The Elements of Discord

Twilight carefully returned the book she had just finished to its proper shelf.  It had been a week since Betrayal was defeated and still her friends were avoiding each other.  Rarity wasn't speaking to AJ, AJ wasn't speaking to Rarity and Pinkie didn't want anything to do with either of them.  Making things worse, Fluttershy refused to even look at any of them and had all but barricaded herself in her room, punishing herself for something only she knew.  Unable to get them to see reason and not wanting to make any of them even angrier by spending time with one of them over the others, she had simply resigned herself to the Canterlot Library, just like when she was a foal.  At least this time around she had Dash to keep her company company.

She selected another few books and returned to the table where Rainbow sat.  Twilight still felt terrible that the pegasus had broken a wing trying to save her, but at least it gave Twilight a reason to finally explore the fiction section after all these years.

"Here, you might like these.  They're all science-fiction," she said, gently dropping the stack on the table.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow and looked up from her current selection.  "Science-fiction?  Daring-Doo is one thing, but I don't think I can handle anything sciencey, Twilight," she said with some apprehension.

"Oh, its nothing like you're thinking," Twilight giggled.  "Its mostly space battles and robots and the like."

Eyes wide as dinner plates, Rainbow dropped the book she was reading and dove at the new stack.  "Sometimes I think you know me better than I know myself, Twilight," she said with a large grin.

Twilight had just sat down herself when a member of the guard approached her.  She knew that this meant before he spoke a word; after a few initial failed attempts to bring the group back together, Celestia had decided it was best to just let them relax and cool down on their own.  If the Princess was summoning her now...

She glanced over at Rainbow, who had already stood up dutifully, looking as determined as ever.  Rainbow gave her an encouraging nod and Twilight stood up as well, feeling slightly better.  The pair followed their escort to the throne room, which was now filled with all manner of maps, scrolls and old books, having become almost a base of operations during the crisis.  It had gotten so cluttered that the Princess had taken to holding court elsewhere, refusing to move the makeshift headquarters to a less-used space.

When they arrived, they were astonished to see Celestia laying on the floor surrounded by several maps and reports, rather than on or near her throne, comparing each document to the others.  Aside from her and the dozen or so guards, the only other occupant was a gloomy-looking Fluttershy, who stood off in a corner staring at the floor.  Twilight and Rainbow trotted over to Celestia and greeted her enthusiastically.

"Thank the stars he found you so quickly!  The next Element has appeared in a big way..." she said nervously, floating a missive over to the pair.  Twilight used her own magic to take it and hovered in in between her and Rainbow so they could both read it.

"It burned down how many villages?!" Rainbow said, somewhere between an enraged scream and an unbelieving shout.  "But the other Elements only cared about getting to us!  Why would it do something like this?"

"Dash, please calm down," Twilight pleaded softly.  "This Element, Malice, is the embodiment of hatred itself!  Its something none of us will ever understand."  She placed the letter gently back where Celestia had originally picked it up from.  "I actually feel kind of bad for it...  To spend all eternity feeling nothing but rage and spite, never being happy or loved.  I can't imagine how awful that must feel; worse than any torture.  Nothing deserves that, no matter how cruel they were in life."

"I hadn't thought about that," Rainbow replied pensively.  "Well maybe when we defeat it, it'll be free?  Maybe we can help him find peace?"

"I truly hope so, Rainbow Dash," Celestia said comfortingly, "but its more important that you stop it.  This one will be particularly difficult, for not only is Malice far more powerful than the first three, but you will be at half strength."

"What?" Twilight and Rainbow replied in unison.

"Your friends are still angry with each other and Malice is a creature fueled by anger.  Until they can fully forgive each other and put all this behind them, they'll only make Malice stronger.  Unfortunately we can't wait that long, it has to be stopped immediately.  As much as it pains me to do it, I have to send you two and Fluttershy out to stop it without the rest of your friends.  I have a carriage waiting for you and as you've probably guessed, Luna is not too far from where you'll be going."

As much as she despised the idea, it made perfect sense to Twilight.  Well, most of it.  "But Princess, Fluttershy's just as angry with herself as the others are at each other.  Maybe more so!"

"I know, Twilight, but she is the embodiment of Kindness.  As bad as things are already, you have no hope of defeating Malice without her.  Just do whatever you have to to get through to her, there's nopony less deserving of the kind of self-loathing she's feeling."

