The Equestrian Monomyth - Book 2 - Complexs of Disharmony

Cadance landed near the hospital's entrance, and quickly entered the building, approaching nurse Redheart: "Nurse! Nurse! Please, for Celestia's sake, tell me where Shining Armor is!"

"Your Highness! But weren't you already gone to Canterlot?! Everypony left already!"

"What?! They left and left me behind?! No! You must be lying!" Protested Cadance, incredulous and scared.

"Well, Your Highness, you can search the hospital if you're wishing to. We have only Luna entered here. Celestia left to who-knows-where and all the guards followed her, including Shining Armor."

Cadance backed off her head, putting a hoof in her forehead in despair: "Oh, the sorrow, the sorrow. Everypony has abandoned meeee... Now what is going to be of meeee...? Alright... if this is how is going to be... then... I'll go back to my rooms, to prepare myself to face my disgraceeee..." She sobbed, and sorrowful and crying, she slowly turned around and walked away.

The right next second that Cadance left the hospital, Pinkie arrived and landed through the hole that Celestia had opened the night before, in the other side of the building, startling Fluttershy, who was just arriving to start her shift:

"Pinkie! You're flying! How...?!" Fluttershy opened her eyes and muzzle wide, dumbfounded.

"Ah! That's a long story. I'll tell you later. Hey, Twilight told me to keep an eye on Luna, and only serve her with trusted stuff. There's an assassin at loose."

"An assassin?! Another one?!" Fluttershy gasped and facehoofed, scared.

"No, is the same one, that escaped." Said Pinkie, nonchalantly.

Fluttershy looked at her, surprised and scared: "And are you telling that so quiet?! What about if she goes for us?! What about if she goes for me?!!" Fluttershy put her both forelegs in her head, horrified.

Pinkie looked at her, shrugging an eye: "Why would she go for you? You're not a princess of anything like that." She asked, slightly shooking the head.

Fluttershy looked up, calming down: "Ow. You're right."

Pinkie smiled again. "Anyway, here I have the food that you'll have to give to Luna. Make sure that it's only Rarity or you who serve her."

Fluttershy looked to Pinkie, horrified again: "What?! I serving Luna?! What about if she turns nasty?! Celestia isn't here anymore, to keep her at bay!"

Pinkie disdainfully waved her hoof: "Don't worry, Flutters. Twilight gave her a tickle under her wings, and left her as tamed as a pigeon. You'll have no problems." She calmly said, with half lidded eyes and a soothing smile.

"But, how can you be so sure...?" Still doubted Fluttershy, trembling.

"Girl, my Pinkie Sense told me that, and it never lies." Pinkie happily assured, with all the confidence of the world.

For some reason, Pinkie's good vibes finally calmed Fluttershy, and she took the food: "Alright, if you say so..." Then, she sniffed the food: "It smells good." And then, she tried it, quickly making a disgusted grimace: "Ugh, puaj... agh... It tastes horrible. Who cooked this, Twilight?"

"Well, I took that from her freezer, so is very likely it is."

Fluttershy's eyes moved to a side, and then, they returned to look Pinkie: "Pinkie, maybe it's Luna the pony who's going to eat this, but I'm not into torture. Not even with her." She denied with the head.

"Well, Flutters. You already knew the saying: 'Safety first'. If I came to be an assassin trying to poison the food, I'll make it to taste good, right?"

Fluttershy scrunched the muzzle: "That's a good point... but still..."

"Well, I gotta go. My Pinkie Sense are giving me a strange reading, and I'm supposed to report Twilight of anything strange in town. See ya!" And Pinkie cast her flying rocks, hopped on them and flown away, leaving Fluttershy with her untasteful task.

"Tsk." Was all that Fluttershy said about it, looking annoyed to a side.

"Are you sure about this?" I was asking to my marefriend. "I think that you alredy got your lesson. I can chit-chat with Celestia until she gets bored and gives up."

"No, love. I have to do this. I need it to improve myself. Just think! If I can defeat Celestia, then we'll have no problems to defeat Daybreaker! She wouldn't stand a chance against us teaming up!" Twilight happily assured.

