The Harmony War

by Ten Speed

Chapter 5: Trials and Tribulations

“I'm off to Zecora's, I'll see you tonight for the party!” I waved to Pinkie Pie as I left Sugarcube Corner.

“Oh, Twilight! Could you give this invitation to Zecora for me?” Pinkie asked as she zoomed inside and back out with a pink envelope decorated with frills and glitter.

“Sure!” I said smiling. I took the invitation and put it in my saddlebag.

“Thanks!” replied Pinkie as she bounce back inside. I smiled again as I turned to leave. Pinkie Pie certainly had a talent for making ponies smile.

Zecora had promised to let me borrow a book. It was a good excuse to return another book I had been borrowing and bring her something from Sugarcube Corner for her kindness and generosity. I made my way to the edge of town. It was another gorgeous day, the pegasus ponies had done a great job of keeping the sky clear. Soon I was trotting into the treeline of the Everfree forest and thinking about my schedule. “I have an hour once I get to Zecora's then I need to go back to the library and check it of the checklist. I hope Spike has his chores done before I get back.”

I was too preoccupied with my thoughts to notice anything unusual. Unusual for the Everfree Forest anyways.

“When did it get so dark out?” I though to myself. Suddenly I was sprawled across the ground. “OOF! What the?” I asked out loud, “What did I slip on?”

I picked myself up, the blazing orb of the sun was once again high in the sky. I turned my attention to the road only to notice the it had turned to soap. My heart jumped into my throat as I began to panic. “Oh no! This can't be happening! It's not possible!” I exclaimed, the anxiety in my voice rising. A familiar chuckle echoed in my head.

“Not possible? Come now, anything is possible with a little chaos.” a voice pierced my mind. “Oh twilight, I really thought you'd be more happy to see me again. I missed you.”

“Show yourself!” I shouted into the forest.

As though he had next to me the whole time, Discord walked past. “Oh you're not going be like that the whole time are you? I was hoping we could play a little game.” A sly smile crossed his face as he faced me.

“How!? How are you free again?” I demanded.

“That's not what's important right now. What matters is that Ponyville...” he paused before he continued in more sinister voice, “...and your friends need you. You wouldn't want to let them down now would you?”

“My Friends? What did you do to them?” I choked as fear began to overwhelm me.

“You know how this works so I'll get to the point.”

“Here we are we meet again,

now a fate you'll choose for them.

Use their strengths to save them all,

or your friends will surely fall.”

He snapped his fingers and he was gone. “Don't keep me waiting Twilight Sparkle.”

I pushed myself as hard as my legs would carry me and as quickly as the erratic sun and moon would allow. I made it back to the edge of Ponyville in short order reaching Fluttershy's cottage. I paused for a moment to catch my breath before knocking at her door. It was eerily quiet, I knocked but there was no response. I pushed the door open but there no sign Fluttershy was there, not even her bunny Angel was anywhere to be found. My heart sank as fear gripped my mind with the possibilities of what might have happened to her and everypony else.

Without wasting what precious time I might have had I continued into Ponyville. “I might be able to find some answers at the library,” I convinced myself, “It's safe to say Discord has probably already stolen The Elements.”

Running through the streets something occurred to me. “Where is everypony?” I wondered out loud. My muscles burned but I pushed myself harder with renewed urgency. I had to get to the bottom of this. Finally I arrived at my destination.

Everything appeared to be untouched. “I might still have time to figure something out,” I thought. I slowed my gait as I tried to catch my breath.

I was halted in my tracks as Discord suddenly appeared in front of me. Six stone figures behind him. I looked again. Those stone statues were my friends! I gasped at the realization. The absolute terror frozen in their expressions sent chills down my spine.

“Twilight Sparkle, you look surprised,” Discord said folding his arms. His tone darkened as he approached my friends, “Do you have any idea what it's like being encased in stone? I may have said I don't turn ponies to stone but in this case I think I'll make an exception”

I was frozen, I couldn't say anything. All I could manage was utter disbelief.

Discord grinned, “Oh don't worry Twilight, they're quite aware. They can see and hear everything and that's...” he rapped his knuckles on Applejack's head as he leaned on her, “...the honest truth.”

