My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic: The Stallion Six Series, The Battle with Discord

Chapters

Chapter 27: A Field Trip
Chapter 29: Urgent Meeting
Chapter 30: The Mastermind Revealed
Chapter 31: Into The Labyrinth
Chapter 32: Discord's Game
Chapter 33: Secrets and Lies
Chapter 34: Return to Ponyville
Chapter 35: Library Rumble
Chapter 36: Shining's Darkest Hour
Chapter 37: Making Things Right
Chapter 38: Award Ceremony
Chapter 28: Down The Rabbit Hole

Chapter 27: A Field Trip

Cheerilee was excited, and she knew her students were as well. This was a field trip she'd been planning for months, and it had been a hassle to get it approved by the school board.

The city of Canterlot was full of interesting sights new and old alike. And what better way to get the students interested in Equestrian history, than to show them the sights that had to be seen to be believed?

Even Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were surprisingly well behaved on this day, which was a welcome change for the rest of the class. They'd come to know the two as the official mean girls of the school yard.

"Come along class." Cheerilee called "We have a lot to do today. I want to start our field trip here, in the world-famous Canterlot sculpture garden. These sculptures represent the various virtues and emotions that make up the basis of our society. That statue over there represents 'Friendship', the very heart of our universe. And that statue represents 'Victory'." she pointed to various stone statues, describing in detail what they depicted or represented.

"How cool would it be to have something like that for a cutie mark?" Scootaloo whispered to her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders.

"Pretty cool I guess." Apple Bloom replied "Assuming you were actually victoryful at somethin'."

"That's not a word Apple Bloom!" Sweetie Belle said innocently.

"What are you, a dictionary?" Scootaloo said crossly.

Cheerilee quickly broke up the arguement "None of that today girls! Now then, take a look at the statue directly in front of you. What do you notice about it that makes it different from the others?"

"Well, it's got an eagle claw." Apple Bloom replied, looking up at it.

"And a lion paw." Sweetie Belle added.

"And a snake tail!" Scootaloo finished "It looks like that frankenstien monster I saw at the movies."

"That's actually a pretty good way to describe it Scootaloo." Cheerilee said with a smile "The creature imprisoned in that statue is called a draconequus. It has the head of a pony and a body made up of all sorts of things. Now then, can anyone tell me what that represents?"

"Confusion!" Apple Bloom shouted.

"Evil!" Sweetie Belle shouted, shoving Apple Bloom aside.

"Chaos! It's got to be chaos!" Scootaloo shouted, standing in front of Sweetie Belle.

This made Sweetie Belle cross. "It's not chaos, you dodo!" she said furiously.

"Hey! Don't call me things I don't know the meaning of!" Scootaloo snapped "And it is too chaos!"

"No it isn't!" Sweetie Belle snapped back.

"You're both wrong!" Apple Bloom said smuggly. This led to a sudden all out brawl among the three friends. No one seemed to notice that as this was going on, a slight crack was forming along the draconequus statue's body.

"That's quite enough girls!" Cheerilee scolded.

"We're sorry Miss. Cheerilee." Apple Bloom replied "We didn't mean to start fightin', honest."

"Well, as much as I disliked watching it, you three just helped demonstrate what this statue truly stands for." Cheerilee explained.

"What do you mean?" The Cutie Mark Crusaders asked.

"This statue represents 'Discord', that means a lack of harmony among ponies." Cheerilee quickly explained "And because you three demonstrated it so nicely, you're all going to write a report about it." This caused the rest of the class to start laughing. They thought it was funny, but the CMC thought they were being rather silly.

"This is just great." Scootaloo muttered under her breath.

"Now then, if there are no more 'interruptions' we shall resume our field trip." Cheerilee said crossly "Follow me girls, and I don't want to see anymore fighting. Understand?"

"Yes Miss. Cheerilee, we understand." Sweetie Belle replied "We'll come quietly."

"Good." Cheerilee said with a smile "Hopefully we can make up for lost time." And she quickly guided her students to their next destination. She didn't think there was anything suspicious about the Cutie Mark Crusaders suddenly fighting for no good reason. And even if she did, she didn't care.

What she didn't know, was that the crack that had formed on the statue of "Discord" had widened. If anyone was watching, the statue would've looked like it was about to break apart. But only two ponies would've known what that meant, though it wouldn't matter. Soon, all of Equestria would find itself facing a threat not seen since Nightmare Moon's return during the Summer Sun Celebration.

"Free, at last." the statue cackled in an evil voice "And this time, nothing will stand in my way."

Chapter 29: Urgent Meeting

In the city of Canterlot, Princess Celestia paced nervously back and forth in the royal palace. "I can't believe he escaped without my knowledge." she thought to herself "I can only hope it isn't too late to stop him."

Just then, her thoughts were interrupted, as the palace doors were opened. In rushed Shining Armor and his friends, all of them out of breath and panting heavily.

"Ah, good. You received my message." Princess Celestia said with concern "I was worried that it might not go through, given the circumstances."

"What's going on Princess Celestia?" Shining Armor asked "Is this about the strange weather, and the out of control wildlife, and why my magic doesn't seem to have any effect on it?"

"Indeed it is." Princess Celestia replied "But I'm afraid there is something far worse that is behind all of this. Come with me, and I'll tell you everything I can. Time is of the escence." Shining Armor and his friends quickly followed Princess Celestia through the castle, until at last they reached a long hallway, with stainless glass windows depicting various events of Equestrian history. "It seems that an old enemy of mine, one that I had thought to be defeated for good, has escaped." Princess Celestia explained "And now, I fear that we are ALL in very real danger."

"Who is this new threat?" Shining Armor asked "From the sound of things, he, she, or it, must be really powerful."

"Powerful is an understatement Shining Armor." Princess Celestia said ominously "For the threat you are up against is no other than, Discord!"

"Discord?" Soarin asked "He doesn't sound like a nice guy."

"Yeah, he sounds rather dangerous." Thunderlane added.

"You are wise to be fearful of him, my little ponies." Princess Celestia went on "For you see, Luna and I did not always rule over this land. Many centuries ago, Equestria was in the grip of Discord's chaos empire. Luna and I saw how he made life miserable for unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies alike. So, after we discovered The Elements of Harmony, we rose up against him, turning him into stone."

"But then, how could he have escaped?" Big Macintosh asked "I mean, Twilight got turned to stone once, and if it weren't for Fluttershy, she probably would've died."

"The spell that was cast works a bit differently from a cockatrice's stare." Princess Celestia explained "Apparently, a fact that I was not aware of until recently, is that the spell draws power from those who wield The Elements of Harmony. So when Luna and I lost our connection to them 1,000 years ago, the spell was broken. But it was not until now that Discord's powers had built up enough, to allow him to break free."

"Well, that's all fine and dandy, but why do you need us to defeat him now that The Elements of Harmony are back?" Shining Armor asked "Couldn't you both just wield them again and cast the spell on him?"

Before Princess Celestia could answer Braeburn shouted out "Hey, look! We're famous!" and he pointed to a stain glass window display, which depicted Shining Armor and his friends wielding The Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon.

"The elements chose a new generation of bearers when Nightmare Moon returned." Princess Celestia explained "And unfortunately, that means Luna and I can no longer use them. To us, they are still as ineffective as the night they turned to stone. That's why I need your help. I want you all to wield The Elements of Harmony once again, and stop Discord!"

"We'll gladly do whatever we can to help Princess." Shining Armor said firmly "Right guys?"

Everyone else nodded, but Braeburn had one thing he wanted to say "I'm willing to help out, but you guys are aware that eternal chaos comes with free chocolate rain, right?"

"Of course we're aware cousin Braeburn." Big Macintosh replied "But no amount of free goodies could ever make living in a world of unending chaos enjoyable."

"So, where are the elements anyway?" Fancy Pants asked "I haven't seen them at all since we arrived here."

"They have been kept in a vault, guarded by a door that only I can open." Princess Celestia explained, pointing to a door at the end of the hallway. She then went over to it, and inserted her horn into what appeared to be the keyhole. The display on the door began to light up, and the door was soon opened. Inside it rested a blue chest with gold trim, and several shiny jewels."

"Wow, if that chest wasn't being used to hold Equestria's last line of defense, I'd gladly take it off your hooves your majesty." Fancy Pants commented.

"I trust that you all remember what element you wielded last time, correct?" Princess Celestia asked, everyone nodded "Good, just checking." But when Princess Celestia opened the chest, a shocking sight awaited her. The box was empty, The Elements of Harmony were gone! Princess Celestia was so surprised that she dropped the chest on the ground.

Everyone was speechless.

"Well, I guess there's only one thing left to do." Braeburn said "If you need me, I'll be outside with a straw, sipping up all the delicious chocolate rain."

Chapter 30: The Mastermind Revealed

Princess Celestia was in a state of disbelief. Something like this had never happened before, and she had no idea what to do, except pace nervously back and forth once again. "I don't understand this at all." she muttered to herself "That door is protected by a lock that can only be opened by my magic. No one else should've been able to have access to it. This doesn't make any sense at all."

Just then, an eerie laugh split the air. Almost as if it were taunting Princess Celestia, and indeed it was. "Make sense? Oh, come now. What fun is there in making sense? It's quite boring if you ask me." the voice chuckled.

Princess Celestia quickly recognized who the voice belonged to, and her mood soon changed from one of shock, to one of anger. "Discord! I should've known!" she said crossly "Show yourself, now!"

The voice laughed once again, before it spoke "Did you miss me Celestia? Well, I've missed you." In a flash of white light, one of the stainless glass window displays of Discord came to life. It quickly began to move from panel to panel with the greatest of ease, as if the laws of reality had no effect on it. "You know, being trapped in stone for thousands of years, can make a guy feel pretty lonely." the voice went on "But then again, you wouldn't know that, would you Celestia? Because unlike you, I don't turn ponies into stone! And for the record, I never banish them to the sun, or even the moon!"

Princess Celestia was cross, but she seemed to be unaffected by Discord's mind games. "Your attempts at making me look like a monster are futile Discord." she spoke up "Luna's banishment still weighs heavily on my heart, you and I both know that. So drop the act, I'm in no mood for your games! What have you done with The Elements of Harmony?! I want answers and I want them now!"

"The elements? Oh I just 'borrowed' them for a little while." Discord explained, snapping his fingers. With another flash of white light, The Elements of Harmony disappeared from the window display directly beneath Discord "I'll gladly return them to you when I'm done, assuming I feel like it."

"That's not funny Discord!" Princess Celestia snapped "You'll never get away with this! You were defeated once, and you will be defeated again!"

Discord did not appear concerned by the threat, he merely replied "Oh, I've forgotten just how grim you can be Celestia. I must say, it's really quite BORING. You should lighten up and look on the bright side. After all, didn't you once consider my chaos to be a fun little distraction?"

"I don't know what you're trying to pull Discord, but it won't work!" Princess Celestia said crossly "Even if I once did not mind your chaos, that time of foolishness has passed."

"Just as I thought, you've grown soft in the time since I was imprisoned." Discord taunted.

This made Soarin angry "How dare you! No one talks like that to Princess Celestia and gets away with it on my watch!" He rushed towards the stainless glass window that Discord was currently in, hoping to teach him a lesson he wouldn't soon forget.

"Soarin, wait!" Shining Armor shouted, but it was no use. Soarin flew smack into the glass window, while Discord remained completely unharmed.

"Ah, you must be Soarin, the Wonderbolt co-captain known for his loyalty." Discord said.

"You got that right!" Soarin snapped "And you should know that I'll always be loyal. Loyal to my friends, loyal to my teammates, and loyal to the princess."

"We'll just see about that!" Discord threatened.

"Don't bother arguing with him Soarin." Fancy Pants encouraged "You're talking to a stainless glass window that can't talk back."

