World of Chaos

by ugugg93

Chapter 40: Beginning of the End

“Let's see... now where did I put that satchel...”

Rarity was muttering these words to herself as she continued to gather the assorted supplies she might need for the upcoming battle. Captain Wilks had come in a few hours before to let the six mares know that the main battle was going to start soon, and as such, the girls should be ready to deal with anything. She had already found her sword—the weapon always placed near her bed every night before she went to sleep. However, she was strangely unable to find the bag of diamonds that she also used on a near daily basis. She had been searching for these diamonds for the greater part of an hour now, but no matter how much she searched and no matter where she searched, there was absolutely no sign of them.

For but a moment, the thought of just abandoning them completely and using some of the various gems in Spike's massive hoard instead had crossed her mind. Rubies, sapphires, and other similar gemstones weren't nearly as hard and durable as diamonds, but they would definitely work with the task at hoof. However, she decided against that idea as soon as she thought of it, the thought completely ludicrous in her eyes. This was not just because of Spike's threat a few weeks ago of what would happen if she did “steal” from the dragon's hoard—and the fiery consequences of his territorial instincts—but because those diamonds were a gift from him to her, and she'd be a mule for thoughtlessly tossing both them and his feelings aside like they meant nothing.

After checking under the sack of flour for the fifth time, Rarity frowned to herself. “I guess I can check the bedroom again.”

A heavy sigh signaling to nopony in particular her exit, she walked her way out of the pantry, and into the foyer. The rest of the girls were off doing whatever they could do to get ready for the upcoming battle as well. Rainbow had been even more anxious than Rarity had ever seen her before, and while the pegasus still touted the idea that they weren't going to be getting into any sort of fight, Rainbow had started to prepare herself nonetheless. Rarity had seen the pegasus sparring with Applejack a few hours ago in an effort to make sure both of their fighting skills were sharp. Of course, considering how hard the two were going at it, it looked like they were trying to kill each other in the process. As for the cowpony, when she wasn't sparring with Rainbow, Applejack was making sure that her climbing claws were as sharp as she could get them.

Twilight and Pinkie were inseparable recently, and while it wasn't for the romantic reasons that both Rarity and Pinkie were hoping for, their contact with each other seemed to have been very therapeutic for the unicorn. As much as Rarity had been hoping for a happy ending like Fluttershy and Rainbow had gotten, the party pony had insisted what she had with Twilight now was good enough. Sure, Twilight was still being quiet, but her constant companion was more than happy to speak for her. As for Fluttershy... well... Rarity had no idea where the mare had gone today, only that as soon as Wilks had informed them about the impending battle, she had mysteriously disappeared into parts unknown. However, the last place Rarity had heard that Fluttershy had been hiding out in was the bedroom.

It was that room that Rarity was currently entering.

Opening the door, she was surprised to find Fluttershy now nose-to-nose with her—the mare apparently walking out of the bedroom at the same time Rarity was walking in. Both ponies jumped back in shock—Fluttershy eliciting a small “eep” as she fell onto her back. It was a few seconds before both ponies calmed themselves a little and giggled in response to their slight overreaction—Rarity bringing herself back to her hooves as she laughed.

She hooked her forehoof around Fluttershy's, and with a pull, helped the mare back onto her hooves. “Fluttershy, darling, I’m sorry so terribly sorry. Are you alright?”

Fluttershy gave a much heavier sigh, ending her giggles. Looking down, the timid pony looked at her injured wing to make sure that something bad hadn't happened to it from the fall. “Oh, it's alright, Rarity. And I’m alright as well.”

“Well good! Please, darling, join me. I haven't seen you in the longest time,” Rarity spoke as her smile widened. “Besides, maybe you can help me find the satchel of diamonds that I lost.”

“Oh... umm... I think I saw it somewhere in here...” Fluttershy trotted quickly behind Rarity, and began to aid the unicorn in her search.

For a few minutes, the two ponies looked around the room, letting the silence blanket them while they hunted for the satchel. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence—at least at first—and the two were perfectly content with just keeping each other company. Besides, considering that they were trying to find the gems, she was alright with them just working to make sure that they were putting their entire effort into looking for the bag.

