This Day Gone Awry
By Hawk Noctis
Chrysalis never liked loose ends in her plans. They may seem unworthy of attention, but if left alone long enough they could easily destroy everything. That would not happen, not as long as the changeling queen drew breath. It had taken a long time to set the plan into motion, and the payoff was too great to let anything go wrong. Chrysalis would not let anypony or anything stand in the way of finding food for her fellow changelings. This was especially the case with the sobbing lavender colored unicorn lying on the steps of the throne room.
At first glance, Chrysalis could tell that this Twilight Sparkle was going to be a real nuisance. She was smart, and Chrysalis hated smart enemies. The queen's instinct had proven correct when the young mare had barged in with legitimate evidence. Chrysalis felt relieved that none of the other ponies had caught on, the plan could still be carried out. She would just have to take control of the unfortunate groom, and deal with his meddling sister. Chrysalis stroked Twilight's mane gently as she smiled warmly at her.
“I'm sorry!” Cried the unicorn as she lowered her head. Chrysalis could see the doubt growing and eating away at the young unicorn. That alone was a victory for the changeling queen, but she had to make sure that Twilight would not interfere any further.
“You will be...” Hissed Chrysalis sinisterly. Twilight looked up toward her with a look of confusion and fear. Before Twilight could respond, Chrysalis cast her spell on the young unicorn. Green flames surrounded Twilight and formed into a semi transparent sphere. The sphere began to sink beneath the floor into the caverns far below, taking Twilight with it. As the fake princess walked out of the grand hall she couldn't help but let out a pleased chuckle. “That was easy enough. Now there is nopony that stands in my way.”
Even with her victory all but guaranteed, Chrysalis couldn't help but both wonder and worry if there was anything else that could go wrong. When she was young, Chrysalis had been told that anything that could go wrong would go wrong. She needed to make sure that Twilight Sparkle and the real Cadence stayed down there in the caves. Even with her mind controlled former bridesmaids down there, it didn't seem like it was enough. She needed something to keep them occupied. Chrysalis began to walk around the royal garden as she pondered the matter.
The queen's first thought was to have a small attack force of her minions guard the caves. This idea was almost immediately rejected, she would need all of her forces focused on the siege of Canterlot once the shield was down. It would take too long to find and kill the prisoners, not even she knew where exactly in the caves they had ended up. She had to stay there so that nopony got suspicious again. As Chrysalis arrived at one of the more unusual statues in the garden, an evil grin appeared across her face as an idea came to her.
Before her was a statue of a large draconequus. From the intelligence gathered by her minions, Chrysalis knew that this was not just a generic statue of the long lost species. No, within this statue was the spirit of chaos. Discord. In the initial stages of planning the invasion, her minions had reported that Discord had broken free at some point and had wreaked havoc in the areas around Ponyville and Canterlot. He had been defeated by Twilight Sparkle and her friends and was sealed in stone.
Chrysalis sneered at the thought of it. Sealing an enemy in stone? Perhaps they may have had no other options against an immortal opponent like Discord, but their solution lacked originality and was certainly not very efficient. If the seal had broken before, it could be easily broken again. With her new found powers, it would be easy for Chrysalis to unleash the chaotic spirit. She hesitated at first as she thought about her latest idea. She had only heard stories about Discord and was not sure how much she could trust him. Still, her plan had to work for the sake of her race. To that end she was willing to do whatever it took to make sure everything went according to plan. Chrysalis focused on her spell as her horn glowed with sinister green light. Cracks began to appear all over the statue that encased Discord. One by one the pieces of stone began to fall off of his body, revealing his colorful form.
“Ahhhh freedom! Wonderful freedom!” Cried the draconequus. Discord stretched and let out a loud yawn. “It's so good to get out of that stuffy statue. Didn't think my imprisonment would be this short.”
“That's because I let you out,” said Chrysalis. Discord turned his attention toward the pink alicorn and gazed at her inquisitively.