I began to channel a teleportation spell. I needed to get my friends away from him but I never finished. The magic from my spell suddenly faded. My horn! It was gone!

“Uh uh uh. Remember the rules to my game? No magic,” Discord jeered wagging a finger.

“I'm not playing your games! You don't play fair!” I shouted, anger wavering in my voice.

Discord looked down his nose at me as he stretched out his hand summoning an immense hammer. “Refusal could have... dire consequences my dear,” he said with a complete lack of emotion.

Suddenly the hammer was in motion. I could only watch in horror as it made its fatal arc. The shattering pierced my ears but what had really been pierced was my heart. I tried to scream but nothing would come out. I sprinted as fast as I could. Running past and completely ignoring discord I threw myself on the rubble that had been my friend. I buried my head in my hooves as I bawled uncontrollably, the tears soaking the fractured stones.

“Spike! I'm so sorry! I... Oh Celestia why!?” I cried out. I turned to Discord, “Why!? I demanded, as I wiped the tears streaming from my face. “Spike never did anything to deserve this!” I felt sick, the whole world was spinning around me. He was my first friend and, until I came to Ponyville, my only friend.

“Consider it a warning shot,” Discord replied inspecting his claws before facing me. “Now that you understand that your friends lives depend on you playing my game I think we can begin, don't you?”

I didn't want to agree but he was right, at least we would still have a chance to use The Elements. I sniffed as I continued to wipe away the tears. I couldn't trust him, and I fully anticipated he would cheat. Anything he had in mind was designed for me to fail but I had to try for my friends sake. “Where do we start?” I asked shakily.

Discords face lit up, “I thought you'd never ask! Now let's see...” He pondered stroking his beard. “Aahh yes, the brash Rainbow Dash. Her ambition drives to always be first. Let's start with her.”

“What do you mean?” I asked baffled.

“I have a series of trials, one designed for each pony. It's up to you to complete them. Succeed and I will release your friend” Discord began to explain. “Now back to Rainbow Dash. She's famed for her speed and agility, you're going to have to match that if you hope to rescue her.”

“I don't understand. These tests don't have anything to do with The Elements of Harmony?” I asked perplexed.

Discord sighed, “Ugh, that's so predictable... and boring. Don't worry, you'll get an explanation before each round of our little game.” As he talked he covered my eyes with his paws and when he removed them I was in corridor, hedges on either side seeming to touch the sky. He was lounging on a cloud with a bucket of popcorn. “Now, this is just a simple obstacle course. There is one hurdle you must clear before reaching the finish line.”

“That's it?” I was skeptical.

“That's it,” Discord replied.

“It can't be that simple. What isn't he telling me? What am I racing against?” I asked myself.

In any case I didn't have much choice. I just remember, slow and steady wins the race. Just like the Running of the Leaves. OK I placed fifth but it was still a sound strategy. If I didn't rush I would be able to avoid any traps he had hidden. Besides this was much shorter.

“Oh, one teensy little detail I forgot to mention...” Discord smiled in his hubris. His curved fang accenting his dark intentions. “I almost forgot to mention that in this little trial of speed and agility you will have an opponent.”

I knew it. “Who? There's nopony here.” I had a sinking feeling and I started to feel sick again.

“Why Rainbow Dash of course. She is after all, “The greatest flyer to ever come out of Cloudsdale.”” He snapped his fingers and in the blink of an eye Rainbow Dash was suspended high above us. “You'll want to reach the finish line before she does if you want to catch her... Best of luck... Twilight Sparkle.”

With that Rainbow begun plummeting from the sky. It would have been ironic that she was frozen stretched out in flight if it hadn't been for how dire the situation was. I lunged forward, my muscles strained as I sprinted as fast as I could. “Almost to the first, and “only” obstacle,” I thought trying to reassure myself. It seemed like just a simple hurdle. I jumped. WHAM! A tree sprouted instantly leaving me completely helpless as I dove into it head first. I staggered as I battled to get my hooves under me. My head was throbbing and blood cascaded from my nose.

“This is hardly the time to be napping in a tree don't you think?” Discord mocked, flicking a piece of popcorn into his mouth.

I ignored his jabs as I took off again. I'd lost too much precious time. My vision was blurred after being blindsided and I almost ran headlong into the hurdle but managed to clear it this time. I needed to be vigilant for any other surprises.