Just then, Discord appeared besides Fancy Pants "Ah yes, you're Fancy Pants, the stallion famous for his unending generosity." he said, speaking in the same tone he had used with Soarin "I am delighted to meet such a famous pony."

"So you know who we are, whoop de frickin do." Big Macintosh said crossly.

"Oh, I know more than just that, honest Big Macintosh!" Discord said sternly.

"You seem to know everything about us." Shining Armor spoke up "Not just who we are, but what elements we represent."

"Ooh, look at the big brain on Shiny!" Discord teased "But you're right Shining Armor, I know your elements like the back of my hand. Thunderlane's is kindness, your's is magic, and Braeburn's is my personal favorite, laughter."

Braeburn was chuckling alongside Discord, this made Shining Armor cross. "Braeburn!" he said sternly "Whose side are you on?!"

"Your side of course!" Braeburn replied, in between fits of laughter.

"Then why are you laughing along with old tall, dark, and ugly over there?" Shining Armor asked.

"Ugly indeed!" Discord snorted "You're just jealous because you don't have a body that's as amazing as my own." Braeburn continued to laugh.

"Mind telling me what's so funny?" Shining Armor asked sternly.

"Just look above you Shining Armor." Braeburn chuckled "He's dancing on your head." And indeed Discord was. He was dancing atop Shining Armor's head in one of the window displays, laughing while he did so.

Princess Celestia was not amused. In fact, she looked like she was about ready to lose her patience "Enough games Discord!" she snapped "I'm not gonna ask you again, where are The Elements of Harmony?!"

Discord stopped dancing "Oh, so boring. You're a real buzzkill Celestia, you know that." he said seriously.

"Out with it already!" Celestia shouted "Or so help me, I'll search every inch of Equestria until I find you! I may not be able to turn you to stone anymore, but this time I won't hold back!"

That seemed to change Discord's mood pretty quickly "Okay, fine. I'll tell, but I'll only tell you my way. So listen carefully." he began to speak in riddle "In order to retrieve your missing elements, just make sense of this change of events. Twists and turns are my master plan, then you may find the elements back where you began." And with that, Discord disappeared from the room. All of the stainless glass windows went back to how they had been just a few minutes ago.

"What do you think Discord meant Shining Armor?" Big Macintosh asked "You know, with the whole 'twists and turns' and ending up 'back where you began'?"

Shining Armor said nothing, he thought to himself for a moment. And as he did, he looked out to the nearby palace labyrinth. "Twists and turns, twists and turns." he muttered to himself "No, it couldn't be that obvious. Could it?"

"Well?" Big Macintosh asked.

"I have an idea, but I'm not sure if it's what Discord meant." Shining Armor admitted.

"Just tell us what it is." Fancy Pants encouraged "Any potential lead is better than no lead at all."

"Okay, I guess." Shining Armor said with a sigh "Judging by what Discord said, I think he may have hidden The Elements of Harmony in the palace labyrinth. But don't quote me on that."

"The labyrinth sounds like a good place as any to start our search." Soarin said firmly.

"Even if it's not where The Elements of Harmony are, we could still probably find a clue that will guide us to their location." Thunderlane suggested.

"I say we give it a shot!" Braeburn added.

"Well, if that's what you guys really want." Shining Armor said "It appears my decision has been made."

Princess Celestia smiled "Good luck on your quest my little ponies. May the power of harmony watch over you, always."

"We won't let you down Princess Celestia!" Shining Armor stated boldly "Come on guys, let's go!" And they all raced out of the hallway as fast as they could. Little did they know, that they were charging right into a trap.

Chapter 31: Into The Labyrinth

Shining Armor and his friends wasted no time, and reached the palace labyrinth in the span of a few seconds.

"Well, here we are." Shining Armor said, out of breath.

"It looks pretty big to me, and the elements could be anywhere inside those walls." Big Macintosh commented.

"Are we gonna have to search every nook and crany of that place until we find what we came here for?" Thunderlane asked nervously.

"Of course not." Soarin replied, showing off his wings "Because Discord forgot about these babies! I'll just fly up, comb through the labyrinth, and we'll have The Elements of Harmony ready and waiting! Discord won't know what hit him!"

"Sounds like a plan Soarin!" Shining Armor nodded "Let us know if you find anything."

"You mean when," Soarin corrected "cause this'll just take a few seconds!" And with that, he rocketed away as fast as his wings could carry him. Unfortunately, he hadn't gotten very far when there was a sudden flash of white light. When said light faded after just a second, Soarin's wings had disappeared. Soarin was shocked, and plumeted to the ground.

"Are you alright Soarin?" Fancy Pants asked.

"I'll live." Soarin groaned, rising to his hooves "It's times like this that make me glad I'm a Wonderbolt."

Just then, there was another flash of light, and Thunderlane's wings disappeared as well. Thunderlane was, understandebly, freaked out.

Another flash followed, and Shining Armor and Fancy Pants suddenly felt a little bit different. "Your horn! My horn!" they both cried out.

Yet another flash, and now Big Macintosh and Braeburn felt like they weren't the same. "Uh, cousin Big Macintosh?" Braeburn asked "Did you feel what I just felt?"

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied "Feels like someone drained us of our earth pony magic, and I think I know who's behind it all."

All of a sudden, there was a tremendous burst of light, and Discord finally revealed what he really looked like. When the ponies got a good look at him, they were frightened. They had never seen a creature like him before.

"Oh, you should just see the looks on your faces." Discord taunted "Absolutely priceless, and here I am without a camera."

Shining Armor plucked up courage "Enough is enough Discord, give us back our wings, horns, and earth pony magic! They don't belong to you!"

"Oh relax, you'll get them all back in due time." Discord explained "I simply took them to ensure that there will be no 'cheating'."

"What do you mean?" Fancy Pants asked.

"It's quite simple really." Discord replied "I've decided that this labyrinth is the ideal place to hold a little game. I call it, 'Discord's Amazing Labyrinth Puzzle'. Get it, amazing?"

"That's not funny Discord." Shining Armor snapped.

"Yes, well anyway." Discord went on "Now a game must have rules in order to ensure everyone has a fair chance. Otherwise, there's no fun, and that would never do. Now then, the first rule of the game is, no flying, and no magic of any sort."

"The first rule?" Soarin replied, incredibly uneasy with the terms.

"Correctamundo Soarin." Discord said eagerly "The second rule of the game is, everypony has to, or else the game is over, and I win. The third rule is, you may enter the labyrinth on your own or as a team, but you are not allowed to tell anyone if you find The Elements of Harmony. It wouldn't be much fun if one of you got lucky and ended the game early. The fourth rule is, if anypony should at any point delibertly or accidentally wander out of the labyrinth, it counts as an automatic forefit on their part. And finally, the fifth rule is, you cannot take shortcuts. You can wonder down any path you choose, but should you come across a dead end, you must turn around and start over. Break any of these rules, and you're out of the game. With that being said, let the games begin! Good luck everypony, you'll need it! T.T.F.N, ta-ta for now." And with that Discord vanished into thin air.

Most ponies in this situation would be worried, but not Shining Armor. He quickly took charge and calmed everyone down. "I know this looks bad guys, but we've come too far to turn back now. We're going to play Discord's game, and we're going to win. Because there's one thing we have that Discord can never take away!"

"And that would be what?" Thunderlane asked.

"Our friendship of course." Shining Armor explained "As long as we work together, we can overcome anything!"

"Shining Armor's right!" Soarin cheered "There's nothing we can't achieve if we all stick together!"

"So, are we ready to beat Discord at his own little game?" Shining Armor asked.

"YEAH!" the other stallions replied.

"Alrighty then, let's do this!" Shining Armor shouted, and he led his friends to the labyrinth's entrance. "Ready?!" Shining Armor asked, his friends noded. "Good." Shining Armor replied "We're going to stop Discord-"

"Together!" the six stallions all said at once, and with that they boldly stepped into the labyrinth ready for anything, or so they thought.

Then, suddenly, one by one they were all seperated as walls popped up all around them. In a matter of seconds, they had all been cut off from one another.

"Stay strong guys!" Shining Armor encouraged "Discord's just trying to break our spirits, but we're not gonna let him rattle us. Not like this! Are you all okay?"

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied.

"I think so." Thunderlane nodded.

"I've felt better." Braeburn commented.

"I'm just fine." Fancy Pants stated.

"I'll live." Soarin said.

"Good." Shining Armor replied "Here's the plan, we'll set off and regroup in the center of the maze. Is that clear?"

"Of course." Big Macintosh replied.

"I understand." Thunderlane nodded.

"You betcha." Braeburn said eagerly.

"Clear as crystal." Fancy Pants commented.

"Yes sir!" Soarin stated.

"Okay then, let's move out!" Shining Armor ordered, and the six stallions did so. They had no way of knowing that Discord was laying in wait for them with his own special batch of "obstacles".

From far above, Discord looked down on Shining Armor and his friends. He had heard everything "Oh Shining Armor." he said to himself "You should know that it's not going to be THAT easy. Not if I have anything to say about it!"

Chapter 32: Discord's Game

Shining Armor and his friends didn't know it, but the instant they had stepped into the labyrinth, they were doomed. Discord would personally see to that. Now, it was just a matter of when the chaos maker would strike. And he thought quite heavily about his decision.

"Let's see, who do I wanna take out first?" Discord asked himself, as he looked down on the unsuspecting stallions "I know I wanna save Shining Armor for last, seeing as his downfall will hammer home a point. I almost don't wanna go after Braeburn, seeing as he doesn't mind my chaos that much, but a threat's still a threat. Fancy Pants will be easy, but I wanna have a little fun first. Thunderlane is so easy I won't even break a sweat. So that just leaves Soarin and Big Macintosh. Both of them are pretty stubborn, and may take some effort." He thought, and he thought, until at last he made up his mind "I suppose Big Macintosh will be a good first victim. After all, he and Shining Armor are really close."

Big Macintosh raced through the labyrinth, determined not to let anything stop him. He seemed to be making progress, and he wanted to keep it that way. But when he stopped briefly to catch his breath, he saw something that attracted his curiosity. A bunch of apples were rolling down a path, all on their own power, or so it seemed. Against his better judgement, Big Macintosh followed them. The apples led him to a very unusual place. With the exception of a small pond, the landscape seemed baren and empty.

Just then, the apples came to life. They all piled up until they had managed to form a face, and they were soon joined by two more groups of apples. One of them spoke up "Greetings Big Macintosh." it called in an ominous voice "We have been expecting you."

"Who are you guys, and whadya want with me?" Big Macintosh asked "And what is this place?"

"We are the guardians of the grove of truth." the green face explained "We know everything about the past-"

"The present-" the bright red face continued.

"And the future." the dark red face finished "You may ask us one question, one question of any category. We will answer it. But be warned, you may not like what you see."

Big Macintosh had no idea that these apple faces were all traps set up by Discord, and thus he was unaware as he fell into the chaos maker's trap. "I've got a very bad feelin' about this whole Discord fella." he said nevously "I didn't wanna say anythin' because I was tryin' to be brave, but what's gonna happen to all of us? Are we gonna come out of this in one piece?"

The apple faces led him to the small pond he had seen moments earlier. "For the answers you seek." the bright red face spoke up.

"Go ahead-" encouraged the dark red face.

"Take a peak!" the green face shouted.

Big Macintosh reluctantly did so, and what he saw made his heart sink.

There he was, along with all of his friends. But something was different, now they all seemed like they could barely tolerate just standing near one another. On top of that, the landscape looked unfamiliar. It seemed to resemble a chessboard, with alternating black and white squares.

"So, we finally agree." Shining Armor said crossly "The time has come for us to part ways."

"Fine by me." Soarin snorted "I wish I could say it's been an honor working with you, but it really hasn't."