“Oh? What is this?” Discord teleported into the air above the princess and hovered above her. “The makings of a Coup? A disgruntled noble tired of dealing with Celestia?” Discord's eyes lit up in delight as his theory reached a conclusion. “Ponies against ponies?! Oh my, that would be such a chaotic civil war! I LOVE it!” Discord fell to the ground and began to laugh hysterically. Suddenly he stopped laughing and teleported directly in front of the false Cadence. He gazed into her eyes seriously for a moment and then began to hover in the air again.
“Not ex...” Started Chrysalis.
“Ah of course. I was mistaken. You my dear are NOT a pony!” Discord gasped and a goofy grin appeared across his face. “Of course! You are a changeling! Why didn't I see it earlier? It's been AGES since I last saw one of your kind. Annoying little critters perhaps, but still so entertaining!” Chrysalis was stunned, her eyes growing wide in a mix of surprise and concern.
“What? How did you know?” She demanded once she had composed herself enough to speak. Discord sighed and covered his face with his lion paw.
“Well when you are chaos incarnate you tend to see things that others cannot...” The lord of chaos folded his arms and continued to gaze at the disguised changeling. “Now, I assume you did not set me free out the kindness of your heart.”
“Of course not! I set you free because I need your help.” The changeling queen could feel bile coming up her throat from admitting that she needed help. She never liked going to others for help unless it was absolutely necessary. Discord snapped his fingers and a tall throne made out of wood appeared on the ground. He took a seat and leaned back to get comfortable.
“Thought so. I'm in a good mood right now, so I suppose I could help you. What do you need my little changeling?”
“That's Queen Chrysalis to you,” said Chrysalis through clenched teeth. She was starting to get annoyed by Discord's antics but she did the best she could to ignore it. “As you may know, changelings feed on the love of other living creatures. Equestria has vast amounts of love within its borders. So I've taken the shape of a princess who is getting married today, and when the time is right my minions will destroy the shield that protects Canterlot and we will take the city and this country.”
“The... shield?” Asked Discord. He gazed up toward the sky to see a large shield made out of light purple energy. “I thought I had sensed some unusual magic being cast lately. That explains why I have a sudden urge to drink chocolate milk.”
“Yes, the ponies raised that shield up in the first part of my plan when I...” Chrysalis paused as Discord's last statement sunk in. “Wait, what? What does chocolate milk have to do with anything?”
“I don't know. You are the one who brought it up,” said Discord dismissively. Chrysalis tried to come up with a response, but was unable to. The most she could let out was a series of confused stuttering sounds. “Besides, I'd much rather have popcorn anyway.” A large bag of popcorn appeared in the hands of the large draconequus and he began to eat his snack happily. Chrysalis got the feeling that this was the work of Discord's demented thought process. She wouldn't want to spend even a minute inside his head, even for all the love in the world. “So why do you need my help with your plan? It seems like you have everything under control.”
“I do. I'm just being careful. I have some very important prisoners in the caves beneath Canterlot. While it's unlikely that anypony will go down there and search for them, there are ways of getting out of the caves. I want you to make sure they do not escape.” Discord looked disappointed. He clearly was expecting something a little more fun than guard duty.
“Guarding? That's just so BORING!” Discord let out a sigh and continued to eat his popcorn.
“Consider it as a favor since I am the one who let you out.” This didn't change Discord's attitude at all. Chrysalis wanted to make sure that the crazy draconequus was on her side long enough to allow the plan to come to fruition. “If these prisoners were to escape they would ruin everything.” Discord's eyes focused on the changeling with a look of interest.
“Did you capture Celestia or something?” He asked.
“Of course not. No one would ever get away with that undetected! The prisoners are the princess whom I took the appearance of. Then there is an annoying little unicorn down there as well. I believe her name is Twilight Sparkle but she...” Discord's immediately jumped off of his throne when he heard the name.
“Twilight Sparkle? As in the wielder of the Element of Magic? Princess Celestia's beloved pupil?” Demanded Discord.
“Er... yes. She is a student of Celestia's from what I've been told,” said Chryalis. “I heard she and her friends are the reason you were sealed away again.”