I made a defeated gesture, as she had a point. "Alright. Just keep your limits. Remember that she's not Luna, OK?"

Twilight giggled: "Oh, love! Believe me, there's nothing I have more in mind!" Then, she turned around to face Celestia: "I'm ready, Your Highness! Let's do this!"

Then, Twilight and Celestia took some distance one from the another, to resume their duel.

"En guarde!" Warned Celestia with a smile, casting her lightning spear.

"En guarde! Come on, give me your best shot!" Twilight happily replied, casting her ice balls.

"But are you still with your counter-attack stance?! What did I told you-? Ugh..." Was Celestia angrily starting to scold Twilight, when she stumbled, with a hoof in her forehead, and fell to the emptyness, fainted.

"Your Highness!!" Screamed Twilight, scared, and she quickly cast a cloud to catch her in mid air. Then, she approached her and lit her horn, to check on her vitals: "Your Highness, your vitals aren't good! What could...?" Then, Twilight took out a mechanical clock, to check the time: "What the...?! Your Highness, it's past the time of your injection! The poison it's not still removed from your system! You'd..." She suddenly stopped short speaking, realizing something: "You did this on purpose, to make me to kill you!! Didn't you?!" She protested, concerned.

Celestia looked her, dumbfounded: "What...? No..." She denied with the head.

Twilight shooked the head, incredulous: "Never mind. I'll have to return to Ponyville, to get your medicine. We'll have our 'duel', when you get completely recovered. And not before! Understood?!" She angrily pointed Celestia with a hoof.

Celestia smiled: "Yes, mommy." She mocked.

Twilight shooked the head again and snorted, upset, and took Celestia back to Cloudsdale.

Pinkie was walking around the town, when suddenly... Chocolate started to rain! Pinkie's eyes opened wide, like her smile as well: "Chocolate rain! It's raining chocolate! My dream come true!" And she started to do what she'll do in such case: to eat as much as she could.

Twilight arrived at that same moment, just to get startled by such unusual event: Could this be the doing of the assassin? As being an elusive and tricky foe, it could be some sort of trap. And the presence of tall legged rabbits, and back flying birds, only made it even scarier "Pinkie, NO!! Stop! Stop, it could be poisonous!" She galloped to the pink mare.

Pinkie stared to Twilight, with her eyes opened wide and her cheeks bloated with chocolate, and then, she stood on her hinder legs, put a hoof in her chest and looked up, and then, she fell loinside to the floor with the tongue out.

"Pinkieeeeee, noooooo!!" Yelled Twilight, horrified, galloping to her and enlightening her horn, to check Pinkie's vitals, only to find out... that she was OK. Twilight furiously looked to Pinkie, who was chuckling.

"Gotcha!" Pinkie mocked.

"This isn't funny, Pinkie! Come on, we have to inform Celestia about this, at once!" Twilight waved a foreleg, enraged.

Just a while had passed after Twilight left to Ponyville in search of Celestia's medicine, when a pegasi scout arrived to Cloudsdale, panting and sweating by the effort: "Your Highness! A huge gryphoon army is gathering in our northern border! It looks that they're getting ready to invade!"

"What?! Quick! Bring me scrolls and quills! I have to activate the alliances Equestria has!" Commanded Celestia.

A pegasi brought the stuff, and Celestia quickly wrote her requests to assistance, and sent the scrolls with her rapid teleportation spell.

It didn't took long until she received the answers. Celestia opened the newly arrived scrolls, and her expression turned to a very concerned one: "But what's this?! Sorry, Your Highness, but Daybreaker will scorch our land if we don't assist the gryphoons in the invasion?!" Then, she opened another scroll that appeared: "Sorry, your Highness, but Daybreaker was here and destroyed up to the last of our defences! We have nothing to send to you!" And she opened other, and other, and other one, until she gave up: All our allies had been previously 'visited' by Daybreaker and 'kindly convinced' to turn down us.

Celestia looked to me, horrified: "Oh, no, rascal! This is a disaster! We are alone in this ordeal! All our allies have turned their loins to us!"

Without time to waste, I called Trixie: "Trix, are those weapons ready to use?!"

