The Soul of Amicitia

Discords laughed and knocked against her head. A bright tone was everything he got as a reaction. Celestia's body seemed dead as stone. "I tell you the bright side of this.", Discord snickered, winding his body around the living statue made of crystal. "The part in which you still be aware of your surroundings by seeing, hearing and feeling them, is the worst! But don't be afraid. You will be nuts soon and everything will be pretty and fine for you. I ensure that! Oh and don't you think your coat looks magnificent? I caught that style up at Crystal Empire! It's a whole lot better then that boring plane old stone prison, isn't it? And you sure recognized boring is not my cup of tee!" He joked and threw a tee can at Thunderlane's cottage which exploded. The gray stallion leaved in shock his hiding place and searched for another.

"You'll pay for that!", Rainbow sped up to attack the draconequus with all her strength. He wont let get him away with that. How could he insult the princess so cruel?! Rainbow laughed sure that she'll get him, when he just stared in surprise at her. But her hooves only touched dust, when she reached his neck. "Oh shit", she swore. That didn't work according to the plan. The pegasus crashed through Discord. Latter shake his head and snipped with the fingers. That the pegasus would never learn that it didn't work when she screams so loud before she attacks.

"Oh no I forgot he could do THAT!", Rainbow cried, when she didn't felt her wings anymore and crashed out of control in an apple cart. She almost fainted.

Discord sighed bored. He looked at Luna and said: "Do you think opal would be suit you?" He snorted when he eventually got aware of Spike who was about to loosen the last string that holds Luna. Spike squeaked when he saw the angry gaze of the draconequus.

"Don't dare too interfere you little gargl..." a rope slung around Discord's neck and he felt the strength of Applejack dragging him backwards. The mare smiled when it actually worked to let her opponent struggle. She dragged him down to his knees. Seconds later Discord saw Rarity above him "Not if I can prevent it you horrible creature", she said in her almost snobby tone. She won't let him hurt anymore ponies.

"And what will you do without your horn little Rarity?", he hissed. The beautiful unicorn answer the vanish of her horn with a dark look.

"I'll show you!", she hissed back.

He must had gotten overran by a train. Rarity hit his skull with a strong kick off her left back hoof. The draconequus tumbled back in pain. Applejack dragged stronger, when Rarity did the next hit, their enemy felt howling to the ground and gasp. The two friends didn't waste time with cheering. They do their best to keep Discord distracted. Rainbow looked desperate in their direction. But Pinky still was trapped in that bottle. The pink pony struggled to get her head out of the bottleneck. She looks really desperate already. Rainbow shook her dizziness of and walked to the bottle. She sighed. How she hated it to walk. Twilight and Spike took their chance and dragged Luna to the statue of Celestia. The young unicorn cast her teleportation spell. The last thing she heard was an angry scream.

The four arrived the central in relive. That was close. Exhausted Twilight collapsed at the ground. She was still scared to her bones. She knew that Discord was powerful but she never would had thought he was able to imprison one in – a mineral? She was even to shocked to cry. What had she done? How could she let that happened? Celestia trusted her. Somebody stroked her mane gently. She looked up, desperate. Through blurry eyes she saw princess Candace. When did she get here? Wasn't she supposed to be in Crystal Empire? Twilight fall against her legs and began to cry. "Thank Celestia you are already here!", Spike hugged the confused princess of the northern Kingdom.

"What happened? Is that Celestia? Why?", she mumbled in distraction. Luna just nodded. Spike went to her and helped her to lose the stripes. She made a frown, every time a stripes got lose and ripped out some of her coat.

"Spike send me a message that Discord is on rampage... I am so glad that Celestia had asked me to stay in Canterlot during Discord's release. She must have been afraid of this situation. I am so relived that I was near by when I got your letter Spike. I wouldn't be able to teleport here, if I where still in the Crystal Empire. The guards are informed as well but still on their way. Explain me what is about this statue?!", she stuttered. Cadance was clearly disturbed. She didn't know what to do or what to say when Discord had gone crazy. She still had nightmares from her intense reaction against Sombra. What if she... Luna looked calming on her.

"It's princess Celestia.", Twilight cried. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have let Fluttershy alone!"

"We have to object. We all done mistakes. My sister shouldn't gave thy that chance in the first place. But she sees in every creature something good even in this monster! We won't hold back the next time we encounter thy!", Luna growled. Candace looked unsure at her. Did she really meant that? Perhaps, sometimes there where no other way. She sighed and looked at Twilight with worry. She hugged her and tried to calm her down a little bit. "We hate to admit if. But maybe we should retreat. We don't acknowledge how but thy seems stronger then the last time we fought thy. Twilight is about to collapse and our sister is turned into a statue! We are as well drained from that blasted fly stripe!"

"But what about my friends? I can't let them down! I already lost one! You can't let me abandon the others!", Twilight cried. She had done all wrong, what could go wrong. She sniffed shivering out of exhaustion.