“Don't remind me...” Muttered Discord as he folded his arms and looked away.
“Helping me is the perfect revenge for you.”
“By foal-sitting the most powerful wielder of the Elements? Not my style. You can forget it,” said Discord with a tone of annoyance.
“The groom is Twilight Sparkle's brother.” Discord smiled. He had been planning on flying off to begin his reign of chaos once more, but then realized that there might be a way to benefit from the current situation.
“Alright, I will help you out. Those prisoners of yours won't get out of the caves. Also, I think I should give you a little advice.”
“And what is that?” Discord snapped his fingers and small images of five ponies appeared in midair a foot away from Chrysalis.
“These are the other wielders of the elements that you have neglected to deal with.”
“Hardly,” said Chrysalis proudly. “They adore me. Especially once I made them my bridesmaids, I became a pony that could do no wrong. They are too wrapped up in the wedding to realize their dear friend was right about me.”
“So you nearly blew it, didn't you?” Asked Discord bluntly. Disguised as Princess Cadence, her mane color went red as she failed to control her growing temper.
“Bite your tongue! I may have made a mistake or two when speaking to those ponies, but I was able to keep them on my side!” Snarled Chrysalis. She began to cry fake tears. “Oh why are you doing this to me?!” She cried in an almost convincing upset tone. Almost instantly the tears became genuine tears as the changeling nearly fell onto the ground from laughing so hard. “Should have seen the look on her face when I turned all her friends and her brother against her!” Discord began to chuckle.
“Ooh that is funny. If only I had been there to see it.” His smile faded away and he got all serious without warning. “But do not underestimate the friendship that exists between these ponies and Twilight Sparkle. If they find out what you've done before the time is right, they will find her and unleash the Elements of Harmony upon you.”
“What exactly are the Elements of Harmony anyway? I've heard a lot about them but I have not gotten the chance to ask any questions.” Chrysalis had to balance her information seeking with staying in character to avoid raising suspicion. Bringing up the Elements of Harmony in the middle of all the wedding planning wouldn't make any sense.
“I know little about them myself. But they are basically very powerful artifacts that were once wielded by Celestia and Luna. Now they are used by Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy.”
“So what? They will not discover my plans until it's far too late. My minions will blacken the skies above Canterlot by then,” said Chrysalis confidently. Discord let out a sigh. She certainly had spirit and confidence, but she was failing to see the bigger picture beyond her plan. It made her blind to everything else. Discord had the feeling that would be her downfall someday, as it had been for him.
“What would stop them from going to that tower over there?” Asked Discord as he pointed at a tower that was a short distance from the keep. “Once they get in there and use the Elements of Harmony, your little invasion is over.”
“But they would need all six ponies present to use them though, right? As long as Twilight does not escape from the caves, they will not be a threat to me.”
“Do not underestimate that unicorn. She is Celestia's little student for a reason. I will do what I can to keep her down there, but there is always the possibility of her outmaneuvering me. What will you do then if she comes barging in to the great hall with the Elements in her possession?” Chrysalis cursed under her breath. Discord had a point that she could not ignore. She would have to cut off the ponies from their trump card in case that part of the plan failed.
“I will have some of my forces guard that tower.” Chrysalis smiled insincerely. “Thank you for the information.”
“Oh don't mention it,” said Discord. He smiled, showing off his one fang that stuck out like a sore thumb. “It wouldn't be as entertaining for me to see your plan crash and burn because you didn't think things through entirely.” Chrysalis was struggling to keep herself from attacking Discord. How dare he show such blatant disrespect to royalty? Chrysalis was confident that once she had drained Equestria of all it's love she would be more powerful than the lord of chaos himself. Only then would she deal with the loose cannon that was Discord.
“Caves. Beneath Canterlot. Go there. Now. Bye,” said Chrysalis through clenched teeth. Discord began to snicker and started to float up in the air again.