"Of course they are! Why do you think that I hadn't time to learn that stupid cloud walking spell?!" She replied.

Alright, she got me there. I guess I owe an apology to her. But that'll be later: "Alright, start loading the ammunition mags and proceed to arming all the ponies in combat condition!" I ordered.

"What?! But if they haven't had time to practice firing!" Trixie complained.

"We haven't time for that! The gryphoons hasted their invasion!"

Celestia wrote a large scroll of instructions an sent it to Canterlot. A reply came right after that. She read it and complained, almost crying: "Oh, noooo. Just more disgraces. Now Cadance is looooooost! Oh, what a bad time to play that bad joke on heeeeer!"

I shrugged the eyes. A bad joke? What bad joke? I shooked the head, as there are no time to think in such things, and told Celestia: "Cellie, I'm gonna go to the border. I have to take all the weaponry and reinforcements to the battle front."

Celestia looked to me, dumbfounded: "What? No, rascal, no. There's no time. It's needed about two days to fly there from here, with good wind."

"I'm not going by flying. I'm gonna cast a massive teleportation spell."

Celestia backed off her head, surprised: "What?! But that's not possible! I know you could teleport there, but only on your own! Not with an entire army! That'll destroy you!"

I smiled. "Cellie, don't underestimate the power of the Life Force. I'll be fine."

Celestia stood up with trembling legs, and walked to me: "Rascal, please, don't do any unnecessary madness. Look... if anything happens to you... I..." And suddenly, she hugged me, and our hearts started to beat as one. "I'l1 die!" She cried.

I hugged her as well: "Cellie, please, don't make this harder than already is. I'm telling you that I'll be fine. I know my limits. Remember?"

Celestia sobbed: "That's exactly what scares me the most... Please, rascal, come back to me. Don't leave me alone... I can't live without you..."

I sternly looked to her: "And Twilight? What about her? Are you gonna... hurt her? Because if that's the case, I...!"

"No! No. Of course I'm not going to hurt her..." She interrupted me.

"Then, she is right?! You're gonna let her to kill you?!" I asked, scared.

"No! Of course not!"

I shooked the head, upset: "Cellie, you're confusing me! What're you up to, huh?!" I asked, raising my open hand in fron of her.

Celestia smiled: "I think we'll better leave that for when everything is over with, my love."

I sharpened the eyes. "Cellie..." I scolded her.

"Now go. Don't waste anymore time. It's an order." She finally ordered me, giving me some taps in my back.

Twilight came a bit later, and she was informed of what was happening. Then, she injected Celestia while reporting what was happening in Ponyville.

"Oh no! This can't be worse! Now we had Discord on the loose too!" Complained Celestia, in the brink of a nervous breakdown. "Quick, Twilight, bring me to Canterlot! We have no time to waste!"

"What?! No, Your Highness, you're still too weak! No!" Twilight tried to stop her. But that was less than impossible...

When I arrived to the frontier, an unicorn officer quickly galloped to me: "General, you came so fast! Thanks to Celestia!"

I shrugged the eyes: "General?"

"Yes! Celestia send a royal decree and promoted you to general. Well, what are the orders? We're just a small garrison here, but we'll do anything we can to help!"

"Name and rank, officer!"

"I'm Lieutenant Stout Heed, sir!"

"Alright, sergeant, report me about the situation."

"Yes, sir! The gryphoons didn't came alone! The brought several platoons of yaks, zebras and buffalos! Scouts have even reported jiraffes and elephants to be seen! It seems that they're preparing a full invasion campaign, sir!"

I turned to my troops: "Ponies, load your mags, and get ready your weapons! Everypony to their positions on the trench!"

The ponies obeyed my instructions and quickly took position in the trench. Not long after that, the vanguard of the above mentioned animals could be seen approaching our positions. That tricky gryphoons, they're sending the pawns first.

When they were close enough, I ordered: "Warning fire!" And I and all the ponies with firearms shot once to the air.

The vanguard of the yaks stopped short, startled by the sound of that weapon never heard before. Then, I stood up and told them, pointing them with my own version of an AR-33: "Former allies of Equestria! We don't mean to hurt you, but if you move forward, we won't hesitate to do so! Get back to your countries! We have nothing against you!"