Candace looked in sorrow at her sister on law. "And you are my friend!', she said. Twilight looked away. Luna came closer to the pink princess and have her a hug. "Thou have to understand thy." Cadance looked at Twilight fearsome of losing a dear friend. But when she watched in Twilight eyes she knew that the unicorn could never forgive herself when she went now. Slowly she nodded at her. She knee down and gave her a hug. "Please take care for yourself my dear.", she whispered. "I will.", Twilight answered silently.

"Twilight, thou should give us your element. Discord already stolen one we can't afford get thy hold off the others! Princess Candace and we will try to find a way to recover our sister. We are entrust thou to distract that monster from doing harm as long as possible.", Luna said. The dark blue mare looked at her with concern. "There is one being that might be able to help us. Go to the Everfree Forest to the castle of the two sisters. Eventually thou will find a tree hiding between the cliff surrounding the castle. It was the original bearer of the elements. Maybe thou find a solution there." She was not sure if it was a good idea. She was not as trustful as Celestia to the six mares. After all they were so young. But they captured Discord already one time. Why not a second? The ponies where tougher then they look. Furthermore he highest priority was to recover Celestia. She had to believe that the girls would find a way. No she must believe in them, if she would be able to concentrate in bringing Celestia back and hold the balance of day and night in Equestria as long as she could. Without her magic the kingdom may fell apart eventually.

Twilight looked at her with concern. Although she was unsure. Why didn't she ever heard of that tree before? She have to read all of the books in Canterlot already! Twilight nodded. "I'll do my best to assist you and take Discord down!", she whispered. She trampled inside a little bit, though she didn't know how she should achieve that goal jet. But she wouldn't let her friends, nor her family nor all of Equestria down. She had to make up for her faults.

"Please stay alive… I don't know what I could say to Shining Armor, when something happens to you!" with a last worried look the princesses vanished in a bright light. Leave a feared and unconfined Twilight behind.

Rarity placed another kick and she heard a satisfied crack. That was a rip. She almost smiled, who was now a little helpless damsel? A blood thirsty glace of Discord let her hesitate at the next hit. The draconequus had enough. He growled angrily and bare his teeth.

"All right! playtime is over!", he shouted. He dragged jerkily at the rope Applejack was holding. The mare tried to let go when she recognized that the creature lifted her hooves from the ground. But it was to late. A part of it had already slung magically around her body and she got swung at Rarity with the speed of a morning star. Both of them rolled away, smashing several times hard on the ground. Rarity moaned in pain and knocked out. Applejack tried to stand up. But she was strapped with the white pony. Discord was quick by their side and took the elements of their necks. "Hey you! These are ours!", Applejack grunted.

"You mean were." he answered. Rainbow dashed in his direction and tackled him in the side. Hitting again the already hurt rip. Finaly she got him! She glared at the creature victorious. Pinky looked a little helpless out of the bottle. Rainbow had tried to pull her out but let go after she saw what had happen to Applejack and Rarity. Now the pink pony stuck in the bottle neck unable to move in our out. Discord gabbed one of Rainbow's hooves hastily caught her throat and struggle her. The blue pony pressed breathless a "That hurts!" out of her lips. She bit him in the paw. Although he flinshed and a fair amount of blood was quilling out of the fresh wound, the draconequus ignored her snarling and walked towards Pinky. He pushed her back in the bottle. Furious he crammed Rainbow Dash after her. Then he melted the opening of the bottle to a tiny hole. Rainbow coughed and try to break the glass, when she saw that four necklaces laid between Discords talons. "Give EM back!", she spited. She had stillthre taste of his blood on her lips. She won't give up now! How could he smile at her as if she weren't a thread for him?! She jump against the bottle, which only rolled a few feet wide. She snarled. How could that happened? Why did anypony have ever trust this… this… Pinky tried to calm her down. Eagerly she draged Rainbow at her shoulders.  "Stop it! Or you'll hurt yourself!", she insisted. The dark face of Discord wasn't fun at all. He may looked beaten up, but his glare at them let even Pinky shiver. At the very moment she saw wrath pouring all through his body. It seems he didn't like to get physically hurt. "I wont give them back to you ever. They are mine now! And don't dare to get in my way again or I guarantee for nothing you runt of evolution!", he just hissed with a hatred voice that overwhelmed his else trolling tone. Then vanished into the air in a light flash. The four screamed after him and try to get lose but they were unable to escape their prisons.

Twilight sighed deeply. Spike was about to come back soon. He wanted to bring her some water. At least she hoped so. Suddenly the flutter of wings break the silence. Ready to fight she looked up. She was barely able to step aside. She focused her eyes at the draconequus that just decided to land on her back, this caused Twilight finally to collapse. A little spark of magic left her horn and fizzled out useless.

"Where is it?", Discord grunted and exterminated Twilight's head. "And where's my decoration?!"

"I don't know what you mean! Get off! You're too heavy!" Twilight panted. She shivered when she recognize how week her voice was.

"Didn't act stupid! I certainly mean your element and the princesses!"