This time I saw it. Another tree, I dodged right only to halted by enormous vines shooting out from the hedges on either side. I had no option but to crawl under, over, and between the brambles that were rapidly constricting the path. I was never an athlete. Not like Rainbow or Applejack. I scrambled to overcome the obstacles, becoming more desperate with each second that passed. I tore against the restrictive vines. They scraped and ripped at my body until they halted my progress completely. I looked on helplessly just shy of the finish line as Rainbows form cratered into the earth.

My body went limp and the vines released me as I slumped to the ground. I didn't want to look but I couldn't turn away. All that remained was a small crater littered with small stones and pebbles, a solitary wing jutted from its center. I wanted to cry but I was too exhausted. I was drenched in sweat trying to catch my breath. This couldn't be possible, not like this. This was a nightmare and I was desperate to wake up.

“A valiant effort Twilight, but it appears you weren't cut out for racing,” Discord stated flatly dismissing the events that had just unfolded.

The hedges that towered above me sunk into the ground.

“Lets try something more your speed shall we?” asked Discord, feeding off my misery.

I had no response, no angry retort, only my grief and disbelief.

“The “Beautiful Rarity” always had a discerning eye and you share a knack for attention to detail yourself. This next one should be easy for you,” he said as he conjured a curtain from thin air and pulled it away revealing three identical statues. Each a stone effigy of Rarity. “Now all you have to do is decide which is the genuine article and which ponies are phonies,” he smirked overly pleased with himself.

I slowly rose on all four hooves, I was numb. I had never felt anything like this before. What was I suppose to do?

I trudged over to the three statues of Rarity's likeness. I merely stared blankly at them until prompted by Discord. “If you're attempting to have a staring contest I can assure that it will be a fruitless endeavor.”

I tried to push what happened to Rainbow out of my thoughts. I couldn't let it happen to anypony else, I wouldn't be able to take it. I needed to concentrate.

I began to scrutinize the three silent gray figures in front of me. The first one was obvious, as though Discord didn't even try. “That's not her cutie mark... What is that even suppose to be?” I puzzled. It looked like... marshmallows? It didn't make sense.

I turned my focus to the remaining two. These were much more difficult. I wore out a circle in the ground around them as I struggled to find something, anything out of place. I slumped to my haunches after I had made back in front of them.

“You're starting to bore me Twilight. If you don't choose, I'll choose for you, and I assure that you won't like my choice.” Discord said becoming annoyed with my lack of progress.

I doubled my efforts scanning for any imperfection I could possibly find.

“That's it! Her eyes!” I gasped. “Something had been bugging me about them and now I see it!”

“And what, pray tell, is that?” Discord grinned skeptically.

“The eyelashes are wrong on this one!” I shouted pointing to the one the left. “The real Rarity is in the center!”

“Wrong!” Discord interjected poking my nose with his talon.

“Wrong!? That's impossible! No! No, no, no, no, no!” I scolded myself.

Discord placed his arm around me. We were on a train now watching other ponies. Those ponies were my friends! It was our trip to Canterlot for the desert competition!

Discord led me to a portrait on the wall. “If you recall, this was the day you learned that the fair Rarity wears false eyelashes,” Discord gloated. A snap of his fingers and we were back in Ponyville.

How could I have forgotten!? Now I've let rarity down too. What was he going to do to her?

“Look out! Here comes Tom!”

I wheeled around and there was Discord flipping a small pebble and catching it in his paw. He suddenly let it loose. I had to stop it. I ran to intercept it but it began to accelerate and grow in size. It was enormous now, I had no hope of stopping it and dove from its path as it careened past. I turned my head just in time to see it bowl into Rarity and her duplicates. For the third time that day I was crushed and my heart broke. I laid there and wept, salty tears stinging the cuts in my cheeks. I didn't want to get up.

“Aah, such supposition Twilight, I really expected better of you,” said Discord. His words stung, rubbing salt in my wounds. He was now resting his elbow on my head and jabbing his lion paw into my ribs. “You better pick up the pace or there won't be anypony left for you to save.”

I was too empty to give any response. I couldn't do this anymore. “Oh Celestia, let it end. Make this madness stop.”

