Chaos at Canterlot High

by FicXation

Act Two

The halls buzzed and bustled with the technicolor masses of the students. It was this commotion of noise, movement, and the natural self-absorption of teenagers that made it so easy for Twilight to pass through, even with Discord skulking at her hip. Remarkably enough, he didn't walk like he was unaccustomed to two feet. Rather, he seemed to carry the phantom weight of his eclectic appendages - a slight limp, a buckle of the shoulders, a constant craning of the neck - as though trying to compensate for the shameful display of normalcy. Twilight could follow his gaze, keenly observing the resident Wondercolts. There was something… almost familiar to his frowning expression that took it beyond run-of-the-mill disappointment. And then it struck her. It was the same look Spike would wear in his younger years, whenever he was denied a certain treat or toy. More than just frustration, it was a childish, petulant betrayal. A wrinkle of the entire face, starting at the tip of one's nose, curling the lips and squishing the brow: the ominous thunder before the storm of a tantrum.

"Yugh," Discord grunted dismissively. "This is what the fuss was all about?"

"The fuss you made, you mean?" Twilight snapped. It annoyed her just how well, (all things considered,) Discord was acclimating to his form, when her first day in this world was so embarrassingly distressful. It's just because he's used to this sort of thing, she tried to tell herself. Of course he finds this underwhelming, he treats the multiverse like his own personal candy stash.

"And I still don't know why the forces that be stuck me with this face." Discord toggled his glasses, squinting ahead, before begrudgingly readjusting them. Evidently, the accessory wasn't just for show. "Is this some divine punishment? An acute case of cosmic karma?"

Twilight shrugged. "Maybe it was just the face you were meant to have."

"Meaning what?" He scowled.

"Well, let's review… You're all about bucking social norms, you're constantly making references nopony else seems to get, you keep a relatively small social circle, and you play Ogres and Oubliettes on the weekly." Twilight allowed herself a snide smile. "Face it, Discord. You were always a nerd. You were just missing the glasses."

"Oh-!" he puffed, a treat of indignation on Twilight's part. "Oh, pot calling the kettle black! Ugh…" Discord kneaded his temples. "I can feel these repulsive hormones pumping through this adolescent brain like acid… And why in blazes am I all wet?!"

That certainly grabbed more than a few curious stares, as Discord flashed a blotched armpit stain.

"Discord!" Twilight hissed. Chuckling uneasily, she gave a nervous look to the passersby, (at least possessing the basic decency not to stay and gawk,) and cranked his arm back down. "For goodness sake, that's just sweat!" When his expression remained stricken, however, Twilight raised an eyebrow. "… Don't tell me you've never sweated before."

"Not involuntarily!"

She groaned, dragging her face until her eyelids stretched pink. "Come on, let's just go." Ushering Discord out of the foyer and into an adjoining corridor, Twilight pointed ahead to the right turn of a second hallway. "There," She picked up her pace. Luckily, most of the foot traffic had thinned out, leaving them more or less by themselves. "The door to the music room is just at the end of that hall. Let's get in there before we run into anyone el-"

"Twilight?"

The matriarchal voice was unmistakable, chiming in from behind like an unexpected bell ting. Twilight seized, stopping short of the turn, and Discord - accidentally or otherwise - collided into her, knocking them both, dominos style, to the floor.

"Oh, goodness! Are you both alright?"

Celestia, or a variation thereof, as tall and serenely imposing as her princess counterpart, suddenly stood over the two, her pale hand outstretched. Twilight accepted the aid, (curtly throwing Discord off the small of her back,) though her face was one of an overeager uncertainty; a perfect throwback to her Magical Academy days. Getting to her feet, it was all she could do not to dip into a knee-jerk bow.

"S-sorry about that…" she stammered, as Celestia proceeded to Discord.

He didn't say anything right away. In fact, it was as if he couldn't quite process just who, or what, he was looking at. Silently, he declined Celestia's help, rising on his own and glaring at her as though she were a sign in the far distance: visible, but far too blurred to read.

Even with his impressive stature, he was still left a few inches shy of the Principal, and she didn't seem to make much of his reaction. Turning to Twilight, Celestia looked almost surprised.

"It's perfectly fine, though, shouldn't you be heading to lunch?"

Twilight blinked. "Oh! Uh… I'm not… I mean…"

Picking up on Twilight's awkwardness, Celestia seemed to combat it with an indulgent, yet delicate, laugh, her slender fingers poised to her lips. "Oh, I'm sorry, you're the Out-Of-Town Twilight, aren't you?" Twilight nodded, and Celestia shook her head, still tittering, "Well, don't I feel silly, I should've recognized you right away. Are you here about the, ah… Incidents?"

"Yes, ma'am." Twilight said. She didn't quite know how to conduct herself. As a princess, she did technically outrank a principal, and yet… It was still, buy and large, Celestia. She still carried herself with that same inviting grace and dignity; never appearing above it all, (despite clearly being so,) and opting instead to lower herself to others. As a compromise, Twilight folded her hands at her front, lowering her head slightly and sheepishly.

Celestia patted a hand to her shoulder, opposite to the one Discord had so rudely clutched minutes ago. (Angel pat on one shoulder, demon grab on the other, Twilight mused, and she bit back a smirk.) "Well, as always you have my support. And… I'm sorry-" She spoke directly to Discord, still looking perplexed. "I don't believe I've seen you in school before. Are you here with Twilight?"

Twilight's brain flooded with the hot broth of anxiety. Quickly, she stepped between them, one arm barricading Discord as best it could, before he could even contemplate a comeback . "Ah! Ah-ha, yes, uh… This is Discord, he's my, ah… associate, from Equestria. He's here to help with the incidents, but, rest assured, he won't be staying long! … Discord…" she didn't turn to face him. "… This is Principal Celestia."

"A pleasure to meet you, Discord." Celestia said. Her tone were kind, completely devoid of any irony or awareness. To her, Discord was just as he appeared: another student. Another boy.

"… Oh, well, that is just patently unfair!" Discord raged. "Princess Sunbutt gets to stay an adult, while we’re left maneuvering these marionette meat-sacks?!"

Twilight's face burned molten. She laughed - or, more accurately, brayed - and slapped a frantic hand to Discord's mouth.

"Ha! Ha, uh, just ignore him-" She babbled. "Uh - interdimensional jetlag. W-we'll get out of your hair, Princess-ipal. Er - Prinstible. Principal."

And before Celestia could respond, Twilight guided Discord forcefully by the jaw, her palm still muzzled to his face. Rounding the corner and out of sight, she did her best to slow her pulse from a palpitation to mild murmur… Only to feel something graze her skin, lizard-like and slippery.

"Gyah!" she snatched her hand back, flicking droplets. "Did… Did you just lick me?!"

"Hm," Discord swiveled an imaginary wine glass. "Funny, I was expecting more of a grape flavor…"

The pendulum swung hard from flight to fight. Once more, Twilight felt her hands ball into tight, trembling fists. A growl rose up from her chest like the rev of an angry engine. Another moment, another word, and she was certain something would catch fire; one errant spark jumping from her short-circuiting brain, catching a loose sheet of paper, and multiplying into an inferno. Just then, she heard the muffled familiarity of her friends, trickling out from the closed doors of the music room: just down the hall, just out of reach, cooling her ire like an icepack to a burn. Without waiting for Discord to follow, she made a brisk, speed walking beeline for the double doors, shoved her weight against the metal crash bars, and threw open the entrance with a palpable bang. Whatever conversation the girls'd been having was halted in its tracks. Their stunned expressions quickly lifted into ones of ecstasy, as this world's Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and the as-yet uncopied Sunset Shimmer, all cheered in unison,

"Twilight!"

Quick as a whip, she was engulfed in a twelve-armed hug, with none other than Pinkie Pie at the helm, hurtling towards her like a candy colored meteor.

"Twilight!" Pinkie squealed. "Oh, I thought I heard an adorable little freak-out! You're back! Like, really back!"

The flurry of excitement was positively overwhelming… So much so, that Twilight nearly missed the two individuals not clamoring to see her. Standing in back by the lime green drum set, her toes shyly pointed inward, was Twilight's own double; a near perfect reproduction, save for the glasses and modestly bound hair. Peering around her ankle was the other Spike, stoutly canine, and matching his partner's natural confusion.

"Um…" Twilight said, as the group hug dispersed. She tried to smile, and her double tried to smile, and neither one was able to pull it off. "Hello… Again."

"…Hi." Said the other Twilight. She pushed up her glasses despite them not slipping, as if desperate for something to hold. Twilight could relate. Feeling the silence cloud over, she began to twist at the hem of her pleated skirt.

"Greetings, clones!" Shoving past Twilight, Discord suddenly bounced into the room, all teeth and jazz hands. For once, Twilight was almost grateful for the outburst, as attention was diverted away from the uncomfortable reunion. Pinching at the edges of his vest, he flopped into a mocking curtsey. "I am Lord Draconequus: sovereign monarch of Equestria. Please, please-" he batted modestly. "No flash photography. A simple sacrificial offering will do."

… Almost being the operative word.

"Girls…" Twilight sighed as Discord began a club-footed jig. "This… is Discord."

It was clear, even from a glance, that none of them really knew what to make of the geeky, eccentric stranger, now pantomiming an invisible box. They were hardly disappointed, more just taken aback, their faces ranging from amused curiosity to polite intrigue. Twilight wasn't aware just how much context Sunset had filled them in on, but she could imagine that being introduced to this Discord would feel… Anticlimactic, to say the least. Nevertheless, Applejack, with an affirmative nod, was the first to approach him, her hand ready for a good ol' fashion shake.