"I don't know either! And the princesses ain't your personal decoration! They are our beloved rulers!" Twilight tried to crawl away when she thought to have a chance. A heavy lion paw stopped her from moving. She felt the claws pricing in her flesh. He was angry. Really angry. What had happened? "Let me go!", Twilight cried. She couldn't keep out all of her fear. Inside her mind she scolded herself for that. He must had gotten aware of it. After all he loves to play with the emotions and minds of ponies.

"Answer my question!" Okay? Was he somehow in a hurry?

"You won't harm them! They teleported away and I don't know the destination! So be cruel! You won't get any useful information!", the unicorn sobbed.

Discord rolled her body bored around. Twilight got dizzy. She felt like a little toy of a cat. Was a cat in his… oh yeah the lion. She hoped he wont do what every cat did when it got bored of its pray. Twilight used any chance she got to crawl away. He simply dragged back at her tail and start over with his play.

"It would be no fun to torture you. You wouldn't last a minute in the condition you are. I still don't get why you used almost all of your power at once and tried to kill me with the others. That's not your style. With all that friendly friendship huggy woggy cutesy stuff. Nevertheless, you are much more fun when you are at your full strength. I mean, I would have believed that Candace would have that extreme standards but..." He hesitated and give himself a face palm. Luna wouldn't be able to teleport in her current state! How could he have forgotten this annoying pink princess? He didn't think she would get here that fast. Maybe Celestia wasn't that trustful in him after all. He have to be aware of other traps.

"You ask me really why we tried to knock you out? You killed Fluttershy for Celestia's sake!", Twilight shouted, she wouldn't admit, that she kinda had the feeling, that blast could probably kill the draconequus. At that moment she just had blended it out. She wasn't a murderer and she didn't want to be one. But back then rage and sorrow were filling her mind and made her unable to think. He bit on his tongue when he thought about Fluttershy. A derogatory commentary almost slipped his mouth. If they thought she was gone for good they would not search for her. "Well you have tried to grill me as I recall. Since when are you so destructive and brutal?"

"Since you killed one of my friends!", Twilight cried. Her tears just came out of her eyes. There where no holding back anymore. To say it, made it more real every time. She couldn't bare the thought anymore.

"And why would you be any different from me when you would have succeed?", Discord laughed.

"Well I. .. You. ..mah darn it! For the sake of a whole kingdom for so many lives!"

"So protecting my own life is not as worth as protecting any ponyelse life? That means my existence is not equal to a ponies? Are you sure it wasn't just for revenge?"

"You where the one who hurt us first!", Twilight screamed. Holding her head, determined not to let his mind game work on her.

"Oh smart cookie Twily knows everything! She was herself present at the time before Luna and Celestia turned Discord into stone and punished him with the locked in syndrome? I am astonished I wasn't aware of you fly!", he snarled his voice got suddenly poisoned with hatred.

"That's ridiculous!" Twilight moaned. "Why should I believe you? You cannot possibly think I would! Are you telling me you are the victim here? Whatever happens between you and the ponies back then! It cannot weight the same what you have done to them! And it can't weight up for me, that you take away one of my dearest friends!" She tries to gather the remaining shreds of her power. Discord laid himself on the ground using Twilight as a pillow. In rage he looked at her neck. One single bite and this annoying pony would stop talking for ever. What does she knows? Nothing! Her stupid brain was even to young to get the full picture of his suffer. So why should he waste time in talking to this insulting little brat?

The draconequus got hit by a glass of water. He stood up immediately to see Spike behind a crate aiming for the next throw. "I already said! Stop throwing things at me!" When he was about to attack Spike Twilight stand up and put her last remaining strength in her next spell. It hit the creature on the back. He flinched that actually was hurtful. But not strong enough to injure him. The pony collapsing muttering: "Leave Spike..." She had given everything to protect her friends, but she horribly failed. At least… she thought, she could met up with them in the after world. Although she could only hope there was anything like that. So she fainted with a smile on her face and fear in her eyes.

Discord spitted. He just took a step aside, when Spike rushed into his direction. But the baby dragon didn't reach him. He fell down over Twilight's body and protected it with his own. "I won't let you kill her! She's my friend and my family! You will lose at least a finger if you dare to hurt her!" Discords stared down at the wet eyes of Spike. As he recalled the dragon was every single second of his existence at the side of the purple pony.

"Family" He vomit the word. "She's like a mama to you eh?" His eyes filled with unusual seriousness. Spike looked in fear at the creature. "You are boring." Discord said smirking again. His eyes cheered up again. "Tell Twily all of you should stay out of my way and no one will be harmed. Got that? I don't like physical fighting at all. But when anyone of you try to kill me again I may jump over my shadow and crush your bones to tasty white bone flour! Don't forget that wimp!" Spike hugged Twilight even harder, when the shadow of Discord snarled at him, trying to bite him. With an impending look the draconequus vanished in his usual manner. Spike sighed relived. He pressed his body as hard as he could against Twilight's. She was still breathing. Everything would be turn out well. Everything would turn out well. He mumbled to himself.