"I hope I never see any of you ever again in my life!" Thunderlane shouted furiously.

"I was just about to say the same thing!" Braeburn replied crossly.

"So was I." Fancy Pants added sternly.

"Good ridance to all of you!" Big Macintosh jeered.

"Let's not waste anymore time. As of this moment, our friendship is DEAD!" Shining Armor shouted boldly.

The vision faded a moment later, but for Big Macintosh it had lasted an eternity. "Our friendship, gone for good?" he asked "That just can't be true, that's impossible." But in his mind, he had little reason to doubt that the vision he saw was anything but true.

"When all the truth ever does-" the dark red face began.

"Is just make your heart ache." the green face continued.

"Sometimes a lie is easier to take." the bright red face finished, his voice changing to match Discord's tone.

Big Macintosh could've sworn he saw Discord's face for a moment, but before he had a chance to realize what was going on, Discord had managed to brainwash him. His eyes swirled a variety of colors, and his entire body now took on a much duller tone.

Shining Armor was surprised when, as he ran through the maze, one of the walls suddenly vanished. And there, to his relief, was Big Macintosh. But something seemed different about him. "Big Macintosh, I'm glad I found you." he said happily "But what's going on? I thought I heard voices. Who were you talking to?"

"Who me? Why I was talking to noone, noone what-so-ever." Big Macintosh lied, his eyes shifting back and forth a bit.

"Hey, what was that?" Shining Armor asked.

"What are you talking about?" Big Macintosh replied.

"Your eyes, they just moved." Shining Armor explained.

"You must be seein' things Shining Armor." Big Macintosh said firmly "Now come on, we gotta find those Elements of Harmony!" And he raced away.

"Did Big Macintosh just do what I think he did?" Shining Armor asked himself "I want to believe I'm just imaging things, but somehow I'm certain that I'm not. And I have a funny feeling Discord is behind it all. I just hope, the others are okay."

Discord was chuckling to himself as he watched Shining Armor set off "One down, five to go." he said happily "Now, who's next?"

Braeburn was happily bouncing his way through the maze, blissfully unaware of any sort of danger. This made him the perfect target, at least in Discord's eyes.

"Well, I've picked off his cousin. Getting Braeburn to see things my way shouldn't be too difficult." Discord laughed, and he set to work on preparing his next trap.

Braeburn bounced through the maze, humming a little tune. He was feeling very pleased with him, when he suddenly stopped. He had heard the sound of carefree laughter, and he wanted to be a part of it. Following the sound, Braeburn bounced along until he discovered the source. A garden filled with colorful balloons of all sorts, and they all had smiley faces on them. Something as innocent as this didn't set off any alarm bells, and he merely bounced into the garden to join the fun. "This is the best balloon garden I think I've ever laid eyes on." he said to himself, as he continued to bounce "Well, maybe it's the only balloon garden I've ever seen, but it's still the best. Whoa!" Braeburn suddenly lost his balance and fell into a mud puddle. He had no way of knowing that one of the balloons that wrapped itself around his back left leg, causing him to trip.

Now, suddenly, the laughter changed. Now, all of the laughter seemed to be directed solely at Braeburn, whereas before it had seemed inocent and harmless. Needless to say, he did not like this at all. "Hey, it's not that funny." he said crossly "Stop it!"

Just then, Discord appeared. His trap had worked perfectly. "What's the matter Braeburn, I thought you appreciated a good laugh more than anypony else?" he asked "Or was I mistaken?"

"It's different now." Braeburn explained "Now all the laughter is at my expense, and I don't like it. It's just not right."

"Oh, it's hardly different Braeburn." Discord went on, sticking his head behind a green balloon and bringing it to life "Your so called 'friends' laugh at you all the time. You just haven't realized it yet."

"You've got it all wrong Discord." Braeburn spoke up "They laugh with me, not at me. I should know, one of them is my cousin."

"Really? Or are you just lying to make yourself feel better?" the Discord balloon asked, and he began to spin around Braeburn repeatedly. All the while, Braeburn began to panic, as the balloons faces began to change. Now they seemed outright malicious, and wanted nothing more than to laugh at him nonstop. To make matters worse, a few of the balloons took on the faces of his friends, and laughed at him in their voices. "Stop it! STOP IT!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, before he collapsed onto the ground and put his hooves up to his face.

"Ah, poor Braeburn. The truth hurts, doesn't it? And here I thought that laughter made you happy." the Discord balloon said with fake sympathy.

"Happy? I don't think so!" Braeburn said crossly, and stood up. His entire body took on a duller tone, and all of the balloons popped one by one.

Just then, Shining Armor and Big Macintosh arrived. Shining Armor, unaware of what had just happened, approached Braeburn warmly "Braeburn, oh thank goodness I found you." he said kindly.

"Why, need a good butt monkey to laugh at?" Braeburn asked crossly, and he went off in a huff.

Shining Armor was surprised "Braeburn? What do you suppose has got him so saddle sore Big Macintosh?" Shining Armor asked.

"He seemed fine to me." Big Macintosh lied "It's probably just a mood swing, he'll get over it eventually. Now are you comin' or what?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Shining Armor replied, though he was already convinced that Discord was responsible for Braeburn's changing mood. "I've got to find the rest of my friends before Discord gets to them." he thought to himself.

"Oh please, I don't think." Discord said to himself "You've already lost Shining Armor, you just don't realize it yet. Now, for Fancy Pants. This should be fun."

Fancy Pants, compared to most nobles, was known to participate in his fair share of sports from time to time. In fact, he often enjoyed a little bit of fencing whenever he had the time to partake in it. But even so, walking through the palace labyrinth on his own, was not his cup of tea. "I came here expecting to have an audience with Princess Celestia." he complained "I certainly was not expecting this sick and twisted game. I just hope The Elements of Harmony are nearby, because I don't know how much more of this walking I can take."

Suddenly, Fancy Pants' thoughts were interrupted when he bumped into something. Once he recovered, and saw what it was, he was amazed. In front of him stood a trio of diamonds, shapped like the jewels on his cutie mark.

"Congratulations Fancy Pants." Discord spoke through the diamonds "Today is your lucky day. You've just won the chance to take home more wealth than the entire royal treasury. But there's a catch, you have to claim it all for yourself."

"Betray my friends just for some treasure? Not a chance!" Fancy Pants snorted "I can do whatever I want with it, you can't tell me how to spend it."

"Oh, but think about it Fancy Pants." Discord encouraged "You've earned it. You found it, and no-one else did. So why should you be forced to share? Your 'friends' would all want an equal share of the wealth, even though they didn't do anything to deserve it. Wouldn't it make more sense for you have it all to yourself?"

Fancy Pants tried to shrug off Discord's hypnoitism, to no avail. "Forgive me Shining Armor. I was too weak to fight him off." he thought to himself, as he felt his will to resist slowly fade away. Discord laughed and laughed, as Fancy Pants let out a high pithced "MINE!" and began to dig at the diamonds with his bare hooves. Eventually, he managed to break down the rock wall, and he found himself looking at a gaint diamond. In reality, it was nothing but a boulder, but Discord's brainwashing prevented Fancy Pants from seeing this reality.

Shining Armor was relieved when he saw Fancy Pants in the distance, but his mood soon changed when he realized that Fancy Pants' entire body had the same dull look as Big Macintosh and Braeburn's. He was too late.

"Look who's finally decided to show up!" Fancy Pants hissed "Come to take away what's rightfully mine? Fat chance!"

"Fancy Pants, why are you carrying a boulder?" Shining Armor asked.

"A boulder? This beautiful baby is a diamond." Fancy Pants spoke up "And it's all mine!"

"I knew you would never actually share it with us." Big Macintosh lied "I never saw the appeal of such shiny stuff."

"Want a penny for your laughs?" Braeburn hissed "Cause I ain't gonna let you make fun of me anymore."

"I don't need to make fun of you Braeburn." Fancy Pants replied "You make that too easy."

"What did you just say?!" Braeburn asked.

"Knock it off you two!" Shining Armor interrupted "There's no time for us to be fighting. We've got to find Thunderlane and Soarin." under his breath Shining Armor added "Assuming Discord hasn't already gotten to them as well."

"Oh, I will in due time Shining Armor." Discord said to himself, watching from above "I'm already halfway through breaking up The Elements of Harmony. Thunderlane is up next. This is gonna be like taking candy from a baby."

Compared to Fluttershy, Thunderlane was a lot braver. But in a situation like this, even he was incredibly on edge. He hadn't felt this afraid since the night of The Grand Galloping Gala, when Fluttershy went crazy.

"I'm not scared. I'm not scared." he muttered to himself, trying to pluck up courage. It wasn't working.

"Thunderlane?" an unknown voice called out.

"Who said that? Where are you?" Thunderlane asked.

"Look behind you." the voice called again. Thunderlane did so, and he found himself looking at a trio of butterflies. He didn't know that these butterflies were actually Discord in disguise "Looks like you've been left behind once again by your so called 'friends' hum?"

"Oh no, I'm sure it's not that." Thunderlane replied "I know they're looking for me, and I know they won't stop until they do. It's only a matter of time."

"Yes, well maybe you'd change your tune if you only knew how they really feel about you." the butterflies encouraged "And the truth is, they consider you weak and helpless."

"Please, do you really expect me to fall for that?" Thunderlane chuckled "You must have me mistaken with somepony else. I know I'm not weak and helpless, and my friends know that too. You just can't see it because we're seperated at the moment."

The butterflies were losing patience "But doesn't it just burn you up about how they're always pointing out your flaws and weak spots?"

"Maybe a little, but I know they're just trying to help." Thunderlane replied "I'm lucky to have friends who appreciate me for who I am, and just want me to be the best that I can be."

"Oh for goodness sake! You just don't know when to give up!" Discord said crossly, dropping his disguise.

"Discord!" Thunderlane gasped, before he could do anything however, Discord tapped him on the head with one of his paws. This brought him under Discord's influence.

"You've been kind for far too long my dear boy! It's time for you to be cruel! Arrivederci loser!" Discord shouted, and disappeared in a flash of white light.

Shining Armor and the others, stumbled across Thunderlane a few seconds later. When Shining Armor saw that even Thunderlane's body had a duller tone, he was quite upset. "Oh Thunderlane, I was hoping I'd run into you. But not like this. Discord's crazy game is getting to everyone, and I can see that he's out to stop us at every turn."

"Aw boo hoo hoo!" Thunderlane snapped "Go cry me a river why don't you?! You're the leader, so why don't you just wave your magic little horn and make everything okay again?!"

"Uh.." Shining Armor replied.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot! You don't have one!" Thunderlane said crossly, and he smacked Shining Armor with his tail.

Shining Armor wasn't hurt, but he was upset. He watched as Thunderlane shoved Braeburn into a wall, and then continued on his way as if nothing had ever happened.

Big Macintosh couldn't help but laugh at what he had seen.

"And just what do you think you're laughing at cousin?" Braeburn hissed.

"Uh, chocolate milk?" Big Macintosh lied.

"I'm watching you!" Braeburn said furiously, and he set off.

"I can't believe this is happening." Shining Armor thought to himself "Oh Soarin, wherever you are, be careful. Discord is sure to stop at nothing to turn you against us. You can't let him win! You're our only hope!"

"Shining Armor, you just never learn." Discord said, smirking with triumph "Thunderlane may have taken more effort than I expected, but I know I've got Soarin all figured out. Consider this checkmate!"

Soarin was racing through the labyrinth as fast as he could. He was determined not to let anything stop him. He had no way of knowing that Discord was already laying in wait for him.

Suddenly, a cloud similar to the one Soarin had for a cutie mark appeared in front of him. The lightning bolt that shot out of it matched the one on Soarin's cutie mark perfectly. Soarin knew that couldn't be a coincedence, and chased after it. His chase ended when he came face to face with none other than Discord himself.