“Awww Twilight, you look glum. Pinkie Pie always had a penchant for cheering up sad ponies,” Discord said breaking the silence. He was relentless. “Maybe she can turn that frown upside down... I'm afraid she won't be the life of this party however so it will be up to you keep things entertaining.”

What sadistic thing did he have in mind? What could he possibly conjure up to perpetuate my misery? I didn't even want to fathom the cruelty he had planned.

“Over here Twilight Sparkle. You wouldn't want to be rude to your guests now would you?” Discord called bringing my attention to table that had been set.

A bucket of turnips, a sack of flower, a pile of rocks, and a giant ball of lint were all adorned with party hats and seated at the table. Dozens of balloons decorated the chairs that had been set. I was completely baffled by the scene before me. At one end of the table stood Pinkie's statue motionless, ominous.

“Well we can't start without you Twilight, take a seat,” Discord encouraged me as he pulled out a chair on the vacant end of the table I reviled his persistence to continue.

I slowly trudged to the table and cast a weary eye over the supposed “guests” and Pinkie Pie opposite me. I eased into the chair anticipating something to happen, anything, but there was nothing to break the tension hanging in the air. I sat uneasily on the edge of my seat and began to wipe away some of the dried blood on the end of my nose when a flash spurred me from it.

“You're awfully jumpy Twilight, you should try and relax. It is a party after all,” Discord said with feigned sincerity, “and it wouldn't be a party without a cake. All you need to do is serve your guests.”

I sat in quiet protest and glared at him, unmoving.

“Don't forget what happens if you refuse my little game,” he said trumping my obstinance. I winced at the reminder.

Grudgingly I rose from my seat and began to make my way around the table placing a slice of cake in front of each object seated at it. “This is utterly pointless,” I told myself as I passed Pinkie at the end and made my way up the other side. The suspense was thick enough I could have cut it with a knife, but yet again nothing happened as I served the final “guest” and made my way back to my seat. The “party” was driving me to the brink of insanity.

Just as I sat down Discord broke the silence that had been building. “I hope you brought your umbrella. It seems the party has been canceled on account of rain!”

It rained everything imaginable, an anvil being the first object to fall from the sky and crash through the table. The sudden surprise caused me to nearly jump out of my skin as I fell backwards out of my chair. I landed on my back knocking the wind out of me. I looked up at just the right moment to find a flower pot on a collision course with my face. I rolled to the side just in time as it smashed into the ground. As I jumped to my hooves I tried to find Pinkie Pie through the collage of balloons that had been set free and were now obscuring my view.

After a brief moment of searching I found her still standing and unscathed. I had to get her to cover but where and how? I dove under her and stood up so that she was straddled across my back. She was much heavier than she would have normally been and slowed me down a great deal as I began the search for shelter.

“Hold on Pinkie,” I whispered, more so to reassure myself than my charge.

Pinkie teetered side to side, the awkward load slowed my pace further. I tried to watch the sky through the wall of balloons. Objects fell all around us; a piano, a wagon, hay bales, bricks... everything to include the kitchen sink. Fatigue was setting in as I dodged the falling debris. I kept my eyes on the sky, another volley was plummeting through the veil of balloons.

Breaking its way through was an enormous safe. Focusing on it as it's shadow loomed over me I failed to see what was in front of me. My attention was brought back to the ground as I collided with something in my path. There I found myself staring down the barrel of a cannon. Pinkie's cannon. The fuse was lit and instinctively I ducked stranding Pinkie Pie who was frozen upright directly in its line of fire. It only took a moment for me to realize what I had done but it was too late. I tried to rise only to be knocked down by the concussive force of the ordnance that had been fired.

Scintillating shards of stone showered down, burying me in the refuse. My eyes clamped shut as I began to cry again, knowing full well what had just happened. The shadow from the safe grew darker as it neared and I didn't wish to escape it.

It never came. I looked up through my swollen eyes and to find a clear sky and everything that had previously fallen cleared away as though it had never happened. I reluctantly pushed my exhausted body to stand, dust shaking itself from my back. One final look down at what remained of my always joyful and exuberant friend, I was haunted by the piece of her face that seemed to be staring back at me... accusing me...

“I don't know... what to do Pinkie... Please...” I cried biting my lip.