"Happy t'meet 'cha, Discord." she said, as genuine as ever. "Sunset told us all about yer, uh… Particular set a' skills-" Applejack paused as Discord stuck out an elbow. It took her a moment to connect the dots before, smiling uneasily, she clumsily accepted the joint, raising it up and down. "Uh… Well, on behalf a' the group, I just wanna say, we're plum-pleased for the assist. This whole rigamarole's got us more in a pickle than salt n' vinegar. My name's Ap-"

"Oh, no, no…" Discord released Applejack from the unorthodox greeting and shook his head. "Introductions aren't necessary." He scanned a hand across the room. "I'm already well acquainted with your less-than-simian-simulacra. Your horsey-halves. Your four-legged-analogs. In short, we have before us a deliciously simple shortcut into BFF-Country! Instant friends, just add thumbs!"

"Oh, I like him!" Pinkie laughed, returning Discord's two thumbs up. "He's as silly as a fruitcake!"

"And twice as nutty." Twilight overheard Applejack murmur to Rainbow Dash, and they stifled chortles behind not-too-convincing coughs. Twilight groaned, screwing her palms to her eyes.

If Discord heard the aside, he ignored it, instead setting his sights to Sunset, as if only just now noticing her. He was suddenly in her face, peering her up and down with the obnoxious fascination of a socially inept sightseer. "Ooh, well, you are refreshingly new! Sunset Shimmer, Celestia's prodigal student, I presume?" He suddenly had an arm around Sunset, presumably hugging her, although the position was more of an affectionate headlock. "Former bad girl and arch nemesis of one Twilight Sparkle? … Or, in this case-" he chuckled. "Two?"

"Uh.…Yeah…" Sunset shot a glance to Twilight, who could only look up long enough to give an exasperated Don't-Ask-ME shrug. "How'd you-"

"Oh, you needn't look so betrayed-" Discord said. (She didn't even remotely look betrayed.) "Uptight Sparkle is hardly one to tell stories out of school. No, I gleaned all I needed about you from rooting through Celestia's files."

He made a swimming-esque wiggle, and Sunset managed to squirm free. Either through well practiced patience, or just enough experience with Pinkie Pie, she didn't seem particularly perturbed by Discord's weirdness. If anything, her reaction was the most invested out of everyone's, as she regarded him with a muted, but nostalgic, sense of awe; like one looking back on a landscape they hadn't seen since childhood.

"Ha, I gotta admit, it's a… little weird, officially meeting you like this." She laughed, looking to the others. "Back in my day, this guy was like the Canterlot boogie man. He had a creepy statue I used to walk past every day on my way to magic school. In fact, some of the older ponies used to make up stories about him just to scare us little kids. They'd say stuff like… Don't brush your teeth, or Discord'll steal your pearly whites!" And she showed off her own gnashers with an exaggerated goblin face: wrinkled nose and squinted eyes, her fingers curled into claws.

Discord gasped, scandalized. "I would never steal children's teeth!" Then, he thought it over a second. "Well… not incisors, anyway. I mean, what good are they for?"

Sunset rolled her eyes, the edges of her mouth pointing into a smirk. "Well, as one repentant villain to another, I think you and I are going to get along just fine."

She flexed out an elbow, which Discord was more than happy to reciprocate, as the tips of his new ears wiggled.

"We ought to get together for tea in the motherland sometime!" He said. Following his own personal stage cue, his head then jerked over to Twilight's double. Discord zipped toward her so quickly and unexpectantly that she might've fallen, had she not caught herself on the grand piano. "Oh, and don't think I forgot about you, the resident Twilight! I must admit, it's so gratifying seeing that face look at me without the least bit contempt!"

Contempt, no. Fear, embarrassment, and confusion, yes. Twilight's other self shrank against the piano as Discord cornered her. Twilight was just about to jot over and (quite literally) stand up for herself, when Spike jumped up into his Twilight's arms, barking harshly.

"Hey, buddy." he yapped. "Just cause you're some big bad chaos spirit in Pony Land doesn't mean you get to pick on my best friend. So cool it, or you're gonna find yourself on the business end of these chompers."

He bit at the air, narrowly missing Discord's index finger, and he backed off immediately. His expression, however, was not one of intimidation. It was more… inflated. Like a balloon, his cheeks were suddenly rounded, and they only seemed to grow in size the longer he looked at Spike. Then, with a squeak and a snort, he broke out into a fit of manic cackles, gripping at his stomach.

"You're a mutt!?" Discord wheezed. "Oh, that is just too rich! Too, too rich! I thought you'd at least be a lizard, or perhaps even another person, but a little ol' rover?! Oh-!" he looked to Twilight. "Just wait until our next Guy's Night! I am going to rib him something fierce!"

"Discord!" Twilight shouted. Everyone's eyes were bouncing between her and Discord like it were a tennis match, expecting an explanation, if not an actual punch line.

"Oh, come now, Twilight!" Discord wiped a tear from his eye. "It's been a… ruff morning! So just throw me a bone, won't you?"

He dissolved into further pearls of laughter, falling to the floor and peddling his feet like a lopsided turtle. It was the worst kind of inside joke; the type that wasn't only unfunny, but painfully ridiculous out of context. Even Pinkie couldn't join in on this giggle fest, wincing like her favorite record was being mercilessly scratched. Twilight clutched the ends of her hair. She felt like she'd just released a rabid weasel into the room, promising it held the cure to the common cold.

"Uh-" Spike said, sharing a look with his Twilight. "Am I missing something?"

"No," Twilight huffed, at last settling down her hands. She demonstrated the aforementioned contempt, glaring at Discord until her purple forehead turned raspberry. "But he is."

Calming down, (at least by his own standards,) Discord sat up and crossed his legs. "Sticks and stones can't break my bones, and words can only fuel me." he sang.

"...Look-" Twilight looked to the rest, her hands folded imploringly. "I know this is… a lot, but Discord's dealt with these sorts of weird happenstances before. If anyone can pinpoint what's going on in, it's… unfortunately… him."

At one side of the music room, there was a set of floor-length stairs, leading up to a short platform - almost a junior stage - housing the spare instruments. Rainbow Dash, hands coolly submerged in her pockets, helped herself to a seat against the topmost step, looking down at Discord with the sort of superior dismissiveness that only a real jock could perfect.

"No offense to you or Sunset, Twi-" she said. "But… he just kinda looks like an egghead to me."

Discord's grin quickly dripped, before melting off entirely. A dull flush rose against his chalk-grey cheeks, as he popped to his feet with the energy of a Jack-in-the-Box. Fist raised, he told Rainbow in no uncertain terms, "Were I at full power, missy, I would make yours an omelet head. Extra chives."'

"I beg your pardon," Rarity waved, stepping demurely into the fold. "Mister, er - Discord. But do you mean to say you're… not at full power, presently?"

Discord's fist went flaccid. "Oh… Well… That is to say… I…"

Was it wrong for the Princess of Friendship to experience a little schadenfreude at a humbled Discord? Perhaps. Did that stop Twilight from enjoying a mental bag of popcorn, as she folded her arms, waiting for his response? Hardly.

Unfortunately, Sunset interrupted, "Wait… That makes sense. I mean, Twilight and I didn't have our powers when we first came here. We had to harness the magic of friendship, and eventually, the rest of us learned to channel our own individual magic through these geodes."

She fiddled with the orange charm at her neck, and it was then that Twilight noticed the reoccurring gem among her friends. In fact, she suddenly realized just how much their wardrobes had changed since she'd seen them last. No longer restricted to the trend of mid-calf skirts, boots, and form-fitting tops, they were much more personalized and diversified, with the only matching piece among them being the color-coded pendants, like miniature Elements of Harmony.

"That's all well n' good-" Applejack rested an arm to Rarity's shoulder, both studying Discord warily. "But how's he s'posed to help without any magic?"

Sweeping up his fractured pride, Discord stuck out his chin, his back arched; a defiant blowfish. "Don't count me out yet, teeny Appleseed." He rammed a finger up to the second knuckle into his nose, speaking nasally, "I still have my nonsensical senses! Chaos, you see, is as distinct as a fingerprint. All I'd need is a recent sample - a flame throwing fire extinguisher, perhaps - and I could pick up the scent."

"Like a bloodhound?" Spike said, disinterested. "Pft, even I could do that-"

"Not like this, my devoted - yet demoted - chum!" Discord argued, pivoting dangerously close to Spike's personal bubble. Twilight's counterpart held her pet close, still scared, but turning him away from the intrusion. "Your simple sniffer can only handle the tangible. Food, garbage, ode to toilets-!"

"Eau de toilettes, dear." Rarity corrected primly.

"Regardless," Discord brushed away the comment. "My madcap passages can see smells you could only ever hear in your dreams. One whiff, and I'll have this mystery wrapped up faster than you can say: Dissy-Doo, where are you?"

He then woofed, limp-wristed and panting, and that seemed to clench Pinkie's decision.

"Okay, I'm convinced!" she grinned. "This one's a keeper!"

Licking at the back of her hand, Pinkie meowed, before running the improvised cat-bath across her forehead. Picking up on the game, Discord and Spike exchanged a look, reaching a playful, unspoken armistice. They both barked at her, and soon, real dog and pretend dog alike were chasing a hissing Pinkie around the room. It was an absurd display, but something about it sparked an idea behind Fluttershy's eyes. Gingerly, she raised her hand to the group, as if still in class.