A thought occurred to Twilight; one that made her give an involuntary smirk.  One that just might work.  She leaned over and whispered it into Rainbow's ear and by the time she was finished, the pegasus wore a matching smirk.

"Alright, Princess, we can do that.  Just get Fluttershy into the carriage and we'll handle the rest!"

Celestia smiled, obviously encouraged by their words and said, "Well it looks like you have a plan already!  No, don't explain it to me, I trust you girls and that would only waste valuable time.  Its best if you leave immediately."

The pair nodded and ran to the carriage at a full gallop, Fluttershy not far behind being corralled to it by a few guards.

Fluttershy was now in the somewhat small carriage, wedged in between Rainbow and Twilight.  Neither had spoken since she had gotten into the carriage and she had spent the entire time hoping that they'd remain quiet and leave her to her guilt.

"Hey, 'Shy?"

She knew it was too good to be true, Dash never could leave well enough alone.  Still, all good things had to end...

"Yes, Rai- EEK!"  She suddenly found herself being hugged from both sides, her companions simultaneously squeezing her affectionately.  She had fully expected them to try something, but nothing like this.  "Ummm, Twilight?  Rainbow?  What's going on?"

"We miss you, Fluttershy, "Twilight whispered softly.  "It hurts us to see you beating yourself up like this and we want you back.  We want our friend, the sweetest, most caring pony we know to come back to us!"

"But I'm an awful friend!  I'm selfish and inconsiderate!  Why else would I feel this way?"

"That's not true and you know it!" Rainbow retorted angrily.  "If you were as bad as you say, you wouldn't feel bad for feeling like that!  uhhhh.... If that makes sense..."

Fluttershy chanced a glance at Rainbow only to see her looking confused, as if trying to sort out what she just said.  "But-"

"Look at it this way," Twilight said to her, using her hooves to turn Fluttershy's head so they were looking each other in the eyes.  "Sure, you're jealous, but do you ever want us to not be where we are?"

Fluttershy shook her head.

"Okay, now have you ever thought to yourself 'I hope they fail' or wanted us to mess up?"

"No never!  No matter how badly I wanted what you girls have, I'd never want something so mean!" Fluttershy said quickly, horrified of even the thought of such a thing.  She hung her head; did her friends really think that low of her?  She felt the tears coming again when she got a warm tickling sensation on her neck.  She realized that Twilight was nuzzling her and looked up, meeting the unicorn's gaze once more.

"Then its alright, Fluttershy!  Its okay to be jealous, as long as you're not spiteful!  You just have to start telling us when these things are bothering you!"

"And besides," Rainbow said, finally speaking up again, "we'd never leave you hanging!  You're one of our best friends and we'd never leave you behind for anything, even if we had to pool our bits and buy you everything ourselves!"

She wanted to cry again.  Cry for how happy she felt, for how terrible she felt for putting her friends through this, and for how much she loved her friends.  She wanted to cry, but she just couldn't.  Instead she laughed.  She laughed, more relieved than she had ever been before.

She pulled her friends into a hug, wanting to be as close to them as possible.  Not thinking at all about what lay ahead.

"This... This is terrible!" Rainbow choked out.  They had begun to explore the latest attack site to find it still alight.  "We knew it was attacking settlements, but I didn't think... the villagers..."  She couldn't finish.  Nor did she have to; both Twilight and Fluttershy understood her perfectly.  It was all gone; plant, animal, building and... pony...

Nothing had been spared from the flames.

They slowly walked through the village, saying nothing in a silent vigil for the lost.  It was unlike anything Twilight had ever seen.  The sun was completely blocked by thick black smoke, the burning skeletal remains of the village's buildings provided the only light and the ground was covered in ash, causing them to leave footprints behind them.

She had heard about flash fires before, as uncommon as they were.  Accidents causing an entire town to burn down within minutes; she knew it was something nopony would be able to imagine the impact of without surviving such an ordeal firsthand.  But for this to be intentional?  The concept was completely alien to her.

"I- I don't want to be here anymore..." Fluttershy stuttered, barely able to speak.

"I'm with her.  Let's do what he came here for and go home.  I need to sleep.  And to cry.  Crying seems nice right about now," Rainbow said next, most likely drifting in and out of shock.  Whether Rainbow even realized what she was saying or not, Twilight couldn't have agreed more.  She closed her eyes and focused her magic; something this powerful had to have left some kind of trail.

