Chapter one-Foreboding
On the shining and fateful day, the not so great and powerful Trixie was fuming. The residents of Ponyville had not forgotten her lies about the Ursa Major, and had not forgotten her bragging ways. She had been shunned again.
"That pathetic Twilight Sparkle! She showed me up! I can't believe it! I had those fools right where I wanted them." She seethed. "If only there was a way to show her up!"
Trixie looked up, the Canterlot Sculpture Gardens in sight. Many well caved statues preserved the great heroes of past perfectly.
"Well, Great and Powerful Trixie... We share a common enemy." Spoke a powerful voice.
The suddenness and power of this voice made Trixie's mane stand on end. "Who's that?! Who's there?!"
"If you want to know, enter the Gardens and find the most menacing statue you can see."
Trixie couldn't hold back the curiosity. Cantering into the Gardens, she rushed round to find and inspect each statue. Each to the next, most of these magnificent statues had normal ponies standing around, looking noble. None seemed menacing.
At the end of the Gardens, the path seemed broken, and the hedges were wild and untrimmed. It was almost as if the Gardeners had forgotten this part. Pushing the branches of the bushes away, Trixie stepped into the wildest and deathly quiet square that was in the Gardens.
Stationed in the very centre of this wild, untouched piece of the Gardens, reared a horrific statue. Disfigured, manipulated and ugly, Discord was trapped in the state of agony. Trixie stood mouth agape.
"Now you see me. Now you see what that little rat did to me."
"But you're Discord! Bringer of disharmony! Of pain and torture." Trixie blurted.
"You call chocolate rain pain and torture?"
"No..."
"I want revenge on Twilight Sparkle. You do too. And, I know exactly how... Listen up, and I'll tell you a fool-safe way of getting Twilight Sparkle out of the way for sure..."
Upon waking, Twilight almost screamed.
Spike woke with a start. "What's wrong Twilight?!"
Twilight shook her head, bed mane flying everywhere. "Never mind Spike. It was just a dream."
Using her magic, Twilight opened the curtains and summoned a brush over, and brushed her forelock and mane.
"Well Twilight, you were looking forward to today. The re-scheduled visit from Princess Celestia is today!" Spike exclaimed.
"Oh yes, so it is." Twilight confirmed. "Alright Spike, let's get ready. I promised to make this visit the best visit Princess Celestia will ever get!"
Racing out of her bed, grabbing spike on the way, Twilight burst out of the door to the wonderful new day.
Organised as she was, Twilight brought all the ponies together to get things ready. Banners, streamers, confetti and party balloons were set out by Pinkie Pie and her team, food was lovingly cooked and set out neatly by Applejack and her family, Rarity had already fabricated some beautiful dresses and costumes for the performance ponies, Fluttershy had gathered some of Equestria's finest songbirds to sing for Celestia's arrival, and Rainbow Dash had already cleared the sky and was going to perform a Sonic Rainboom to mark the Princess' arrival.
"Everything's going perfectly!" Twilight exclaimed. "Thank you, all of you! You're doing an amazing job."
Rainbow Dash saluted. "No Problem Twilight! We're only doing what friends should do!"
Pinkie Pie bounced around. "Oh I can't wait! This'll be the biggest party EVER!"
"Yes, it'll be fabulous darling!" Rarity announced. "I even got my hooves painted for the occasion!"
"Well I just hope she likes the food." Applejack cut in.
"And the music!" Fluttershy added.
Spike stood on Twilight's back. "I bet she'll love it all! We've put a lot of effort into it, and it's the thought that counts, right?"
"Right!" The ponies chorused.
Mayor Mare trotted over to Twilight and her friends. "Yes, she will love it. It's the best I've seen this year! We'll make an impression for sure!"
"Quick!" Rainbow Dash called. "I see them! I think Princess Luna is coming too!"
As soon as Rainbow Dash had announced it, the chariot carrying the Princesses came into view.
"Stations everyone!" Twilight called. "She's coming!"
