The Reign of the moon

by Fluttering_Ashes

Lyra's Kingdom: A Discord Story

Author's Note:

Hey guys, couple of things. I have absolutely no excuse for not being here as often as I should. Things got in the way, and I just sort of forgot about my own stories on fim fiction for while. But I'm back now and I'll be having a lot more free time! As a way to apologize for my absence though, hows about a bonus chapter of reign of the moon! The spaces between the start of season 1 and the end of season 4 I'll leave up to interpretation but there are a few things I have to expand upon. Since Discord became Luna's friend he helped her uncover the plunder seeds he had planted, so the Tree of Harmony is still quite strong despite the elements not being in it. It'll last a few more centuries at the most without the elements. Thats really the biggest thing but a few other nagging questions in the back of the mind I feel I have to answer. Cadence is still married to Shinning Armor (though I was tempted to have a brief scene involving a pony named "Guyra"), Gossamer did help the Crystal empire in a similar way to Spike, and she similarly got a statue because of it, though she took it far less well than Spike. I might write that story some other time if theres enough demand. But anywho, enjoy the story, and for those who like my other story Maiara and Discovery, the update is coming and will be out sunday at the latest! Thanks for stickin' with me!

A lone unicorn walked through the foggy city streets at night, a slight tingle running up his spine alerting him that he was being watched. He paused, a gentle clip clop of hooves stopping just a second too late to be his. He turned around, and found...just a tin can. Letting out a sigh he turned back towards his path, only to bump into somepony else, wearing a hooded cloak.The other pony was breathing hard, his breath coming out in soft little puffs in the cool air. The unicorn let out a nervous chuckle. “Very sorry, heh...you came out of no where!”

The other figure didn’t speak at first, letting the silence drag ever so slightly before he spoke “Is he friend or is he foe, the pony wonders. I can assure you...I am no friend.” With a hiss and a strangled cry the pony was left on the cobblestone path, his eyes grayed, his cutie mark completely gone.

“Ah!” Luna cried, sitting bolt upright in bed at precisely the same moment as Celestia. The two, upon Luna’s insistence, had shared one of the royal suites within the Crystal Palace during the proceedings after the Equestria games. Discord had taken the opportunity to invite himself and make the whole thing the most stereotypical sleepover ever. Discord glanced up from his magazine, a green mudmask still spread across his face, a cucumber slice over one eye.
“You both felt that too huh?” He asks, his voice oddly...bored.
“W-what was that? I had the most awful d-dream” Squeaked Celestia, quickly ripping the curler out of her mane
“It was no mere dream, sister...you know that as well as I.” Said the younger, gently placing her hoof on her sister’s shoulder. The two were almost equal in height now, Celestia’s recent growth spurts making her quite a bit taller than she had been when the Elements had ripped her free from her corrupted state.
“We must act quickly” Luna continued gravely. “The longer we wait...the stronger he gets.”

A meeting was called between the four princesses to discuss the newest threat to Equestria. Lyra, for her part, was torn between excitement and irritation. True this could be her big chance to prove herself as a princess, but at the same time it wasn’t exactly something she hadn’t done before. Luna and Celestia explained the situation, explained how Tirek had been banished to Tartarus, and his escape.
“Well.” Cadence began “I seem to know of one pony who would be more than happy to track do-”

“No, Dearest Niece” Luna said gently, Lyra’s heart sinking as she heard this. “We have someone else in mind to take on this mission”

“Oh oh that’s my cue isn’t it?” Discord’s voice echoed through the room before he appeared next to Luna, wearing a military style plinth helmet, a rubber chicken strapped to hip. “Captain Discord reporting for duty ma’am!” He saluted, his claw sinking into whatever doughy substance his helmet was made out of.
“Sister...you cannot be serious” Celestia gasped
“Trust him? With an important mission? We’ll be lucky if we survive!” Lyra added
“Ladies...may I remind you that as the spirit of chaos Discord can sense any sort of magical imbalance?” Luna asked flatly. The other princesses shifted a little uneasily in their seats. “And may I also remind you that Discord has been my friend for over eighty five decades and has kept me from killing stuck up council ponies and idiotic parents more times that I can count?”
“Eight thousand, nine hundred, and seventy nine times” Discord added brightly.
“Yes quite...He’s proven his loyalty, and he’s more than capable. The matter is closed.” She turned to Discord, who was busy turning his helmet into a fez.
“Discord, we’re going to need you to find Tirek the moment he saps another pony of their magic, and bring him back here” Discord quietly put the fez back atop his head “Are you quite sure that’s a good idea? I mean there’s nothing to stop him-” Discord began, only for the lunar princess to cut him off.
“Discord this is important, we need to keep the destruction he’d cause to a minimum! We can’t have him destroying anything or killing anypony! Do you understand?”