"Ah, so you found me." Discord called, laying on a cloud stretched out like a hammock between two trees. A pair of sunglasses obscured his eyes from the sunlight.

"Alright Discord, come off of that cloud and put up your dukes!" Soarin shouted "I'm taking you down right here, right now!"

"Please, don't make me laugh." Discord chuckled "You wouldn't last ten seconds. Besides, I'm just here to deliever a message."

"Oh yeah, well I'm here to deliver my own message!" Soarin said stubbornly "Go back to wherever it is you came from, or suffer my wrath!"

"Arrogant as always I see." Discord replied, his mood changing "But you'd be wise to listen to this one Soarin, because it's a real game changer. A weighty choice is yours to make. The right decision, or a big mistake. And if it's the wrong choice that you choose to pursue, then the foundations of home will crumble without you." And with a snap of his fingers, Discord made the cloud that Soarin had been chasing earlier, appear in front of him.

And as it began to spin around, Soarin saw Cloudsdale begin to collapse. He saw Rainbow Dash trying in vain to save it from its impending doom. And he saw his teammates scrambling to rescue as many pegasi as they could before it was too late. Worst of all, however, he saw the horrified looks on the faces of those who either could not or would not leave. They were begging for Soarin to come and save them, but that would never happen. All Soarin could do was let out a big "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" as he watched Clousdale fall apart. He had no idea that this was all a part of Discord's hyponitism, and that his whole body had taken on a duller tone.

Discord smirked, and made an orange present with a red ribbion appear in front of him. "Look Soarin." he called "That box there contains your wings. Now then, you have a decision to make. You can take your wings and leave the game to go save Cloudsdale, knowing that you'll be betraying your friends, or you can stay in the game and continue your search with your friends, but dooming Clousdale in the process. The choices are yours and yours alone, but I'd be quick about it if I were you."

Shining Armor grew more and more worried as the minutes passed without any sign of Soarin. But for better or worse, Discord had not made any sort of major announcement. Shining Armor continued to hold out hope that Soarin would be able to resist Discord's mind games.

"Well, look who's decided to support his friends." Big Macintosh spoke up "I knew that Soarin could never be trusted, but no one would ever listen to me."

"Okay, now I know that has to be a lie." Shining Armor replied "Soarin would never betray us." But when he looked up, he saw Soarin flying away. And when he saw that Soarin's body had an all too familiar dull tone to it, he realized that Discord had gotten to him. "No." Shining Armor said glumly "Why did you give in Soarin? Why?"

At that moment, there came a loud rumbling sound, and the ground began to shake violently. The labyrinth walls slowly began to crumble and fade away, and when the dust had settled, there stood Discord. "Well, it seems like somepony forgot about the no flying no magic rule." he said crossly "And you know what that means." he snapped his fingers, and gave back what he had taken from Shining Armor and his 'friends' earlier "Keep your wings, horns, and earth pony magic. They'll do you no good. The game's over my little ponies! You didn't find your missing Elements of Harmony. And now it's time for a little weather report. I hope you've all packed your umbrellas, because it looks like we might due for a big old storm of chaos." Discord chuckled, as a pink umbrella appeared in one of his hands. When he opened it, it let out a "meow". Lightning began to flash, as Discord stood trimuphant.

"How can this be?" Shining Armor thought to himself "How did we lose?"

Chapter 33: Secrets and Lies

Discord continued to laugh as the minutes ticked by, and the reality of the situation sank in.

"And what the hay are YOU laughing at?!" Braeburn suddenly asked crossly.

"Oh, don't take this personally. It's just that, you ponies are simply the most fun I've had in eons." Discord replied, wiping a tear from his eye due to laughing so hard.

"Yeah? Well quit it!" Braeburn snapped "You'll rue the day you laugh at the Brae-burn!"

"Is that so?" Thunderlane asked smuggly "Well haha."

This made Braeburn cross "Quit it!" he shouted.

"No, haha." Thunderlane replied.

"I said quit it!" Braeburn shouted.

"Still no, hahahaha." Thunderlane said, and continued to laugh.

Meanwhile, Big Macintosh and Fancy Pants were having their own arguement.

"Say Fancy Pants? About that there diamond of yours, Shining Armor said we're gonna split it six ways. You know, since we found it together and all." Big Macintosh lied.

Fancy Pants replied with a swift kick that sent Big Macintosh reeling "Don't try any funny business!" he said firmly "This diamond is mine and mine alone! I found it fair and square, and no one is going to take it away from me!"

"I wouldn't dream of it." Big Macintosh lied. All the while, Discord was laughing.

"Stop this nonsense, all of you!" Shining Armor ordered. His pleas fell on deaf ears.

"Sorry Shining Armor, but your friends can't help you anymore." Discord replied "It's just too entertaining, to see your former friends picking fights with one another."

"I know you're behind all of this Discord." Shining Armor stated "You're not playing fair!"

"I'm not playing fair? Uh, did you forget who I am?" Discord asked "I told you already, the name is Discord. Spirit of chaos and disharmony, or have we not met?"

"How are we suppose to find The Elements of Harmony, when you take away the labyrinth before we've explored every inch of it?" Shining Armor asked.

"Oh wait, did you actually.... oh, how funny." Discord chuckled.

"What do you mean?" Shining Armor asked.

"Perhaps it's just better for me to show you, rather than tell you." Discord explained, and snaped his fingers. He and Shining Armor disappeared in a flash of light.

When Shining Armor opened his eyes, he saw himself looking at the hall with the glass window displays again. Then, he heard a familiar riddle.

"In order to retrieve your missing elements, just make sense of this change of events. Twists and turns are my master plan. Then you may find the elements back where you began."

There was another flash of light, and Discord and Shining Armor returned to the present. "I never actually said The Elements of Harmony were in the labyrinth." Discord said with a smirk "You just assumed that. Not that it matters, as I would've held a game anywhere you went. But maybe I would've had a harder time corrupting your friends, if you had chosen somewhere else."

"Why should I believe you?" Shining Armor asked "You have proven to be very underhanded so far."

"Guilty as charged." Discord replied "But the fact is, this has all been worked out far in advance Shining Armor. You are merely the last tiny cog in my grand design. So now all I have to do is break you, and The Elements of Harmony will be useless."

"You'll never get the best of me! I'm too smart for your tricks!" Shining Armor boldly proclaimed.

"You still don't know your place, do you?" Discord asked "Perhaps you need a little example of what I'm capable of. And I have the perfect thing in mind to show you why it's useless to resist."

There was yet another flash of light, and Shining Armor now found himself in some sort of movie theater. Except, he was the only one there. Just then, the familiar sound of a film projector starting up, reached his ears. Shining Armor gasped at what he saw on the screen. Somehow, Discord was replaying the moments when he had broken each of Shining Armor's friends.

"Now then, I think I'll begin with how I pealed back the layers of your friends minds." Discord narrated "Oh, they all tried bravely to fight it off at first. You would've been so proud, to see them so strong. You truly are, or I should say were, the best of friends. But alas, all too soon, the chaos and the brainwashing took their toll, and your dear friends began to share such deep secrets with me. And those secrets, are secrets that are mine alone to know Shining Armor. It's true, I know everything there is to know about you. Your thoughts, your beliefes, your wishes, even your fears. And right now, what you fear most is me. Much like the foal that peeks at his Hearth's Warming presents, I must admit that it's rather anti-climatic for lack of a better term."

"Anti-climatic? Why?" Shining Armor asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Discord replied "I know what you really are. Behind all the stern and drama, you know in your heart that you're not a leader. Heck, if Princess Celestia hadn't practiclly gift wraped your promotion to captain, you would've declined it outright. But there's one thing that you don't do that everyone else does, and that's why they all look to you for advice."

"What are you talking about?" Shining Armor asked.

"You don't break or even bend." Discord explained "That was made obvious during the parasprite infestation in Ponyville all those months ago. Even when your sister Twilight started to lose her grip on reality, you were able to pull yourself together and find a solution to the problem. Naturally, your ability to think calmly and clearly in times of crisis made everyone flock to you. But deep down, you're not okay with that. You know you're not strong, and that you've come close to losing it several times. But you don't have the heart to turn everyone down, so you just go along with the role they assign you. Unfortunately for you, I am not like the other threats you've encountered during your life. With the snap of a finger I can turn the world upside down, and with another snap, I can make it rightside up again."

"I fail to see how that gives you the advantage Discord." Shining Armor said sternly.

"Isn't it obvious?" Discord asked "I have powers that even Celestia herself could only dream of. And with those powers, I don't have to just do battle with you in the physical sense. I can do battle in your mind as well. And unfortunately, you are not as strong as Celestia, or even Luna, so you have don't have the strength to keep me from probing your mind. I know every move you can make, before you even make it. So, why don't you just give up now and make things easier for the both of us?"

Before Shining Armor had a chance to contemplate what Discord had said, a voice called out "Don't listen to him Shining Armor. He will say and do anything to make you believe him. You must resist his lies. You are the only one who can stand up to him. You can't let him win!"

"Hey, this is a private conversation!" Discord said crossly "Who invited you?"

"No one, I invited myself!" the voice replied.

"Who are you?" Shining Armor asked "And are you a friend or an enemy?"

"I can't tell you that right now, not with HIM listening." the voice explained "Let's just say that I have something to gain if Discord does not corrupt you here and now. Good or bad, I refuse to say."

"You had to spoil everything, didn't you?" Discord hissed "Oh well, I suppose there's no harm in sparing you from my boring lectures, Shining Armor. Consider yourself lucky, because I rarely grant such favors." With another flash of light, Shining Armor and Discord returned to the empty space that was once the palace labyrinth.

"If The Elements of Harmony aren't here, then where are they?" Shining Armor asked Discord.

"I could tell you, but where's the fun in that?" Discord replied "It's much more fun to let you figure that out for yourself. However, I will give you this little piece of advice. Perhaps, the so called 'Magic of Friendship' can help you. Now then, if you'll excuse me, I have chaos to reek. We will speak again, I'm sure of it." And with that, Discord vanished.

A second later, pink cotton candy clouds rolled in, and began to unleash their chocolate milk rain.

"Chocolate rain? Man, I hate chocolate rain!" Braeburn snorted.

"Don't any of you think about touching my diamond, you hear me?!" Fancy Pants shouted.

"Who me, I ain't touching it." Big Macintosh lied.

"I'm touching your diamond Fancy Pants." Thunderlane teased "You gonna make something of it?"

"Ugh, I'm sick of this." Shining Armor moped "I just wanna go home." Then, it hit him. "Home! Of course, that's it! Why didn't I think of it before?"

Chapter 34: Return to Ponyville

It wasn't easy, but with some effort, Shining Armor was able to convince his corrupted friends to leave the labyrinth and make the journey back to Ponyville.

"If I can just make it back to Ponyville and find The Elements of Harmony, everything should work out just fine." he thought to himself. But he had no sooner finished this thought, when he felt himself being trampled by a stampede of bunnies with gaint legs. Luckly, he wasn't hurt very badly. And with a little effort, he managed to pick himself back up.

"Good boy Angel." Thunderlane said smuggly "Fluttershy would be so proud of you."

Braeburn chuckled slightly "Now that's funny." Just then, the sun suddenly set, and the moon quickly rose to take its place.

"Oh wow, now I can see much better." Big Macintosh lied. When he tried to move, the dirt road he and the others were on, suddenly turned to soap. Big Macintosh couldn't stop himself, and slid right into the others, knocking them over one by one. Everyone glared angrily at him. "Don't worry, I meant to do that." he lied.

"You're just lucky Timantha wasn't hurt." Fancy Pants said sternly, quickly throwing his hooves over the boulder that he still thought was a diamond.