"We have no choice!" Said someyak. "If we don't attack Equestria, the new sun goddess, Daybreaker, will scorch our land with the power of the sun itself, until the last bristle of grass gets burnt, and up to the last of us gets roasted! She even roasted alive our king, and ate him in front of us! We have no choice!"

The zebras also added: "And she was at Zebrica too, and turned our jungles into a carbonized desert! And there was nothing that we could do to stop her! She's too powerful!"

The ponies and me exchanged a concerned look. But I had still hope of solving this peacefully: "Listen to me! Do you realize that if you do this, you'll become the gryphoon's slaves, and they'll use you for nothing else than cattle to supply the tables in their feasts?!"

"Not us!" Replied the yaks: "We made a deal of honor with them! They swore to spare us from their hunting raids!"

I quickly replied: "And the zebras?! They'll spare them too?!"

"Yes!" Confirmed the zebras. "They swore that they'll spare us too! They'll hunt the other species!"

I came out with something, and pointed the yaks: "Including the yaks?!"

"Yes!" Answered the zebras.

"What?!" The yaks startled. "They said that they'll spare us, and hunt the other species!"

I pointed the zebras: "Including the zebras?!"

"Yes!" Assured the yaks.

Suddenly, all remained in silence, as all the animals realized that they have had been deceived.

"Those deceptive gryphoons! They have lied to us all!" They angrily protested, looking to each other. "We should have known, we should have known! How could we have been so stupid?!"

I raised the cannon of my firearm up, and told them: "Alright folks. This's what we're gonna do..."

Chrysalis took Cadance into an hideout, where about a dozen changelings drones were waiting for her. Chrysalis landed and galloped to the nearest one, who, like all the rest, was lying loinside in the floor of the cave, with their eyes closed and featuring a cadaveric look.

"Hakim! Hakim! Talk to me, please!" Sobbed Chrysalis to the drone.

Hakim meekly opened his half-lidded eyes, and said with ragged voice: "My queen... it was an honor... to serve under your command..."

Scared, Chrysalis looked to Cadance: "They're in their last! Quickly, Princess, cast your spell!" She quickly waved a foreleg.

Cadance did so, and soon all the drones were in foot again: "My queen! You've found food for us! You've saved us again! Hoorray!" Cheered the drones.

Chrysalis sighed, relieved, with a foreleg in her chest, and walked to Cadance. "Thank you, Princess... I... I don't know how to pay you for all this that you're doing for me."

Cadance closed her eyes and smiled. "Just honoring our deal. That'll do it."

Chrysalis smiled with an apologetic smile. "Well, Princess, we still need to get to my hive, which is outside of Equestria, pretty deep in the wastelands. You know?" Then, she looked to the ground, sorrowful. "But, if you don't want to, I'll understand. I can't ask you for more than you've done already..."

"What are you saying, Chrysalis? I promised that I'll save your hive, and that's what I'm intending to do." Joyfully assured Cadance, closing her eyes again and swinging her tail.

Chrysalys's face enlightened up: "Really?! Well, then, there's a last thing to do. Come, Princess, as I still have a last task to do in this unfriendly kingdom."

Cadance looked to her, dumbfounded: "Which is...?"

This time, it was Chrysalis who half lidded her eyes: "To save some odious gryphoons. I hate to do it, but I made a deal of honor with them."

Cadance backed off the head, surprised and scared: "To save... some gryphoons...?"

"Yes... those who were captured in the town's battle..." Chrysalis replied with disdain.

The captured gryphoons were being transported by railroad, whose wagons have been changed by cages, giving the caravan the look of a circus train. Suddenly, a pegasi flown before the locomotive: "Stop! Stop! There's a huge rock in the rail ahead!"

The train stopped near the said rock, and there, it was assaulted by Chrysalis and her drones, who quickly reducted the guards and operators. Cadance observed, horrified, how Chrysalis had took out her dagger, and was approaching the prisoners:

"No! Wait, wait! Don't kill them! Don't kill them!"