Discord frowns but nods “I understand…” He was about to say more when Cadence took notice of his headwear.

“...What in the name of sanity is that on your head?”

“It’s a fez, I wear a fez now. Fezes are cool” The fez was immediately tossed into the air by Lyra and vaporized by Cadence.

Another dark alleyway, and another unicorn falling to the ground. Tirek grinned and flexed his clawed fingers. Oh the power...it felt amazing. His eyes fell on another unicorn, it’s back to him. Wonderful, at this rate Equestria would be his in-
“Tirek, I presume” The unicorn had turned to face him, his head morphing into that of the snaggle toothed, mish mashed face of the Spirit of Chaos. Tirek frowned, squinting ever so slightly “Discord...you are free?”

Discord’s body changed in a flash, becoming a large beaked bird standing on a stand. “As a bird!”

“I commend you on your escape” Tirek responds, bowing low as Discord scratched his beak. “I’m afraid the feeling isn’t mutual.” He responded, snapping his fingers as he changed back, a set of manacles snapping into place around Tirek’s wrists. The centaur growled and tried to blast Discord with the little magic he had accumulated, only for Discord to dodge it. “I should’ve known you’d want to have Equestria all to yourself” Tirek grumbled
“Oh I’m not doing this for me!” Discord responded happily “I’m doing this for my friends!” He then got really close to Tirek “Just between you and me, it’s mostly for Luna!”
“Luna? You’re not saying you’re friends with the Princess that imprisoned you, are you?”

“I know!” Discord snickered “Life’s funny that way, right? One day it’s ‘Discord stop making Equestria all Crazy!’ next it’s ‘Discord, did you at least take pictures when you turned my sister’s coat pink?’”
“Hmmm…” Tirek mused “I’m just surprised someone with your intellect doesn’t see the facts here. You just don’t seem to see that this...friendship is just another form of imprisonment. You clearly have to abandon your true nature just to stay in your princess’s good graces”

Discord pouted childishly “Nu uh! I’ve done nothing of the sort!”
“Oh please, I’ve seen this before!” Tirek responded as Discord’s lip began to quiver. “But he was always weak minded. You are Discord, you are legend! You cannot fall into the same trap as my poor brother. Join me Discord! Help me to grow strong and be rewarded!”

“And what could you possibly offer me that Luna can’t!” Discord asked with a quirked brow.

“Freedom” Tirek responds, a grin slowly spreading across his face “When I have stripped these ponies of their magic, nothing would make me happier than to see their precious little world turned upside down. Who better to do so than the Lord of Chaos himself? Unless of course...Princess’s lapdog is the role you always aspired to in this life” Discord frowned, glancing at a picture of himself and Luna at the April Foal’s day carnival about half a century earlier. Slowly Discord raised his claw. He snapped his talons once...and the chains fell away from Tirek’s arms. A grin spread over his face. “That was almost too easy” He thought.

“No! He couldn’t have!” Luna cried as the report came in. Discord wearing a magician’s outfit, helping Tirek steal a whole blessing’s magic, Tirek himself growing monstrous on a diet of pure magic. His form restored, and his powers starting to regain their former nightmarish qualities. He had begun to steal earth pony strength and pegasus flight. But the worst, for Luna at least, was the betrayal of the Draceques that she had counted as her friend for almost a thousand years. Celestia comforted her as best she could
“Sister…” Whispered Celestia to the sniffling alicorn. “We have to give Lyra a fighting chance…” Luna blew her nose loudly into a hoofkerchief sucked down a shuttering breath, and nodded. “Send...send her the summons”

Hours later Discord felt the most tremendous of shudders going down his spine, cutting like daggers right into his heart. “T-that can’t be right” He mutters as Tirek lets the earth pony he was draining fall to the ground.
“What can’t be right?” Growled the centaur.