Everypony dashed to reach their place. As the chariot drew in closer, Fluttershy rallied the birds to sing, and the performance ponies danced around for a path to the chariot. The Princesses were smiling, overjoyed with the warm welcome.
Twilight nudged Rainbow Dash. "You're up."
"Okay!" Was her excited reply, and she shot up into the sky, outracing any military jet known to date. Diving back down, so fast she broke the light spectrum, dragging the refracted rainbow behind her. With a mighty sweep, Rainbow Dash drew a spectacular rainbow over the approaching chariot.
Twilight was ecstatic. Everything was going perfect. She couldn't keep her grin off her face.
The Mayor was standing, ready to greet Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and to welcome them to Ponyville. The whole procession went underway, and soon the feast was set out and everyone sat down to eat the food Applejack and co had made.
Twilight Sparkle was allowed to sit next to Princess Celestia. "Hello Princess, how are you?" Twilight asked. "Did you like the welcome?"
Princess Celestia looked at Twilight and forced a smile. "I'm fine. And the welcome was lovely."
"Are you sure... Princess?" Twilight hazarded.
"Twilight. You can keep a secret, yes?" Princess Celestia asked quietly, her flowing mane covering one of her eyes. The eye visible sparked with fear.
Twilight nodded gravely.
"Well, I had a dream last night..." Celestia began, but she was cut off by a roar.
Everypony looked to the source of the roar. Un-holy storm clouds accumulated far from the ground, grey and spitting with anger. A huge shadow leered over the ponies, misshapen and twisted. It could have been only one creature.
"Sweet Apples! It's Discord!" Applejack yelled.
Twilight jumped on the table. "Quick girls, gather together!"
Discord boomed a mighty laugh. "Well well, if it isn't Twilight and her itty bitty little ponies! What're you going to do this time, pull the elements of Harmony on me again? Hah!"
"Twilight, get the other ponies to safety!" Princess Luna exclaimed, before leaping at Discord- using her magic to throw a set of chairs at him.
Princess Celestia stood by her sister, calling upon her magic to throw a table at Discord, knocking him off balance.
"Nice throw!" Princess Luna cried, loving the excitement. Obviously she hadn't experienced excitement since her imprisonment in the moon.
Princess Celestia didn't let her guard down. "Let's show Discord not to mess with us, Luna. Let's send him back to his prison with fear!"
Luna nodded. "Alright. The Sun and the Moon, we'll show him."
Amidst the distraction Luna and Celestia had caused, Twilight Sparkle was frantically gathering the other ponies, as well as her friends helping out. Most of the ponies were out, but Twilight's register was incomplete.
"Where's Derpy?!" Twilight yelled.
Rainbow Dash looked down on Twilight. "What? Derpy's not here?!"
Pinkie Pie was laughing. Fluttershy approached Pinkie Pie. "Uh, sorry Pinkie Pie, but I don't think this is the right time to laugh, even though I love laughing..."
Pinkie Pie laughed even more. "Don't worry! If Derpy's in danger, I'll get her, and scare away Discord with my confetti cannon!"
Rarity gasped. "We must go back for Derpy! She delivers the parcels that I need!"
"Not just that, Derpy's a friend, even if she is a little loopy." Applejack interjected.
Spike stood on Twilight's back and pointed. "Look! There she is!"
From the distance, they could see Derpy rushing at Discord, and she kicked at his foot, making him fall over. They realised why she had done that- he was just about to strike at the princesses. Derpy was trying to help.
Twilight rushed over towards Derpy, but Rainbow Dash sped ahead to get to Derpy. "C'mon Derpy, we got to get out of here!"
Suddenly the sky came to life, as the others rushed to help Rainbow Dash and Derpy. The group looked over to the princesses, who had begun to glow brightly with the radiation of magic.
"We've got to move! Whatever the Princesses are doing, it looks deadly!" Twilight called.
They weren't moving fast enough. Rainbow Dash was snatched by Discord, as well as Derpy. "I'm fed up with you little rats, you've ruined my chance once before!"