Of course, five minutes later, and Rarity couldn't handle the silence any longer. With a quick look at the pegasus on the other side of the room, the unicorn spoke, “So Fluttershy, are you ready?”

“Umm... ready for what?” Fluttershy said with more than a little bit of shakiness in her voice.

Rarity ignored the nervousness in the mare's voice. “Why, for the upcoming fight we're going to have to take part in.”

Fluttershy must have been holding something in her hooves when those words entered her ears, for the sound of something being dropped onto the ground suddenly reverberated through the chamber. Her voice now much more shaky than before, she stammered, “B-b-but I thought that Rainbow said we weren't going to have to fight...”

“Well, yes she did. However, I've been trying to tell her that I’m certain we're going to have to fight something at some point. I would be surprised otherwise.”

“Oh... umm... oh dear.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Fluttershy visibly shrink a little closer to the ground, the mare whispering, “I don't think I’m ready...”

Rarity shrugged off her friend's response to her just being a little nervous. “Me neither I guess, but what's got to be done has to be done, right?”

There was a very noticeable pause in the conversation—along with the sounds of very heavy and quick breathing—before Fluttershy responded, “I... I guess...”

It was then that she realized that Fluttershy's 'just a little nervous' emotion had quickly become 'full on fear'. Rarity's head whirling around, looked at the mare at the opposite side of the room, and saw that—in all honesty—Fluttershy didn't outwardly look that frightened. Sure, there was the minor trembles and the quicker breathing, but not the completely paralyzing fear that had plagued her before they came to this time. Curious.

Still, Fluttershy's reaction brought Rarity's entire attention to her friend's mood—the unicorn realizing that she stepped over a line at some point. Taking a few steps forward, she spoke softly, “You alright, dear?”

Fluttershy closed her eyes and shook her head vigorously, her pink mane swishing from one side of her head to the other. Opening her eyes again, she looked straight down. “No...”

Covering the rest of the distance between them quickly, Rarity made her way to Fluttershy's side. With a smile on her face, she spoke with the softest voice possible, “Neither am I, I suppose. I don't think any of us is really ready. I know Applejack, for example, is doing her best to prepare by sparring with your dear marefriend, but I suspect it is mostly to try and calm her nerves before what's to come. Alas, like I said, what must be done must be done.”

The shaken pegasus nodded slowly, an audible gulp coming from her throat. “I just... I know everypony is looking to each other for help, and I know it's going to be dangerous, but I don't see how I can be any help at all. I just... I’m scared.”

“Well,” Rarity pressed her side a little harder against her friend, “in that case, just make sure to stay behind Rainbow Dash the entire time. She's more than capable of taking care of herself, and I know she'll do anything to keep you safe.”

Again, Fluttershy nodded in response. Softly, her trembling voice broke through a little, “Do you really think that everypony will be alright? I don't like thinking about everypony that is going to... umm...”

Rarity cut her off before she could say anything more, “Fluttershy, it is as Spike said. Ponies are going to... well... give themselves up to save Equestria, but we are going to be alright. We are much too strong for anything that could even dream of fighting against us, especially if Rainbow is helping you out! Why, not a single thing I can think of stands a chance against us six!” Rarity said as she nudged the pegasus again.

The unicorn hoped that Fluttershy didn't see through the white lie.

She suddenly found the mare against her move, and after stumbling slightly, Rarity turned to her left to see Fluttershy's wide eyes. “But... what about you? You talk about how much Rainbow can help me, but who's going to look after you? Who's... who's going to be your protector?”

She thought to herself for a second—the mare not entirely sure how to answer that question. It was true, while Fluttershy did have Rainbow looking after her, there really wasn't anypony there to guard—to be blunt about it—her little white flank. Sure, the rest of their friends were going to look after each other, that much was for certain. However, considering it was a given for all of them, it wasn't special solely for her. Twilight and Pinkie—if subconsciously at least—were most likely going to look after each other, Rainbow would look after Fluttershy, and Applejack... well... Applejack was strong enough to look after herself well enough.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a slight glitter of light from next to the fireplace. Pausing her thoughts of the impending battle for a moment, she slowly walked over to where the shining object was. As soon as she got close, she nearly let out a filly-like squeal, for finally she had found the bag of diamonds that she had been searching for for the past several hours. How it got to be right next to the fireplace she'd never understand—she attributed it to Pinkie playing with them or something.

