Writing is Magic

          That fateful day started out like any other. It was a beautiful, sunny, clear day. Since Rarity was at the spa with Fluttershy and I had the whole day to myself, I decided to take a long walk and formulate the next chapter in my book. As I passed in front of Sugarcube Corner, I saw Rose, Daisy, Lily Valley, and a few other ponies running in the opposite direction, as if trying to get away from something.

          “Art, why are you destroying stuff,” Golden Harvest yelled at me, “what are you doing?”

          “What are you talking about,” I responded in confusion. She didn’t even stop long enough to wait for my answer.

          Hearing the racket, Pinkie Pie and Applejack exited the confectionary.

          “What the hay is going on,” AJ asked.

          “I have no idea,” I answered, “but whatever it is, it’s coming from that direction.”

          The three of us ran in the direction the other ponies were coming from, which happened to also be in the direction of the spa. When we reached the building, we saw a magical gray bolt knock down the entire front wall. The two blue-and-pink spa ponies quickly ran out, followed closely by Fluttershy and Rairty, the latter with her face still covered in the beauty mask.

          When the smoke cleared we saw the perpetrators, seven ponies, each one a mirror version of us, each wearing a familiar necklace.

          “The Elements of Chaos,” I said.

          “What is with that awful color palette,” Rarity said after she magically cleaned herself up.

          She was right, although they were very similar to us, there were a few differences. Each of their coats were gray, but their mane was the same vibrant color as their counterpart. There were two notable exceptions: Sorcery, Twilight’s counter, was only a unicorn, not an alicorn, and Ignorance, my counter, was not gray, but instead had the exact same coat color as me. Add in the fact that the Elements of Chaos were all black instead of some color, and Ignorance looked like my clone.

          “Hello all,” Ignorance spoke in my exact voice, “sorry to barge in on you on this nice day, but what can you do? Oh, but aren’t you missing two? Wherever could they be?”

          “Right here,” I heard Twilight yell as she blasted the ground right in front of Ignorance with her magic.

          “The cavalry has arrived,” Rainbow announced as the two of them landed on the ground.

          “Here, take these,” Twilight said, magically passing the Elements of Harmony out to each of us.

          “Now that we’re all present and accounted for,” Ignorance continued, “what say we get things started? Pray tell if you would like us to destroy you all quickly and painfully or slowly and painfully.”

          “How ‘bout we destroy y’all instead,” AJ shouted.

          “Split up,” I said, “Rainbow and Fluttershy take to the sky, AJ and Pinkie team up, and Twilight and Rarity magically decimate them.”

          “What about you,” Twilight asked.

          “It wouldn’t be an evil clone scenario if I didn’t have to take care of the clone myself. Go, now.”

          The six ponies split off as I suggested, with their opposites following suit. That left just me and Ignorance standing in the middle of the street.

          “You don’t get it, do you,” Ignorance mocked, “the Elements of Chaos are stronger than the Elements of Harmony. They cannot be destroyed, no matter what you try.”

          “Your name fits you well,” I insulted, “you really are ignorant. Friendship and harmony have foiled the strongest chaotic element in existence, Discord, multiple times. You are nothing compared to that power. Now that I think about it, why is it that Magic is the most secret Element of Harmony while you seem to be the leader of the Elements of Chaos?”

          “For being the Element of Knowledge,” he counter-insulted, “you sure are stupid. You think one Discord is worse than seven chaotic elements? To answer your question, all of the chaotic elements exist because of me, Ignorance. There will always be ignorance, and as long as I exist, then chaos will exist.”

          “Chaos will exist with or without you. And I would prefer if it was the latter.”

          “Your fate is sealed.”

          With that, we began to actually fight. At first, he tried to blast me with magic, but I was able to dodge around it, getting close enough to him for some hoof-to-hoof combat. I could hear the sounds of Twilight magic and party cannons in the background as the forces of knowledge and ignorance slugged it out.

          It was a stalemate at first. Since we were basically the same pony, we were pretty much the same kind of fighter. Then we heard an explosion coming from the sky, we both looked up, and I was paralyzed in awe of what I saw: a Sonic Rainboom, except it was grayscale. Corruption had pulled off a Sonic Rainboom and knocked Rainbow and Fluttershy clear out of the sky. Ignorance took advantage of the distraction to lick me a good one right on the chin, which sent me flying backwards near where the two pegasi landed.

          The other four combatants, having been pretty stalemated in their own right, returned to their perspective sides to regroup.

          “It’s time my brethren,” Igornace announced, “Time to destroy the Elements of Harmony.”

          The holders of the Elements of Chaos began to levitate in a manner that I recognized from how Twilight had described the defeats of Nightmare Moon and Discord, the only difference being that in this case Ignorance was at the center of the formation.

          My mind raced, thinking about the future Time Turner had seen and what it all meant. Surely, if I was to die, the time was near. But then I remembered what he said had been said at my funeral. I died protecting my friends. And if there was any time when my friends needed protecting, it was right now.

          I stopped thinking entirely and just moved on pure instinct. I got to my feet and rushed toward Ignorance and the others, running as fast as my hooves could carry me. I heard Rarity and maybe Applejack yell at me to come back, but I ignored them. I had to do this, I didn’t know why, but I had to. When I was within jumping distance, I leapt up and tackled Ignorance, breaking the formation and interrupting whatever they had in mind. As I did so, I felt a strong surge of magical energy enter my body, very similar to when we had defeated King Wassoon, but much, much stronger.