"I don't know how much more of this nonsense I can take." Shining Armor thought to himself "Arrgh, no! I've got to stay focused! My goal is to find The Elements of Harmony, I can't give up now! That's what Discord wants more than anything!" And so, he plunged bravely on. All the while trying to ignore the harsh words and cruel actions of his corrupted friends. A task that was easier said than done.

Shining Armor was relieved when at last he approached the familiar outskirts of Ponyville, but the sight that awaited him was anything but welcoming. The ground now consisted of alternating black and white square tiles, as if it were a life sized chess board. Several buildings floated upside down, including the town hall and the windmill. And chocolate milk rain poured down from pink cotton candy clouds with no end in sight.

"Ah Shining Armor, glad to see you finally made it." Discord called "I must say, you're doing swell, just swell. Anyhow, I've been taking in the sights of Ponyville. Nice digs. So much to see, so much to mess around with it. I've grown so fond of this place, I think I'll make it the centerpiece of my new empire."

"What?!" Shining Armor asked.

"It's simple really, you're looking at the new and improved Ponyville, and these are only the first of changes." Discord explained "Just picture it, Ponyville, the chaos capital of the world as we know it."

Shining Armor felt himself being lifted up by Discord, and forced to look at the town he called home, now under the influence of Discord. Fortunately, at that moment, the sun set once again. "I can't see anything." he stated "It's too dark."

Discord was cross, but he didn't show it. He merely dropped Shining Armor on the ground and said "Well, just wait a few minutes and you'll see it in the light of day. Or maybe not, it doesn't matter really. Good luck finding those Elements of Harmony." And with that, he disappeared once again.

"So, where to now oh fearless leader?" Thunderlane teased.

Braeburn, meanwhile, was busy skating along the soappy roads "This may look like fun, but it's not."

Somehow, Shining Armor was able to lead him and his corrupted friends back to the Golden Oaks Library. He was exhausted, but relieved to see that the place was still standing. "Okay, here we are." he said in between pants "Now, will you all please go inside?"

"I absolutely and completely refuse." Big Macintosh lied. Shining Armor blinked and rubbed his eyes, as he saw Big Macintosh's entire body turn gray.

"With pleasure." Thunderlane said, but before he entered, he trampeled on some of the flowers. Turning gray in the process.

"Man, I hate libraries!" Braeburn complained, also turning gray.

Shining Armor waited, but Fancy Pants refused to budge. When he approached the unicorn to find out why, Fancy Pants snorted "I know your game Shining Armor. You're going to wait out here until I go inside, then you'll have your sister and her baby dragon come out and steal Timantha! Nice try, but you can't have her! She's all mine! MINE!"

"I don't want that stupid boulder!" Shining Armor hissed "Now come on, we're wasting time standing out here!"

"I'm not going anywhere without Timantha!" Fancy Pants protested, and even as Shining Armor dragged him into the library with his magic, Fancy Pants refused to let go of the boulder.

Chapter 35: Library Rumble

After Shining Armor and his friends had left for Canterlot, Twilight and Spike returned to the Golden Oaks Library. They were more than a little bit concerned as the hours ticked by with no news, but they had faith in Shining Armor, and little reason to suspect that anything might be up.

Unable to find any information about the strange events that had unfolded in Ponyville, Twilight had reclutantly gone up to her room to rest while she waited anxiously for any sort of update.

Spike himself stayed up for a little while longer, in case Princess Celestia sent him a message. But eventually, he too decided to just take a nap and hope that no news meant good news. He had no idea that he was about to rudely awakened. Suddenly, a cold splash woke Spike up with a start. Apparently, someone had dumped a bucket of water all over him. And he soon found out who it was "What did you do that for Thunderlane?" he asked, quite confused.

"Because you just looked so peaceful!" Thunderlane explained "I had to do something to correct that."

"Did I do something to you recently?" Spike asked "Whatever it is, I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't be silly Spike. You haven't done anything wrong, unless you count being so happy and upbeat a crime!" Thunderlane hissed.

"What?!" Spike asked, not believing what he had just heard "Thunderlane, do you realize what you're saying?!"

"I do, and I couldn't care less." Thunderlane replied "I'm not the same old soft spoken stallion who foolishy believed actions speak louder than words."

Spike said nothing, and backed away slowly. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. A second later, he bumped into something.

"Don't even think about laying a claw on Timantha!" Fancy Pants shouted "She's all mine! I found her, and you can't have her!"

"Who's Timantha?" Spike asked "All I see is a boulder."

"Oh sure, to the untrained eye it looks like a boulder. But I see Timantha for what she really is." Fancy Pants explained "And I'm not letting any of you free loaders get your greedy hooves on it!"

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not interested in touching your diamond?" Big Macintosh lied, as he eyed the diamond.

"Okay, can someone please explain to me what's hapanneing, because there's something very funny going on here." Spike said crossly.

"It's not me, I can promise you that much!" Braeburn snapped "I'm sick of being a punching bag, and I'm not gonna put up with it anymore!"

"What has gotten into all of you?" Spike asked.

"It's Discord, plain and simple Spike." Shining Armor explained, looking very stressed out "I didn't think he'd be so hard to bring down, but he's proven to be a very sneaky little weasel. Now come on, you've got to help me find The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide before somepony here does something he'll regret later!"

"Hey Shining Armor, I've got a riddle for you." Thunderlane interrupted "What's soaking wet and completely clueless?"

"Thunderlane, I am in no mood for your silly-" before Shining Armor could finish, Thunderlane dumped a bucket of water on his head.

"Your face of course!" Thunderlane teased, slamming the bucket down onto Shining Armor's head.

"See what I mean Spike?" Shining Armor asked "Now come on, we've got to find that book. It's got to be where we can find what we need to stop Discord."

"I found it Shining Armor!" Spike called a moment later, but before he could give it to Shining Armor, it was snatched out of his hooves by Thunderlane.

This made Shining Armor very cross "Thunderlane, I'm only gonna say this once! You'd better give me that book if you know what's good for your health!"

Thunderlane took no notice and shouted "KEEP AWAY!" he tossed the book to Big Macintosh.

"Give me back that book!" Shining Armor demanded.

"What book? I don't see a book." Big Macintosh lied, and he tossed the book to Braeburn.

"Now this is how you have fun." Braeburn chuckled "Catch Fancy Pants!"

"I've got it and you're never getting it back!" Fancy Pants teased.

What little patience Shining Armor had faded at that very moment "GIVE ME THAT BOOK, NOW!" he demanded, and chased after Fancy Pants. Unfortunately, Shining Armor was no match for his friends in their corrupted state, and they all managed to take turns playing keep away with The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide. All the while, Shining Armor grew crosser and crosser. He had never felt this angry before in all of his life. Eventually, he found that Fancy Pants, who currently held the book, had somehow vanished. "Where did Fancy Pants go?" Shining Armor asked "I know he's here somewhere."

"Beats me. I haven't see him." Big Macintosh lied.

"LIAR!" Shining Armor shouted and he lunged at Big Macintosh. He quickly found himself fending off both Big Macintosh and Braeburn, as well as Thunderlane. But somehow, he managed to come out of the fight with no lasting injuries. The book he needed clenched firmly in his hooves. But his corrupted friends refused to give up, and slowly crept closer and closer towards him. Lucky, Spike used his fire breath to ward them off. "THIS IS MY BOOK, AND I'M GONNA READ IT WHETHER YOU ALL LIKE IT OR NOT!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. When he opened the book, there, to his relief, were The Elements of Harmony. But although he knew his element would still work, he knew that if he gave his corrupted friends their elements from last time, they would not work. With a little bit of thinking, he switched the elements around as best he could. Big Macintosh was now Kindness, Braeburn was now Generosity, Fancy Pants was now Laughter, and Thunderlane was now Honesty. "Okay, that should do it." Shining Armor stated.

"Say, aren't you missing someone?" Spike asked.

"Nope, we've got the liar, the grump, the horder, and the brute." Shining Armor explained "That just about settles it if you ask me."

"But what about Soarin?" Spike asked.

"Thanks for pointing that out Spike." Shining Armor said seriously "Unfortunately, I don't have time to track down that traitor. So congratulations Spike, as of this moment you are officially the new Soarin! Now let's go!"

"The new Soarin? But what if Soarin finds out I've been impersonating him?" Spike asked, then an awful thought struck him "Oh, that won't end well at all!"

"Too bad, you're gonna be the new Soarin and you're gonna like it!" Shining Armor explained, as he placed The Element of Loyalty around Spike's neck. "Now let's get this over with!" Shining Armor hoped that by defeating Discord, he could return his friends back to the way they were before Discord brainwashed them. And so, Shining Armor, Spike, and four of their friends, raced out of the library and prepared to face down Discord.

Chapter 36: Shining's Darkest Hour

As it turns out, Fancy Pants refused to leave unless "Timantha" came with him. Reluctantly, Shining Armor agreed to move the "Diamond" outside with his magic. "Look out, here comes Timantha!" Shining Armor called, and he tossed the boulder from the second story balcony of the library, destroying it but leaving the boulder unharmed.

"Oh no, you've found The Elements of Harmony!" Discord said with fake concern.

"Darn right I have Discord." Shining Armor said boldly "Letting me find them was your first mistake, and now, here comes your second. You know what happens next, right?"

"Indeed I do. You've clearly shown me the error of my ways and now it's time for me to meet my fate." Discord said with fake worry, and he made a target appear around his body "I'm prepared to be defeated now guys, you may fire when ready."

"You just keep similing while you can Discord." Shining Armor stated "Ready guys?!"

"Ready." Shining Armor's friends, and Spike replied.

"Let's finish this!" Shining Armor shouted, and one by one The Elements of Harmony began to glow. They glowed brighter and brighter. And for a moment Discord seemed rather concerned. Perhaps he had underestimated Shining Armor after all. Unfortunately, the glow faded a moment later. Shining Armor, his friends, and Spike, all fell to the ground. Shining Armor was completely confused "How did this happen? Why didn't they work?"

"Bravo, bravo guys!" Discord cheered "That was truly a spectacular performance, and now I think you've made it clear. Harmony in Equestria is officially dead! Discord rules, Celestia drools! Hm, which reminds me, I should pay a visit to Canterlot and rub my victory in a certain alicorn princess' face."

"I don't understand. I specifically rearranged the elements to work around your mind games." Shining Armor complained "They should've worked, so why didn't they?"

"It's simple really Shining Armor." Discord explained "How did you expect to power those elements, when the spark that united you all has been extinguished?"

"What?! No, that can't be true!" Shining Armor shouted.

"Just face it Shining Armor, you've lost. Equestria is mine once again, and the last sound you'll ever hear, will be my laughter." Discord taunted.

"Man, I hate The Elements of Harmony!" Braeburn complained.

"Hmph, useless piece of garbage!" Thunderlane added "I don't why I ever bothered with it."

"I told you this would never work." Big Macintosh lied. He, Braeburn, and Thunderlane, all threw their necklaces away.

"MINE! ALL MINE!" Fancy Pants shouted, snatching up the abandoned elements.

"Well, uh.... I think I'll just head back to the library and clean up." Spike said nervously, but he'd only taken a few steps when he was tripped up by Thunderlane.

"Oops, sorry there 'Soarin'." Thunderlane said meanly.

One by one, each of Shining Armor's friends began to abandon him and go their separate ways. "Go ahead, see if I care!" Shining Armor shouted "It's not like you'll be worse off without me! Just don't come crying to me if things don't work out!"

"Ah, poor Shining Armor. All alone, and with no one to turn to." Discord said with fake sympathy "It almost breaks my heart. Oh well, I guess now you've realized how pointless friendship really is. You can make all the friends you want, but in the end, when you need them most, they're nowhere to be found."