Looking at the single gem that was hanging out of the knocked over bag, she found the answer to the question that was hovering over both her and Fluttershy for the past several seconds. Slowly, she turned back to Fluttershy and locked eyes with the mare, the pegasus' face filled with either confusion, concern, or maybe a mixture of both. Igniting her horn, she lifted all of the diamonds out of the bag, and allowed them to float in the air in front of her face—a smile growing on her lips the entire time.

As her eyes gazed at the dozens of gemstone spikes circling in front of her, she sighed. “My noble protector is currently out performing a duty that is so much more dangerous than our own. Therefore, I'll just have to think of him as I protect myself.”

---

The bright sun above bore down on him, yet the eternal heat of the day had almost no influence on the dragon. Behind him, past the dozen rows of pegasus ponies, a near endless field of dead or dying grasses stretched on, eventually merging with a mountain range that jutted out of the earth. On the near side of one of those mountains—or maybe the valley below at this point—the ruins of the destroyed city of Canterlot lay, along with the bones of thousands of ponies long dead. Past that, the plains continued on into the northern domains, whose rulers were unknown even to himself, while the earth fell into the sea in the south.

To the dragon's left, he could barely make out the town of Conflound over the horizon. The town had been mostly stripped of its stallion population—the ponies used to form part of the new Seventh Army—in preparation for the battle. While that would give the Harmony Coalition a large numerical advantage, and with it a fighting chance, it also meant that if Discord won, there would certainly be dire consequences for the settlement. Assuming that Discord didn't decide to turn the town into a smoking ruin—whether in revenge for the conscripts or just for the sheer humor of it—many would die from the starvation following the inevitable failed harvest. Past Conflound, the former domain of Lord Xavier lay. If Sarlaka was correct, the lands in that former domain were still in pony hooves, but it was only a matter of time until the Buffalo Horde crushed the disorganized remaining military, sacked or razed Xavier City, and after that, steamrolled over into his own domain.

In front of him, the vast force of the Discordian 'zombies'—as he liked to call them—were nearly filed up and ready. It was only the left wing that needed to finish getting into formation, and that would only take a few more minutes. Past those forces, both sides were most likely already engaging each other in minor skirmishing actions—each army both screening the other as well as attempting to instigate a premature charge. It wouldn't stop either side from a full blown attack of course, and neither side would charge headlong into a disorganized attack, but it was an amusing little game before the actual storm. Past the somewhat disorganized lines of skirmishers, Harmony's Coalition was lined up with the fake Elements at the heads of various positions of command. Most likely that entire force was already formed up due to their speed and efficiency of completing the task—the skill was one he had forced his armies to practice more than most others—and was merely waiting for the impending charge. Past that, lay the mountains that housed his lair, as well as the true location of the all important mares. Past that... well... it didn't really matter what was beyond those mountains.

To his right, Discord stood, a slightly crazed smile on his face.

“Before I initiate this attack,” Sarlaka looked straight ahead as he spoke, “I must ask you one single solitary question, Discord.”

“I already told you that I would marry you, my dearest Sarlaka. I’m flattered that you finally asked.”

The dragon ignored the sarcastic comment. “Not even a week ago, I told you that the Elements of Harmony had formed up a massive army outside my cave, and were going to lead it against you and myself in a bid for freedom in the name of the former Princesses. However, as completely out of the blue this situation must have sounded, you never questioned it once. You just told me to get your forces—though I think you called them your 'asylum clowns'—together, and march on them. Why?”

Discord laughed. “Oh really, is that important in the end? Why can't I just not question things?”

“Because it is what any normal creature, sane or not, would do,” Sarlaka mumbled to himself, yet loud enough so the draconequus could hear him.

