel after the sorcerer berated her for the lies he had known she was spouting. The duel had apparently been very one-sided, and Trixie had been very shaken by the encounter. She had mentioned the whipping winds and a horrid eye. Had this been the form Vaati used to intimidate her into submission?
Twilight was brought out of her thoughts as the medic opened the door to Discord's room and stepped out. "How is he, doctor?" Celestia asked.
"For the moment, his condition is stable," the doctor explained. "But he took a real beating. Nearly every bone in his body is broken, and there was some internal bleeding we had to stop before we could get him stable. At the moment, he's under heavy sedatives, so you can't talk to him right now. You'll have to wait until it wears off."
The doctor took off his glasses with his magic and rubbed his eyes. "It's unbelievable, really," he said almost to himself. "Discord was one of the greatest threats in Equestria's history, and in moments that sorcerer beat him within an inch of his life. It frightens me to think about what else Vaati is capable of."
Choosing to avoid the subject of the mage, Fluttershy asked, "I-is he g-going t-to…die?"
The doctor sighed. "I really don't know yet. His wounds are severe. The punishment his body took would have instantly killed anypony else. At this moment, it could go either way. Even with advanced healing spells, it could take months to heal all his injuries, and it would be a complicated process. The body of a draconequus is not the same as a pony's, after all."
"As wounded as he is, though, he might still be a threat," Twilight observed.
"That's why he's under the sedative for right now," the doctor explained. "So we have plenty of time to figure out what to do with him."
"Can't we just turn him back to stone?" Rainbow Dash asked.
The doctor shook his head. "To do that would be a death sentence for him in his current state."
Rainbow gulped at the implications. "Nonetheless, Twilight is right," Celestia said. "Discord possesses many magical abilities that surpass even my own. Even now, I'm fairly certain the only reason Vaati was able to defeat him like that was because he took Discord by surprise with that…transformation of his. If you'll just allow me in there for a short moment…" She trailed off.
"Alright, Princess," the doctor capitulated. "Go ahead. But the rest of you will stay out here."
They all nodded as Celestia entered Discord's room. When the Princess of the Sun looked down upon the unconscious form of the heavily-bandaged draconequus, she could not help but feel a stirring of emotions. She found herself pitying the poor creature. Discord had been responsible for a great deal of unrest in the past, but he did not deserve to be as brutally beaten as he was. She had never before seen Discord look so weak, so vulnerable, that it came as a slight shock to her.
Many old memories began to surface in her mind as she approached Discord's bedside. She could remember the time long before their conflict, before Nightmare Moon, before any of the tragic events that Celestia mourned for every day of her life. Discord had been a friend to her and Luna. No, more like a brother.
Shaking her head, Celestia pushed these painful memories aside as she looked Discord over. His entire body was in a cast, and his head was wrapped in numerous bandages. Numerous wires were attached to his body that fed into life support machines which beeped in a steady rhythm. She knew what she had to do. The princess lowered her head as her horn began to glow. Slowly, so that she would not inadvertently send his already-frail body into shock, Celestia began to draw the magic out of Discord's body in order to take away his immense powers.
Despite Discord's current state, Celestia knew that once he awoke, he might try to escape or retaliate and would not only hurt himself further, but might hurt somepony else too, and she wasn't about to let that happen. After nearly ten minutes of slowly draining the magic from Discord's body, Celestia finally deactivated her spell and stood up straight before walking out of the room, where the Mane Six was waiting. "How is he, Princess?" Twilight asked.
"More vulnerable than I've ever seen him," Celestia truthfully admitted. "But I have eliminated him as a threat for now. I have taken away his magical powers so that he can't hurt anyone when he wakes up."
"Well that's certainly a relief," Rarity replied.
"I think it would also be best if you stayed in Canterlot for a little while so that we have the Elements on hand should Discord become violent," Celestia added. "I will set up arrangements for you all to stay at the castle for a few weeks while we wait for Discord to recover somewhat."
"What about Vaati, Yer Highness?" Applejack asked. "Speakin' of which, Ah haven't seen him since he tore Discord a new one."
"Vaati is still somewhere around the castle, I'm certain," Celestia replied. "However, I think it would be best if we leave him alone for the time being. He will stay as well. I have a feeling he will be instrumental in what I have planned."
"Uh…planned?" Twilight repeated, confused.
Celestia sighed. "A long time ago, Discord was a friend to my sister and I. He was like a brother to us both before his desire for power consumed him and drove him mad. To be truthful, when we used the Elements against him, we had been hoping they would restore him to his former self. But it seemed he had already been too far gone. I've missed him a little ever since, and…oh, I know this is foolish of me…but I want the Discord I knew so long ago back."