“It must be hard... all these ponies relying on you and you haven't managed to save a single one! The dependable Applejack rarely lets a pony down, and now she finds herself in the unusual position of depending on you...” Discord said with feigned pity. He was supremely pleased with his cleverness. “Given your performance thus far she must be awfully concerned now that she finds herself as the damsel in distress.”

A clatter came from down the street, faint at first but it quickly grew louder. I tried to see what was causing the clatter of steel when the sound finally rounded the corner of the buildings. I watched puzzled as the railroad seemed to be rebuilding its self carving a path straight through town.

“Oh Celestia no. Don't let this be what I think it is.” My mind began to conjure dozens of scenarios as to why Discord would move the railroad.

Eventually the tracks ended at the front door to my library. It didn't make sense at first but Discord grabbed a paint brush and a bucket of paint out of the air and painted the door black. I stared at the door for moment. No, it wasn't a door anymore it was a tunnel! I could see a faint light deep within and the faint chug of a locomotive. My eyes followed the tracks it was bound to and there I found Applejack tied to them in a tangled mess of rope.

“You'd better hope you're as handy with rope as your farmer friend,” Discord said, devoid of any emotion.

I staggered to the clump of ropes that were smothering AJ, still trying to recover from the vertigo caused by the cannon blast. I began to tear at the knots with my teeth when I noticed a sheared railroad spike just to the left. It's had a jagged edge on one side, just enough to be useful, or so I thought. I began to hack at the ropes with it but it wouldn't cut! I sawed frantically but I might as well been using a stick of butter as the spike I had thought would be my salvation turned into unrecognizable black mush.

“That would be cheating,” Discord chided.

I had lost valuable time, and the train was only getting louder. I could feel the vibrations in the track intensify as I tried to undo the bindings with a sense of urgency.

“Only a few ropes left!” I thought to myself. It was then I made an unforgivable error. I turned around to see just how close the train had gotten. It was only seconds away. In a last ditch effort I tried to pull Applejack off the tracks hoping against hope that just by some miracle the ropes might come free. They did not. My grip failed and I fell backwards off the tracks just the train zoomed past and collided with AJ's defenseless statuette.

Suddenly I was violently jerked by a back hoof as the train began to come to a screeching halt. A loop of rope had snagged my leg and drug me at the mercy of the juggernaut locomotive. As the train made the corner into town the roped pulled me under the cars and but by the grace of Celestia I narrowly missed the wheels. The rope that had tethered me to the careening locomotive had finally been severed by the immense wheels as they ran it over, leaving me at the mercy of my own momentum as I tumbled out the back.

As I slammed to a halt a searing pain shot through me just above my left eye. Rivulets of blood streamed down my face forcing me to clench my eye shut. My hoof went to my brow to try and wipe away the blood but it pointless to do so. With my good eye, I inspected the object I had collided with. It was Applejack's hat... it had also been petrified and was sticking vertically out of the ground in the middle of the tracks. My blood stained the brim where it had gashed my head. Dread washed over me seeing that hat anywhere but planted firmly atop AJ's head.

The Train had finally rolled to a stop. I put a shaky, bloody hoof out and gingerly touched the stone stetson rising from the ground like a gravestone. “Forgive me Applejack...” I wept. More tears filled my already swollen eyes as they mixed with the blood trickling down my face.. My stomach churned and felt like it was eating itself.

I granted myself a fleeting reprisal and laid down burying my face in my hooves. Anything to stop this dizzying world from spinning. Never in my worst nightmares would I have imagined anything like this to be possible and the worst part of it all was it wasn't over yet.

““Knot” so good with knots are you?” Discord laughed at his own joke. I had long since tuned him out.

I lifted my head and the back of the train came into view. Something was unusual about it, something about that last car as Discord hovered next to it. The door wasn't a door in the normal sense, or like one I would expect to see. It was a heavy wrought iron gate. I could only imagine what purpose it served as the never ending roller
coaster of dashed hope and heartbreak weighed heavily on my chest.