“Fine. Fine. You are no fun, you know that?” With that Discord vanished in a puff of confetti and popcorn. Chrysalis let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed the side of her head with her right hoof. She really hoped that Discord would behave long enough for her to carry out the plan. She still had a few hours before the wedding, plenty of time to deal with the final loose end. Shining Armor. She could sense that deep down, the stallion could tell that something was amiss with his bride. Unlike previous victims, Shining Armor was proving to be extremely resilient to the seductive persona that Chrysalis had mastered over the years. It was time for plan B, good old brain washing.
“This day is going to be perfect...” Said Chrysalis as she walked away from the Gardens and back toward the castle. Little did she know that Discord had not left the gardens. He was simply hiding behind one of the nearby trees.
* * *
Discord was surprised by the changelings. They were content to stay in their lands, leaving the hives only to find victims to feed upon. An attack on this scale was unusually bold for them. He marveled at how much the annoying little pests had changed in a single millennium. No previous queen would have dared attempt something as big as what Chrysalis was trying to pull off. If she had really managed to take Twilight out of the picture, the changeling queen may actually have a chance of victory.
“Celestia may have dropped the ball on this one,” muttered Discord with a frown. How his greatest nemesis could be blind to what was going on was a mystery to him. Discord dismissed the thought and turned his chaotic mind toward the task at hand. He needed to play along with Chrysalis... for now. The fact that the changeling actually thought he would willingly side with her was hilarious. The foolish queen would learn in time that it would cost her dearly to try and harness the spirit of chaos in her master plans.
Closing his eyes, Discord used his magic to search for Twilight Sparkle. He wanted to have a quick chat with the little pony. Not that he was about to side with her or anything, of course not. No, the lord of chaos only sought to see the situation from another perspective. Once he knew where all the pieces were on the board, he would be able to come up with a plan of his own. Discord dissolved into a cloud of pure chaotic energy and went flying through the ground down toward the caves.
The walls of the caves were covered in large gems and crystals. Discord could sense that the caves went on for miles and miles beneath Canterlot. It didn't surprise the draconequus that there was multiple passages that lead out of the caverns given their size. Perhaps Chrysalis did have reason to be concerned. Discord heard the sound of hooves coming closer and closer to his location. He flew into the nearest crystal along the wall and waited.
“There has to be a way out somewhere!” Exclaimed a familiar voice.
“Don't worry, Cadence. We'll get out of here before it's too late,” said a voice that Discord almost immediately recognized. He had found the ponies he was looking for, now he just had to wait for them to come into view. Why impede their progress? It would be more fun to let them go and see how they would try to foil Chrysalis' plans. As Twilight Sparkle and the disheveled looking pink alicorn came into view, Discord couldn't help but laugh. Twilight Sparkle stopped dead in her tracks and looked around with a look of worry on her face.
“Twilight Sparkle. Long time no see, my little pony,” said Discord.
“No, it can't be! Not now!” Exclaimed Twilight Sparkle.
“Twilight? Is that... is that who I think it is?” Asked the pink alicorn.
“Afraid so, it's none other than...” Before Twilight could finish, Discord appeared on the face of the large crystal leaning against the wall. “Discord.”
“I do love big social gatherings like these. So many ponies in need of a little chaos in their lives, and I can assure you two that there is plenty to go around.” said Discord. The pink alicorn fell onto the ground in despair.
“No! This was supposed to be my special day...” She cried as tears began to form around her eyes.
“You must be Princess Cadence. The unfortunate target of that killjoy changeling queen,” said Discord.
“Changeling... What?” Asked Twilight. She looked toward her old foal-sitter. “Is that what the imposter is?”
“Yes. And a very dangerous one as well,” replied Cadence.
“Did she set you free, Discord?” Inquired Twilight Sparkle as she glared at the lord of chaos.
“Yes she did. She wanted me to make sure that you two do not escape and interfere with her plans. She also said something about chocolate milk as I recall, but I don't see how it would possibly help her with her plans. It is certainly delicious though.” Discord's laughter echoed through the cave.
