Chapters The heavily armored pony was getting up “My head” he said bringing his hoof to his helmeted head. When he felt his armor he felt a bit of surprise “Did I drink too much that I forgot how to take off my armor?” he asked himself slightly confused. Then he felt his shirt under his armor Well looks like I made it to my room before I wet drinking .
There was maniacal laughter and the knight turned around and saw where he was for the first time. He was in the Canterlot hedge maze, “So I’m in the maze but where is the laughter coming from?” he thought aloud not realizing it.
“Why Valiant Fighter it’s coming from me” Valiant Fighter turned around and saw a very familiar face.
“It’s you, beast of disharmony!” he shouted in surprise. “Get me out of this labyrinth!” he demanded.
“Oh you insulted me and I don’t like it when ponies insult me and when “He” told me your name and how to find you I jumped at the opportunity.” Discord told Valiant.
“So you jumped at the opportunity to torture a guardian of the princesses!?!” Valiant yelled at him.
“Don’t try to fool me I know all about your order and its rules. If I recall correct, you cannot accept aid from an Alicorn if it would put the Alicorn in any form of danger.”
“Then what danger do I face here?”
“The danger of this maze, I will break you. You will make you question your ability to serve. I want to test just how strong you really are, and that interesting armor of yours, seeing how you weren’t supposed to be wearing it when I teleported you from your bed.”
“I and my armor are bound, if I am teleported without it, it will hitch a ride on the teleport and put itself on me.”
“That’s an impressive enchantment, now I want to put it to the test.” Discord said and snapped his talons.
Valiant flinched "nothing happened?" He said confused.
"Wait for it" Discord said as he looked at a wrist watch that had appeared out of nowhere. "Three...two...one...Now!!!" As soon as he said this, a storm of jumping spiders flew out of the walls of the maze and landed on Valiant. Most of them burned on impact with his armor, the few that didn't tried to wiggle under the heavy plates of his armor. Of them most were crushed by the plates, the few that got through the salter began to bite him causing great pain, Valiant was trying not to scream from the venom. "That's fewer than I expected would get through." Discord said stroking his beard, "tell me, why did they burn?"
Valiant looked up through his helmet and cloaked out "These spiders are magical constructs; my armor is resistant to all types of magic."
"But I teleported those spiders in from the Everfree forest, they weren't magical constructs."
"You teleported them, they had enough magic surrounding them that my armor reacted to it." Valiant Fighter said. He head went up as though he had a realization, "Who is this "He" you spoke of earlier?" He said still pained
"No pony in particular" Discord said cleaning his talons.
"No! You know my real name, not even Princess Twilight Sparkle knows my real name. Who told you my name!?!" Valiant said now clearly angry.
""He" is just a cloaked pony who visited me in the middle of the night to tell me your name and how to find you." Discord said shrugging the event off.
"Was “He” pale and completely hairless?" Valiant said with urgency.
"I don't know “He” was wearing a cloak with a hood that had a spell to cast shadows over his face." Discord said still acting like it was a normal incident.
"Discord listen, that is a dangerous pony that visited you, he is possibly the most dangerous thing in Equestria, you need to find him and destroy him." Valiant said seriously and completely forgetting about his pain.
"Oh who cares about him, now I'm having my fun!" Discord exclaimed then snapped his lion fingered and a large bolder appeared behind him. "You get a five second head start. Now run!" Valiant sat there for a moment, then realizing what was about to happen he turned and ran. "Five...four...three...two...one." Discord teleported out of the way of the boulder and it began to roll towards Valiant, slowly but surely gaining speed.
Valiant was running for his life, he could hear the boulder gaining on him, for a maze this is a long strait away. he thought as he ran. I have worked to long, suffered too much to let this beast of magic beat me.
Discord was floating in the air in a reclining position "ahhh" he yawned, "this is getting boring, I know mud!" he snapped his fingered and the dirt path turned to a mud path. He laughed as Valiant nearly tripped in the mud, as the boarder didn't even slow down.