“Fluttershy had so many delightful critters at her cottage and I simply couldn't leave them unattended, so I thought why not bring them here!” Discord said stretching an arm out to lean against the caboose. “Of course seeing as she's indisposed at the moment there simply isn't another pony to soothe these poor creatures,” he lamented as he raise his free hand to his brow exaggerating a faint. “Seeing as your such a “good friend” you wouldn't mind looking after them for her would you?”

He had moved to the heavy iron latch of the portcullis. He fondled it, flipping the latch with his hand as he watched me expecting some reply or protest.

“Please... stop...” I begged weakly as I stretched a feeble hoof in his direction. “Please end this...” I was desperate for the torment to stop, for some small shred of mercy. To be put out of my misery.

“It will end all in good time, one way or another. In the mean time I suggest you keep your eye on the prize,” Discord said denying my request. His tone almost sounded encouraging, like he wanted me to succeed but his ploy was thinly veiled.

With a flick of Discord's wrist the doors of the colossal kennel swung open and critters of all kinds, sizes, and colors poured out. Angel on his long spindly was leading the pack. Once again I found myself at a loss as to how to deal with the situation. They barreled towards us seemingly oblivious to Fluttershy and I in their path. I began to beg and plead for them to stop or go around or anything.

“Angel! You have to stop! PLEASE!” I begged but my words fell on deaf ears. I summoned whatever shred of energy I could command and hobbled towards Fluttershy to intercept the herd. I braced myself only a few feet in front of Fluttershy. There was no other choice I could think of. I threw myself into them as began to thunder past. I couldn't afford finesse anymore. I pushed and shoved and kicked exerting every once of strength I could muster until I was overwhelmed and, for the second time in my life, trampled under hoof and paw by the multitude of creatures.

The beating was over but I was too battered to stand up. I couldn't even manage to lift my head off the ground and could only lay there in the mud, the blood, and the dust. Squinting through puffy eyes I found Fluttershy. She was OK! I couldn't believe it! A butterfly landed delicately on her nose and I allowed myself a faint smile. “At least I saved somepony...”

The butterfly that had perched itself on Fluttershy's muzzle began to beat its vibrant pink wings. As it took off I watched in horror as Fluttershy turned to dust and began to blow away in the breeze. I tried to get up. I wanted nothing more at that moment than to go to her and embrace before she was gone, but my body had betrayed me and wouldn't obey. I laid there utterly helpless while Fluttershy was reduced to nothing more than a small pile of ashes. I had no more tears left to give. I closed my eyes. I had failed them all.

“Oh my, how ironic is that!” Discord cried ecstatically. With a snap of his fingers he returned my horn. “You managed to fend off a stampede but failed to defend her from the most delicate of creatures. That is rich! Wonderful!” he exclaimed with great relish as he rolled on the ground in laughter clutching his sides.

Something in me snapped. A new emotion, what was it? Anger? No. Rage? No, not rage. HATE! IT WAS HATE! I HATED DISCORD! My horn began to draw magic as though it had a will of its own. I'd never felt so much power, it was terrifying. At the same time it felt incredible, exhilarating, like new life had been breathed into me. I tingled with both fear and excitement. This power, I was going to use it to destroy Discord! I felt my body leave the ground, I was levitating. My eyes glowed, burning brighter than the sun yet blacker than the night.

“I HATE YOU!” I screamed with every fiber of my being.

Before I could unleash the awesome magic I had gathered, I was stopped short. Discord had grabbed my horn in his vile paw and I felt all the energy of that spell being forced back into me. The pain was indscribable. I clenched my teeth as I fought through the agony. I resisted and strained to unleash that power but it was like trying to defy a tsunami as the current grew stronger.

“Aren't we just a little bundle of entropy?” he snarled as he tightened his grip. “Come now, don't think I forgot about your element Twilight... The most elusive and dangerous of all...”

The pressure that had been building inside of me finally had nowhere to go. A violent eruption of unstable magic separated us and sent me cartwheeling through the air. I hit ground with an audible thud and a crack. Pain shot through my chest forcing me to gasp for air sending another jolt of pain through my sides. The landing had broken my ribs and all I could manage were short, raspy breaths. Next to me was a small fractured purple stone. Some how it seemed familiar. It was then I realized it wasn't a stone it was my horn! Another gasp at this revelation sent me writhing in agony.