"Um…" She said, and Discord skidded to a halt. Pony or otherwise, everything in Discord's world came to a standstill when Fluttershy was speaking. "Well… it's not a flame thrower, but… would this do?" Crossing over to the table at the opposite wall, Fluttershy, with some difficulty, drew her backpack to the center. She began to unzip, peeking into the void mouth with a tender whisper, "It's okay… You can come out, now." Then, the backpack wriggled, and flopped over.

Hadn't Sunset called it a cat? It might've been a cat, once upon a time, but the creature that poked its head up could make no such claim now. Before, he might've sat comfortably in a person's cupped hands. Now, he was a bottlebrushed watermelon, waddling out of the capsized bag on paw pads that inexplicably beeped with each step. Three bulbous orange eyes like glossy tangerines blinked and darted erratically. Where there was once a little kitten's mouth, now clicked an acidic green parrot's beak, opening to reveal - not a tongue, per say - but a fork fused at the hilt to a slither of yellow muscle. Without warning, he whipped it high into the air, snagging at a fly, before reeling it back with a satisfied burp.

"Girls… Meet Dust Bunny."

"Seriously," Rainbow cringed. She wasn't the only one to do so, though the extremity of the reaction varied from person to person, with only Discord mirroring Fluttershy's smile. "You're not the least bit freaked out by that?"

"Well… I might've been a little startled at first…" Fluttershy ran a hand along Dust Bunny's back. "But it turns out, Dusty's actually pretty happy with the change. He says he can see better, he's bigger and stronger, and when I checked it out, his heart was even healthier! Besides-!" she hoisted him up like a flour sack, nuzzling their faces together. "He's still just as cute as a button, yes he is!"

"I'd have to agree," Discord said. He held out his hands. "May I-?"

With a nod, the fluffy bowling ball was passed along. In Discord's arms, he suddenly rumbled a blender-sounding purr that made the room jump.

"Aw," Fluttershy cooed. "He likes you."

"Well, he is a rather handsome abomination, isn't he?" Discord simpered, tickling the underside of the smiling bird beak. "I do have a certain way with chaotic little cuddle-bugs. Now, then-"

Holding the cat upright, he suddenly pressed - or, rather smothered - his face to the protruding belly: an almost cute gesture, quickly ruined by the inverted honk of a snorting inhale. Dust Bunny, surprisingly neutral to the nasal assault, made no effort to escape, as comfortably limp as an overstuffed mink stole. He even seemed disappointed when Discord finally withdrew.

"Hm," he smacked his lips. "Yes, yes… Oh-!" His face suddenly went putrid. Dropping the cat, Discord doubled over, dryly retching, "Oh, blegh! Yugh! Awful! Vile!"

Fluttershy fretted, scooping up the offended Dusty as he tottered back to her, "Oh, he doesn’t smell that bad, does he? I gave him an extra bath just this morning…"

"It's not the cat-!" Discord choked, his tongue lolling. "It's the chaos! It's dreadfully undercooked! The raw uncertainty! The watered down malice! I've never tasted anything so… novice!" For once, Discord didn't seem to be play-acting. To Twilight's particular distress, he genuinely looked as if he might throw up, heaving to the floor with whale-like moans.

"Uh…" Rarity slipped a hand into the pocket of her skirt. "Can I offer you some gum, darling?"

Discord gave a desperate nod, and Rarity obliged, fishing out a foil-wrapped stick. With trembling hands, he freed the candy from its wrapper, slipping the shiny paper into his mouth with a relieved exhale.

"Ah," he breathed, chewing silver. "That's much better… Rarity, you are a saint. Thank you."

"Um," Rarity watched as he tossed the untouched gum into a trashcan. "You're… welcome, I suppose…"

Discord was granted a few seconds' noisy mastication before Sunset nudged, "… So? Who's causing the chaos?"

"Oh," Discord stuck out his tongue, revealing a small, but expertly folded, origami crane. He plucked it off and began to play with its minute wings. "I have no idea who it is."

"What?!" Everyone cried. Discord jolted, briefly juggling the swan before dropping it.

"Well, I never said I could give you a name!" He objected, as though that should've been obvious. "Despite my cleverness, I'm not omnipotent, you know. But-!" he tapped at the bridge of his nose. "It's all on record."

A exasperated sigh hissed across the group.

"Okay, okay…" Sunset began to pace. "So, what, should we just… tour the city until you find something?"

"Ooh!" Rarity squeaked. "Why don't we go to the mall? Today's a half day, not to mention the Friday leading up to a three day weekend! There'll be plenty of crowds, plenty of opportunity for our foe to hide in plain sight. Why, it's the perfect place to start the search!"

Once more, Rainbow was the first to posit what everyone was thinking: "You sure you're not just lookin' for an excuse to go shopping?"

"Well… Princess Twilight's wardrobe could use an update…" Rarity twiddled her fingers in Twilight's general direction. "I know the clothes are magically generated or whatever, but the knee-high ski boots are looking a little…" She hummed a whine of dislike. "2013, darling."

"… She can raid my closet if she wants," the alternate Twilight offered quietly. She was able to acknowledge her other self with a more definitive smile, though there was still a strain of shyness to it. "I'm sure we're basically the same size-"

Rarity gasped, as horrified as a witness to a murder. "Good gracious, Twilight! Have I taught you nothing?! You think that just because you're technically the same person, your wardrobe profiles would go completely unchanged?!"

Discord suddenly yawned, loud and purposeful, and the room fell silent. "Not that I don't find this dialogue riveting-" Sarcasm drippled from his lips like sticky cola. "But I would like to point out a very inconvenient fact we all seem to be overlooking… We have one too many Twilights." He indicated each of them with a point, his arms goofily spread-eagled. "Calling them both Twilight is going to get confusing… and not the fun kind of confusing, either. I suggest we stick them in a pit with a yard stick, a book on advanced calculus, and a venomous cobra. Whoever gets out alive gets to be the default Twilight."

Whether or not he was kidding was irrelevant to Twilight. With no hesitation, she swatted him against the back of the head.

"Ow!" He spat, ruefully massaging the spot. "Oh, alright! … We'll just give one of them a nickname."

"But which one?" Pinkie asked. "I mean, we did technically meet this Twilight first-" She zipped over to Twilight. "But then this Twilight came along and became our best friend-" She raced back to the bespectacled Twilight. "And she is the first real Twilight of this world before the other Twilight came along so it wouldn't be fair to treat her like the other Twilight, but both of them think they're the original Twilight, so-"

Rainbow cut her off before the spiel could spiral further. "Yeah, I've already lost track of who you're talkin' about."

"Me too!" Pinkie beamed.

Rarity cleared her throat, cutting back in. "Why don't we do this? Twilight can remain Twilight for the duration of her stay - she is the guest after all - and our Twilight can go by Sci-Twi." She looked around for the inevitable approval. "No fuss, no muss."

Twilight's double answered with a snicker; a considerably smaller and more appealing sound than Discord's knee-slapping tirade. "Sci-Twi? Oh, I love that! Did you just come up with it?"

"Oh, pft-kuh-tuh, hardly!" Rarity scoff-sputtered. "Truth be told, I've been thinking up punny little names for everyone as of late. You all can look forward to some charmingly embroidered scarves, come winter."

Squealing, Pinkie's hands flapped into pinkish blurs. "Ooh! Ooh! What's mine gonna say? No, wait, don't tell me!" She covered her ears. "I wanna forget you said anything so I can be surprised all over again!"

The newly branded Sci-Twi glanced to Twilight. "Well, I'm good with the nickname if you are. Actually…" She drew out her phone. "I might just have to make it my new social media handle."

"Oh!" Twilight perked up. "Social media, that's like, the pocket gadget bulletin board, right?" She tweaked at her tie with a self-assured swagger. "I've been brushing up on my cultural tidbits."

For whatever reason, the girls lost their composure to a hastily smothered fit of giggles, and Discord, with a head-tilting groan, smacked his forehead.

"Ugh, for heaven's sake, Twilight, you're embarrassing me."

. • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

The mall was like Las Pegasus confined to a single building. Neon signs flashed over window displays of blinking gizmos and games, carnivals of clothes, libraries of candies and cakes, all while the tick-thump-whump of synthesized music played out over the loudspeakers. The domed skylight overhead revealed a bright, cloudless blue, complimented by the structural gems of glass, marble and polished tile. It was a far cry from the open market place of Ponyville. Even the shopping promenade of Canterlot couldn't generate this many crowds: shifting like schools of fish from store to store, laughing, carting armfuls of bags and packages, riding the twin elevators up and down with smeared ice cream faces, sucking at smoothies, and holding their phones aloft for what Twilight understood to be 'selfies.'

"Care for a flower, miss?" Said a clown in an outrageous orange suit, his chestnut curls bouncing merrily under the brim of a matching top hat. He was certainly weird, but weirdest of all was the triangle of grilled cheese pinned to his lapel like a boutonniere. Pinkie certainly didn't seem to mind, ooh-ing excitedly as he twisted noodles of balloons into a bulbous rose bouquet.

"Ah, nothing like a circus of capitalism to bring young love together." Discord sniffed, as Pinkie jogged back to rejoin the herd. He fell to walking in back, his sharp nostrils twitching fervently. Every once in a while, he'd divert, dodging Twilight's outstretched hand, and running across the aisle to poke his head into a crowd, mid-conversation. And when the 'smell' would come up short, he'd shrug, returning without so much as an apology to either party.