“But why should I?” Discord floated up to Sarlaka's head, and rested an arm on the top of his snout. “You're my most trusted lord out there, you said there is an enemy army that is attempting to usurp me, and it is lead by the Elements of Harmony themselves? Why, that's all the reason I need. Of course, the fact that I’m completely bored out of my mind might have something to do with it, so why question it at all?”

“If you say so.” Sarlaka sighed, and with a flick of his claw, he brushed Discord off of his head. Raising his right arm high, and his voice booming across the landscape, Sarlaka ordered for the attack to commence. “All forces, ch—”

“Wait,” Discord interrupted, “don't order the attack quite yet.”

Silencing himself, Sarlaka glared at the vile creature next to him as he lowered his claw. Slowly, he took a deep breath, counted to three, and released the air in his lungs with a puff of black smoke. He continued to look straight in front of him as he muttered, “And what, Discord, is missing?”

“I'm not entirely sure...” Discord brought his own claw to his chin, and thought to himself. Out of the corner of the dragon's remaining eye, he could almost see the gears in the Discord's mind spin. Seconds turned into nearly a full minute as the draconequus thought to himself, until he smiled. “Ah, but of course! How could I forget something so simple?”

With a snap of his fingers, the sun instantly became obscured, and a heavy downpour started across the land.

A scowl now on his face, Sarlaka turned towards the now overly smiling creature. “Really? You would rather do this fight in the rain?”

Lightning cracked overhead, outlining Discord's smile. “Oh come now. You can't expect me to actually pass up an opportunity like this? Hmm? Two armies—one fighting for harmony, one fighting for chaos—soon to be locked in combat with each other for the glory of victory over the other. Stormy skies above, the two sides clash in a battle that will be told for generations. It's a storybook staple right before our eyes!”

“...I really do hate you.”

“Oh come now, what kind of battle would you like instead? Hmm? Maybe we can compromise.”

“A dry one.”

“Ah, never mind the compromise then.” Discord floated a few feet into the air, leaned back, and cradled his head in his claws as he continued, “Anyway, can we get on with this whole battle thing? I’m so terribly bored with waiting.”

“Very well,” Sarlaka muttered, his eye facing back to the front. He raised his right claw once again, and again with a booming voice, shouted, “All forces, charge!!”

A/N: I did a quick count. Only six more chapters to post... and for me, there's only 4 left to write (I wrote two more already)

Comments

[AssortedCreme]

I would have laughed if Spike asked for a battle that Discord lost, and ended the story right there.

[NintendoGal55]

Rarity's last line was just so well said. It really did occur to me then that Rarity didn't quite have a protector of her own like Fluttershy does as the scene went along, but I did think Spike at the back of my mind, and lo and behold!

Ermagash, it's begun! Here we go! Buckle your seatbelts! We're in for quite a ride!

[Jackos]

I don't usually post images, but I'll make an exception just because it fits perfectly
cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/23677086.jpg

[ugugg93]

1628277 I'm fairly certain you would not be laughing if I ended the story there. Instead, you'd probably be trying to kill me over the massive letdown of a climax

1628396 Make sure to bring your barf bag, because shit is about to get real.

1628954 Well... in a pure technical sense, the mane 6 aren't part of that time, so it's more the battle of THEIR time, but I digress

[AssortedCreme]

1632373 Only trying?

[NintendoGal55]

1632373 I don't like barfing! I haven't thrown up in four years! ...Okay....*Sits back, buckles seatbelt, and holds a big empty grocery bag* ...What? I don't want to miss the bag and get it on the carpet.

[Csquared08]

while it wasn't for the romantic reasons that both Rarity and Pinkie were hoping for

Urge to throw things... Rising!

In any event... Here we go!

[Fury of the Tempest]

Nice to see Fluttershy and Rarity talk about what it means to fight, and to have a protector... and of couse, Spike and Discord's interaction.

[ShadowLDrago]

1628277

I wouldn't be surprised if Discord agreed then and there just because.

[EverfreeSparkle]

“I already told you that I would marry you, my dearest Sarlaka. I’m flattered that you finally asked.”

Discord is like a big child... I love it.