He's figured it out, he's using his magic indirectly, and my armor can’t protect me from that. I won't be able to disable his magic at this distance oh if only I had my sword, it's a much better focus for the beam then my helmet. He saw a turn and jumped sideways and rolled into the passage, just in time for the bolder to pass by.
"Ok, Valiant, you have been in worse situations. You killed that Lich and several dragons, what's one draconequus?" He asked himself already knowing the answer, he was doomed.
I need to put distance in between us, take control and make him follow. he thought as he started down the path. About ten minutes later he found a statue garden in the middle of the maze, he knew this was Discord again, so he was cautious.
He started to look at the statues and he recognized several of them most notably the last ponies to lead his sacred order. He walked up to the statue of his idle, Cutting Edge, an earth pony like him, wearing similar armor and treated in the same techniques as Valiant Fighter, they had been trained to fight unicorns.
The statues head turned and its mouth began to move, "Valiant Fighter you are our great disgrace, to allow magic to affect you so, we should banish you from this order, you don't deserve that armor you wear."
The statue to the right of Cutting Edge's statue began to speak, it was a unicorn "You have caused too much suffering, both of that little town and to your own trinity, we had such high hopes for you and the rest of your trinity." It said shaking its head.
The Pegasus statue to the far left began, "perhaps we can use this curse to our advantage, Master Spell Weaver."
Cutting Edge's statue spoke "I won't allow you to do this, he is an abomination, Master Striking Dash."
Valiant was reliving the worst day of his life, the day he returned alone from the quest he had been cursed on. He had spent his entire life trying to forget this moment and here it was playing out in front of him. Discord dares to remind me of this horrid day. the thought came with the anger. He walked away and the statues stopped moving. He passed the statues of a unicorn and a pegasus, he stopped as he saw who they were. A tear came from his helmet Discord even knows of Swift Feather and Spell Cast .
The statues started to talk, the pegasus began, "Why did you let me get stranded in Tartarus by the Lich, why!?" She screamed.
The unicorn continued "And how could you let that Lich banish me to the Moon, all why you stay on Equestria!?!" He yelled.
Valiant ran on, he wasn't going to hear this he didn't need this, Discord had gone too far. After about a minute he passed a pair of earth ponies, he didn't recognize them, "Who are these two?" he asked aloud.
The male one scorned "You don't recognize your own parents, some son you turned out to be, First you run away and join the order, than you get your trinity killed, then you bring shame to your family, and now you don't even recognize us!"
"Who are you to talk, beating your son of literally no reason!" Valiant yelled at the statue.
"Young stallion don't speak to your father that way!" The mare scolded.
"I'm not exactly young anymore, and you are no help you drunken old mare!"
The male statue eyes shot up, "Why if you weren't in that armor I would beat your tail!"
"I'd like to see you try old stallion, I'm not the wimpy foal that ran away from home all those years ago!"
The stallion statue swung at him, Valiant caught its hoof and twisted it. The statue cried out in pain, Valiant used his hind hoofs to smash the statue to rubble. The mare statue picked up the stone bottle that was on the base and swung with it, Valiant dodged it and smashed her as well. "To the worst parents in history." he said grimly.
He walked on now depressed by all his failures he had faced in this small statue garden, the worst was yet to come. He passed a unicorn mare with two fillies, a unicorn and an earth pony. As he passed the statue said his name "Valiant!"
He immediately stopped dead in his tracks, "Daisy, no not you to." He said his lip quivering.
"Why didn't you save us from the griffons, why didn't you save your son and daughter, why did you let us burn?" The statue asked.
"Daddy why?" the fillies asked in unison.
"I couldn't, I was on the other side of Equestria, I'm sorry" he said tears streaming from under his helmet. He clasped onto the ground, and covered his head with his hooves. The fillies kept asking that question, he started to crawl away, I can't take this anymore. he thought as he reached the edge.
He made it to the edge and was at the feet of Discord who showed no sympathy. "I thought you were reformed?" Valiant asked still crying.
"I am, but only partially, this is not even the full extent of my vengeance." Discord said cackling.
Valliant’s eyes searched Discord's hands looking for half of the necklace of Harmonious Chaos, it wasn't there. Valliant’s heart sank as he realized exactly how much trouble he was in. He did have hope though, even in his broken state he needed to appeal to Discords good half. "Do you intend on killing me Discord" he said composing himself.