"Well... He's certainly diligent." Applejack remarked, as Discord made his seventh jaunt into someone else's space. She turned her head to Twilight and Sunset. "So, he's really an all-powerful demon somethin' or other back where y'all are from?"

"A draconequus," Twilight clarified, frowning at Discord. At least this time he wasn't being yelled at or threatened with a lawsuit… In fact, the wall-eyed blondie seemed to study Discord as closely as he did her. She even smiled, reaching into her pastel pastry bag and offering out a muffin.

"I've never heard of that species before." Fluttershy said. She watched with an unbridled veterinarian's fascination as Discord tore the muffin apart, inspecting its insides to the blonde girl's dismay. "Do you think he'd be offended if I asked him some questions?"

"Offended?" Twilight snorted. "Please, his favorite subject is himself. You'd be doing him a favor."

"Just an observation," Rainbow said, doubling back and keeping her stride in time with Twilight's. She folded her hands behind her head, observing with the rest as Discord tried to reassemble the dessert, only to make the matter worse. "But I sorta get the feeling you got a particular bone to pick with that guy. You said he was, uh… Referred, right?"

"Reformed," Twilight rubbed at her forehead. "And… Yeah, he is. It's just…" It's just that he betrayed us, she wanted to say. It's just that he pushes his luck at every turn. It's just that he's always pulling strings and planting his little pranks. It's just that I can never get a good read on his motives. It's just that he drives me insane! "It's… Complicated."

She looked up, catching Sci-Twi's sidelong stare. She jumped, and quickly turned away, distracting herself with Spike, who trotted along at her side. Discord soon caught back up, awkwardly abandoning the blonde to mourn the crumbled remains of her muffin.

"So!" He exclaimed, fitting himself between Twilight and Rarity. "I don't suppose I'm obligated to join you on your little makeover montage, am I? Not that this form couldn't benefit from a fresh coat of paint, but I am rather eager to ferret about."

It wasn't long before they come upon the sought-after boutique, with its striped awning and gilded glass frames, advertising faceless mannequins flaunting high-end bathing suits against a printed beach backdrop, ready for the approaching summer.

"I gotta agree with Discord," Rainbow said, eyeing the store with as much boredom as Rarity had joy. "Personally, I think it makes more sense for us to split up. Y'know-" She assumed a karate stance, her eyes darting dramatically. "Cover more ground, scope out any suspicious characters?"

Rarity smirked. "And I suppose you'll want to start said scoping at the arcade?" The chirping allure of the game center was only a few stops behind; a saturated electronic wonderland that snagged Rainbow's attention like a moth to a streetlamp.

"Hey, you got your fun diversion, we got ours." Sunset said, wrapping an arm around Rainbow in gamer solidarity. "Besides, maybe our new enemy is there, even as we speak. After all, there's no shortage of weirdos at the arcade."

"Yeah, y'all would know," Applejack teased, warranting a tag-team tongue waggle from Sunset and Rainbow. Nevertheless, she looked ahead to a rustic general store front advertising a new flavor of chicken feed. "Likewise though, there ain't nothin' that says our foe ain't hangin' out at the tractor supply store…"

"And I betcha the staff might know something," Pinkie said, taking a deep inhale of the faux flowers. She fluttered her eyes to the grilled cheese clown, currently squeezing a balloon-rendered accordion. "Couldn't hurt to lean on 'em a bit…"

"Oh, if we are splitting up-" Spike looked up at Sci-Twi, his tail flicking excitedly. "Could we hit up that nice bookstore that gives out those yummy biscuits? Plus…" he clenched his paw and raised it to the ceiling. "I got a score to settle with that cat that sleeps next to the register."

"I told you not to mess with her toys, Spike." Sci-Twi admonished, before looking to the girls and Discord. "That said, I suppose is more logical to spread out… Let's try not to stay here too long, though. We don't wanna get so distracted that we wind up missing something happening outside."

"Good point," Sunset nodded. "Let's all keep our phones on standby and meet up at the entrance in an hour. If anything happens, or if Discord finds something, we'll drop everything and regroup."

There was a certain nugget of pride Twilight could sift from this admittedly small interaction. It felt good to see her friends - at once so needlessly vicious towards each other - now functioning as a proper unit. Naturally, Discord was quick to ruin the moment with a derisive chuckle.

"My, my…" he purred. "Aren't we a merry band of heroes? All that's missing is a big glitzy friendship signal in the sky."

Twilight felt a nasty comeback teeter on the tip of her tongue. She was just about to unleash verbal Tartarus when Discord's stomach suddenly gave a gurgling grumble. It could only have been his doing, no one else would respond with such a look of panicked disgust.

"Oh, dear…" Fluttershy placed a hand to his arm. "Have you eaten anything today?"

"Oh, is that what that is?" he goggled. "Gracious, I thought my insides were being sucked by a little straw." All but Fluttershy shuddered at the image, as Discord glanced at his midsection. "Yes, I suppose this body needs food, doesn't it? … Not just for fun, I mean."

Fluttershy's face was a wellspring of bedside manner tenderness. "I guess draconequuses just eat as a fun past time?" (Figures- Twilight thought. She of all people would be able to pronounce that right away.) She scuttled slightly to the front, tilting her head for Discord to follow. "Why don't you and I head to the food court? No sense searching on an empty tummy. Besides, if you're not used to food, we wouldn't want you eating something you shouldn't."

"Like paper, for example?" Twilight shot dryly.

Discord blew her a raspberry, before shifting gears into a darling smile, half-bowing to Fluttershy. "Nothing would give me greater pleasure, my dear."

Destinations marked and plans set, the gang dispersed, with Twilight distinctly hearing Fluttershy pipe up timidly,

"So… Would you mind if I asked you some questions about yourself?"

Inside the boutique, shelves of shoes of escalating color and height took up the entire left wall, while circular racks of outfits stood scattered like the multicolored bouncers of a pinball machine. It was pretty to be sure, but the nightclub lighting and crowded design made Twilight homesick for the space and brightness of Carousel Boutique. To one side, the lobby branched off, separated by partition of curtain. Changing Rooms, explained the curly-q script of the overhead plaque. Twilight had little time to even peck at the visual smorgasbord when she was shoved - escorted, Rarity would say - past the curtain, and into a small den of doors. A trifold mirror opposite to the entrance produced Twilight's nonplussed posture three times over, with Rarity bringing up the rear, her hands to Twilight's shoulders in conga-line-steerage.

"Now you get yourself to a room, and I'll handle the rest. And don't you worry one stitch about expenses." She suddenly fanned a hand of platinum cards with the ease of a magician's well rehearsed trick. "Today is all on me."

So little plastic squares are the currency of this world? Twilight was tempted to ask. Then she thought better of it. Better to just roll with the punches than reveal her naivety with yet another stupid question... She would just have to double down on her own private research later.

Twilight retreated into one of the changing stations, and before her fingers even left the sliding lock, outfits and accessories began to fly in like divebombing pigeons. For each one that Twilight modeled, Rarity seemed to have a comment on standby.

A lavish ballgown, heavy with lace with sleeves like cotton candy: "Too much!" A severe black dress with a petticoat of silken webs, hemmed by a beaded border of pearly skulls: "Too bleak!" An elaborate cloud of feathers puckering into the curled crook of a stuffed swan's neck, hooked boa-like around Twilight's shoulders: "Too fowl!" A funny miniskirt paired by a sailor-collared top and elbow length gloves: "Too derivative!"

Twilight began to wonder if Rarity wasn't just picking out clothes with the sole purpose of denying them in some sadistic fashionista's power play, when at last she happened upon a combination they could both agree on. She emerged from the dressing room.

"Oh!" Rarity exclaimed, tapping her fingers to her palm in a ladylike applause. "C'est manifique! Darling, it's simply perfect!"

Twilight had to agree. She crossed over to the mirror, inspecting the ensemble from all angles. It wasn't anything elaborate: a midnight blue blouse and lavender jeans, cutely secured by a star-buckled belt. The legwarmer boots had been swapped out for a set of comfortable, white-laced converse, and Twilight was more than happy with the exchange. She hadn't realized just how bulky the old footwear was until it was off, and she moved her strange legs with a new and grateful lightness. It was absolutely an improvement. Even Pony Rarity would give her seal of approval.

"I wonder, though…" This Rarity murmured, tapping at her cheek. "Perhaps it might be a bit… too toned down? Ooh! You know, I saw the most delightful amethyst earrings that would really set it off! Just a tick!"

And she was gone, disappearing through the curtain with a flip of her expertly managed hair. Twilight, with soft chuckle, turned back to her reflection.

No matter how often she had a chance to look at it, there would always be something off-putting about a face that was only a caricature of her own. Unexpectedly, she felt an empathetic twinge for Discord's initial identity crises. For as face as distinct as his, seeing that cobbled together forgery must've been especially horrific… The Princess of Friendship sighed, arms limp and resting her forehead to the glass. She didn't actually expect to fall through back into Ponyville, but the superstitious temptation was too much to resist. It was like a knock on wood, following the statement that tempted fate. Besides which, the cool surface just felt good against her warm, coat-less skin, and Twilight was all but feverish with worry…

She opened her eyes, seeing her blurry visage in triplicate, made sextuplicate as Sci-Twi appeared behind her. Both girls gave a start, and Twilight spun to face herself, as dumbfounded now as she was the first they'd ever locked eyes.