"Get off me you overgrown monkey!" Rainbow Dash yelled, squirming to try and get free.
Before the others could do anything, Discord knocked them all aside.
Suddenly the floor shook and rocks fell from the sky.
"A meteor shower!" Twilight gasped, before jumping out of the way of one pretty sizeable rock.
The blazing spits of rock cascaded from the sky, pummelling Discord and forcing him to drop Derpy and Rainbow Dash. They both flew over to the rest of the group, who were trying their hardest to dodge or deflect the small meteors away.
"I'm getting dust in my mane!" Rarity wailed, as she kicked a meteor away.
The sky's rusty red colour washed away, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia standing on the only remaining dining table, a little dazed by what they had done. They smiled to each other- it was the first time they'd done anything with each other for a long time.
Discord roared. "Ow! Lock me in stone and then cover me with them! How evil!"
Princess Celestia snorted. "I remember what you did. The time you released your anger on Equestria was evil, what you did was unspeakable. Only I remember what you did. That was evil."
Discord looked over at Twilight Sparkle. "So strong, Princess. All those years of regret made you strong, didn't it? Locking your own sister away..."
"I'm not going to fall for that." Princess Luna spoke out, defying Discord's mocking tone.
"But you couldn't do it. As soon as you found someone like your sister, you cherished her, didn't you?" Discord laughed.
Princess Celestia couldn't help but widen her eyes. Yes. It was true. She had found someone who helped her through the time without her sister, so inquisitive and thoughtful, so wrapped up in being something great she didn't have time for friends. And that was the mistake her sister had made- Princess Luna. She didn't have a friend to call her back, to subside Nightmare Moon. Princess Celestia had made sure that Twilight Sparkle didn't make the same mistake.
Discord marched over to Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Derpy and Twilight. He reached to grab Twilight, but Pinkie Pie fired her Streamer Cannon in his face, Applejack bucked at him, Rarity reared, Fluttershy bit his leg, Rainbow Dash flew circles round his head, and even Derpy swatted his face.
Twilight couldn't believe it- her friends were risking their lives for her.
The attack didn't last long. "ENOUGH!" Discord yelled, releasing a shock of energy, sending everyone flying backwards.
He plucked Twilight Sparkle from the floor. Her vision was spinning; the attack Discord had launched left her dazed, as was the same with her friends. Spike was clinging onto her tail.
"Let her go!" Spike cried, but Discord merely flicked him away.
Discord held Twilight into the sky, as if she were some trophy. "Well then, Princess Celestia, you have a choice- step down, or Twilight Sparkle says bye-bye!"
Princess Celestia frowned and reared, suddenly releasing a bright solar beam straight at Discord. He deflected it as if it were nothing but snow.
Twilight Sparkle wriggled. "Get off me, get off me!"
She tried to use her magic. But it just wasn't working, she couldn't do it.
Luna was staring at her sister. Was this true? Her sister had taken on Twilight Sparkle because Luna herself was so sorely missed?
Princess Celestia looked close to tears. Un-composed, her normally well groomed mane flew about ragged. What could she do?
As if on a cue, Trixie leaped over Princess Celestia and shouted: "Stand back! The great and powerful Trixie will deal with this!"
With a mighty swish of her tail and some flashy light effects, Trixie's cape began to flow as if a breeze had caught it. Her horn began to glow, and a pure beam of light emanated from it, casting Discord a pure white. Discord reared his head, screaming. He dropped Twilight frantically and began to writhe like a worm in the sun. Then, suddenly, he evaporated into smoke that then calmly drifted away.
Twilight stood up. What had just happened?
Twilight's friends were standing, completely gobsmacked. How come if even the Princesses combined could not defeat Discord, Trixie could?
While Twilight, her friends and the Princesses were not tricked, the rest of Ponyville had dared closer during the fight and had seen the whole procession. A cheer rose from the spectators, and Trixie took a bow. Trixie had just saved them all.