"That's what you think Discord!" Shining Armor replied "I may be on my own for now, but I know for a fact that my friends true selves are inside them somewhere. And one way or another, I'll defeat you and turn them all back to normal."

"You still haven't learned your lesson yet?" Discord asked "Perhaps you need to see things from my point of view for a change. Maybe then the reality of the situation will sink in." And with that, he snapped his fingers.

"What, what are you-whooooooooooa!" Shining Armor screamed, as he felt the entire world being turned upside down. After only a few seconds, he hit the ground with a thud. Luckly he wasn't hurt. "Where I am?" he asked himself, then he looked around. He saw Ponyville, but it looked far worse than it had been just a short time ago. "Oh no!" he said to himself.

Just then, Discord appeared, and he began to sing:

Well, well, well, what have we here?

Shining Armor huh? Ooh! I'm *really** scared!*

So you're the one everypony's talking about, ahhahaha!

You're joking, you're joking! I can't believe my eyes!

You're kidding me, you've gotta be! This *can't** be the right guy.*

He's brave, he's noble. I don't know which is worse.

Now I might just go to pieces, if I don't die laughing first!

When Discord's master plan says 'Chaos' close at hand.'

You'd better pay attention now, because I'm the chaos man!

And if you aren't shaking, then there's something very wrong.

Because this may be the last, that you hear the chaos song.

Woohoo (whoa!). Woohoo (whoa!).

Woohoo (whoa!) I'm(he's) the chaos making man!

Shining Armor was a bit worried, but he tried his best to pluck up courage as he said:

Return my friends to normal, or you'll have to pay the price!

Because hyponitizing everypony, wasn't very nice!

Discord wasn't worried, and merely sang in reply:

Haha! You're joking! You're joking!

I can't believe my ears!

Would someone shut this stallion up?!

I'm drowning in my tears!

It's funny, I am laughing! You really are a scream!

And now, with your permission, I'm going to steal the scene.

"What are you going to do?" Shining Armor asked.

"I'm gonna do the best I can." Discord replied and he began to sing again:

Whoooooooooooa! The sound of the crazed, to me, is music in the air!

Because I'm a gambling chaos man, although I *don't** play fair!*

It's much more fun, I must confess, with *minds** on the line.*

Not mine of course, but yours old horse, now that'd be just fine.

Shining Armor could feel his will to resist fading away, but he tried valiantly to fight it off:

Bring my friends back or you will have to answer for your heinous acts.

Discord smirked and merely sang in reply:

Oh brother, you're something. You put me in a spin!

You aren't comprehending, the position, that you're in!

It's hopeless, you're finished! Equestria is mine!

Because I'm mister Discord, and I think it's chaos time.

"So Shining Armor, do you finally understand my point?" Discord asked, as he snapped his fingers, and returned himself and Shining Armor to where they had been moments ago "Do you realize just how hopeless it really is?"

"Yes." Shining Armor replied weakly "You've won Discord."

Discord seemed surprised, and possibly even concerned for a moment, but as Shining Armor trotted off into the distance, he let out a cheer of victory. He'd finally managed to break Shining Armor, and render The Elements of Harmony completely useless.

Shining Armor, meanwhile, was sulking and feeling very sorry for himself. As he entered The Golden Oaks Library, he thought to himself "Where can I go now that Discord has triumphed? I certainly can't stay here. Not when the entire town is the chaos capital. And I certainly can't go back to Canterlot. Princess Celestia wouldn't want a disappointment like me hanging around. Maybe I'll just head to Appleloosa. It's not like it really matters though, I'll never be able to run from Discord's Chaos Empire forever."

"Don't give up now Shining Armor." a voice suddenly called.

"Who said that?" Shining Armor asked.

"Don't you remember, I'm the one who saved you from falling to Discord's mind games a while back." the voice replied.

"Well, you only delayed the inevitable I'm afraid." Shining Armor stated.

"Oh dear, this is more serious than I thought." the voice said with concern "I guess I have no choice but to reveal myself to you."

"Just who are you and what do you want with me?" Shining Armor asked.

"Patience Shining Armor." the voice reassured him "Now, I've got to concentrate, and remember what Aunt Luna taught me."

"Aunt Luna?" Shining Armor asked "Does that mean that you're-"

"Indeed I am." the voice admitted, and then, in a flash of light, something appeared inside Shining Armor's mind. It was a young pink alicorn with light purple eyes, a mane consisting of violet, rose, and gold locks, and a cutie mark depicting a heart, that seemed to be made out of some sort of crystal. Shining Armor knew who it was.

"Cadence!" Shining Armor exclaimed "It's really you!"

"In the flesh Shining Armor." Cadence replied "Listen, I don't have much time. I've come to help you."

"You're too late Cadence." Shining Armor said glumly "Discord has already won."

"No he hasn't Shining Armor." Cadence said firmly "That's just what he wants you to think."

"What are you talking about?" Shining Armor asked "It's hopeless."

"No it's not." Cadence replied "I know that, and so you do. You just can't see that because of what Discord has done. But if you give up now, then there's no hope for Equestria."

"But what am I suppose to do?" Shining Armor asked "The Elements of Harmony are powerless, thanks to Discord's mind games. My friends have all abandoned me, and I'm on my own."

"Things may look bad Shining Armor, but they're not hopeless." Cadence explained "There's one thing you have that Discord can't take away, no matter how hard he tries."

"And that would be what?" Shining Armor asked.

"Your courage of course." Cadence replied "Even when things have looked bleak in the past, you've always pulled through. It's that courage which prevents Discord from manipulating you in the same way he manipulates everyone else. He has tried to bury it under a pile of fear, in the hopes that you will not rise up and defeat him. For he knows, that as long as someone such as yourself exists, he is in very real danger."

"Let's say you're right." Shining Armor stated "How am I suppose to use that courage to defeat Discord and free my friends?"

"That, is something you'll have to discover for yourself I'm afraid." Cadence admitted "But I know you can do it. As long as you never give up hope, you'll find a way."

Shining Armor felt his body return to its normal color, and Discord's influence leaving him. "Thank you Cadence, for everything." he said kindly "I don't what I'd do without you."

"Think nothing of it Shining Armor, I'm just glad to be of service." Cadence replied, just then she started to fade in and out of existence. "Oh dear, it seems like this dream form lasted shorter than I expected. Looks like you're on your own from here Shining Armor."

"Cadence, please don't leave me!" Shining Armor pleaded "Without you, I'm helpless."

"Do not despair Shining Armor. You're strong, I know you are." Cadence encouraged "You can do it!" And with that, she kissed Shining Armor on the cheek. Shining Armor blushed. "Consider that a sign." Cadence explained "A sign that I will always be with you in spirit. Good luck Shining Armor, I know you'll be able to stop Discord once and for all. Goodbye." And with that, Cadence disappeared.

Shining Armor said nothing for a moment, and merely stood there. "Thank you Cadence." he said at last, a tear forming in his eye "You've been a big help. I won't let it all be for nothing! I see now that I have to fight. Fight for me, for you, for my sister, and our friends! I have to fight for Equestria!" And with that, he raced away to find Big Macintosh. "This isn't over yet Discord, not by a long shot!" he thought to himself.

Chapter 37: Making Things Right

Shining Armor's first stop was Sweet Apple Acres, where he knew Big Macintosh was waiting. Upon arriving, Shining Armor could see quite clearly that Discord had gotten to Applejack and Granny Smith as well. Applejack was now a complete pushover, whenever she tried to buck the apple trees, she put forth practically no effort at all. As for Granny Smith, she actually seemed to have changed for the better. She was now tap dancing with the greatest of ease, and didn't seem to have a care in the world.

"And of course, I tried to fight off Discord. But none of my so called 'friends' would even lift so much as a hoof to help me." Big Macintosh lied.

"I love that story every time you tell it Big Macintosh." Applejack said, all the while failing to buck an apple tree.

"Never fear Big Macintosh! I've come to fight for you!" Shining Armor proclaimed.

"Oh, so now you've come to help me? Well, where were you when I was busy fighting off Discord?" Big Macintosh lied "Oh wait, you weren't there at all. You just let me get defeated."

Shining Armor quickly tackled Big Macintosh, tired of listening to his friend say things he knew he would never say of his own free will. "This isn't you Big Macintosh! You're not a liar!" Shining Armor said crossly "And I've come to make you see that! One way, or another!"

"I don't need help Shining Armor!" Big Macintosh lied.

"Oh yes you do!" Shining Armor replied, and lit up his horn "Hold still, and this will only take a few seconds."

"Don't touch me, you'll only make things worse!" Big Macintosh lied, as he felt Shining Armor's horn touch his forehead. And then, everything stopped. Repressed memories came flooding back. Big Macintosh could now remember the first time he'd met Shining Armor. How he injured himself prior to applebuck season, his inability to do anything as the parasprites destroyed his home, his stand at The Grand Galloping Gala, and most importantly, how he became the element of Honesty. Then he remembered what he had seen just prior to Discord brainwashing him. Now, however, he was more convinced than ever that what he saw wasn't the real future.

"Big Macintosh, are you okay?" Shining Armor asked, as he helped his friend to his hooves. Big Macintosh's body was now back to normal, and his red coat shined as if it had just been cleaned.

"I.... think so." Big Macintosh said "Shining Armor, when we were seperated in the maze, Discord showed me the future. He tricked me into thinking our friendship would fall apart, so I started lying in the hopes that I could prevent it. But now I see that such a thing was wrong. Honesty isn't always the best policy, but lying about things is just as bad, if not worse. Can you ever forgive me for what I said and did?"

"Of course I can." Shining Armor smiled "You weren't yourself when you were lying. But now you're back, and with your help, we will defeat Discord once and for all!"

"I'm with you all the way." Big Macintosh said firmly "After what he's done to me, Discord is gonna pay!"

"Easy there Big Macintosh." Shining Armor reassured him "First things first, we need to get the rest of our friends back to normal. I can't do it alone however."

"Whatever help you need I'll gladly offer it." Big Macintosh replied.

"Good." Shining Armor stated "I say we go after Braeburn next. He'll be a big help in freeing the others."

It took quite a bit of effort for Shining Armor and Big Macintosh to find where Braeburn was, but they eventually tracked him down. Unfortunately, Braeburn was anything but happy to see them.

"Well, what an unexpected surprise. Why are you idiots here?" Braeburn hissed "Come to make fun of me again I suppose?"

"Of course not, don't be silly." Shining Armor replied.

"We're here to free you from Discord's corruptive influence cousin Braeburn!" Big Macintosh shouted "And we can do this the easy way, or the hard way!"

"I don't need Discord's help to realize what you're going to do to me." Braeburn said crossly "You just want me to go back to my old ways, because without someone to act like the idiot and absorb all the negativity, everything will fall apart. Well I hate to disappoint you, but I'm never going back. The past is in the past, and I've changed for the better. And if you two can't see that, then I'l just have to make you see it!"

"Bring it on cousin!" Big Macintosh shouted "I'm not afraid of you!"

"Then you're a fool!" Braeburn replied, and he lunged at Big Macintosh. The two earth ponies tusseled for a while, but despite his strength, Braeburn was no match for Big Macintosh. Eventually, he was defeated.

"Now's your chance Shining Armor!" Big Macintosh called "You know what to do!"

"Right!" Shining Armor replied, and lit up his horn.

"No! I'm not turning back into an idiot!" Braeburn protested, as Shining Armor's horn touched his forehead in the same way it had touched Big Macintosh's. Just like with Big Macintosh, Braeburn remembered everything. And when he realized who was truly laughing at him while pretending to care, his body returned to normal, and his coat regained its color.

"Sorry I did that to you cousin, but you left me no choice." Big Macintosh apologized.

"Hey, if the roles were reversed I would've done the same thing." Braeburn replied "You did what you thought was right, and it all worked out for the better."