“N-nothing...that was the last one right? All that’s left is Ponyville and Canterlot?”

Tirek smirked “Ah, yes. What say you we pay your precious pony princess a visit”

Discord nodded, snapping his fingers, the two disappearing and reappearing just outside Canterlot’s gates.
“I’ll leave this to you, and I’ll go secure the throne room.” Discord said brightly, leaving Tirek to feed and heading for the castle proper, dreading what he might find in there. “Oh please don’t be dead...please, oh please, don’t be dead!” He whispered as he made his way inside. The three princesses were sitting stoically in their thrones. Luna set her eyes down on Discord, her glare hot enough to melt stone.
“You were my best friend… I hope you’re proud of yourself.” Before Discord could reply the doors were thrown open and Tirek marched in.

“Hmm...you made them sit and behave. I have to admit I expected more fighting and screaming.” Discord bowed low, backing away from the three thrones as Tirek grabbed Luna by the throat. He opened his mouth, attempting to rip her magic from her...only to find nothing. He blinks, and tries with Celestia, then Cadence. “What have you done? Where is your magic!” Luna simply grinned before being tossed back across the throne room, landing in a heap with her sister and niece.
“Hmph...Discord, you know the Princesses...where would she store her magic?”
“If I would have to hazard a guess...” Discord said slyly, twirling a finger through his beard
“Discord no!” Luna cried.

“I’d have to say it’d be with her dear student, Princess Heartstrings. She lives in a library in Ponyville” Tirek’s grin widened as Luna’s face fell.

“Discord, in honor of our partnership and as a sign of my loyalty, I want you to have something.” Tirek removed his necklace and held it out to Discord “This was given to me by someone very close to me, I want you to have it.” Discord beams and accepts the necklace.
“Give my regards” Tirek said, turning to face Luna and the other princesses “To Cerberus” The three suddenly found their bodies wrapped in chains, they were thrown into a portal one after another, Luna the last to go, tears starting to form in her eyes as she stares at her former friend.
Discord swallowed a lump in his throat as the portal closed. He shook himself and sighed. “Ponyville?” He asked Tirek.
“Ponyville”

The village was quiet, nopony had dared to leave their house save for five very familiar little ponies. “Discord!” Screwball squealed, running over to the Chaotic trickster. “Are you here for our end of the world party?”

“Of course Screwy! I brought sandwiches!...I suspect they’ll be the last meal good meal you’ll be eating for a long time.” She and the other element bearers suddenly found themselves in a cage as Tirek approached. “This is all of them?” He asked with a growl.

‘Yup! Even got her lil Flutterpony too!” Gossamer buzzed indignantly inside the large glass jar Discord had placed her in.
“Why?” Derpy whimpered, clutching onto Bon Bon.
“Why? Because Tirek offered me so much more than just one day of fun a year! Surely you saw this coming?”

“I didn’t” Screwball said slowly, her mane starting to straighten out “I really didn’t”
The cage slowly lifted as a ball formed between Tirek’s horns.
Discord sighed and politely looked away as Tirek drained each pony of their magic, flight, and strength respectively, the new found strength causing Tirek to grow an additional 5 feet.
“You really think she’d do anything for them?” Tirek asked.
“But of course! If Lyra’s friends are in danger she’d do just about anything to get them back! And once you defeat her the world will be ours!”

“Who said anything about, ours?” Tirek asked suddenly, his eyes glinting.

“You did…” Discord responded in barely a squeak as an orange glow surrounded him, preventing his escape and lifting him from the ground.
“You helped me grow stronger, and you provided the means from which I can take Princess Lyra’s magic...and now you are no longer of any use to me” Discord screamed as his own brand of magic, his very essence was sucked from his body, his eyes rolling back as the pain of it all dragged on for what seemed like days...then his body fell into the dirt. “But...but you said...you gave me this” He held the necklace up “You said it was given to you by...by someone-”
“My brother.” Tirek responded coldly “It’s as worthless as he is!”