"You want to reform him, Princess?" Twilight realized.
Celestia nodded. "His powers could have many benefits for Equestria were he not so irresponsible and careless with them. I just hope that, given enough time, he could see the error of his ways."
"How do you plan to do that?" Twilight inquired.
Celestia smiled faintly. "With your help, of course."
"Our help?"
"You six represent the very elements of friendship, our strongest magic. You defeated Nightmare Moon and returned my sister to me, and you planted the seeds of friendship in the heart of one who is not quite so different from Discord."
Twilight hung her head. "I'm not sure those lessons were entirely successful anymore, Princess."
"While it is true that Vaati displayed a frightening level of power and nearly lost himself in his rage, think about this. When you confronted him at the height of his fury, he backed down, did he not?"
"Well…yeah, but…"
"That, in and of itself, proves how much he values your friendship, even if he himself won't admit it. He was able to contain the monster within himself and spare Discord because you're his friend. I know nopony else who would be better suited to teach Discord those same values."
Twilight and her friends frowned as they all considered this development. Finally Twilight looked up at her mentor and smiled. "You can count on us, Princess Celestia! We won't let you down!"
To Be Continued…
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Just checking hotmail and this beauty pops up \o/
i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/523/720/90c.jpg
my god that was amazing
I am squeeing SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HARD!
IMMA GO PLAY MORE MINISH CAP!!!!
HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLZ YEAAAAAH!
....I just had the DBZ ending music play in my head....
NEXT TIME ON MLP-
I am SUCH a nerd.
*Me before reading this pretty* YES!
Discord's here!
*Me after* No... just no.
He SPARED him, because THE MAIN 6 SHOWED UP? HE SHOULD'VE KILLED THAT GUY!
Seriously, it's a stereotype I CANNOT stand.
2364647
Just wait. Vaati's not quite finished with him just yet. This is only the first part, after all.
All teh Mary Sues.
Finally! A totally epic fight scene! :D
Truth be told, I'm impressed, I can't wait to see what Vaati does next.
Also, thank you for using his final form like I asked, I wanted to see it so badly... O_O
i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa456/13man18/RonBurgundyThatEscalatedQuickly.jpg
2364668Oh. And, I DO like how he saw through the obvious trap in the maze and rewrote the game, and then he...
I honestly cracked up at that.
stard... BUT I DON'T CARE! 
i2.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/005/165/PFFFFT.png
He used that Eye Sentry!
Yeah... I'm a sadistic b
So... We just jumped like twenty-some episodes? Ok, thanks Vaati.
"When the fight is just plain wrong, we all sing the curb stomp song!"
come on sing with me!
Vaati battle Discord music used here:
Discord in the Hospital music used here:
2364668
Wow. Totally expected Discord and Vaati to get along.
Was proven dead wrong.
Why do I get the feeling that the fight right there was inspired by the Avengers movie? Only thing missing is Vaati saying "Puny god".... OH WAIT, that's right, he said it rather eloquently.
Lol! this is not what I expected. Not that's a bad thing it's actually very entertaining. I'm used to the battle with Discord being drawn out with him doing numerous deeds of evil before being defeated. I think Vaati is gonna have to face that dark side of his one day once and for all.
Ok, you skipped a TON of episodes to get here. No gala? No preparations for it? No dresses? What the hell? I would have believed it if you hadn't had the fieldtrip, that was just too scripted for S2E1 for my tastes. If it were something different that caused it I could believe it.
The fight with Discord? Way to onesided there. Where's the power from Discord? I highly doubt something with powers to make reality his plaything would lose that easily even if it is Vaati in Boss Mode.
Hope it's like Celestia said and Discord was just caught off guard and you make up for it next chapter.
Some stay dry? Anyone?
Also, if Vaati > Discord > Celestia, and Link > Vaati, is Link > Celestia, Discord, and Luna combined?
2365231 Or Link just gets dues ex machina'd as a winner against evil considering the whole headache-inducing curse that I'm not going to get into.
That and surprise. Discord was used to shuffling all over ponies heads, and didn't expect Vaati to be able to turn into a daemonic death eye of doom.
MY SIDES!!!!!
And I thought the "erectile dysfunction" line was funny!
2365231 Link just destroys the rules with the Master Sward.
And for my real comment, I now officially love Wizzrobes.
Oh yeah, I guess the Vaati part was awesome. Needed more explosions, but that's just my crazy mind.
I think this sums up Vaati's battle with Discord.
2365354 Your icon, Battlenation? Wow didn't think anyone else played that
2365369
Vaati Mage Form has returned! And has melded S2 E1-2 with S3 E10! Glorious Days indeed!