"Glad to have you with us again Braeburn, we've all missed you." Shining Armor said honestly.

"Where's that Discord fella?!" Braeburn asked furiously "Cause' the joke's about to be on him!"

"All in good time Braeburn." Shining Armor said, calming him down "We need the rest of our friends back first. Think you can lend us a hoof?"

"You betcha!" Braeburn said eagerly "In fact, I think I have a good idea where we can find Fancy Pants."

"Well then, lead the way." Shining Armor encouraged. Braeburn did so, and before long, he, Big Macintosh, and Shining Armor, had arrived at Carousel Boutique.

"A trio of freeloaders! Come to steal my diamond eh?!" Fancy Pants hissed "I'll teach you all a thing or two! Come and get it, unless you're afraid!"

"Them's fightin' words Fancy Pants!" Big Macintosh snapped "If I wasn't the stallion I was, you'd be in serious trouble right now!"

"Just take it easy Fancy Pants, we don't want to hurt you." Shining Armor said calmly "Just hold still and let me free you from Discord's control."

"Oh no you don't! I see your little game for what it really is!" Fancy Pants protested "You want Timantha all to yourself. Well too bad, she's mine, and I won't let anyone or anything take her away from me!"

"I don't want to do this but-" Shining Armor spoke up.

"Then don't!" Fancy Pants shouted.

"This isn't a better choice." Braeburn stated "It doesn't have to be this way. We can work this out."

"No we can't, stop pretending that we can!" Fancy Pants said fiercely "If you want a piece of Timantha, you'll have to get past me first!"

"Fancy Pants please, I want to help you!" Shining Armor spoke up.

"If you truly wish to help me, then leave me alone!" Fancy Pants shouted, but before he could do anything, he was silenced by a sudden blow from Big Macintosh.

"Sorry Fancy Pants, but I had to do that." Big Macintosh apologized.

"I'll hold him still Shining Armor, you do your whole horn thingy." Braeburn said, and true to his word, he held onto Fancy Pants as tightly as he could. Preventing the unicorn from escaping.

Fancy Pants was too exhausted to protest, but he tried to resist as Shining Armor's horn touched his forehead. Once again, memories came flooding back. Now Fancy Pants could see that Discord had delibertly taken advantage of his weak mental state. Something that would never happen again. In addition, Fancy Pants now saw Timantha truly was nothing more than a plain old boulder. And although he was all for seeing beauty on the inside, he knew there was no use in keeping such a thing around. "Let us never speak of us this again, okay?" he asked his friends after he gotten rid of the boulder.

"Agreed." Shining Armor replied "I'm glad you're taking this so well."

"What can I say, my years of being subjected to constant stress have really helped me mellow out and be more accepting." Fancy Pants explained "Besides, a gentleman knows it is not polite to lose your temper unless seriously prevoked. But mark my words, Discord will pay for this!"

"Well, we still need two more of our friends to come back." Big Macintosh stated.

"And unfortunately, they're both pegasi." Braeburn added "So it looks like we've got our work cut out for us."

"Not necessarily." Fancy Pants said with a smile "I know for a fact that the last time I saw Thunderlane, he was still on solid ground. If we can find him and bring him back to our side, we shouldn't have too much trouble dealing with Soarin."

"Sounds like a plan." Shining Armor acknowledged "Let's go!"

"I've told you once, and now I'm gonna tell you once again!" Thunderlane shouted "The old Thunderlane is gone, the new Thunderlane is here to stay!"

"Don't you see, that's exactly what Discord wants you to believe!" Fancy Pants shouted back.

"No, that's exactly what you want me to believe!" Thunderlane snapped "Nice try, but your pathetic attempts at brainwashing won't catch me off guard! I'm too smart to fall for the same old tricks!"

"Please Thunderlane, we don't have to fight each other!" Braeburn pleaded.

"Yeah, we're not enemies!" Big Macintosh added.

"Shut up, all of you!" Thunderlane shouted.

"You've left me no choice Thunderlane!" Shining Armor said crossly "I hate to do this, and this will hurt me more than it will you, but I refuse to give up on you without a fight!"

"Do your worst, I'm ready for it!" Thunderlane said firmly.

"Very well, don't say I didn't warn you." Shining Armor said with a sigh, and fired off a stun spell. It was something he'd been trained to use while still a rookie in the royal guard. The idea was to use it only as a last resort, to subdue violent criminals. He had hoped the day would never come when he would be forced to use. Alas, that day had arrived all the same.

"A stun spell?" Fancy Pants asked.

"Unfortunately, yes." Shining Armor said glumly "It's only temporary, but I couldn't think of any other way to subdue Thunderlane without any of us getting hurt."

"Hey, you did what you had to do." Big Macintosh reassured him "Now hurry up and heal him before the stun spell wears off."

"Indeed I will." Shining Armor said, and lit up his horn. The routine had practically become an old habbit by this point.

When Thunderlane finally realized how cruelly he had been thanks to Discord, he was most upset. "I wish this was all a bad dream." he said sadly.

"Unfortunately, it's not." Shining Armor sighed.

"But at least you're back, and this nightmare of a reality is almost gone." Braeburn said cheerfully.

"For once, I agree with my cousin." Big Macintosh nodded.

"We can't get Soarin back without you Thunderlane, you're the only one who's on an equal playing field with him." Fancy Pants explained "Can you help us track him down so we can finally go after Discord and put an end to this nonsense?"

"I'll do my best." Thunderlane said "No promises."

"Any help at all would be greatly appreciated Thunderlane." Shining Armor said sincerely "Now lead the way."

"Very well then, follow me." Thunderlane stated.

Soarin proved hard to locate, but eventually, Thunderlane was able to lead his friends right to the corrupted Wonderbolt's location.

"So, you traitors have the nerve to step hoof into my territory?" Soarin asked crossly "I guess Cloudsdale never should've allowed for non-pegasi to visit."

"Now how in Equestria could he possibly think that tiny little patch of clouds is the gaint city of Cloudsdale?" Fancy Pants asked.

"Probably the same way Discord got you to think that a rock was a genuine, bonified diamond." Big Macintosh said, trying his best not to laugh out loud.

"I thought we agreed to never speak of that again Big Macintosh!" Fancy Pants said crossly.

"We did, but I couldn't resist." Big Macintosh replied.

"Getting back to the subject at hoof, how are we gonna free Soarin from Discord's control?" Braeburn asked.

"I have an idea, but we'll need Thunderlane in order to pull it off." Shining Armor explained, and he proceeded to whisper his plan to the others.

Soarin was snoozing comfortably, unaware of the fact that Shining Armor and his friends were approaching him in a hot air balloon.

"Okay, we're all set here." Big Macintosh said to Shining Armor.

"Alright Thunderlane, it's all up to you now." Shining Armor whispered "We need you to tie up Soarin so he can't escape. Once that's taken care of the rest should be simple enough."

"Why me? Thunderlane asked.

"You're the only one here who can fly, and the only one who can keep up with him in the air." Shining Armor explained "I know it's hard for you to do something like this to him, but it's for the best. And he won't be hurt, you know that."

"Well, okay, here I go. Wish me luck." Thunderlane said nervously, and with a rope in hoof, he flew over to where Soarin was. Then he tapped him lightly.

"What do you want traitor?!" Soarin asked, not noticing the rope Thunderlane held behind his back.

"I'm sorry Soarin, but I'm gonna have to hold you down against your will for a little bit." Thunderlane apologized, and he threw the rope around Soarin's body.

Soarin tried, to no avail, to escape. The rope was secured too tightly. "How could you do this to me Thunderlane?! You betrayed me!" he shouted.

"No I didn't, you betrayed yourself." Thunderlane said, as he attached more ropes to Soarin so that he could be held in place.

Even once he had been lowered to the ground, Soarin continued to try and break free. But Big Macintosh, Braeburn, Fancy Pants, and Thunderlane, all held onto a rope attached to him. And with all those ropes wrapped around him, there was no way he could escape.

All he could do was grunt, groan, and snort in fury, as Shining Armor lit up his horn, and touched it to Soarin's forehead. Slowly but surely, the memories came back. And at long last, all of Discord's brainwashing had been undone. "I'm back!" Soarin said happily, and he and the other stallions shared a group hug.

But they quickly realized that they still had one thing left to do. Defeat the mastermind behind everything, Discord.

Just as he had said earlier, Discord had made Ponyville the center of his new empire. And he was enjoying every moment of the chaos that was being unleashed all around him. All the while, he sat in his own throne, and chuckled to himself. "Ah, chaos is a wonderful, wonderful thing." he said to himself, as he filled a glass with chocolate milk from one of the pink cotton candy clouds.

"Not as wonderful as friendship!" Shining Armor shouted boldly. He and his friends suddenly appeared before Discord, wearing their elements with pride.

Discord did not appear concerned "Oh, this again?" he complained "Excuse me, I need a drink." he proceeded to drink the glass cup. "Ah, refreshing." he said, and threw the chocolate milk away. In the distance, there came a high pitched scream. "Oopsie, I guess I don't know my own strength." Discord smirked.

"You've had your fun Discord, and this time, you're going to lose!" Big Macintosh stated.

"Oh Big Macintosh, please don't lie to me." Discord said, lifting Big Macintosh into the air by his necklace "You forget, I'm the one who made you a liar. And you needed my help, because you were never a good liar on your own."

"Hey, what's with the unrelenting grip?!" Big Macintosh asked.

"You're in an awfully big hurry to meet your doom." Discord teased "And I was hoping to drag this out a little. But hey, why should you get to have all the fun? Your 'friends' deserve the same thing, don't you think?" And Discord proceeded to bring all six of The Elements of Harmony bearers towards him. His grip tightened, and for a moment, defeat seemed inevitable.

But Shining Armor refused to give up, and using all of his strength, he was able to conjure up a protective violet bubble that he encased himself and his friends in. The bubble brought them safely back down to the ground, and even returned the portion of it that it touched back to normal.

This made Discord cross. "Okay fine, go ahead and blast me with The Elements of Harmony. Friend me for all I care!" he shouted, before he teleported back to his throne "Just make it quick, I'm missing out on some excellent chaos here!"

"This is it, it's now or never!" Shining Armor thought to himself. And one by one, he and his friends activated their elements. Beams of light began to shoot out of them, putting on quite a display.

But Discord wasn't worried, at least until beams in the shape of the necklace jewels began to whiz past his head. He snapped his fingers, but nothing happened. He snapped his fingers again, but still nothing happened. "What's going on?" he asked himself, as he snapped his fingers again and again with no results. All the while, the six stallions began to draw closer and closer together. "Wait, uh-oh!" Discord gasped, as he realized, too late, what was happening. A second later, a massive rainbow colored pillar of light descended upon him, turning him back to stone. "NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he shouted "THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! NOT TO ME! MARK MY WORDS, THIS ISN'T OVER! WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT, I'LL BE BAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCK!"

Once Discord was completely turned to stone, the rainbow colored beam of light expanded over all of Equestria, undoing Discord's chaos magic and making everything right again.

"Whew, glad that's over." Shining Armor said, once he and his friends set hoof on solid ground once again. Then he turned his attention to Discord, who was now immbolized. A look of terror frozen on his statue face. "Now, let's get you back to Canterlot. And this time, you'll be under tighter security." Shining Armor said firmly.

Chapter 38: Award Ceremony

The news of Discord's defeat, and the restoration of Equestria to the way it had been, spread like wildfire. In towns and cities all over the map, ponies cheered and celebrated. Parties were being thrown left and right. It was as if though Equestria had just won a major war. And in a way, perhaps it had. For harmony had trimuphed over chaos, and all was right with the world.