Chrysalis turned her head to Cadance, dumbfounded: "Why not? They're the enemy now."

"No, Chrysalis, no! Spare them, or I'm not going to help you!" Angrily threatened Cadance.

Chrysalis tsked, and sheathed the dagger back. "Alright..." And she ordered her drones to let the ponies go, and when they were far enough, she ordered to open the cages of the train.

The gryphoon commander jumped down and walked to Chrysalis: "Well done, Queen Chrysalis! You've captured Princess Cadance! Now, we have a royal hostage to bargain with!" He happily reassured her.

Cadance opened the eyes and muzzle wide, scared, regretting to have come this far.

Chrysalis turned to the gryphoon officer: "Sorry, gryphoon, but the Princess is not a prisoner. She's willingly going with me to fed my hive."

"What?! Queen Chrysalis, I demand you to honor our deal! Surrender Princess Cadance to us, at once!" The gryphoon direfully pointed her with his claw.

"I'm not giving away the last hope my hive has, gryphoon!" Angrily denied Chrysalis. "And what it relates to our agreement in, I think that freeing you make it fulfilled enough!" And she turned around and walked away.

"This's not what we agreed, Queen Chrysalis! Obey our demands right now, or face the consequences!" The gryphoon angrily threatened her again.

Chrysalis stopped short walking, and turned her head to him: "Yeah?! And what are you going to do to me?! Rape me, like you did with Celestia?!" She angrily replied.

"We weren't intending to do that! That was a last minute change of plans!" Replied the gryphoon, clearly embarrassed.

"A 'change of plans'?! How raping her could be a 'change of plans', huh?! Abusers! Rapists!" Chrysalis accussed the gryphoon.

Cadance fear changed to astonishment, and it, to rage. How they could...? After giving them sunlight for five thousands of years...? How could those gryphoons be so ungrateful?!

The gryphoon angrily shooked his head, unwilling to continue the argument: "Fine! Go away to that den of treason that you call home! But, after we get done with Equestria, we'll go for you!" He threatened her even again, pointing her with his claw, and he and all the gryphoons took the air.

Chrysalis disdainfully spitted to the ground, and walked to Cadance: "Let's go already, Princess. Those swines make me sick." She angrily said below her breath. And they and all the drones took the air too.

After a while flying, Cadance was tired and told Chrysalis: "Queen Chrysalis, huff, puff... could we... walk for a while? I need to rest." She puffed.

They landed, and Cadance asked the changeling queen: "Sorry, Chrysalis, but I'm confused. Weren't you trying to... kill Celestia?"

"Yes, I will. But I wanted to give her a quick and painless death. That what those disgusting gryphoons did to her, is something that you don't do to not even your worst enemy."

"Ow." Cadance understood. "But why didn't she told me anything of this? Why did she kept the secret?"

Chrysalis chuckled and turned her head back, to look Cadance with the side of an eye: "I can't hardly believe you're on the royalty, Cadance. You don't seem to know anything about politics. She can't make this public. Do you know what will happen if her subjects found out about that?" Then, she turned her head to face her front, and started to tilting it and to speak with a mocking tone: "'Why should I respect Celestia, if she's a shameless whorse, who sells herself cheap to our sworn enemies? Blah, blah, blah, blah.'" Then, she turned her head to Cadance again: "I could continue speaking, but I guess you got the point already. Didn't you?"

Cadance looked down, sorrowful: "Yes... I did..."

The gryphoon army near Equestria's border, were dumbfounded looking how all their vanguard platoons were galloping back in disbandment:

"What's happening here?! Why aren't you fighting the ponies?!!" Commodore Gomog shrieked: "Go back to fight!!!"

"Ohhhh!! The ponies have developed a fearsome weapon! There's nothing we can do against it!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVEEEEES!!!" Screamed the animals in unison, passing by the side of the surprised gryphoon.

Gomoc made an annoyed gesture, and turned to Daybreaker:

"Daybreaker! We haven't enough troops to invade now! Go to the Dragonlands, and convince them to aid us in our campaign! Our honor is at the stake!"

"Yes, commodore!" Daybreaker confirmed, giving a military salute, and taking the air.