"You may die eventually but not until I break you for using the vilest curse you can call a draconequus, and I have a deep hatred for that word."
"If you have any compassion please allow me to leave." Valiant said losing composure.
"I have been compassionate for far too long, and I need to let off some steam. And I can't think of a better way to let of that steam."
"Art" valiant suggested.
"Art? Why this is art, do you know how much digging I had to do just to get those statues there to work? Besides art takes many forms and this is my favorite."
"Why did you mention the statues, it seems out of place in the conversation." Valiant said.
Discord knocked on Valliant’s helmet "hello, spirit of chaos, I don't have to make any sense if I don't want to."
Valiant tried to hit Discords paw but he missed. Discord teleported behind him and picked him up by his hind legs, "I can't wait for you to see what else I have planned for you!" he exclaimed.
Author's Note
TheGrandSpellCaster: I hope they don't notice.
Discord flashed away and Valiant fell onto the ground with a clank. His armor locked and it took him a few moments to get up. His helmet had moved to blind him on his left side, so he didn't see it coming. He was hit by a giant hammer and flung over one of the walls.
When he landed he found himself in a shallow pool of water, he got up and fixed his helmet. He looked around in this part of the maze and saw that he was in-between two small areas in the maze. On his right he saw a sword sticking out of the ground. To his left he saw a mirror, just resting there.
Well I am a Fighter he thought to himself and walked over to the sword. As soon as he made it to the clearing the way he came from was blocked off by a hedge wall. Then he saw some old old full body armor disassembled on the ground, "This is curious?" he wondered aloud.
"Is it really?" an ominous voice said, and he was truly confused now, I wasn't Discords. The pile of armor began to assemble itself. After a moment of creeks and scraping sounds the armor was fully assembled and its eye holes were glowing a light orange.
"Living armor!?!" Valiant shouted in surprise. "That magic has been lost for nearly two hundred years!"
The armor set shook its helmet "And how old is my maker Discord?" it asked.
"Oh right, I guess I t would make sense for him to know how to create living armor"
"Yes, exactly!" the armor said moving over to the sword that had been stabbed into the earth. It pulled it out, "Prepare yourself!" it shouted as he began to charge.
Valiant sidestepped at the last moment so that when the armor swung the sword at him it just narrowly missed him by less than a centimeter.
The armor turned incredibly fast and they were facing off almost immediately after the first attack. "to make magic armor you need a pony's soul to animate it, what was your name before you were turned into armor."
"I was known as Broadside before my capture and conversion to this form by my lord before he was captured in stone, and I laid dormant."
"I know your name, you were one of the generals who tried to defeat Discord when he started his first take over!"
"Yes I fell in the last battle of that war, after that I was converted to this armor." Broadside said as they circled.
"But that was over a thirteen hundred years ago! How did you survive?"
"I hid in the castle ruins in the Everfree Forest, but as time went on I fell dormant, during my masters split he sent a chaos elemental to awake me."
"Well then if you’re just armor then all I need is to knock off your head." Valiant said.
"Indeed, but I must warn you I am a master duelist, and you don't even have a sword."
"True but I didn't spend ten years training with the earth pony masters of my order just to learn how to use a sword." valiant said and charged. Broadside swung the sword and Valiant barely dodged it, he was to close for comfort. He used his hoof to hit the butt of the sword launching it out of Broadside's metal mouth. He used his momentum to hit Broadside on the head nearly dislodging it.
Broadside jumped back using his metal hoof to steady his head. "Close but not quite" he said looking up just in time to have the sword thrust through where his throat should be. The sword was resting on his back, Valiant used it as a lever to rip the head off.
"I won't be beaten by you or your beast of a master!" Valiant shouted.
He was breathing heavily his rage had taken hold, How dare Discord tarnish the name of one of Equestrias greatest generals.
Two passages opened and he was given another choice. On one hand he could see another shallow pool, and on the other side he could see one tree. He's allowing me to think I have some power here, this is the Lich all over again.