I had never felt so cold, it felt like dying. A part of me was hoping to could join in my friends fate. I couldn't stand the thought of them being gone forever. Another deep pain in my chest interrupted my thoughts. It refused to subside and felt like something was being ripped out of me. Just when I thought I couldn't bear it any longer a small orb of white light emerged from my chest. I saw five identical orbs rise from the refuse and debris where my friends had fallen. Simultaneously they rocketed into the sky and out of sight. Another wave of cold washed over me, the blood freezing in my veins. I watched, detached, as my coat dulled into a familiar gray.

“YES!” Discord celebrated pumping his arm in the air. “With the bearers of The Elements defeated and no suitable pony left to possess them they're gone for good! How delightful, I'm in stitches!” he roared with laughter. “Harmony is officially and literally dead!”

“DISCORD!” A voice thundered from overhead interrupting his celebration. I turned my gaze to the sky and watched as the winged silhouette descended.

“Aah! Princess Luna, punctual as always,” Discord said expectantly.

“THOU SHALL BRING NO FURTHER HARM TO TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” Princess Luna boomed as she landed. She planter her hooves in the ground and flared her wings menacingly.

“Yetch, gag. Still fond of the Canterlot royal voice I see,” Discord replied in disgust pointing a finger down his throat and rolling his eyes.

“THOU WILL REGRET...” Luna was interrupted as Discord snapped his finger, a zipper across her mouth silenced her. Pulling the gag from her mouth she continued, “DO NOT TRIFLE WITH US! WE HAVE NOT COME FOR GAMES!”

Discord wound up and pitched. A steel plate hitting its mark, riveting Luna's mouth shut. She attempted vainly to pull it away like she had before.

“Come now, must you keep yelling?” Discord asked rhetorically as he strode her. “Remember I'm the one who made you Nightmare Moon! I sewed the seeds of resentment between you and Celestia.”

Luna clenched her eyes shut and her horn radiated a ghostly hue as she dispelled the magic that had rendered her unable to speak. She cast Discord a look that could turn a pony to stone. “THOU'S TREACHERY WILL NOT WORK ON US AGAIN!”

“Perhaps not,” Discord contemplated. “However... I know something that will... Something you should be quite familiar with.” Discord's musing took a sadistic turn as he rubbed his paws together. “As Nightmare Moon you could be useful but frank my dear, there's only room for one on “Team Discord”. And the royal voice really is too much, you could stand to mellow a bit and I know just the place...”

A maelstrom ripped open behind Princess Luna. “I think another thousand years on the moon will help you loosen up,” Discord said as he lowered himself to meet Luna at eye level and cradling her chin.

“NO! NEVER! WE WILL NEVER AGAIN SUFFER THAT SOLITUDE!” Luna beat her wings furiously as she was slowly pulled towards the vortex. “NO!” She tried to teleport but her magic had been nullified and only served as wasted effort. She dug her hooves into the ground but her efforts were to no avail leaving a trail in the soft dirt as she skidded backwards. Luna was on the precipice of being consumed by the raging torrent as she made one last desperate plea, “NO! I WO...”

The portal collapsed and Princess Luna was gone.

“HAHAHA! If only you could have seen the look on your face!” Discord said roared wiping a tear from his eye.

Suddenly a form was standing over me blocking out the sun. I didn't bother to see who or what it was. I didn't care, I didn't have anything worth living or fighting for anymore. Discord's next words alerted me as to who it was but It didn't matter to me anymore.

“Oh, Celestia! How delightful of you to join us! I'm sorry but it seems you've missed all the festivities!” Discord's greeting was cynical and paltry.

“Enough Discord! This has gone too far!” Warned Princess Celestia sternly.

“Says the tyrant who's ruled over Equestria for the last thousand years,” he retorted folding his arms across his chest.

“I'm taking Twilight Sparkle and leaving. You won't stop us,” Celestia said, her tone resolute.

“I wouldn't dream of it Princess, in fact that's the point.” Discord's lips curled in a nefarious smile.

Next I felt a gentle muzzle against my cheek, much like a mother with her foal. My hair pricked up as energy filled the air and in a burst of white candescence we were away from that unholy place.

“stay with me my student,” Celestia's gentle voice cooed. Whatever she said next was unintelligible as the world went dark and I slipped into unconsciousness.