“You will not stop us from escaping from this place! My friends and I defeated you once, we can do it again!” Declared Twilight Sparkle. Discord sighed, Twilight could at times be as boring as Celestia. If only there were more ponies like Pinkie Pie who could appreciate his wondrous, chaotic ways.
“Oh don't worry. I won't stop you from escaping, not at all,” said Discord. “It will be our little secret.” Twilight looked like she was about to come up with some cliché retort, but immediately was unable to speak. Her mouth remained wide open as she tried to process what Discord had said.
“W-what? You aren't going to help her? Why?” Asked Twilight.
“It's quite simple really. I don't like working with others, especially boring blowhards like Chrysalis. So I'm going to just have some fun while you two deal with her. Best of luck to you two!” With that Discord disappeared from the crystal, his booming laugh echoing through the caves.
Discord reappeared in the market district of Canterlot. He made sure to transform into something that nopony would notice, a little beetle on the side of a wall. Discord had a good feeling what Chrysalis was going to do next, pay the unfortunate groom a visit. He sensed that Chrysalis was nearby, so he flew to the location as quickly as he could. He entered the building through the partially open window and came across an unexpected yet delightful confrontation. Inside the room was the fake Princess Cadence and a stallion with white fur and a blue mane. So that was Shining Armor, the big brother of Twilight Sparkle. The stallion looked like he was about to blow a fuse, an expression that filled Discord with delight.
“What's gotten into you? Sure these are stressful times, but you are taking this way too far!” Exclaimed Shining Armor.
“I'M the one taking this too far?! Need I remind you of the stunt that your little sister pulled at the rehearsal?” Demanded Chrysalis.
“Twilight might have overreacted, but it's clear that the threat against Canterlot has put everypony on edge! I'm going to speak to the Princess and tell her we are postponing the wedding until further notice. There's no point in getting married right now if it can't be the happy day we had both envisioned when I proposed to you,” concluded Shining Armor as he tried to leave. Discord couldn't help but feel impressed. There were not many individuals that could stand their ground against a changeling impersonating a loved one. Unfortunately for Shining Armor, this was not an ordinary changeling he was dealing with.
“NO! Absolutely not! You will do no such thing!” Screamed Chrysalis. Shining Armor jumped back in surprise at her outburst.
“Cadence?”
“This plan is far too important, and I will not let you get in the way my love,” said Chrysalis sinisterly.
“Plan? What are you talking about?” Shining Armor was clearly starting to grow suspicious. Although it was an unlikely outcome, if the stallion learned the truth and wiped the floor with the changeling Discord would have a hard time not dying from laughter. Chrysalis' complete and utter failure would be the funniest thing he had seen in ages.
“You have proven to be difficult. Now I must resort to plan B.”
“Wait... I get it now. You always told me my Uncle's sigil looked great on me. Then you change your mind out of the blue. Your hostile attitude towards everypony.” Shining Armor glared at the pink alicorn. “You are not Cadence.” Before Chrysalis could respond, Shining Armor rammed into her and knocked her to the ground. He stomped his right hoof down on her back and aimed his horn at her. “What have you done with my beloved Cadence?!”
“Whatever do you mean, darling?” Asked Chrysalis. Her horn glowed with green energy. She fired her spell directly at Shining Armor, enveloping him in green light. His eyes went form their normal blue to a strange shade of green. “Can't you see I am here?” Shining Armor backed away from Chrysalis.
“Yes, I see you my love,” he said, devoid of any emotion. Chrysalis smiled wickedly and began to leave.
“I'm glad that we have cleared things up. I will see you later today, my dear.” Once she was gone Discord flew down to the ground and changed back into his true form. He approached Shining Armor and waved his eagle hand in front of the stallion's face. There was no response. Under Chrysalis' spell, the Captain of the Royal Guard was nothing more than a lifeless husk.
“If Celestia thinks I'M a monster, what does that make Chrysalis?” Pondered Discord. He starred at the mind controlled stallion for a few moments and then an idea came to him. Discord couldn't help but smile and then laugh maniacally as he realized exactly how to not only turn the situation toward his favor but also have some fun in the process. He knew what he had to do.