Have a Vaati.
images.wikia.com/zelda/images/0/07/Vaati_Wind_Mage.png
2364668
In regards to my last comment in chapter 4. You were right. I'm not disappointed, in fact I'm quite pleased with this. I'm glad I kept this faved for the time that it was on hiatus. You my good sir deserve a mustache.
holy celestia... that chapter went before AWERSOME!!!! still feeling bad for discord and a little sad for vaati... i wonder (or better not)if you put cryssy in this story what should be the outcome...
I have a feeling Vaati is in the castle somewhere, crying at what he had AGAIN became.
I'm not gonna lie...I laughed when Vaati decided to go bat-shit crazy on Discord
. I kind of expected him to either be trounced by his chaotic magic, engage in a battle of wits and randomness, or just be swayed into being discorded with images of his past. This was good though 
Honestly, I'm a kinda disappointed. I think the story is a great idea, but as soon as the Palace of Winds and Monsters appeared, I felt the story's direction change. And I was really disappointed with the Discord/Vaati fight. It was a curb stomping, and honesty I was expecting something a little more dignified for the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony.
I'm getting this vibe from Vaati.....
.
This doesn't happen to discord often enough. Also i'd rather it was that Vaati is just that powerful, not the element of surprise.
Chocolate Rain?
Well, Vaati stayed dry, and Discord...
•_•)
( •_•)>⌐■-■
(⌐■_■)
...felt the pain.
YEEEAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!
I think you meant deus ex machina
Deus ex machina: An unexpected power or event saving a hopeless situation, esp. as a plot device in a play or novel.
Mary Sue: In fan fiction, a Mary Sue is an idealized character representing the author
At least that's what the dictionary says
2366314 the power is not really unexpected if you played minish cap
Yes! Vaati should be like that more often, he's awesome.
But damn, he really need someone to put up a proper fight.
Great chapter, I can't wait for part 2. Seems like you're merging it with FlutterDiscord's chapter.
Hehehe, I wonder if Discord is gonna want to retire now too? Equestria could be the next Evil Overlord Retirement Village!
if this is how it happens imagine how he copes with winter wrap up and gilda the griffon or iron will or photo finish for that matter
Oh dear gee, Vaati just lay down the law on Discord! Man, he just owned Discord's sorry tail all over the place. At least he stopped himself before he made a mess of both Discord and his friendly relationship with the ponies. And, that line with 'Mary Sue' got a good laugh out of me as well.
2365206
As bad as he was to Discord, we all know he could have been worse. I think he is doing a great job controlling his dark side...well...at least compared to his past self, that is. I don't think Past Vaati would have stopped with his action, so I think he is improving, even if it is only slightly.
You know, speaking of his dark side, with all the dark magic he has been using so far, I wonder how long until one of the ponies began to be affected by it.
THAT WAS A BLOODY GOOD EXECUTED CHAPTER
I Loved the Fight...........VAATI FTW
Oh,And I Forgot.
"Well That Escalated Quickly"
2365354
2364904 but i prefer the video below as a Vaati VS Discord battle theme ( after looping it of course )
2366314 as far as I know, a mary-sue/gary-stu is a character that is perfect, best and awesome in everything, can't be beaten, gets all the girls all the time, is so powerful that he/she could destroy the multiverse, fights über monsters regularly without breaking a sweat even, and so on and so forth.
Or just any of the above really.
Then again, that is just what I've pieced together from reading fanfictions and talking with friends, so my understanding of the word might not be correct.
2366638 lets throw the dragonborn at him and let 'em at it then, should be an interesting fight.
2366533 no, the quote is referring to twilight saying she has a spell to fix everything.
2368355 All that stuff is true but the important part about the world is that the perfect character is based off or the author.
2367871 YESH
2365214 Well first off, just because he's deciding to use the actual episodes from the show for his story doesn't necessarily mean he intends to do them all in order. It just fit his story better to have Discord's reform be now since Vaati beating the crap out of him removed the part where Discord was turned BACK into stone. Second he even specifies that it's likely Vaati would've had problems if he hadn't caught Discord so off guard with his transformation. I find your comment
-worthy
2368481
No, that's a self-insert, not a Mary Sue. The two often overlap as wish fullfilment, but they aren't the same thing.
2368355
What characterises a Mary Sue is the reactions of the characters around her (her used because they tend to be female, and also this is MLP where most characters are). If... Oh, I'm only going to end up quoting TVTropes. Here's a link.
2369106 I understand what a self insert is, a Mary Sue is an idealized version of the author. It's still a self insert... You know what, lets agree to disagree and to each his own, I'd rather not be somebody who debates on the Internet all day.
I found it much enjoyable to listen to this music as Vatti, in the words of Applejack, tears Discord a new one.