The Curse of the Night

The ponies and Spike stare at the Spirit of Chaos.

"Well," said Discord. "Why are you so surprised to see me? Didn't Tia say that I was expecting you?"

"Er-umm...no..." stammered Twilight. "I mean, no. We were not informed that you would be lounging around a very dangerous land."

"Danger?" questioned Discord. "Who said anything about danger? Everything is perfect here."

Discord snaps his fingers and a nearby cactus is torn out of the ground and floated upside down in circles. With another snap of his fingers, Discord has chocolate rain flood the desert, and then it drained, returning the terrain to the dry landscape it was before.

"What?!" Pinkie whined. "No more chocolate rain?!"

"Ah, Flutter Shy!" exclaimed Discord. "It's been awhile, friend!"

"Discord!" Twilight shouted. "Enough distractions. If you're going to help us stop this ancient civilization from destroying Equestria, then you can tag along. If not, then head back to Canterlot."

The ruler of Chaos sat there for a moment and thought about that. He honestly didn't care what happened to Equestria. Indeed he had used his magic for good, but being the Spirit of Chaos, he could cause tyranny all over and not care at all. He is Discord after all.

"Alright. I'll help." he answered. "But only if you can answer me this."

"What now, Discord? We've played enough of your games." scolded Dash.

"It's just a simple question." the Lord of Chaos explained.

"Alright, we'll answer you silly riddle." A.J. retorted. "But no more jokes afterwards."

"You have a deal." Discord told the ponies.

"HOLD ON JUST ONE MINUTE!" yelled Pinkie Pie. "How do we know he will keep his promise? Pinkie promise, Discord. PINKIE PROMISE!"

Discord sighed. "I Pinkie Promise."

Pinkie gave Discord an evil glare.

Discord sighed a second time. "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye, because if I lie to Pinkie Pie, I can kiss my flank goodbye."

Pinkie smiled. "Good."

"Anywho, Discord," Applejack started. "Your riddle?"

"Yes! My riddle!" exclaimed the Spirit of Chaos. "Here it is! 'Hit me hard and I will crack, but you will never stop me from staring back'."

"That one's simple." Rarity said proudly. "A mirror. Hit a mirror and it'll break into shards and it can't ever stop showing a reflection."

"Correct!" Discord shouted. "Now you must answer six more riddles!"

"What?!" the mares and the dragon yell in unison.

"You broke your Pinkie Promise...." Pinkie mumbled, about to attack Discord.

"That's not fair!" Rainbow yelled.

Discord laughed "Of course it is! There are seven of you. Rarity here, answered her riddle, so the rest of you must answer one."

"Fine then. Give me a riddle then." Applejack said.

"Here's your riddle, Applejack. 'What has no lid , hinges nor key, yet golden treasure is hidden inside'?"

Applejack was silent for about ten minutes, trying to figure out the answer to this interesting enigma. Then finally, it hit her.

"An egg." A.J. grinned. "There's no lid, hinges and no keys. Yet the golden treasure is the yolk or chick."

Discord grabbed a chunk of cotton candy from the cloud he was laying on and ate it. "I say, you ponies are getting cleverer by the generation."

"Now your turn Twilight." grinned Discord. "'My sea has no water, my mountains have no rock, and my land has no grass. What am I'?"

After pondering about the puzzle for a bit, the purple alicorn figured out the answer. "It's a map. The sea has no water, the mountains aren't rocky, and there are no grass because it's all just a drawing or a picture."

"Yes. That is correct. Okay....Rainbow Dash your riddle is 'What happens when you throw a purple rock into a green river'?"

"Ha. Are you kidding me? Sometimes the easiest riddles are the hardest. But this is obvious. If you throw a purple rock into a green river the solution is obviously a splash."

"Once again. Another pony is correct." mumbled Discord. "ANOTHER RIDDLE!"

"Oh! Oh! Pick me! PICK ME!!" Pinkie yelled., suddenly joyous after the fact that Discord broke his promise.

"Pinkie Pie, 'What is white and black and red all over'?"

"Oh! Oh! I know! I know! An embarrassed zebra or panda!"

"Correct!" Discord shouted. "How about you, Spike?"

"Ah...What about me?" the young dragon asked.

"You need to answer a riddle too or else it's not fair. So, I'll give you an easy one. 'Why was 6 afraid of 7'?"

"Umm....." it took the small dragon longer than he realized to find a very simple answer to a simple puzzle. "Because 7, 8, 9."

"Once again, a correct answer! Seriously, have PonyVillians been getting smarter over the years? A score ago nopony could answer my riddles." the Lord of Chaos scratched his chin. "And of course! How could I forget? Flutter Shy, friend, I haven't given you a riddle!"

"Umm...okay." the timid pegasus mumbles.

"'What can fill a room but takes up no space whatsoever'?"

"I-ah, don't know..."

"Aww... come one Flutter Shy! You wouldn't let your friends down. If you don't get the answer right, then you and your friends have to abandon your quest to make peace the the ancient ponies and head back to PonyVille. No pressure.

"Then the answer is..." Flutter Shy whispered.

"I can't hear you!" commented Discord.

"...Air."

"Air? Well I suppose that'll do, but originally I had thought light, but air works too."

"Now that all the riddles and such are out of the way," Twilight interrupted. "We should get going. It'll be nightfall soon."