* * *
Several hours had passed, and the Wedding was drawing closer and closer. Chrysalis had gotten dressed and was waiting patiently. She admired her reflection in the mirror and realized she was missing something. Her eyes glanced over toward the vase of flowers on the desk. She used her magic to bring one of the larger roses toward her.
“This day is going to be perfect...” She sung to herself as she placed the rose into her tiara of flowers. “The kind of day of which I dreamed since I was small. Every...” Chrysalis was interrupted by a loud crack and a burst of light. Standing in the room with her was none other than Discord.
“Oh for goodness sake! Is there really a need to sing?!” Demanded Discord. Before Chrysalis could respond Discord disappeared again, leaving a rather baffled changeling to try and figure out what exactly had just happened. How did Discord know she was singing? Why was he not in the caves doing his job? Most importantly, why was she singing in the first place? She had no idea what had come over her to suddenly give her the urge to sing. The queen shrugged and left the room, eager to get the wedding over with.
* * *
They were getting close to their destination. It wouldn't be much further before Twilight Sparkle and Princess Cadence reached one of the many exists out of the caves. By now it was likely the wedding would soon be underway. Twilight did what she could to reassure Princess Cadence but it wasn't helping much. The longer it took to escape the more frantic the alicorn became.
“We won't make it!” She cried.
“We will! We just have to keep moving!” Exclaimed Twilight.
“Ugh...” Said a voice from around the corner. Both Twilight and Cadence stopped moving and looked over at one another in confusion. Then without a word, Cadence rushed around the corner. Twilight followed her as quickly as she could. When she saw what was around the corner she couldn't believe her eyes.
“What...? You...? How...? I mean.... what?” Said Twilight.
* * *
Chrysalis was overjoyed. The wedding ceremony was nearly over. Celestia was taking a long time to get through the speech, but so far so good. In a mere matter of seconds, she and her unfortunate victim would be pronounced mare and colt. She had gained so much power from Shining Armor's love for Cadence that she felt invincible. Chrysalis couldn't wait to see what it felt like after devouring the love of countless ponies. Discord was actually doing his job as well, perhaps she'd let the insane creature live long enough to partake in the grand celebration she would throw once Equestria had fallen.
“I now pronounce you mare and colt. You may...” Before Celestia could finish, Shining Armor suddenly rushed forward and kissed Chrysalis deeply. The changeling queen found herself stunned by this sudden action, no one was ever capable of independent actions like that when they were under her complete control. What was going on? The kiss was finally broken and Shining Armor starred lovingly into her eyes.
“Darling, this is hardly the time or place for such passion,” said Chrysalis.
“No better time than now if you ask me,” said Shining Armor. Chrysalis' eyes widened in fear. Never before had any other creature she controlled been able to speak of their own will when she controlled them. Something was going horribly wrong before her very eyes. “Why wait for the honey moon?” Said Shining Armor as his voice changed. Chrysalis went from feeling fear to uncontrollable rage. There was a burst of light, and Shining Armor changed shape. Everypony present gasped in terror when the light faded.
“DISCORD!!!!” Screamed Chrysalis at the top of her lungs.
* * *
Discord fell to the ground and began rolling on the floor laughing hysterically. He tried to come up with words to respond but it was impossible while he was still laughing. As the crowd watched in horror at the twist of events, Discord finally composed himself enough to speak.
“You should have seen the look on your face. It was too much,” said Discord as he started to laugh again. This time tears were coming from his eyes.
“Discord! How did you escape?!” Demanded Celestia angrily. Discord vanished and appeared in front of Celestia. He grabbed the princess in a big hug.
“Oh Celestia! You really need to learn how to lighten up! I thought you'd be happy to see me,” said Discord. He let Celestia go and she nearly fell over. Discord teleported back where he was originally and hovered in the air. “I do love weddings, they are the perfect place to start some chaos.”