But nopony was more happy than Princess Celestia, who was pleased to know that once again Shining Armor and his friends had prevailed against evil. As a way of saying thank you, she arranged for an award ceremony to take place in Canterlot, so she could publicly thank Equestria's newest heros.

Shining Armor and his friends were happy to accept, even though Pinkie Pie was arranging quite the hero party in Ponyville. Mayor Mare herself had already gone on record to state how happy she was to be back in control after Discord had booted her out of town hall and taken over completely.

Even the simple train ride to Canterlot was a celebration. All along the way ponies lined the tracks, holding banners, waving flags, and singing the praises of the six stallions who had twice saved Equestria from a major threat. Cries of "Hooray for Shining Armor!", "Yeehah for Big Macintosh and Braeburn!", "Three cheers for Fancy Pants!", "You're the greatest Thunderlane!", and "We love you Soarin!", could be heard for miles and miles.

When the award ceremony took place, friends and family of the six heroes mixed in with complete strangers rich and poor alike.

"Mares and gentlestallions, colts and fillies of all ages." Princess Celestia spoke up, an awed hush coming over the crowd "As princess of Equestria, it is with great pleasure that I present to you now, your heros, The Stallion Six!"

Shining Armor and his friends entered the throne room, and as they walked up to Princess Celestia, the crowd went wild. They clapped and cheered as loud as they could, and the noise echoed everywhere.

When the six stallions reached her, Princess Celestia smiled, and using her magic, she unveiled a brand new glass window display. This one showed Shining Armor and his friends wielding The Elements of Harmony to turn Discord to stone once again. The audience errupted into thunderous cheers, and everyone was happy.

"Boy, that was some ceremony." Braeburn commented, when the ceremony had ended.

"Yeah, well we've still got a doozie of a hero party to look forward to when we get home." Soarin replied.

"I'm just glad that everything's back to normal." Thunderlane admitted.

"So am I." Fancy Pants nodded.

"Me too. Hopefully, things will stay quiet for a little longer this time." Big Macintosh stated.

"Hey, Shining Armor! You coming or what?!" Braeburn called.

"I'll be there in a minute. You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up." Shining Armor encouraged.

"Okay, well don't take too long. The train's leaving in half an hour." Braeburn replied, and he and the other stallions raced away.

Shining Armor and Princess Celestia were all alone in the throne room. Princess Celestia could see that Shining Armor was a bit uneasy. "What's wrong Shining Armor? You seem troubled." Princess Celestia said kindly.

"It's just, Discord didn't get turned back to stone instanteously." Shining Armor explained "And just before he was completely turned to stone, he said he'd be back. And I can't help but think, what if he's right? Do you think we've seen the last of him?"

Princess Celestia was silent for a moment, and said nothing. After some deep thinking she said with a sigh "I would like to believe that Shining Armor, really I would. But I thought for sure that when Luna and I first turned him to stone, Discord would never break free. And yet he did. So, as much as I want to say that he will never return, somehow I have a sinking feeling that Discord wasn't making idle threats. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday, he WILL return."

"If that's true, then what can we do?" Shining Armor asked.

"You just leave that to Luna and I." Princess Celestia replied "For now, you should go back to your friends and just relax. You've earned this victory, and you should enjoy it."

Shining Armor sighed "Very well, if that's what you wish." and he raced away.

When she was certain noone was around, Princess Celestia's mood changed. "I'll be ready for you next time Discord." she said sternly, as she looked at Discord's statue. "You won't have the element of surprise to help you when you next escape. I'll personally see to that."

"Oh Celestia, I assure you I'm not finished just yet." Discord thought to himself, inside his stone prison "I still have a little surprise in store for your so called captain, just you wait and see."

Chapter 28: Down The Rabbit Hole

It had been a few months since The Grand Galloping Gala, and Shining Armor, Twilight, and their friends had pretty much gone back to living like they always did.

In the time since, things had been rather peaceful in Equestria. No more threats emerged from The Everfree Forest, no more misunderstandings threatened to bring war, and the pegasi had no trouble keeping the weather under control. But that was all about to change.

One fine morning, Soarin was dozing happily on a cloud without a care in the world. Spitfire, his captain and childhood friend, had told him he deserved some time off to relax and unwind. And of course, Soarin agreed with her. "Sometimes" he thought to himself "it's really hard to be a Wonderbolt. One does have to keep up appearances, and all that extreme flying can wear you down quite a bit."

Suddenly, his peace and quiet was interrupted by a familiar whooshing sound. Soarin woke up with a start. "What's going on?!" he said to himself "It was so quiet and now suddenly, somepony comes whooshing right past me!" Wiping the sand out of his eyes, Soarin took off, to find out who or what, was responsible for interrupting him in the middle of a relaxing power nap.

It didn't take him long to find the answer. Within seconds he noticed a strange batch of clouds. They seemed to be pink in color, and Soarin knew he had never seen such clouds before. Then, he saw Rainbow Dash, who was apparently trying to drive the clouds away. Thinking that she would know what was going on, Soarin flew over to her. "Hey, Rainbow Dash." he called "What's with the pink clouds?"

"I wish I knew Soarin." Rainbow Dash replied "These clouds are made of cotton candy, and are pouring down chocolate milk rain. The weather factory has no idea where they're coming from, and Cloudsdale's being battered by a cola storm."

"Well, shouldn't you be heading up there to deal with it?" Soarin asked.

"As Ponyville's Weather Manager it's my job to get the weather under control in Ponyville first." Rainbow Dash stated "I owe it to my friends." Just then, another cotton candy cloud zipped past, and Rainbow Dash chased after it.

Hoping that Big Macintosh would know what to do, Soarin flew down to Sweet Apple Acres. Only to find that Big Macintosh and Applejack were facing their own problems.

"If I didn't see it myself I wouldn't believe it." Big Macintosh muttered "This just ain't natural."

"I hear ya Big Macintosh." Applejack replied "First all our corn turns into popcorn, then the apples on our tress grow to colossal size, and now the animals start sprouting gaint legs and go crazy. How can this be happening?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Soarin said, flying down to his friends "Rainbow Dash is working herself to the bone just trying to get the bizzare weather under control. From the looks of things, I'd say all of Equestria is going crazy. Lucky for you, I'm here to lend a helping hoof."

"What about your teammates? Won't they be worried?" Applejack asked.

"Spitfire's taught the team well, I'm sure they can manage without me." Soarin replied "Besides, I'd never turn my back on my friends when they need me most."

"We'd appreciate any help you can provide Soarin." Big Macintosh said with a smile "By the way, Thunderlane and cousin Braeburn are here too."

"I was on my way to Fluttershy's when I saw all these strange animals converging onto Sweet Apple Acres." Thunderlane explained "I knew I had to help."

"You think I'd miss out on this chocolate rain?" Braeburn asked.

"Aren't you suppose to be helping?" Soarin asked Braeburn.

"I am helping." Braeburn replied "I'm chowin' down on any cotton candy clouds I can sink my teeth into. I just need something to help wash em down, cotton candy is very sticky."

"It seems to be working." Big Macintosh added "So don't let up now cousin Braeburn!"

"Don't worry, I ain't gonna stop now!" Braeburn said eagerly "I just hope Pinkie Pie isn't missing out on this. She'd love some chocolate rain right about now."

"Why can't I help Braeburn?" Rumble complained.

"You're just a colt Rumble." Thunderlane replied "All that sugar is not good for you. Braeburn can manage, he burns up a lot of energy through his work. You, on the other hoof, would get a sugar rush and that would never do."

"Ah, you're no fun at all big brother." Rumble complained, as he helped Thunderlane round up the out of control animals.

Just then, Fancy Pants arrived, carrying an umbrella with his magic. "Hello Big Macintosh." he called "I've come to help. I was just wondering if there's anything I can do that won't require my suit having to get really dirty. Not that I would mind it, but Fleur and Miss. Rarity would be complaining about stains for days on end."

"Why don't you just change out of that suit then?" Soarin asked.

"Because this suit was a wedding present from my dear wife Fleur." Fancy Pants explained "She could've afforded to buy me anything I wanted, but she wanted to help Miss. Rarity's struggling business. So she recruited her to make the suit. I've worn it with dignity ever since."

"Hey, look's who coming!" Rumble shouted excitedly.

Applejack looked out to the horizon, and spotted a trio of familiar figures "Well, looks like they got here just in time." she said happily.

"Yeah, if anypony can figure up a way to get out of this mess, it's those three." Big Macintosh chimed in.

"Oh my, this is worse than I thought." Shining Armor exclaimed, when he saw just how much things were out of control.

"Don't worry everypony." Twilight said calmly "I've been studying a failsafe spell that should be able to return things to the way they're suppose to be."

"You might wanna stand back a bit." Spike encouraged the others "Twilight's just gotten the hang of this spell, and I have no idea what it could do."

Everyone did so, and with a spark of her horn, Twilight cast her spell. There was a blinding flash of purple light, but when it had faded things were no better. Twilight was in a state of disbelief "My failsafe spell, failed." she said with shock "I thought for sure that it would fix things."

"Just great." Soarin said sarcastically "Now what are we suppose to do?"

Shining Armor quicky took charge of the situation. He had come to learn over the past year that even the best of plans could fail, and that it never hurt to have a backup one in place. "Alright, listen up everyone." he said firmly "Here's what we're gonna do. Soarin, round up all the clouds you can find and bring them down to the ground."

"Right!" Soarin replied, and took off into the skies.

"Big Macintosh, I want you and Applejack to lasso the cotton candy clouds together." Shining Armor continued.

"You got it!" Big Macintosh nodded.

"About time, I've been itching to practice my rodeo skills again." Applejack said, and went to fetch her rope.

"Thunderlane, you, Rumble, and Braeburn will be in charge of bringing the animals over here." Shining Armor went on "With a little luck, that should take care of the cotton candy clouds and chocolate milk rain."

"Okay." Thunderlane replied.

"Hey, I could eat all those clouds by myself!" Braeburn complained, but he still agreed to help.

In no time at all, Shining Armor's plan was being put into action. Fancy Pants found that his magic served as a great tool to guide Soarin from cloud to cloud. and pull him free if he got stuck.

Once Soarin was convinced he had gotten all the cotton candy clouds, he guided them close enough to be lassoed by Big Macintosh and Applejack.

When all the clouds were tied up as snug as possible, Shining Armor gave Thunderlane the signal.

"Oh gosh, I sure hope none of the animals find out about this delicious pile of cotton candy." Thunderlane said, trying his best not to sound too unsincere.

"You and me both brother." Braeburn added "These clouds are delicious."

"They're taking the bait!" Rumble shouted, and he was right.

"Well, I must say Shining Armor, that plan of yours worked perfectly." Fancy Pants smiled.

"Oh shucks, it was nothing really." Shining Armor replied "Anyone in my horseshoes would've done the same thing."

"Even so, you saved Sweet Apple Acres." Big Macintosh said happily "And for that, Applejack and I will always be grateful."

"Princess Celestia made the right choice when she made you captain of The Royal Guard." Soarin added.

"Yeah, without you, who knows where we'd be right now?" Braeburn asked.

"I hope we never have to find out." Thunderlane said nervously.

"I think you guys could manage on your own if you had to." Shining Armor admitted, though in his mind he wasn't so sure.

"Maybe, but with you as a friend, we've got nothing to worry about." Rumble replied "Three cheers for Shining Armor!"

Just as everyone began to shout "Hip, hip, hooray!" Spike belched out a mesage. "It's for you Shining Armor." he explained, as he handed the scroll to him.

"Thank you Spike." Shining Armor replied, and used his magic to open the scroll "A letter from the princess. Huh, wonder what she wants?" Shining Armor proceeded to read it, and by the time he was done, his mood change from one of happiness, to one of worry "What? Oh no!" he gasped, and turned to his friends, Twilight, and Spike. "Guys, I've got some very bad news."