Gomoc turned around and passed his claw under his beak, concerned: "I'll better invade quickly, or King Gryphanius will have me executed..."

Rarity galloped to the hospital and announced, scared: "Flutters, quickly, there's an emergency! All the elements need to go to Canterlot, at once!"

Fluttershy gasped: "An emergency?! What kind of emergency?!"

Rarity waved a hoof and shooked the head: "I'm not sure! I think it's a war or something!"

Fluttershy gasped again, horrified: "A war?! Oh no!"

Nurse Redheart gasped, horrified too: "A war?! Oh no!"

Luna featured a cheek to cheek smile: "A war?! Oh yes! Where is the war?! Where is the war?!" She hopped out of the bed and happily looked around, relieved to not to have to eat Twilight's disgusting prepare again.

Celestia had gatehered the Elements of Harmony at the Canterlot Castle, and was explaining them about Discord, but when she opened the door where the Elements Jewels should be, the box was empty.

A mischievous laughter was heared later, and Discord appeared, to make his challenge: "To retrieve your missing elements just make sense of this change of events. Twists and turns are my master plan. Then find the elements back where you began..."

The Mane 6 gathered in front of the garden labyrinth, where Discord stripped the unicorns from their horns, and the pegasis from their wings. Rainbow Dash tried to protest but she didn't feel too well yet, as she wasn't completely recovered yet from her wounds, and resigned to her fate, just thinking: 'This's some sort of bad dream. I'm still sleeping in a bed of the hospital, and Pinkie is flying on my dreams...'

Not too long after entering the labyrinth, the mares spreaded and separated one from the others. Applejack was the first of Discord's 'victims':

"Ah, hello, cowpony. Do you wanna know what will happen, if you keep always saying the truth?" And he took Applejack to a fountain, where he show her an awful scene, where all her friends, with a greyed coat, were arguing among them.

Applejack observed the scene, and she was already having ill thoughts, when she startled a bit: There was something odd about this scene, if only she could figure out what... wait. This looks like something that evil mare of Daybreaker will do. Trying to make her to think ill. Applejack sharpened her eyes, as there was something else weird there: Where was Rainbow Dash?

"Eh, Discord. This is not wha' is goin' to happen, homey." She pointed the fountain with a hoof. "Why everythin' is colored but us? An' where is Dashie? Ah didn' see her here."

"Oh, that's because the cyan pony is going to leave." Mischievously said Discord.

"'The cyan pony'? How can ya tell who is the cyan pony? All of 'hem look gray." Applejack retorted.

Discord looked to the fountain: "I mean the pony with the rainbow cutie mark."

Applejack looked to the fountain: "Discord, there's nopony with a rainbow cutie mark in there."

"That's because she's gonna betray you!" Repeated Discord, starting to get upset.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Don' make me laugh, Discord! Dashie will never betray us!" Applejack laughed.

"I'm telling you that she will!" Assured Discord, waving a fist, even more upset.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Dashie betraying uuuuuus!" Applejack couldn't stop laughing. "Ya'r so bad liar, Discord! Honestly!"

"OOOUUUOOOUUUUAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGG!!!" Discord roared, exasperated beyond description. "Now I'm gonna show you that I'm not lying!" And he popped out of existence.

Twilight appeared a bit after, and asked Applejack: "AJ, what happened? What was that roar?"

"Nah, just Discord tryin' to convince me tha Dashie will betray us." Applejack chuckled.

Twilight chuckled too: "Dashie, betraying us? That's ridiculous!"

And both mares started to laugh.

Next 'victim', was Rainbow Dash, obviously. Not long after the cyan pony spotted Discord, she stood on her hinder legs and adquired a boxing stance: "What, do you want to fight, huh?! Let's fight!" She challenged him, throwing some jabs with her forelegs.

Discord smiled, and popped a gift box: "Listen, cyan pony, I have your wings here. And all that you have to do to recover them, is to go and leave your friends behind."

Rainbow Dash skeptically looked to the gift box, took it, and pushed it on Discord's mouth: "You can eat them, as far I'm concerned! I'll never ever abandon my friends!"