“Stop the...” Shouted Twilight as she came running into the great hall. She stopped dead in her tracks and starred at the altar. It was quite the unusual sight to see all of her friends and mentor completely flabbergasted, a really angry changeling, and of course Discord who looked like he was having a blast. “Oh, never mind.”
“Twilight! Good to see you could make it!” Cried Discord with glee.
“Princess Celestia! We have been deceived!” Shouted another voice. Shining Armor and the real Princess Cadence entered the grand hall. Both did not look very happy about the current situation. Discord decided he needed to do something about the mood in the room.
“Ah good, everyone is here! This calls for a celebration!” Discord snapped his fingers and ceiling turned into one large pink cloud of cotton candy. Seconds later a storm of chocolate rain began to pour down on the audience. The rain stopped a few seconds later, but the clouds remained. By now, nopony seemed to really find this alarming. They were more focused on the fact that the groom just showed up with another pony that looked exactly like the bride.
“Wait... how can there be two of 'em?” Asked Applejack.
“She's a changeling! She takes the form of somepony you love and gains power by feeding off your love for them!” Replied Cadence. There was a burst of green fire on the altar, and Chrysalis revealed her true form.
“Right you are, Princess. As Queen of the Changelings it is my responsibility to find food for my subjects,” said Chrysalis. She paused and looked outside one of the windows. “Equestria... it has far more love than anywhere I've ever been to. Imagine how much power my changelings and myself could gain by devouring it!” She walked down the steps of the altar and glared menacingly at Cadence.
“As long as Shining Armor's shield is still protecting Canterlot they will never get the chance!” Shining Armor took a step forward and glared at Chrysalis.
“Don't get comfortable you monster. Your banishment from Equestria starts now!” Shining Armor tried to cast his spell to repel the changelings but failed. Sweat dripped down the stallion's face as he panted. “I'm too weak from keeping the shield up and her attempts to control me. I don't have the power to repel them.” Chrysalis began to laugh.
“Exactly. Soon my minions will destroy your barrier,” Chrysalis. “In your weakened state you cannot perform your duties as Captain of the Royal Guard. Soon we will take Canterlot and then... Equestria!”
“No, you won't. Even if Shining Armor cannot maintain his spell, you have foolishly revealed yourself before me,” said Princess Celestia menacingly. She charged toward Chrysalis and butted heads with the changeling, their horns clashing against one another. “I will protect my subjects...” Celestia flew up into the air. “From you!” Her horn glowed with blinding gold light. She fired a blast of energy directly at Chrysalis. The changeling countered it with a blast of her own. The beams of energy clashed and entered a stalemate.
At first Chrysalis was about to be defeated, but then she gathered enough strength to push the beam dangerously close to Celestia. Discord decided it was time to step in. He fired a blast of dark energy at the point where the two beams collided, causing a large explosion. When the smoke cleared the two combatants looked toward Discord in confusion.
“Nopony, and I do mean nopony defeats Celestia while I'm around. That is reserved solely for me alone,” said Discord fiercely. Celestia seemed baffled by the current situation. She flew down to the ground and stood silently as she watched the changeling and the draconequus face off against one another.
“Your shenanigans have cost me dearly, you freak!” Said Chrysalis angrily. “I should have known that I couldn't trust you!”
“Yes I couldn't believe that you would trust me, the spirit of chaos. It's not in my nature to be a team player you know,” said Discord with a tone of amusement. Everything was going as Discord had planned, now it was time to deal with Chrysalis.
“Don't think that this ends here! My changelings will break that cursed sphere soon. Once they do, we will devour all the love in these lands,” said Chrysalis.
“Then what? Were you planning on trying to destroy me or something?” Asked Discord casually. Chrysalis only smiled sinisterly and laughed, clearly indicating that the spirit of disharmony was correct. Suddenly there was a thundering crash and the barrier began to fall apart.
“MINIONS! COME TO THE GREAT HALL! Destroy this insane fool!” Within seconds thousands of changelings came pouring in through the door and windows. Shining Armor, Cadence, Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Discord were all standing on the altar. It was the only place they could stand without getting swarmed by the changelings but that wouldn't last for long.