"Oh!" she managed after a moment. "Uh… Hello, again…"

"Hi," Sci-Twi's grimace was as embarrassed as though she'd walked in on Twilight changing. "Uh - sorry, Spike got into some trouble with the bookstore cat so we'd thought we'd bail and look for the others and this was the first store we ran across so we came in and Rarity suggested I say 'hi' and I didn't wanna be rude, so…" She trailed off, pressing a reddened cheek against a raised shoulder.

Twilight knew exactly where this was coming from. It wasn't as if they hadn't spoken before, but their first encounter was hardly a proper introductory meeting over tea and scones. She remembered settling everything with Starlight, retreating to her study for a much needed nap, when the magical journal sounded off with a buzz. Probably nothing, she tried to tell herself, en route to the sofa. Probably just Sunset checking in. Or maybe she just needs a second opinion on a new song... But the journal continued to hum, and the what-ifs started their piranha nibbles, sporadic at first, then multiplying by the second, and no matter how attractive that sofa was, Twilight just couldn't shake them off. She went to check the journal.

I really could use your advice... friendship games... Bad feeling...

She could still taste that bitter adrenaline flood of panic, dropping everything without so much as a note, rushing into the mirror, and meeting herself headlong. There'd been a flustered frenzied of greetings and explanations, and Twilight quietly excused herself back to her home dimension. After that, what little she knew about her alternate self only came in secondhand passing from Sunset.

So how exactly am I suppose to start talking to myself? … Maybe Discord could give me some pointers, she thought, smiling wryly. To her surprise, however, it was Sci-Twi who tried to take the initiative, pointing a pair of finger guns with an all-too self derisive smile:

"So, uh... ya come here often?"

A lame joke, a limping ice breaker, and they both knew it. The difference was, while Sci-Twi's glasses fogged with a blush, Twilight extended a soft, familial smile.

"Not as often as I'd like."

Twilight found herself relaxing with the dawning of a pleasant realization. It should've been obvious from the start. Rather than just a perfect copy, Sci-Twi really was Twilight's younger self. So much of what made up Twilight's past was the DNA of Sci-Twi's present: that aversion to eye contact, that shuffling of a stance. She navigated the maze of socialization with a lead-footed gait, and anyone who wasn't already in her circle, (even her own otherworld self,) was like another rock in the path, ready to trip her up. In the light of Twilight's smile, however, she began to melt, and ultimately bloom.

"Heh," Sci-Twi breathed, keeping her eyes to her shoes. "I guess your schedule must be pretty packed... Being a princess, and all." She took to stroking her ponytail, combing her fingers through the dark locks until the ends wound up splitting... Not that either Twilight seemed to mind, of course. "What's it like?"

The question seemed to catch them both off guard. Twilight blinked toward her counterpart. "What? You mean... Equestria?"

"I mean," Sci-Twi gave her head a mousy little shake. "I mean... Being a princess."

Ah, that made sense. To a version of Twilight with a relatively ordinary lifestyle, the idea of ascending to Princesshood must've seemed unthinkable. A wild fantasy.

"It's a lot, I won't lie." Twilight said, doing her utmost to capture Celestia's mature intonation. "It's a lot of scheduling and planning and chart-making…"

"Oh," Sci-Twi swooned. "It sounds almost too good to be true."

"Like you wouldn't believe," Twilight grinned. Finally, someone else who understands the fine art of the itinerary. "But it's not all fun and games. It's a lot of responsibility. Not to mention, pressure…" Without thinking, Twilight began to emulate Sci-Twi's hair fidget.

"Is that why you're so bitter towards Discord?"

It wasn't meant to be an accusation, yet the bluntness of it stung Twilight all the same. A cloud passing over her smile, she clipped her hands to her hips. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Sci-Twi didn't turn away from Twilight's anger. In fact, she willingly met her own eyes, thoughtfully staring purple into purple. "… You're not just like me, you… basically are me, right? I mean, right down to how you think?"

And then some, Twilight thought, but, quickly calming back down, she responded with a more measured, but equally puzzled, "Yeah…?"

"Well, then you would understand, I couldn't help but sorta… study you and Discord on the way over. And, it's like Rainbow Dash said, you seem… I don't know…" Her few grains of courage used up, she stooped, picking up a discarded hanger, and began to twist it. "Hostile, for lack of a better word?"

Twilight groaned into her hands. How bad must her attitude be if she was literally calling herself out on it? "I told you," she mumbled through her fingers. "It's complicated-"

"Then explain it." Sci-Twi's tone was not demanding, but pleading. She was making a genuine effort to reach out, to understand, and who was Twilight not to accept? Sci-Twi was right. If there was anyone who could who could make sense of her own knotted yarn ball of thoughts, it was herself.

Twilight sighed, sinking to the floor and drawing up her knees. "It's just… He's annoying!" It was a stupidly simple answer, but it was the best her mind could conjure up on such short noticed. Leaning back against the wall, she threw up her eyes in defeat, hands raised. "I'm no stranger to reforming villains, and every one I've helped saved always comes back better than when they left… But Discord? He slipped! No, slip implies it was a mistake, he outright chose to back-peddle, and it nearly cost us everything! It cost me my home!" She hadn't expected to go on a tangent like this, but the genie was out of the bottle, and it felt too good to stop now. Swallowing back the words would've been like trying to hold down vomit after a bad seafood dinner. It was better, healthier, to let her anger take its waspy shape as she rambled on, "And even after we forgave him, he still plays his little games! He still takes advantage! And the worst part is, everyone is just… okay with it! Everyone is friends with him, everyone can look past his behavior. Heck, he and one of my best friends are practically common law married! So why-?!" she buried her face against her knees. "Why I am the only one who's still… angry?! Am I really such a stick-in-the-mud that I can't enjoy his weirdness? I start to examine my own feelings, and that just makes it worse, because I'm the Princess of Friendship! I shouldn't be holding on to grudges like this! And then I start to feel even angrier because I'm not living up to my title, and then I blame Discord, and the cycle starts all over again!"

Sci-Twi didn't speak right away. Casting aside the hanger, she lowered herself next to Twilight, her legs folded in side-saddle. "Maybe… It goes deeper than a grudge, or just annoyances. Maybe… In some small way… Discord sorta reminds you of yourself? I mean-!" she added urgently. The force of Twilight's sudden glower could've knock the glasses from her nose. "Not you-you, but… the part of yourself you don't like to think about."

"And what part is that?"

"The part that wants to disregard the rules... I mean," she shrugged. "You said so yourself, you're a princess. That's so much pressure, on top of already being super powerful, and you have to live with that responsibility. You have all this magic, but you can't just go around casting whatever spells you want. And then there's Discord, and… he can. He's almost expected to."

Twilight scowled. "He's not allowed to do whatever he wants,"

"But he can do more than you, right? And… maybe that's the real heart of all this. It's not his antics that drives you crazy, but… his freedom."

"So… what-" Twilight laughed humorlessly. "You're saying I'm jealous of Discord?"

"Why not?" Sy-Twi scratched at her ankle. "… I know I would be."

Another quiet lull drifted over the girls, though its flavor was distinctly different from its predecessors. This was a silence fueled by admission, and the quiet contemplation thereafter. Both Twilights seemed to cradle themselves in it, even taking a moment to lean their heads together like mournful sisters. They even sighed in unison.

"Sunset told you about the Friendship Games, right?" Sci-Twi asked.

Twilight straightened slightly. "She, uh… She didn't go into detail, but… I, uh… I know you, uh… Well…" She twisted the pads of her thumbs against each other. "Went a teeny-bit… power mad."

Sci-Twi chuffed. "Power mad is putting is lightly. The truth is, I got a bullied a lot at my old school… And, I remember thinking, why do they get to be in charge? Are they just born without a conscience? Without scruples? How do you function with just a total disregard for others? … And… Well, then I started to think… Maybe I'd be better off if I was like that." She leaned forward to glance at her reflection, superimposed over Twilight's. "Only looking out for number one, only concerned with my own interests. And then, I gave into that impulse, and well…" Smiling a little sadly, she made a feeble tearing motion at the air.

Cursing the Parasprites… Enchanting Smarty Pants… Just how often did Twilight surrender to that same instinct, and how often did it wind up blowing up in her face? But for Discord… It was like he was above blow ups. No, not above. Uncaring to them. When Twilight messed up, the guilt and holdover shame quivered in her heart like a splinter. But Discord made a habit of messing up… On purpose, no less. And he could just brush it off his shoulders and go about his day. Was that really it? That Discord wasn't just obnoxious, but a nasty reminder of what she could be? What she had been, in this particular timeline?

Maybe she was just projecting, or maybe it some sort of dimensional-twin telepathy, but Twilight felt herself and her counterpart suddenly starving for a hug. Without warning, she leaned forward, tightly encircling Sci-Twi's shoulders. "A bad decision doesn't define who you are. And trust me…" her mouth snaked into a sardonic smile. "That's coming from someone with a resume of bad decisions."

Sci-Twi was rigid to the embrace only at first, before ultimately dissolving, and returning it ten-fold. She chuckled, topped off by a sniffle, "Hah… I can see why they call you the Princess of Friendship."

"Honestly, I should be calling you that." Twilight withdrew, wiping at her eye at the same time as her double. "You're the one with good insight, after all."

"Hey… it's just the advice I'd give myself."

There was a pause, broken by a mutual snicker, and soon - both girls were laughing. It was a cleansing, buoyant sound: a pure exorcism of grief. The more they laughed, the more they wanted laugh, echoing each other until it was all they could to keep themselves upright.