Discord, with half-lidded eyes, chewed a bit, swallowed and spitted some cyan feathers. "Crunchy..." He commented, nonchalanty.

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes wide: "What? Did you... just... ate... MY WINGS...?" Then, she covered her face with her forelegs: "No no no no no. This has to be a nightmare... This MUST be a nightmare!" And when she opened the eyes, Discord assured her: "Sorry, little pony, but this IS NOT a nightmare. This is the reality of chaos!" He happily announced, raising his forearms. "So, last call. Leave your friends, or you wouldn't see your wings again!" He blackmailed her, smiling and with his fists in his waist, sure of his victory.

Rainbow Dash looked him with tearful eyes: "Never." She whispered.

"Hmmm? I didn't heard you." Said Discord, approaching his ear to her and making it to grow excesively larger.

"I SAID NEEEEEVEEEEEER!!" Rainbow Dash screamed, with sobbing voice.

Discord looked her, dumbfounded: "What...? Never?!"

"NEEEEEEVEEEEER!! OR ARE YOU DEAAAAAAAAF?!!" Screamed Rainbow Dash again, about to cry.

Discord trembled, until he came out with something else, and ducked to Rainbow Dash's level, to look her fixedly to the eyes.

"What's this?! A staring contest?! Bring it on!" She said, and looked him fixedly to the eyes as well.

And they were like this for a while, until Discord stood up and: "OOOUUUOOOUUUUAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGG!!!" he roared, exasperated beyond description, and popped out of existence.

Not long after that, Twilight and Applejack appeared from behind a bush wall: "Dashie! Are you OK?!"

Rainbow Dash was anything but OK: "He... he ate my wings... he ate my wiiiiiiiings!" She dropped to cry on Applejack's shoulder. "My life is ruineeeeeed!"

Next 'victim', was Pinkie Pie. Pinkie was presented with a lot of balloons and party related stuff, and one of the balloons spoke with a mischievous smile: "Pink pony, your friends are laughing of you."

Pinkie smiled: "Oh, no. They laugh of my jokes. Not from me."

"No, they laugh of YOU." The talking balloon assured.

"They do?" Said Pinkie, seriously looking to the floor, but then, her smile returned to her: "Well, that's fine for me too."

The mischievous smile disappeared from the balloon: "What? You don't care that they laugh of you?"

"Actually, I don't. I thought that once, and almost killed one of my friends. So, I Pinkie Promised to myself, that I'll always keep my cool, no matter what!" Pinkie happily assured.

The balloon clenched it's teeth, or whatever that was. "You have to CARE! Anyone in her right sense SHOULD CARE!" He insisted.

"I've told you that I don't. Wanna know what do I really care? That I still haven't given your welcome party!" Happily raised a hoof Pinkie. And, apparently from nowhere, she pulled in her party jukebox, and started to sing:

"Welcome welcome welcome. A fine welcome to you." And she put a party hat on Discord head, who quickly took it out and scrunched it, enraged. "Welcome welcome welcome. I say how do you do?" And Pinkie took a trumpet and sounded it through Discord's ears, making him to become even more upset, and to start swinging his forearms all around, trying to catch Pinkie. But it looked like she knows where he was gonna to go, and always managed to escape from his grasp, pounding nonchalantly a drum around him. "Welcome welcome welcome. I say hip hip hurray. Welcome welcome welcome. To Ponyville todaaaaay!" And she danced all around until she sliced on her knees up to front of Discord, while happily saying: "Wait for it!"

And just when Discord was gonna catch her, the Party Jukebox threw a bunch of streamers, just on Discord eyes, and he swung his forearms, temporarily blind, but time enough to Pinkie to escape capture once again.

"OOOUUUOOOUUUUAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGG!!!" Discord roared, exasperated beyond description, and popped out of existence, once again...

Next 'victim': Rarity. The dressmaker mare was walking around, thinking aloud: "They have to be kidding me. How I'm supposed to find anything among all this dirtiness?! And bugs, and dry leaves, everywhere! Oh, my beautiful mane is going to get ruined!" She mourned.