She was in luck.  The Element hadn't left a trail, but it was close enough where she could feel its presence.  It was very close.

She beckoned for the other two to follow her and led them slowly towards the other end of the village.  Sure enough, a cloaked figure floated at the edge of town, gazing silently over the quarry that was once the source of the village's income.

It silently turned to them and she got a good look at it.  At first glace, it was nothing more than dimly glowing coals inside a tattered set of hooded robes, albeit one made for a pony twice Celestia's size.

"Its a wraith..." Rainbow muttered.  Noticing the other two staring at her she elaborated, "The angry spirit of something long dead that came back for revenge."

Her friends continued to stare at her.  After a few seconds she realized the source of their confusion.

"There was one in a Daring-Doo book...  Don't judge me!"

Fluttershy began to giggle at her friend, but was silent as the nearby flames began to roar loudly.  The three of them turned back to Malice.  As soon as they returned their attentions to it, the flames died down to their soft crackles again.  The hems of the robes caught fire and the hood moved as if the invisible creature wearing it was looking directly at Twilight.  She took a step forward, accepting its wordless challenge.

Without further warning, a searing jet of fire shot out of one of its arms right toward the group.  Flinching and acting purely on reflex, Twilight brought up a magic shield and felt it shatter almost immediately.  Even so it had stopped the flames.  She opened her eyes again to see Malice completely aflame now, charging up a second blast with both arms. She wouldn't be so lucky a second time.  She glanced desperately back at Rainbow, trying to convey her fear.  Rainbow nodded, knowing what to do next.

The next blast came faster and stronger.  Twilight teleported into a nearby alley, blinking back into reality just in time to see Dash grab Fluttershy and dive into the alley with her.  Malice's attack exploded violently, incinerating the very ground they had been standing on only moments before.

"I think he's actually trying to kill us!" the blue pegasus gasped.

"Gee, you think?"  Twilight couldn't help being sarcastic even at a time like this.  It was a coping mechanism.

Malice burst through a nearby wall, a shrill screech emanating from it.  "NO ESCAPE!"

"I think he's angry," Fluttershy squeaked.

Using her magic to drag her friends along until they got back to their feet, Twilight retreated down the alley and around a corner.  "Quick!  We'll lose him in the back streets!  He's too big to follow us!"  Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, the demon tore through another building as if it was mere paper, this time appearing in front of them.

"Anymore bright ideas, egghead?"

"Everything here is too flammable!  We need to find somewhere to hide that he can't burn down!" Fluttershy explained urgently.

"The quarry!" Twilight shouted, not particularly caring if their pursuer heard them or not.  The three of them turned around and ran down their current alley, reaching the quarry and beginning their slide down its walls just as a third jet of fire roared over their heads.

They hit the bottom and rolled a few feet before coming to a stop.  Ignoring the current aches and trying not to think about how she would be feeling tomorrow morning, Twilight dragged herself to her hooves, looking around for what she desperately hoped was there.

It was.  The quarry's water tank; full by the look of the gauges.  She galloped over to it, hearing Rainbow and Fluttershy close behind.  She began to tug it upwards with her magic and after the longest 15 seconds of her life, it ripped free of its restraints and not a moment too soon.  She looked to where they had descended to see Malice charging down the same wall with reckless abandon.  Aiming carefully, she hurled her payload with all her magical might.  It exploded on contact, soaking the screaming spirit and dousing the flames.  He ceased all signs of life; hanging in their air, a grotesque effigy of dripping cloth and charcoal.

She smiled to herself, allowing the small bit of relief to wash over her, then was knocked head over heels as Malice exploded violently.  She blinked the stars out of her eyes and groaned at what she saw.  Malice, far from being defeated was now more pissed off than ever.  The robes and solid core were all but gone, he was nothing more than living flames at this point; a lot of living flames.

"ALL MUST DIE!"

"Why can't things just go right for once?" she muttered to herself hopelessly before something grabbed her tail and pulled her behind a nearby boulder.  She looked behind her to see Fluttershy spit out her tail.  Rainbow was laying against the boulder, holding a hoof on a bleeding cut on her head.

"Don't worry, 'Shy says its just a cut, not as bad as it looks," she said, attempting to give a reassuring smile, but nothing could hide her own feelings of fear.  "So, Twi, got any spells that can beat this thing in that big brain of yours?"  It gave Twilight a small feeling of warmth, that Dash could still act upbeat, even if it was for show.

The ground shook.