"W-we should…" Twilight powered through fading giggles, brushing a tear from her cheek. "We should probably head back out."

"Y-yeah," Sci-Twi wobbled to her feet, still snickering. "… I just hope our little pity party didn't scare away the other customers."

With duel, appreciative smiles, the Twilights gathered up the discarded clothes, and walked back into the lobby… Only to find it actually devoid of other patrons. Even the clerk had abandoned their station. Just as they'd noticed the sudden isolation, Rarity surged toward them, brandishing her phone like a torch with one hand, while the other arm supported an alarmed looking Spike.

"Girls!" she said. "The group chat! Fluttershy sent a text! She says something is happening at the food court!"

"What?!" Sci-Twi took possession of Spike. "Is it chaos magic again?"

"We don't know," Spike said, as the girls ran out of the boutique. "We just got the message, and heard all this shouting. Everyone left to see what was up, and… well, it didn't sound good."

"How did we not hear any of that?!" Twilight cried.

"Oh, don't beat yourself up, love." Rarity soothed. "That curtain was brocade. It's quite sound-proof."

Passing through the mall, Rainbow Dash and Sunset were the first to catch up, colors trailing after the former as she briefly employed her super speed. Sunset, hair windblown and carted via piggy back, appeared all too grateful to touch land again, her eyes rolling dazedly.

"I am… so glad… I didn't get that power…" she mumbled drunkenly, before shaking her head with a lip ruffle.

Applejack and Pinkie soon joined the rest, forgoing whatever treats they had on hand. The remaining seven pushed their way past waves of people screaming and clambering over each other like extras in a zombie movie. Whatever was going down, it was happening fast, and the confusion and terror was like a gas leak. It didn't remain a mystery for too much longer, however. Even before they reached the food court proper, the girls and Spike stopped dead in their tracks, looking up… up… up, at the powerhouse of the mayhem.

It was nothing less than a Food Court Chimera. An enormous hot dog blocked out the skylight like an indoor blimp, mounted over pretzel panther legs with beads of salt like boulders. From tip to spaghetti tail, it bore a rhino's armor plating of roof-sized taco shells. There was no discernable face, but a seam began to tear along the front end, opening into a crude, scarecrow's smile. Wider and wider, it forced its meaty maw open, until at last, it reared back, bellowing a throaty roar that threatened to shake the mall to its foundation. Rarity screamed, quickly raising a shield and deflecting a splash of soupy spittle.

"Yugh!" She watched with distress as chunks of French Onion slid down the diamond projection. "Oh, how positively horrid!"

"Where's Fluttershy and Discord?!" Twilight shouted. Peering past the Chimera's feet, tables and chairs were overturned, food was scattered, purchases were abandoned, but she couldn't spot any stragglers. Just then, Sunset gripped Twilight's elbow, jabbing a finger to the far right.

"Look, there!"

Just visible behind an upturned bench like a makeshift bunker, Twilight could see a shaking mass of soft pink hair. They were just about to make a break for it, when the Chimera, as if sensing their presence, blocked the way, stamping its breaded feet against the ground violently. Tremors shook the ground, toppling the gang like bowling pins and, shivering up the pillars and cracking the ceiling. A great chunk managed to break off entirely, falling directly towards the group. Applejack, with a spark from her necklace, jumped up, and slamming a farmer's kick against the chunk, smashed it into powder.

"We gotta take that thing down 'fore this whole caves in!" she yelled, landing back amidst the snow of plaster and rubble.

"We'll serpentine past it to get to Fluttershy and Discord!" Sci-Twi said. "It can't squish us all if we're scattered. Pinkie-!" she looked over to her. "Can you give us some cover and keep it distracted?"

Pinkie Pie, with her own brand of smugness, reached up into her cavernous hair and pulled out two Nightmare Night's worth of candy. "Distraction is my middle name. Pinkamena Responsibility Distraction Dianne Pie."

And she raced ahead. Against her hands, the sweets began to glow radioactively magenta. Pinkie howled a nonsense battle cry, hurling them up towards the Chimera, and with a peppering of explosions like tiny fireworks, the candies burst, creating small, steaming creators in the frankfurter flesh like a smattering of acne. It roared, turning to Pinkie, and the rest sprinted. Following Sci-Twi's plan, they weaved about, never keeping to a straight line, and it was too much for the Chimera's lack of eyes to follow. Between them, and Pinkie pitching cupcakes like frosted grenades, it turned about like a dog readying itself for bed, its torn mouth stupidly agape.

"You're toast, sausage!" Pinkie announced.

As it struggled to zero in on Pinkie, the rest of the group reconvened behind the thrown bench. Fluttershy was indeed there, sitting in a tight and fearful ball, her hands clasped over her ears.

"Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, dropping to one knee. She put a hand to her friend's shoulder, and at last, Fluttershy sneaked a tentative peek.

"Oh, girls!" she cried, falling into an accidental hug. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I don't know what happened, one minute, Discord and I were talking, then the next, there was this awful tremor, then all the food got swept up into this… tornado, and then it morphed into that thing!"

"Wait," Twilight looked around. "… Where is Discord?"

"I don't know!" Fluttershy said. "When the monster appeared, he ran toward it, like… he thought he could stop it, or something. He snapped his fingers, he shouted at it, but nothing happened. And then the monster got mad and starting tearing up the food court, and… I lost track of him! Oh…!" she moaned. "How could I be so irresponsible?"

"It ain't yer fault, sugar cube." Applejack said gently. "He prob'ly got just scared and skedaddled. Mighta even found his own hidin' place."

"Um - guys?!" Pinkie shouted over the thundering trot of the beast as it gave chase. "Not to interrupt, but could I get some help? I’m - AH!" she jumped, rolled, narrowing avoiding a sauce-laced swat of the Chimera's noodle tail. "I'm running dangerously low on desserts over here!"

"Right!" Sunset yelled back. To the rest of the group, she spoke quickly and authoritatively, "One thing at a time. We gotta get this place evacuated and destroy that thing before anyone else gets hurt. Ladies…" Sunset grinned, and the rest of the core cast followed. Even Fluttershy was able to get to her feet, wiping at her eyes and drawing her strength to its sticking place. "Let's Pony Up!"

Their pendants radiated like seven individual suns, and the flares of light gave way to a magical evolution. Untapped to the power of their geodes, Twilight and the other world Spike could only watch their ascension from the ground. While he squinted up at his friend with an unwavering pride, Twilight was positively transfixed with awe. As before, their hair blossomed into lavish, sweeping ponytails, from the crowns of which spawned the fluffy points of wiggling equine ears. It was not a surrender to the transformation, but a dance in harmony with it. An arial ballet, reaching its glittering climax with an instantaneous costume change. In a flash, they were no longer mere highschoolers, but guardians - heroes - as beautiful as they were battle-ready. The outfits seemed perfectly catered to each personality: practical, theatrical, flowing, bouncy, powerful, impactful, humble - equal parts dazzling and dangerous. It's all about presentation, Twilight'd heard her Rarity once say, and looking at her friends' sparkling poses, she had to agree. One by one, they landed in a row on the other side of the bench, facing the Chimera; feet squared, eyes narrowed, and fists at the ready. A line of princesses, ready for a brawl.

"… Wow," was all Twilight could say, her saucer eyes dancing. She wondered if she and her pony friends looked this impressive before a showdown. Didn't some of Spike's comics cover this sort of thing? Just as she'd begun to consider borrowing one or two when they got back, Sy-Twi began to speak to each member in turn.

"Twilight-" she commanded, looking over her shoulder. "You look for Discord. Sunset and I'll herd everyone over to the emergency exit at the south side of the mall. Rainbow, you help us out and comb the second floor for any stragglers, the three of us'll come back here as soon as everyone's out. Fluttershy and Spike, you round up some reinforcement. Applejack, Pinkie, and Rarity, you stay and keep the monster confined the food court. Any questions?"

"Impressive delegation!" Twilight said. It wasn't a question, but she had to pat herself on the back when appropriate.

"Thank you!" Sci-Twi beamed. "Now then… Let's go!"

And they divided, ready to conquer. Taking the lead of her party, Applejack bolted to the front. She was a mouse in the shadow of a cat, threading through and under the Chimera's legs until she stared up at its chin - or, chin-adjacent. Then, sticking her thumb and forefinger into her mouth, she whistled. Dumbly, the monster turned to the sound, and Applejack grinned. Poking a hand into her hat, she whipped out a lasso, and with three hard twirls, threw out the loop. Like a noose hand, it snared up and around one of the forepaws, tightening severely into the pretzel bread.

"Get along, lil' hot doggie!" Applejack yelled. Her strength was impressive, but so was the Chimera's, as it pulled back with a chicken soup spraying hiss.

"That's hardly a long term solution!" Rarity said. Catching up, she formed shields like plows, clearing aside the debris as Applejack leaned into a limbo stance. "

"You… kiddin'?" Applejack grunted with a smirk. "This… ain't nothin'!"

"Pinkie, dear," Rarity glanced to her second teammate, the third to arrive. "How many candies do you have left?"

Pinkie opened her hands, revealing empty palms, "Not even a grain of sugar…"

"Blast," Rarity huffed. She looked over toward the strained stalemate between maiden and monster. The muscles in Applejack's arms, although enhanced by magic, bulged with insurmountable effort, even as she dug in her heels, teeth bared and orange knuckles paled yellow. "I suppose I could throw up a dome over the thing, but - goodness, I've never made one that big. I have no idea how long I'd be able to sustain it."