Tirek began to stomp away, draining the towns ponies of magic as he passed every house.
“Surely you saw this coming” Bon bon responded with cold snark from within the cage.

Discord moped for a moment before suddenly brightening “As a matter of fact” He said, reaching into the little tuft on the tip of his tail, and pulling out a tiny purple crystal. “I was counting on it.” He said mischievously.He popped the crystal into his mouth, cracked it open, and sighed.
“Oh thank goodness, just enough.”
“Hey!” Screw ball shouted “What the heck’s goin’ on here!”

“Screwy, Screwy” Discord chidded gently as he raised his talon “Haven’t you ever heard of an inside job?” He snapped his claws just as a shout rang out “Princess Lyra!”
The owner of the voice suddenly appeared floating in mid air, suspended by the glow in Discord’s claw.

“You have...wait..” Tirek suddenly became aware that he had left the slight cliff he had been standing on. “I drained your magic! How is this possible!”

“Well Tirek, as much of a wonderful friend as Luna is, I never ever let her forget that she can be completely wrong about some things, and apart from her approach to chocolate milk, you are the biggest thing she’s ever been wrong about.” Discord grinned.
“See I knew as long as you had your powers, you’d be able to come back eventually, maybe a few centuries from now, but you’d return and make a mess of things again. There would’ve been nothing that could stop you from taking ponies’ magic. That’s where I come in! See thanks to a bit of squirreling away some magic, I now have just a tiny bit of my magic, and a great big window into yours!” Discord’s eyes glinted wickedly as he drills his fist deep into Tirek’s chest. “Now lets see what we can change.”

Tirek began to scream, both out of pain and rage as the newly crowned princess settled down next to the cage her friends were in.

Discord continued to play doctor for a few moments before pulling away. “There, now any ponies you hurt and all their descendents will have my blessing laced into their own magic, you won’t be able to touch them any more.” Discord ripped his own magic out of Tirek’s chest, placing it back within himself, before giving the five ponies inside the cage their own abilities back along with six very familiar sets of jewliery. “Princess, would you care to do the honors?” He asked. Lyra blinked, a grin slowly forming on her face. “With pleasure!”
“Pull!” Discord shot a screaming centaur into the air as the rainbow death beam hit it from the ground. The withered husk of the centaur fell back into tartarus, still writhing and mumbling “Too sweet...need hatred!” The magic that escaped from him flew like tiny ghosts back to their respective ponies.

“Ah there we go. Good riddance to bad rubbish” Discord said, dusting off his hands. “Now..Princess, there’s one more thing we have to do...do you think you can work a miracles?”
“I don’t think so Discord...why?” Lyra asked, a tiny bit curious, and a tiny bit afraid.
“Oh because the place we’re going is no where near as scary as the very ticked off princess we gotta save from it”

A few minutes and a very large chew toy later Discord and Lyra had made their way into Tartarus and had little trouble locating the bound princesses. Discord set about freeing them as Lyra briefly summarized what had transpired in their absence.

“So what you’re saying is...you knew from the start that he’d attempt to take your magic, after completely draining every pony in all of equestria of theirs, then you’d use that as a way to keep him from ever ripping anypony else’s magic out ever again?” Luna asked, with a quirked brow.

“Well..Duh! Isn’t it obvious? I mean anypony could see that betrayal coming from a mile away!” He scoffed, folding his arms as the five began to make their way out past cerberus and towards the world of the living again.

“I don’t know…” Lyra chimed in “I kind of thought we’d have this big epic battle and I’d have to save your betraying behind along with the rest of my friends when he used you for leverage”
“Yeah!” Cadence shouted “And he’d destroy her library too!”
“Why?” Lyra asked, rounding on Cadence, who simply shrugged and said “Bad guy”
“And then she and her friends would get really weird looking makeover powers, defeat him in a infinitely less amazing battle, and get this weird tree castle house thing out of it!”
“Oh puh-lease!” Discord groaned as they got out into the sunlight “Now you sound like you’re trying to sell toys or something!”