He grabbed the sword and went to the shallow pool and again he was sealed with it. He looked at his reflection in the pool, his armor had lost its shine from the mud, If I live through this I'm going to need a whole barrel of armor polish. he thought as he leaned in to see a scuff on his helmet. Suddenly the reflections hoof shot out and bashed him in between the eyes.
"You like" he heard Discords voice come from nowhere as his reflection started to climb out. "It's my own personal recipe, the water from the mirror pool and a bit of my darker chaos." Discord said as he began to laugh.
Valiant knew of this pool, he knew that he was facing an exact copy of himself, except of course this one was tainted by Discords magic.
His copy raised its sword and charged, there were sparks as their swords clashed. It wasn't surprising that neither one of them would budge. They broke off and circled for a few seconds before clashing again. They repeated this at least for more times and each time they broke off they had new dents on their armor.
They broke away again, "If we are exactly the same then how will either of us win?" Valiant asked.
"We will go until one of us gets lucky, I guess." the copy answered.
"So you are content to fight and possibly die here?" Valiant was trying reason.
"Oh no but I don't get freedom unless you die here." the copy said.
"Tell me do you happen to know about my little curse?" Valiant asked.
"Of course I know about it!" the copy exclaimed.
"Good, you have ample reason" Valiant said as he charged as fast as he could. The copy realized what he was talking about and locked swords with the original.
"You can't kill yourself!" the copy shouted.
"Wana bet!" Valiant shouted as he brought his sword in a sweeping motion and struck across his copy's chest. The copy fell to the ground and started to mumble as he turned into water.
"Discord! What's next!?! reanimating my old masters, or maybe you'll pull my friends from their prisons just to watch us fight?" he shouted angry at Discord for toying with him.
Discords voice came from nowhere "Oh those were just fillers, why I prepared your real torment." the voice said as just one way opened, it was a long winding corridor. Valiant courteously walked through and it shut behind him.
He took his time getting to the end not wanting to see what Discord had cooked up for him. He was reaching the end now, as he cautiously entered this clearing he saw what appeared to be a little battle. As he looked around the clearing he discovered that it was much bigger than the other two. He also noticed the two factions that where fighting, the ponies and griffons. Did Discord send me back in time? he wondered as he noticed that the model of armor the ponies were wearing was about three hundred years out of date.
Discord appeared in front of him "Do you recognize the surroundings?" Discord asked Valiant.
"No! why would I?" valiant spat at him.
"Well you are in this battle" Discord said as he pointed to a group of fighters wearing similar armor to his.
"Please Discord, I can't be in this battle." he said with certainty, "that would mean I am over three hundred years old."
"Don't give me that shlop!" Discord shouted as he whacked Valiant with his claw.
"What shlop I'm still in my prime, besides I would need necromancy to stay alive this long."
"Oh there is necromancy involved, just not yours."
"I have no Idea what you're talking about"
"I'm talking about this!" Discord shouted as he grabbed Valiant’s helmet, Discord's paw was burning as he yanked the helmet off to reveal Valiant’s head. Valiant tried to cover his head with his hooves but he had no success, his pale white, hairless head was exposed. Discord could see the veins under his skin, his eyes were so completely black that Discord couldn't tell where he was looking.
"How did you know about my curse?" Valiant asked, with deep hatred apparent in his voice.
"Well I did about a month's worth of research on you, and I learned you don't go anywhere in normal clothing. Then I heard the legend of your order and I was wondering if you were the one cursed to see everyone he loves die."
"And you were right" he said bitterly. A stray spear almost hit him and he didn't react.
"Well looks like that Lich has already done the disfigurement job i wanted to do, so I guess I'll just have to settle with increasing the time of your misery. Now how long did the Lich set the necromancy to last?" he asked.
"I will live as long as I am not beaten in a fight via weaponry that I really wanted to win."
"That clever devil I could just kiss him, you know, if you hadn't loped off his head then put it on a steak."
"So what now, the Lich beat you to the punch line what do you intend for me then."
"Well you are in this battle" Discord said smiling. He snapped his talons and the faces of every griffon and pony Valiant had ever killed flashed in his face, he somehow knew their names."