Pinkie jolted with the cymbal crash of an idea. "Oh! Oh! Would a few seconds be possible? Just real quick - like, up and down, like whoosh!" She spread her hands like wings before sandwiching them together, a gestural implosion.

"I suppose…" Rarity said hesitantly. "But Pinkie, what-"

"Great!" Slapping a cheered hand to Rarity's back, Pinkie wheeled about. "I gotta see a man about a toy store!"

"WHAT?!"

Rarity, Applejack, and even the Chimera seemed taken aback by the absurd declaration. But Pinkie couldn't be bothered with any of their questioning glares or demanding shouts. She ran off, following her own gingerbread train of thought.

. • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

Meanwhile, as the food court trio dealt with the immediate danger on one side, Twilight scoured the other half for Discord, checking under every conceivable surface, while keeping sure to stay out of the Chimera's line of sight. Ducking behind a pillar, she listened as Applejack struggled against the strain her own trap, before spying - just a few yards away - an overthrown plastic palm tree, just across from an abandoned smoothie kiosk. Its outspread of manufactured leaves would've been like a lean-to to anyone hiding behind them, and from Twilight's angle, she spot the point of a sharp, grey nose.

Discord!

Peering around the pillar, she made absolutely certain the Chimera's attention was fixated on its attackers, before bolting towards the palm tree. Indeed, Discord was there, and Twilight half expected to see him playing a round of solitaire, or painting his nails, or anything spurred on by his typical lackluster attitude. But what she was greeted with… Was far from a bored Discord.

He was sitting up, his arms at his sides, staring straight ahead with eyes that might've been struck blind. He didn't seem to see anything, not even Twilight, only looking forward, rocking on the spot, and muttering to himself,

"I couldn't do anything… I tried, I really tried, but I couldn't… I wasn't able to… I… I-I didn't-"

Twilight didn't know what to say, or do. This wasn't Discord putting on a show, or hazing her, or pulling some elaborate stunt… She could feel it like muscle memory - he was afraid.

"Discord-" slowly, carefully, she eased out a hand towards him.

"I… I can't use magic!" he cried, screaming to no one and recoiling to the touch. "I tried, but I couldn't do anything! I'm… I'm in danger! Fluttershy is in danger! I can't protect her, I can't do anything! I-I can't…! I can't…!" His breathing became rapid fire, hitching his chest up and down as if desperate for oxygen, laboring under the weight of his own ribs. With animalistic abandon, Discord writhed, tugging at his tie, his collar, as though their very texture had him in a chokehold.

"Discord." Twilight took a knee - serious, but not unkind. In that moment, whatever Discord was to her on a personal level dissipated like smoke. "I need you to listen to me, and do exactly as I say. Block out everything that's happening."

Discord's squeezed his eyes shut. A bead of sweat trailed down his jawline. "I… I can't-"

"Yes, you can." Twilight affirmed. In the corner of her ear, she dimly heard a charged exchange between Applejack and Rarity. She tried to make herself as big as possible, shielding Discord from the sight of it all. "Just focus on me. Nothing else, just my voice… And you're gonna take in a deep breath. In through the nose for three seconds…" she demonstrated, taking in an inhale with upward sweep of her hand. "… Hold for three seconds… Then…" She blew out the air with a pushing motion. "Out for three seconds… Can you do that?"

After a moment, Discord forced himself into a trembling nod. With some difficulty, he took in a rickety sniff of air, holding it for the allotted time, before cramming it out into a desperate wheeze. Under Twilight's direction, this action was repeated a total of four more times before Discord's hyperventilation evened out. At last, he looked up at her, surprised and a little unsure, as if she'd only just appeared before him.

"Twilight?" He said. "Wh-what…?"

"Fluttershy is fine. Can you stand up?"

"Y-yes… Yes, I… I believe so…"

On legs like gelatin, Discord rose. Twilight allowed him to rest an arm across her back for support. Under normal circumstances, he might've whined goofily, forcing Twilight to all but piggy-back him to safety. But as he was now, he seemed to make a real effort not to loose his footing, his eyes to his loafers like they were at risk of running away without him.

"Easy," Twilight murmured. "Easy now."

"Look out!"

Applejack's voice cut in like an arrow to the gut. Twilight and Discord looked up. In the time of the breathing exercise, the Chimera had snapped the rope, and - figuring Rarity and Applejack as more trouble than they were worth - turned its attention to the easier looking prey on the other side, just as a lion might opt for the gazelle with a lame leg. It charged, pork-smelling steam billowing from the corners of its ragged mouth, tearing through Rarity's desperate shields like nothing; wet tissue, or something even weaker.

A magic, stronger than Generosity… Twilight thought, in that frozen blink of terror. Then, she fell - no, was pushed. A hand shoved against her shoulder like a slap, forcing her forward and then to the ground, just as the Chimera's foot, still braceleted by the corpse of a lasso, came down like a falling house toward Discord.

"NO!" Twilight screamed.

Something hot erupted in Twilight's chest, and for one wild and manic moment, she thought her heart must've exploded. The idea fizzled out as soon as it burst, as the heat rocketed down her arms, spreading into her fingers, before something like an electrical currant zig-zagged out across the floor. Everything that proceeded happened in quick succession, one snap event influencing the next like a Rube Goldberg machine. The strange currant reverberated up and into Discord, he yelled, the shadow of the paw swallowed him whole, there was a blinding spark like the birth of a star… And the Chimera fell onto its side with a heavy, earthquake WHAM!

The offending leg was completely obliterated. Then, blinking away the green spots, Twilight got to her feet. No, it was still alive - screaming and wriggling against the floor like an earthworm - and its leg was still intact. But it was no longer a monstrous pretzel stick. Flopping useless in its place, absurdly small by comparison, was plump, white, and wholly ordinary stalk of -

"Cauliflower?" Discord and Twilight said. She looked over to him. He was still in place, stunned but un-squished, mere feet from the beasty body as it threw its confused fit. Cautiously skirting the length of the remaining legs, Twilight ran back to Discord, clutching at his wrist like a reproachful mother.

"Come on!" She urged.

He was slow to budge. Not out of fear, Twilight saw, but a perplexed fascination. Brow knotted, he stared at the stupid protrusion of cauliflower. Then, with a stumble that fell into a hobbled half-skip, he was made to follow Twilight; her, tugging his arm like a string, him, trailing behind like a dying balloon. And in the face of his unusual silence, a single question pinged crystal through the white noise of Twilight's frenzied brain:

… Did Discord… save me?

Rounding the corner from where the mall turned into the foyer, Sci-Twi and Rainbow appeared, hastily bolting for the food court. All three pairs soon met in the middle, just a few yards away from the Chimera.

"What happened?" Sci-Twi said. She looked over Twilight's shoulder at the monster. "Is it… down?"

"Down, but not out." Applejack asserted. She clicked her tongue, tilting the brim of her hat back by her thumb. "That thing's still squirmin'! … And just what the heck happened to its leg? We thought y'all were gonna be pancaked, then there was this light, and-"

"Worry about that later!" Rainbow snapped. "It's getting' back up!"

Ahead, the Chimera straightened, balancing itself on its leftover legs like an amputated dog: a little unstable at first, but quickly adjusting. Suddenly, the ground began to tremble, but it didn't seem to coincide with the tentative steps of the beast, however big they were. It was drawn out, mounting in sound and intensity, and Twilight could pinpoint its origin with an unpleasant flashback.

"Stampede!" She shouted, and it didn't take long for her to be proven right.

Turning in from the foyer and its entrance, there came a rumbling, grunting swarm of animals: bears, mountain lions, wolves, coyotes, raccoons, and even a few rats, all stampeding across the tile floor in a veritable tidal wave of fur and fangs.

"Gangway!" Fluttershy yelled. She was astride the foremost creature, a black knight of a mountainous black bear, leading the charge like a zoological Joan of Arc. Spike stood atop the forehead, forepaw raised, nose pointed; the figurehead of the ship. The group jumped, backs to the wall as the swarm ran past with a frothy jumble of grunts, barks and squeals. Discord laughed in amazement and triumph: a hearty, guttural "Ha-HA!" spawned by the sheer random havoc of it all. Yep, this flavor of chaos was no doubt right up his alley.

Fluttershy made a last-minute grab for Spike, holding him close as she stood against the back of the bear, and with one swift kick, backflipped up and off, landing with a ballerina's tiptoe tap beside Rainbow. Whether this version of her friend was always this athletic, or it was just another side-benefit to the geodes, Twilight couldn’t say. And frankly, she couldn't even bring herself to contemplate it. She was too preoccupied by the… massacre might've been too strong a word. But how else was one to describe it?

The animals carpeted the legs in grey and brown masses. Looking through the commotion, Twilight could see flashes of teeth, gnawing savagely at the bread, the bare underbelly of meat, crunching away the taco shells… It was almost too grisly to behold, even for a creature made exclusively from processed foods. Eerily, Twilight was reminded of the Parasprites, clouding over Ponyville and gobbling it to the bones.

"Talk about a feedin' frenzy." Rainbow snarked, both impressed and a little horrified.

"Oh no!" Fluttershy squeezed Spike until his eyes threatened to pop from their sockets. "It's still not enough!"

