The Third Choice

The Third Choice

Chapter 7: The Reborn

By UltimaReborn

A few hours later, after helping to organize the library, Twilight and I stopped to take a break, and indulge our shrinking stomachs. Twilight took a bite of her sandwich. I was eating various fruits. She swallowed and looked up at me.

“Okay, now tell me how you can sense Equestria's magic field.” she said, a serious look to her eyes.

“I actually have no idea how I do it. I can just feel it. Every sentient thing has a particular aura to it, and the rest has a kind of neutral feeling to it. The latent magical energy in the atmosphere would be my guess.” I answered.

“You said there wasn't any magic in your world. So how do you know so much about it?” she queried, now squinting at me.

“I said we didn't have magic. I never said we didn't have knowledge of it.” I responded.

“Does every human know as much as you do about magic?” she asked.

“Very doubtful that more than a few have knowledge that matches mine. In all honesty humans are quite stup-AHHHH!” I cut off as another tremor raged through the magic field. It was painful, and now I could actually feel the source.

“Anima! Are you alright!?” Twilight yelled running to help me.

“Another tremor. And this time I felt the source. There are only two being in the universe that have an aura like that. And seeing as Sheogorath isn't in Equestria, there is only one option: Discord.”

At the mention of demented Draconequus, Twilight's eyes widened in shock and fear. She started to shake a bit. Then her resolve kicked in and she stopped, obviously in war mode now.

“Spike!” she called the baby dragon that had retired to bed early due to the shock of meeting me. “Take a letter, NOW!” she yelled as said baby dragon half ran half stumbled down the stairs, a quill and parchment in his claws.

“No time.” I said. I took hold of both Twilight and Spike and began to Invoke.

“That which I seek are the currents of Eternity.

I Invoke: Shift!”

Upon completion we experienced a sensation that could only be described as 'feeling like you are a wash cloth that's being wrung out and crushed into a ball at the same time'. However unpleasant it was it worked. We appeared right in the throne room, alone except for Princess Celestia and the guards that now surrounded us with spears at the ready. The Princess blinked a few times in confusion.

“Stand down.” she told the guards, and they immediately obeyed her, returning to their posts and seemingly ignoring us. I knew better, they were watching every little move, waiting to see if we would try to harm Celestia.

“Apologies princess, but we have urgent news. Discord has broken free. I felt a ripple of his power in Equestria's magic field.” I explained. Her eyes widened like Twilight's had when I told her. She, however, decided to forgo shock and fear, and jump straight to war mode.

“GUARDS! TO THE GARDENS!” She bellowed, making sure that every guard within hearing distance came. And the distance was quite large when using the Royal Canterlot Voice.

A few minutes later we arrived at the gardens. The statue of Discord seemed intact. Until it fell to dust and the Draconequus himself walked from around the pedestal, being followed by none other than the Nightmare. While Celestia and Twilight attempted to convince the two to surrender, I noticed something. A strange smell. It made me think of....

“Changelings!” I yelled, pushing both Twilight and the princess out of the way, just as one of the guards burst into green fire as he charged where they had been. Mid charge the guard burst into green fire, revealing Chrysalis the Changeling Queen, her blade-like horn pointed at the space the two mares had previously occupied.

“Well well well. Hello there little human.” said Discord with an arrogant smirk.

“That which I seek is-” I was cut off as Discord snapped his fingers, sealing my mouth shut.

Well fuck me. Looks like I'm going to die. Again. My prediction proved to be correct, as Discord proceeded to beat the living shit out of me. Punting me like a football, smashing me into the ground, and beating me against statues. Twilight, Celestia, and the Day Guard were attempting to help, but Chrysalis and the Nightmare wouldn't have it. As Discord smashed me into a crater one last time, his smirk grew.

“Any last words?” he asked, snapping his fingers and unsealing my mouth.

“If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you could ever imagine.” I quipped, once more drawing on Star Wars.

“Doubtful.” said Discord, a moment later I was incinerated. Hat and all, not even ash left.

In the void.

DEAD AGAIN I SEE. Rumbled the Voice. THAT LITTLE ANNOYANCE DISCORD GOT YOU, EH? WELL, I DON'T USUALLY DO THIS BUT... I'LL GIVE YOU ONE LAST CHANCE. SO HOW DO YOU WANT TO FIGHT HIM THIS TIME?

“You know what I was thinking.” I answered with a grin.

OH I DO. AND THIS IS GOING TO BE FUN TO WATCH. OH, AND HERE, FOR AFTER. A camouflage green satchel materialized in front of me.

“If that does what I think it does then we'll have a good after party.” I replied, my grin growing.

NOW TIME TO GO AND GET RID OF THAT COSMIC ANNOYANCE. HE'S BEEN UPSETTING THE BALANCE FOR TOO LONG. PLUS HE'S ANNOYING, EVEN TO A BEING THAT'S SUPPOSED TO LOVE EVERY LIVING THING.

Back on Equestria. (Third person view here.)

The Element bearers sat huddled against a ruined shop in what had only a few hours ago been Ponyville. Princess Celestia was holding her own against Chrysalis-barely-but Luna was struggling with the Nightmare. All the while Discord sat smirking on his throne. Equestria's military had fallen to the changelings within an hour and a half. This was too easy with them working together. The changelings would feed, the Nightmare would bring eternal night, and Discord would spread his 'glorious chaos'. Everything was perfect.

Luna was pushed back by the Nightmare, a beam of magic connecting with her, sending her flying to rest near the Element bearers, unconscious. Celestia turned a bit to look at Luna, and that was all Chrysalis needed to send Celestia flying to rest next to her sister and the Element bearers. The two monsters began to approach, but were cut off as they heard a whistling sound. They all looked and there, flying at them was a fireball. Discord snapped his fingers, intending to get rid of the projectile. However it continued falling, unstopped. He watched it fall. It landed square between the Nightmare, Chrysalis, the Elements and the Princesses. It did not make a crater but there was a lot of smoke, from which a familiar voice issued.

“When I said that striking me down would only make me stronger, I was being serious.” said the voice. All watched in disbelief as the being once known as Anima emerged from the smoke.

“A-Anima.” Twilight said weakly, attempting to rise, only to fall back.

“I thought that I killed you.” said Discord, his eyes narrowing.

“You did. I have been Reborn. No longer am I Anima. Now I am Ultima. You all just rest. This shouldn't take long.” he said, the second part aimed at the Princesses and the Elements. As he turned back to face Discord in full, a sword that appeared to be a cross between a two others, the blade being that of a katana and the hilt that of a German longsword, burst forth in his hands, made of fire with the design of a heron clearly visible on the flaming blade.

“Wha? How!? Your magic only work if you say one of those spell things!” exclaimed Discord. “So who is casting the illusion? Come out now and maybe I won't turn you into a walking watermelon!”

“Could an illusion do this?” Ultima asked, moving in at unnatural speeds and slicing the blade across the chest of the Spirit of Chaos. Discord shrieked in pain and teleported back, leaving Chrysalis, the Nightmare, and the changeling army to fight the newly created Reborn.

“Let's see how well you fight.” said Ultima with a grin that struck fear into the hearts of the two beings that had only ever instilled fear themselves.