"Remember you destroyed these four hundred thirty two lives, their blood is on your hooves."
More information about the faces was coming into Valiant’s head now, their relatives, lovers, kids, lives. His view of these faces was turning from a dead body to an extinguished life. There was no doubt that after this ordeal he would need therapy for a few, months, years, decades definitely no more than decades. That’s if he survived.
Valiant was on the ground crawling to his helmet, which was by Discords hoof. He was about to grab it when Discord kicked it away, and Valiant followed it.
"You are lucky that your helmet burns me when I touch it otherwise I'd just pick it up just out of your reach" Discord remarked.
"Valiant couldn't hear him over the names and families of all he has killed, even though most of the family members he was seeing were long dead of old age.
"Oh that's right you can't hear me over all those names can you don't worry that will be done in about a month, if you’re lucky." Discord started laughing.
Valiant was so close but he couldn't get his helmet, each time he heard a new name it was as though he knew everything he needed to know to make him feel guilty, age, gender, race, family, it was putting a whole new spin on these wars. What really surprised him was the amount of mares he had struck down. He also noticed that Discord had limited this to just ponies and griffons. It didn't help that much.
Author's Note
TheGrandSpellCaster: Ah yes a curse, it's the perfect explanation of why he could he the only member of an order that has been dissolved for two hundred years or so.
Valiant's head was throbbing and every part of his body was aching, he couldn't concentrate. Discord was using his lack of a helmet to make pain shoot threw his entire body. Before he had thought of war as just knocking down the unworthy, but now he was seeing. He knew the name of every pony and griffon he had ever struck down. Discord was having a shadow pull his helmet away from him; it was getting dangerously close to the fighting.
"Why!!" Valiant shouted.
"I told you! You called me the worst insult you can call a draconequus the worst thing they can be called, plus you threatened to cut off my head, and you naturalized my power at the worst possible time."
"I am also partially responsible for you and your new girlfriend!" he shouted as his nose started to bleed.
"Trying to appeal to my kinder side are you?"
There was no response as valiant was writhing in pain, unable to talk or even see straight.
Princess Celestia was heading to the throne room to get some work done when she passed by a window that overlooked the hedge maze, she walked right passed it. Then she immediately backed up and saw a small battle being played out in the direct center of the maze. She rolled her eyes.
Discord was laughing at Valiant’s pain. Suddenly he found himself flat on his back with princess Celestia over him, and she was fierce. "Oh Celestia are you enjoying the show" Discord said creating some popcorn and holding it up to her.
"Discord You will stop this battle now!" she commanded.
"Oh fine" he said as he snapped his talons.
The only sound left was the wails of agony of Valiant who was still trying to get to his helmet. "All of them!" Celestia said sternly.
"I don't have to listen to you about this one" he said pointing towards Valiant. "He cannot accept aid from you, by the rule of his order."
"He is in no condition to reject my help." Celestia pointed out.
"Nnnnoooo!!!...I!...Can!...And!!...I!!...Will!!!" Valiant shouted out in between wales of agony.
"Well I will help you. No disputing it."
"I!...Would!...Rather!...Die!...Then...Put!...You!...In!...Any!...Danger!!!" he shouted threw his agony.
"Discord holds no danger to me." Celestia pointed out.
"I!...Don't!...Under...Under...Underestimate!...Any!...Beast!!" He yelled as his agony increased from Discord.
"I can release you from your agony."
"My!...Vows!...Still!...Hold!" he got out now only inches away from his helmet only to have his own shadow push it away from him.
"Fine, I recognize the rules of your order. And Discord don't you dare do anything to my hedge maze."
"Oh don't worry I'll put it back the way it was."
"Get!...Help!!" Valiant shouted.
Celestia teleported away and Discord turned towards the writhing Valiant "So, while watching you squirm like that is entertaining, it just isn't entertaining enough. And with your helmet off I can teleport you now" and he did just that he teleported the two of them off to the far north.
"Oh thank Celestia" Valiant breathed a sigh of relief. He had his helmet back on, thanks to Discord forgetting how Valiant’s armor worked when teleported.