“Princess Celestia? What do we do now?” Asked Twilight.
“Don't worry, I've got this covered,” said Discord. He flew toward the swarm of changelings and began poking individuals at random. After doing this for several seconds he teleported back onto the altar. “That will buy us some time,” he said.
“I don't see anything different about them,” said Shining Armor. Discord smiled and started to chuckle.
“Just wait and see.”
“Now my minions! Attack!” The great hall erupted into complete chaos. Instead of attacking the ponies, the changelings began to attack each other. Chrysalis floated there in the air, showing a mix of surprise and anger. “What are you doing?! I said to attack them!” Then the queen recalled Discord teleporting around the room and it all became clear to her. “You turned my minions against one another!” She screamed.
“Couldn't resist putting a little disharmony within the swarm,” said Discord as he giggled. Chrysalis' horn glowed brightly for a few seconds and then she unleashed a wave of green light in all directions. The changelings all stopped fighting, looking at one another in confusion.
“Well that worked for maybe ten seconds,” said Rainbow Dash. For a brief moment, Discord was surprised. He didn't think Chrysalis would have enough power to dispel the discorded changelings. Perhaps her had underestimated the queen. He had not gained back his full strength yet, so fighting her directly would be out of the question. But as his gaze turned toward Princess Cadence, he realized he wouldn't have to life a finger to get himself and the others out of that situation. Floating next to her, Discord whispered into Cadence's ear. Cadence seemed confused at first but then it appeared as if she had come to a realization about something.
“I'd really like to stay, but I must be going. I'm absolutely tired after everything that has happened today. Best of luck to you my little ponies!” Discord let out a booming laugh and disappeared.
“Now, where were we?” Asked Chrysalis as she grinned triumphantly. Shinning Armor tried to cast his spell again but was unable to pull if off. He let out a sigh and lowered his head to the ground.
“It's no use. I don't have the power to repel them,” he said.
“My love will give you strength,” said Princess Cadence as she stepped forward and came to the side of her soon to be husband. Chrysalis rolled her eyes and sighed.
“Love? What a ridiculous sentiment...” She said. Shining Armor began to cast the spell again as Cadence placed her horn against his. A circle of light formed around the two ponies and energy began to gather around the tips of their horns and expanded outward slowly but surely. The light expanded out further and the two began to float in the air. They were surrounded by radiant pink light as more and more energy gathered around them. Then all that energy imploded and exploded outward as the two ponies formed a heart shape in the air. A powerful surge of energy went flying at the changelings. “No... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!” Screamed Chrysalis as she and her minions were sent flying out of Canterlot into the lands far beyond Equestria. Shining Armor and Cadence levitated down toward the ground.
“What did Discord say to you, Cadence?” Asked Celestia.
“He told me my special talent was the key, and that he wasn't going to interfere with the rescheduled wedding,” said Cadence.
“So does that mean Discord just helped save the day?” Asked Twilight. Celestia shook her head lightly and looked around at the empty grand hall.
“Only because he shared a common enemy with us. Discord would never have helped us in a normal situation. Now he is free once again,” said Celestia grimly. She looked toward her student and smiled warmly. “But before we find and deal with Discord... you have a real wedding to plan.”
* * *
Discord watched the wedding reception from on top of a nearby tree. He had taken the form of an owl that time, to blend in with the scenery around him. Not that the ponies were going to notice an owl sitting on a branch. Especially when they were too focused on their eating, dancing, and laughing. It was a perfect opportunity to spread some chaos, but they had been through enough after dealing with Chrysalis. He would leave the ponies in peace... for now. Discord also realized that if he showed his presence he would be turned to stone again. Perhaps he would have to go somewhere else in Equestria to begin his reign of chaos?
But first, Discord needed to find somewhere where he could sleep and wait. He had never gotten a chance to regain his full power even after the first time he had broken free of the spell. If he was to ever retake the throne that was rightfully his, Discord would need to possess the powers he once held one thousand years ago. The lord of chaos flew off into the night sky, savoring his freedom.
THE END