It was true. Even as bites of it were lost, the Chimera rebelled against the swarm. It roared, it shook its wiener head, it stamped its un-cauliflower'd foot, and animals were beginning to drop, whimper, and retreat. One grey wolf the size of a small fridge dangled by the force of its bite into the beast's chin like some absurd goatee. But not even its jaws were enough to withstand the beast's angry shake, and the wolf was thrown off, tearing a sheet of hot dog meat in the process. Luckily, Rainbow was able to dash and catch it before Fluttershy could even finish her gasp.

"Woah, easy there, solider!" Rainbow grinned, cradling the creature. "No casualties on my watch!"

The wolf swallowed its souvenir, administered a grateful lick to Rainbow's cheek, before racing back into the fray. The black bear, assuming the role of general, squared his paws in the face of the Chimera, and with one chest-puffing breath, bellowed a primal roar that would've sent an entire campground running for their cars. Unfortunately, the trick was as affective as a mosquito to a tiger. With a look that seemed to indicate a sense of sneering superiority, the Chimera arched its back until its taco plating began to crack, and screamed directly into the bear; so loud and horrible and reeking of grease that the bear was not only pushed back, but his fur was torn off, flying from the skin in one solid mass like an old jacket. The bear managed to keep his footing, but the moment of victory was quickly squelched as he realized the mortifying truth: he was standing in the middle of battle with his wrinkled pink body on full display, made two sizes smaller by the loss of his fur. He fled the scene, yiping feebly, and not even Fluttershy could call him back.

"Well there goes our heavy." Rainbow whined. "What the heck are we gonna do?"

"I'll tell you what we're gonna do!" Pinkie's voice called out. "We're gonna win!"

Everyone turned. It was Pinkie, through they could only tell by the voice and shoes. Everything else was eclipsed by the arrival of an enormous cake, though calling it enormous felt like an understatement. It was bigger than a wedding cake, bigger than anything Sugar Cube Corner could make with a week's worth of planning, smeared with a hasty coat of pink and green frosting. All twelve of its tiered layers swayed unevenly. Pinkie herself wobbled to keep it from collapsing, catching each violent lean by the skin of her teeth, supporting it by the squishy base with both hands like it were a dinner platter.

"Fluttershy, move your critters!" she said. "Rainbow, I'm about to light this candle, I need you to throw it! Rarity, get ready with the flash dome!"

It was all commanded so quickly, an outsider might not have been able to parse it. But with one look between the cake, and the Chimera, everyone understood.

Fluttershy whistled, waving like a landing marshal for the swarm to disperse. They obeyed, scattering off and putting as much distance between them and the commotion. Rainbow sped over, wrapping her arms around the glowing cake. It'd already begun to twitch and bubble with the threat of explosion. In another few seconds, it was sure to detonate.

"Hot soup!" Rainbow cried, outpacing those precious seconds as she zoomed towards the roaring Chimera. With a grunt, she threw out her arms, the cake flew within an inch of the scarred hot dog face, Rarity and her artist's eye timed it to the very breath of a moment, linking her shields and producing a diamond-studded dome over the monster like an upside down punch bowl, and -

KA-SPLOOEY!

It was a muffled sound, and yet somehow still viscerally wet and loud, as shockwaves jittered out over Twilight and the rest like the feedback of a rock concert. Splats of gooey char, congealed with the saturated icing made for a mud-colored mess, almost coating the entirety of the dome's interior. Rightfully so, Rarity was sickened.

"I'm almost afraid to drop it," she said, her outspread hands quivering.. "It'll be like a garbage tidal wave."

"Take it slow," Sci-Twi said. She raised her own hands, brightened by the sparkles of her levitation magic. "I'll pick up the slack and lower the, uh… leftovers, into a pile."

Rarity complied. With a weary moan, she dissolved the dome little by little. Twilight helped to support the shape of the gunk, pushing it together with auras of purple like the hazy shapes of hands, before smushing it down into a reasonable - if still disgusting - mound like a playground hill.

Rarity swooned, and Applejack was at her back in a blink, catching her under the arms with a relaxed and somewhat amused, "Easy there, girl. You done earned yer beauty nap after a feat like that."

"Oh, it's not the exhaustion," Rarity sighed. She pinched at her nose. "It's the smell!"

Chunks of burnt meat mingled with the gobs of too-sweet frosting and spongey undertones of cake batter. It truly smelled like something had died in the middle of a sweets shop, drifting up from the ugly mound like the air of a city dump.

"Buh-lech!" Pinkie gagged, summing it up rather nicely. "Well, that puts me off my idea for a Barbecue-Black Forest."

"Pinkie-" Applejack hoisted Rarity onto her back. "Just where in tarnation did y'all get that kaiju cake?"

Pinkie shrugged. "Well, y'see, I knew a big bomb called for a big cake. So I popped over to the toy store for their biggest Zippy-Cook Oven and six pounds of cake mix. Of course, I wasn't about to shoplift, even if the store was totally apocalypse-style empty, so I left my money in the till with a nice little note, and set to work!" She looked at the mound with just the smallest trace of disappointment. "I'll admit, it wasn't one of my better frosting jobs, and I'm always a little sad to sacrifice a dessert… But - silver lining - now I got this totally sweet new Zippy-Cook Oven!" From who-knew-where, she produced said oven: a childish block of yellow plastic, no bigger than a toaster, and with no inner workings more extensive than a lightbulb.

"Wait…" Twilight's brow furrowed. "Where's Sunset?"

Now that everything was said and done, Twilight'd suddenly noticed the Sunset-shaped hole in the group.

"Oh, jeez, we almost forgot!" Sci-Twi exclaimed, sharing a look with Rainbow. She rowed her arm. "C'mon, we left her in the back!"

Abandoning the mound with the unspoken promise to come back and dispose of it proper - (Fluttershy bade her animal friends thanks and goodbye, staunchly refusing their wobbly-eyed pleas to eat the remains: "Absolutely not. You'll get a tummy ache!") the gang followed Sci-Twi and Rainbow out of the food court. They lead them past the elevators, past the fountains, to the very tail end of the mall, where the red-lettered EMERGENCY EXIT stood, slightly scuffed by the outpour of escapees. Adjacent to that, there where the restrooms, between which sat a bench. Sunset was laid across it, eyes closed and with a washcloth draped across her forehead. Her face was still, almost unnervingly so.

"Sunset!" Pinkie cried, darting ahead. "What happened? Is she sick? Is she injured? Is she fatigued?"

"Pinkie!" Sunset shot up, and the cloth tumbled to her lap. She winced, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Not so loud - please! I'm alright, my head is just killing me… Ugh, I feel like I got hit by a rock."

Rainbow smiled, swatting Sunset's shoulder in spite of the migraine. "Heh, considerin' how fast you fell, you may as well have."

"Oh goodness, what happened?" Fluttershy asked. "Did someone trip you?"

Sunset shook her head with a sigh. "No, no… It-" she broke off. It was very apparent something even more painful than the headache was weighing on her. Her voice was uncharacteristically hesitant. "… We were… ushering everyone out… Tw - er, Sci-Twi - was helping the folks with wheelchairs and canes, Rainbow was handling the kids, and I was at the door, waving the way… My hand brushed someone's shoulder, and… Guys…" Her eyes flashed panic. "Guys, it was him. Our chaos agent, he was here. When my hand touched his shoulder, it's like he… trigged my power, or something. I wasn't even trying to use it, but before I knew what was going in, I was seeing inside his mind. It was…" She folded hers arms, bracing herself against an unfelt chill. "It was crazy. Even crazier than Pinkie's."

"Yeesh," Pinkie hissed through her teeth. "Now that's scary."

"I didn't see what he looked like," Sunset continued. She looked down, ashamed and shellshocked. "He was right here, and I just let him out the back door. I-I couldn't help it, I got so overwhelmed by the visions, I-I just… collapsed, I couldn’t…"

"Hey, hey…" Fluttershy crouched, setting a hand to Sunset's knee. "No one's blaming you. And now that we know he was here-" she looked up at Discord, smiling. "That means Discord can still find him. I mean, he couldn't have gotten too far, right?"

Sunset looked up at Discord, but her expression was far less encouraging. In fact, she looked downright apologetic, bordering on distraught.

"That's... another thing..." she said slowly. "I… I don't know how to say it, but…"

"What?" Rainbow jumped to the front. "Is there something we're missing? Don't leave us in suspense!"

Sunset took in a breath, stealing herself to say it, and aforementioned suspense was like the world's most awful drumroll.

"When I saw his mind… I saw Discord's face."

Author's Note:

Act Two premiers! Sorry it took so long, some personal issues got in the way. But the dust has (hopefully) settled, and I can wrap up this little saga with the thrilling, chilling, chaos-trilling act three! Coming soon to a site near you~!

Comments

[FanOfMostEverything]

I suspected as much. Who else could create such chaotic catastrophes? (Assuming, of course, that the chaos mage is indeed the local Discord and didn't just pick him out of the crowd.)

Also, excellent scene with the two Twilights. Sometimes self-reflection calls for another instance of yourself, one without the prejudices that are keeping you from seeing the heart of the matter.

Looking forward to the thrilling conclusion.

[Zennistrad]

A lavish ballgown, heavy with lace with sleeves like cotton candy: "Too much!" A severe black dress with a petticoat of silken webs, hemmed by a beaded border of pearly skulls: "Too bleak!" An elaborate cloud of feathers puckering into the curled crook of a stuffed swan's neck, hooked boa-like around Twilight's shoulders: "Too fowl!" A funny miniskirt paired by a sailor-collared top and elbow length gloves: "Too derivative!"

Took me a moment to figure this one out lol.

This really does feel like a lost Equestria Girls special, and I mean that in the best way.