"Oh!  Oh, my... He just blasted apart a boulder bigger than this one," Fluttershy said quietly.  "It looks like he thinks we're on the other side though, so we should be safe for now."  She too then looked at Twilight expectantly.

"Well, there are three that come to mind...  I learned them for world-shaking emergencies only, but I guess this kindda counts..." she said apprehensively.  From the looks on their faces, neither Rainbow nor Fluttershy liked her tone.  She wasn't going to sugarcoat it, her friends didn't deserve that.

"The first one is something I recently developed myself.  Using my personal connection to the Elements of Harmony, I try to mimic their powers; I might be able to use it to break whatever hold his anger has over him and maybe redeem him.  The other one I found in an old study on Earth Pony lore; it should break up all his energies and return them to the land, allowing him to pass on peacefully.  The thing is, I'm not sure if either of them work..."

"What about the third one?" Fluttershy asked, begging her to continue.

"The third would definitely work, but its unforgivable.  Celestia has never even used it!  She'd be furious if she knew I was even aware of its existence let alone the fact that I how to do it.  I can't imagine what she'd say if I actually used it!"

"Alright, so that leaves us with the first two, but you sound afraid.  Like, more afraid than you should be.  What aren't you telling us?" Rainbow said commandingly.

She had to stop stalling.  "The spells, all three of them that is, need a lot of magic.  Even trying to cast one of them would take years off of my life, maybe even kill me..."  There, she said it.  They wouldn't like it, maybe even hate it, but she knew they'd understand that she had to choice.

She felt Fluttershy hug her.  "We're here for you, Twilight..."

"Yeah," Dash's hoarse voice called out.  "Please, Twilight, we may not have any of that type of magic of our own, but please, use us!  Draw power from us!  It probably won't be enough to keep you from hurting yourself, but maybe it'll hurt a little less..."

"Rainbow?"

"Do it, Twilight!"  Fluttershy said to her.  ""I know that nothing we can do will change much, but we can at least share the danger!"  Fluttershy grabbed her hoof.  "Please, let us help..."

"Al- Alright.  But that still leaves him.  I doubt he'll just sit there and let me cast the spell.  We'll have to find a way to hold him off while I can charge it."

"Oh!  That's easy!  Fluttershy said with a giggle.  "We forgive him!"  Before Twilight could react, Fluttershy trotted out from behind the boulder and right up to the still rampaging Malice.  "Now, Mr. Malice, I know you don't deserve it, but I forgive you for all of this.  I'm not mad at you any more."

Malice screeched and waved an arm, completely engulfing Fluttershy in incinerating flames.  Twilight screamed out in horror and anguish, only to be silenced when she saw that Fluttershy remained there, completely unharmed.

Twilight could only stare.  Was it really that easy?  She left the sanctuary, still fearful, but allowing only calming throughts into her head.  By the time she reached Fluttershy, she felt no anger or hate toward the wretched creature before her.  Only pity.  She didn't want to punish him, only help.  For all of Malice's crimes, as unforgivable as they should have been, it felt good to let go.  She smiled inwardly as she heard Rainbow join them.  She stared right into Malice's eyes with all the courage she could muster, waiting for the retaliation she knew would come.

The blast hurt.  It felt like needles pricking her skin, but it didn't burn.  The pain was barely skin-deep.  For all his unbridled power, all his unholy hatred, Malice couldn't hurt them anymore.

Twilight began to channel the spell.  She hadn't decided which, but it didn't matter at this point, they all started the same way.  After a few seconds, she felt her heart connect to Fluttershy's, then Rainbow's.  It was like nothing she had ever felt before; all of their feelings laid bare.  No matter what happened, she knew they loved her.  She was also happy to feel their joy at finding out that she loved them too.  Any secrets, any hidden feelings...  They didn't matter anymore, they would forever be closer than even siblings.

She opened her eyes, expanding the channeling to Malice.  He responded by summoning a blazing inferno and she could feel his thoughts in her heart.  This was what he wanted.  This was the fight he had traveled the cosmos in search of.  The poor creature...  That was when it all went wrong for both of them.

The full force of Malice's mind hit her like a freight train.  He was a dark pit of wrath and malevolence.  All he wanted was to see everything die, die by his hand.  And what wasn't even the worst part.

No, the worst part was that he liked what he was.  The thought was completely incomprehensible to Twilight.  The spirit had found some form of twisted enlightenment in his rage.  For all his violence, he was at peace with himself and himself alone.  There would be no redemption for him.

