"For the last time Discord, no."
Celestia sat at her throne with a stern face, staring the chimera lord of chaos down with a look that told him he wouldn't be getting he way no matter how hard he may try. Discord rolled his eyes at Celestia, it wasn't as if she had the power to stop him. Well, she had the Elements of Harmony, but those were hardly a problem, he could just take them and be done with it. He had been playing by the sun goddesses games, but he was starting to get really bored.
Celestia wanted nothing but Harmony, which was simply illogical, chaos and harmony had to balance each other out, but Celestia was being an overlord. Not to her own loyal subjects of course, but to the other races. It was hardly fair.
Celestia had a nation full of magic users, of all sorts. Where as other nations had absolutely none, except for Dragons, but Discord and Celestia both knew the reason she had not gone for the Badlands, was because the eldest dragon and ruler of the badlands was far more powerful than Celestia, and twice as brutal. The had a no tolerance thing going on for them, ruthless as could be and barbarians down to the core. They enjoyed giving others pain, and Celestia couldn't take the risk of her subjects being destroyed by her own greed.
Griffons, had literally next to no magic users, and were swiftly conquered by Celestia. That wasn't to say they took the beating lying down, infact Celestia was powerful, but the Gryphon legion had brute strength and speed, if it wasn't for the fact she couldn't be killed without the aid of magic, she would have been dead, along with the rest of her fallen legion. She had won, but at a high cost.
Luna sat boredly at the throne beside her sister, she let loose a tired yawn, having been awoken in the middle of the day to hear Discord's rather random and dumb offer, he had been trying to get them to host a tournament of sorts, and he would give them one favor.
Now that didn't sound like much, but we were talking about a reality warper, someone who could completely change the history of everything with a snap of he talons. He was essentially a genie of sorts. And Luna had a wish of her own that she'd like to make. You see, due to her thousand year banishment on the moon, she had missed the passing of her long time only friend, Starswirl the Bearded. She had spiraled into depression once she had learned of the stallions death.He had been the only one who ever treated her as a friend, and the only one who had not shun her beautiful moon. With Discord's magic, he could be brought back.
....Without the assistance of black magic of course, once she heard the offer she had thrown that plan away. Now the task was to convince her sister to have this little petty game of Discord's. She was rather happy with the situation, this was her last chance at being able to bring her friend back through ethical means...
... Well, ethical by her standards. Ponies were soft these days, with Celestia's rule.
Sighing, she decided to try once more, it couldn't hurt any. Idly, she tapped her hoof on the arm of her throne, sending a clopping sound through the air and echoing in the throne room, the three locked in a struggle to overpower another with reason.
"Sister, we beseech- er, I mean, let's give this a thought! Surely a favor from Discord is worth a tournament of small measure! No? Why not give it a chance?" Luna pleaded with her sister, trying to get her to see reason. But Celestia would have none of it, she turned her head away from the two, to look at the guards beside her, who had stony faces, staring forward. But Celestia wasn't fooled, she could feel their fear. Heck, she could almost taste it since they wee almost sweating it enough to smell. She turned back to Discord, who was hovering a few feet in the air with his arms crossed, an annoyed expression on his face. Celestia was secretly enjoying his annoyance, as he had been an annoyance to her for far long enough.
"I am sorry, Luna. But the answer is still the same. No. I will not risk the health of my subjects for a foolish game to soothe this maniac's amusement!" Celestia exclaimed, gently putting her hoof down, yet the motion was not missed, she wasn't going to be taking his offer anytime soon. Discord finally decided to stop playing by the rules, a sneer growing on his aged face.
"You can't be any like Lulu can you? Loosen up! Have some fun! It's always work for you!" He sighed heavily. Flicking his paws toward them in a shooing gesture. 'Lulu' furrowed a brow at having her named butchered by the chaotic being. Sighing he turned around, landing on the ground and began walking off.
Luna did not look happy, seeing this happen.
'Don't you dare give up! I want my friend back!' She thought angrily with a scowl upon her face.
"... Discord, where are you going?" Celestia carefully asked him with a scrutinizing gaze, warily watching him. Discord turned back to them, feigning disinterest. Even Luna was watching her last chance at bringing back her friend with a surprised look. It had occurred to her, Discord never gave up.
Ever.
"Well, seeing as you wont take my offer, I was just going to see how the Griffon ambassador would, or maybe the Changeling Queen..." He sighed dramatically, putting a paw on his forehead. Leaning back. He evilly smiled inwardly, counting down in his head. The gears seemed to be turning in the two Princesses heads. He closed both his eyes.