"Oh I'll just be taking this” Discord said reaching for Valiant’s helmet. Valiant turned away from Discord and ran off with a wobble, still disoriented. “Where are you running to? We’re in the far north there is nowhere to run to.”
Then Discord saw just over the ridge he could see the very top of the Crystal Palace. Can’t have him getting there. Not when Fluttershy and her friends are visiting, definitely don't want open that can of worms. he though.
He teleported in front of Valiant “Where do you think you are going!?” He shouted in anger.
“Away from you beast!” Valiant shouted gaining a sudden burst of energy and running past him.
Discord teleported in front of him again “Well just take off your helmet and I can teleport you away” Discord offered.
“I don’t trust you beast! Just leave me be.” Valiant shouted through his chattering teeth.
“All you have to do is remove it.”
“So you can torture me more, I would sooner rescue Swift Feather from Tartarus!” he pushed past Discord, causing minor burns and continued in his original direction.
"Do you even know where you are going?"
"Away from you."
"These are made of snow." Valiant pointed out and pushed one of them over. "Oh that reminds me..." Valiant shot his anti-magic beam at Discord. Discord was too distracted while dancing that he didn't block and was thrown on his back.
"What did you do that for?!" Discord said snarling.
"Because you tortured me, and stranded me in the far north! now take us ba... I DON'T HAVE MY SWORD!!!!"
"What's that got to do with anything?"
"My sword is what make offensive spells not work, I shot you without it. I canceled out all of your magic. Stupid! Foolish! Mortal! Valiant! I've just caused torment on myself. BY TARTARUS!!!!" he shouted as it started to snow.
“That’s stupid!”
“Yes it is, but it is standard issue, and I don’t have the ability to change it.”
“Who does?”
“Only an enchanter of my now dead order.”
"Wait if we go to the Train station then we'll be near the Crystal Empire."
"So."
"So I have an old friend who is in charge there, he could arrange transportation directly to Canterlot"
"And this friend is?"
"Shining Armor, oh I could tell you stories about his drunken late night escapades."
"As enticing as that is let’s just wait for the train." Discord said his eyes looking away.
"Why would we, when we can just travel there via chariot."
"You can't accept help from Alicorns. He couldn't help you."
"Why am I arguing with you when you have been tormenting me all day! I'm heading to the Empire and now you can't stop me?"
"No you don't want to do that."
"And why not?"
"Fine!!"
The two bickered and argued for several hours; Valiant's armor had been boosted by the teleports and had affected Discord so that he couldn't use magic till further notice. By the time they reached the outskirts of the Empire it was the dead of night and they were exhausted. As soon as they're hooves and foot hit the grass they both collapsed on it.
"Come on Valiant."
"Who has armor that locks onto their body? And how can we be sure this is even him?"
"His order required it of all of their fighters."
Valiant's eyes shot open and he sat up quickly looking for Discord "Where is the beast?!" that was the first thing to come out of his mouth.
"Well you're welcome Valiant." said a very familiar voice.
"Shining! Is that you how have you been, how’s the new wife?"
"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Shining Armor said pointing to his left.
Valiant turned to see who Shining armor was pointing at, when he saw Princess Cadence he fell off the bed he was in and scrambled into a bow "Princess forgive me for the intrusion into your Empire. I understand if you would have me take my leave immediately"
"Why would I do that?"
"Then I shall take my leave" he said getting up and walking past her to leave the room.
"Shining?" Princess Cadence said looking at her husband.
"I've known that stallion since I first entered the royal guard"
"How well?"
"Well enough to know he can handle his cider and mine, and flashes, plus..."
"Ok I get that, but you won't even let me call you 'Shining'"
"War builds bonds that can never be broken no matter what."
"Like you were in a war"
"I was in some skirmishes"
Valiant was leaving and was just in time to see Discord being chewed out by Fluttershy. He was informed by a small dragon that Celestia had sent word of what had been going on to all of the other princesses. But there is something about this ordeal that Valiant didn't like. How did Discord know my past, and who was this hooded pony that had known my name. he thought as his chariot pulled up.
Author's Note
TheGrandSpellCaster: Glad that's out of the way.