Twilight locked eyes with him.  There would be no redemption for him and Twilight would feel no remorse for what she must do.

Yes, a soft masculine voice said in the back of her head.  She began to remember that the emotional connection was mutual.  Do what must be done, anything less is unforgivable in and of itself.  To face your opponent with half a heart is the gravest of insults.  I've tried to kill you because I respect you and you deserve nothing but my full fury.

She continued to glare, putting the finishing touches on the spell, saying nothing, knowing that he knew her every thought.  She felt him struggle against her power, fighting her to the end.  As much as it disgusted her, she understood why.  He didn't fight for his own survival, he fought to fight.  As the spell finished channeling, it coalesced to the tip of her horn, waiting only to be unleashed.  Even with her heart connected directly to Malice's, she felt nothing for him.  She felt nothing at all aside from determination.

Malice simply nodded to her.  I'm not done with you, we'll finish this on the other side.  Until then enjoy your peace.

She pumped the full force of the spell into him and passed out as he disappeared.

She woke up to find herself being pulled into the carriage by one of the Royal Guard.  She soldier gently lay her down on the seat across from Rainbow and Fluttershy.

"Which one was it?"  Fluttershy asked weakly.

Twilight smiled at her concern, even if it couldn't be more misplaced.  "Number three."

"I... I thought you said it was unforgivable."

"It is," she responded softly.  "I sent him to the empty spaces between the stars.  A lonely place from which there is no escape where he'll remain until beyond the end of time.  But I actually think he might like it there..."

The emotions she had felt inside Malice still clung to her like tar.  She almost felt like she'd never be clean again.  How could anything exist like that?

"Oohhh...  I can't move..." Rainbow groaned.  The three of them had made it as far as the throne room before they could go no further.  Celestia, both grateful for all they had done and remorseful for what she had put them through had everything else removed from the room and had her guards build up makeshift mattresses of giant pillows where they lay.  The three ponies now lay a yard apart from each other, beaten, aching and exhausted.  "Figures, my cast comes off and I can fly again, but now the rest of my body doesn't work so I'm still grounded."

"At least the Princess let us stay down here and made us comfortable rather than having somepony carry us up to our rooms.  I don't want to be alone again..." Fluttershy whispered audibly.

Twilight said nothing, simply sighing with pleasure as a nurse gently applied an ice pack to her very sore neck.  The Royal Librarian had personally brought down what looked like half of the library for the three of them, but Twilight was waist-deep in Celestia's old tome.  She didn't expect to learn anything more about the Elements of Discord, nor was she looking.  The book contained tales and reports from across time, some penned tens of thousands of years ago by creatures who's descendants were long extinct.  She felt she could read the whole thing over and over for the rest of her life and not even begin to scratch the surface of what it had to teach her.

Even this treasure of the ages couldn't stop her from noticing three guilty-looking ponies enter the throne room, despite their best efforts to look inconspicuous.

"We...  We heard about what happened..."  Rarity said delicately.

"Yeah. We're not very good friends if we just let you go put yourselves in danger while we sat here being mopey," Pinkie said next.

"What we're trying to say is...  Ah realize I started that whole mess back in the canyon..." AJ started.

"But we all acted in the worst way imaginable," Rarity finished for her.

"After we got the news of what Malice did to you guys, we all made up on the spot," Pinkie continued.

"And Ah wanted to say... We all wanted to say that we're sorry.  We should've never put our problems before our friendship like that.  Ah just hope the three of ya can forgive us eventually."

"Just shut up, AJ," Rainbow said, making Applejack flinch.  "We forgave you the moment you stepped in here.  We're just happy that we're all back together!"

"You mean it?" Pinkie squealed, diving into the center of the three floor beds before anypony could reply, careful not to touch her aching friends.

The next few minutes were spend in a joyful reunion of sorts, all brought to a halt when Twilight felt the magic around her shift.  Without even realizing it, she turned to the fifth page in the blank section of the tome.

Hatred consumes all,

And for it all shall fall.

The land will be blanketed in *Despair***

And the world will be returned to the black...

All five of them looked at Pinkie, who was trying to put on her bravest face.  Even the party pony's unbreakable will was shattered when a gruff, metallic voice echoed across the sky, voicing the very thing Twilight had been feeling since they first entered Thunderhoof Canyon.

"ALL HOPE HAS DIED!"