'Three...Two...One.'
"WHAT!?" The two princesses had risen from their respective seats with pale faces, Celestia with a feral stomp of her hooves and a dangerous snort of anger, and Luna with a look of fear on her face. She wasn't so blind as her sister as to think they could stop Discord should he really want to do something. The guards gained a hostile face, shifting into a fighting pose, rearing back up on their hooves.
Discord peeked open a single eye, looking at them with a smile etched upon his face. He just needed to pull a few more cards, and he had this game in the bag.
"Yes, that would work fine, no? They'd get their favor, and I'd get to have my fun!" Discord exclaimed with an evil laugh, resounding throughout all of the throne room with an annoying ring to it. Celestia grit her teeth, glaring with venom at the hybrid.
"Why would you do such a thing? You'd destroy everything I worked to achieve! With even the smallest boost in power they would come to destroy all of Equestria for the fun of it! Let alone you of all beings to give someone power! Are you mad?" She demanded with a hostile look of pure unrestrained anger on her face. Her eyebrows almost knitted together with righteous fury. Discord waved his talon at her, still keeping his one eye open and staring at her. It was then Celestia remembered just who she was talking to.
"Yes! Yes I am!" Discord cackled gleefully. Rubbing his talon and paw together with an eager look on his face. "I've been trying to play nice! But you're leaving me with no choice! You know I wouldn't want any harm on you! It's not my style! But you're restraining me to the point where I GOD of chaos, must sit down and have tea with you harmonic ponies! It's not fair!"
"You must understand that I value my subjects, and that I wouldn't allow you to do as you wish with them!" Celestia was not liking this at all, the way things were going, Equestria could be destroyed, and it wouldn't even be done by the chaos entity himself. It'd be done by the power hungry ways of the other lands. Discord counted the steps down one at a time in his head.
'Hook.'
"And you must understand that I will no longer sit around and be everyone's 'buddy buddy', no more boring times for me! I'm willing to bet that the leader of the Zebra tribe would love to have that favor..." Celestia paled further than what her already pristine fur could go.Luna looked confused.
"What are you talking about? Why would the Zebra tribe want to do anything with the likes of you?" The emphasized this by pointing a hoof at him, Discord smiled evilly.
"Why-"
"Discord!" Celestia cut him off, not wanting him to reveal the dark secret that Luna would no doubt be horrified of.
It was something she didn't know of, during the time of the one thousand year time period Luna was trapped in the moon, the members of the 'Children of the Night' was not pleased with Luna's departure. This in turn led the cult to gather up all their magic users, and forcefully take the sun and plunge it elsewhere. These ponies had been immensely powerful, being of the elder ponies who practiced magic of all kinds. They had forced the sun to move somewhere else. And that somewhere else suffered the sun for a whole month, burning all it's crops. This place, was known as Aarde Huis, home of the Zebra and Bison. If Luna found out what had happened, she'd never forgive herself.
'Line.'
"You're making a huge mistake Discord. It's not too late to turn back." Celestia warned him, eying him with displeasure.
"Well, what will it be?" Discord tapped his foot on the floor impatiently. Celestia grimaced, but knew Discord wasn't bluffing. Heaving a sigh of anger she looked Discord in the eyes.
'Annnnnd, sinker.'
Discord smiled, already knowing that he had won this game of theirs.
"You win Discord...but none of my subjects will be hurt...Or else." She let the threat hang idly in the air for Discord to catch, who simply waved her way.
"Of course not, but you should know. I didn't say what type of tournament."
Celestia narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
"What are you getting at?" She demanded, Luna sat on her throne, not sure to be angry or pleased with the way things were going.
"You're going to help me gather the other leaders, we're going to have a little competition that will satisfy my need for amusement!" Discord beamed widely, gaining the attention of the two powerful Princesses.
"What monkey business are you up to now, Discord? Why would you need the other nation leaders?" Discord simply strolled off, snapping his fingers.
"You'll see!" Discord cackled as he vanished with a flash of green magic, causing the two mares to blink and the guards to tense. Suddenly, Celestia felt her sun's rays being blocked out, as well as the throne room became darker- No, not just the throne room. She could feel the darkness overtake her whole kingdom. There was something blocking out the sun!
Right there, the shadow overtaking everything and blocking her sun, was a giant airship, half the size of a small village. The citizens of Canterlot pointed, mutters and whispers could be heard all over.