Suddenly, Discord popped before her. Rarity looked around, realizing that she was all ALONE! There was nopony to protect her! And she haven't seen or heard of her friends in a while! Could he...? Could he... had eaten THEM?! Rarity trembled before that prospect, but, realizing that it was useless to try to escape, she decided that if she had to go, she'll go with dignity. So, she bloated her lungs, closed her eyes and scrunched her muzzle, raised her head a bit and there she stood, trembling, waiting for the killing blow.

"You have nothing to fear, little pony. I have a gift for you." Discord said.

Oh, how cruel of that dragon, or whatever he was. Calling the death of her friends a 'gift'. Rarity thought, and a tear slid on her cheek.

"But why are you crying? I'm telling you that I have a gift for you. Come on, open your eyes."

Rarity did so, as she had nothing to lose, and then, a wide smile appeared on her face, as the biggest diamond that she has ever seen was right before her! "What?! That's... that's for me?!" She asked, touched, with a hoof in her chest.

"Yes, yes. Is for you. And only for you, not for anypony else." Mischievously said Discord to her. "You're the only one that deserve such great gem!"

Rarity sat on her haunches and put both forelegs in her chest: "Oh, that's so generous from you, Discord! I'm so relieved, I was thinking already that you was some sort of pony-eater! Spike is going to become so happy, he likes to eat gems so much!"

"Yeah, right... What?!" Discord shooked the head, starting to get upset: "No! I told you what that diamond is for you and ONLY for you, not for anypony else!"

"But, Discord, Spike is not a pony, he's a dragon." Replied Rarity.

"Argh! Then, that diamond isn't for anydragon, either! It's just for you and ONLY for you!" Discord insisted, even more upset.

"But, Discord! What kind of friend would I be, if I don't share that beauty with Spike?!" Rarity angrily protested. "He has been so long into me, and I've never... given him a chance..." Rarity looked down, doubtful.

"You can't share this beatiful diamond with no one! Nopony, nodragon! No one!" Discord swung a fist, even more upset.

But Rarity wasn't paying attention to him anymore, and she stood up and started to walk away, looking to the floor, thinking aloud: "Spike have been into me for so long... he's always trying to be near of me... giving gifts to me, helping me in whatever he can..."

"Hey, little pony, you're forgetting the diamond!" Discord warned her.

"Huh?" Rarity stopped short, and looked back: "Diamond? What diamond? All what I see, is a giant rock embedded on that wall... and I can't attend you right now, Discord! I need to put in order my feelings!" She cleared to him, closing her eyes and putting a hoof in her chest, and she turned her head to face the floor again and resumed her aimless walking around, thinking aloud about Spike and herself.

"But, the diamond!" Still insisted Discord, pointing the rock with his both arms, but Rarity couldn't care less about the 'diamond'.

"OOOUUUOOOUUUUAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGG!!!" Realizing that his calls where useless, Discord roared, exasperated beyond description, and popped out of existence, even once again...

Last 'victim': Fluttershy. Gulping, the timid mare was looking around, when a shadow passed near her. Her first impulse was to run and hide, but, after a titanical willpower effort, she constrained that primal instinct, and turned around to see what it was.

"Ow! It's a butterfly! Come over here, butterfly! Don't be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you!" Fluttershy happily galloped after the insect, who started to speak to her:

"Yellow pony, your friends thinks that you're weak and defenseless."

Fluttershy smiled, closing her eyes: "Yes, I know that. And I'm fine with that."

The smile disappeared from the butterfly's face: "What? You don't care about it? Then, how you're suppossed to protect your friends?"

"Oh, Discord. I'm not supposed to protect anypony." Assured Fluttershy. "That's Twilight, Pinkie and Dashie's job."

"You don't? Then, you seem pretty useless to me." The butterfly's tone turned angrier and more offensive.

"Oh, I beg to differ." Fluttershy smiled again. "I'm very important, as my job is to show other ponies that being weak and disabled, is not a reason to give up. That's my job."

The butterfly turned into Discord, who roared again: "OOOUUUOOOUUUUAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGG!!!" exasperated beyond description, and he took Fluttershy for the head, trying to forcefully break her will.

"Discord... what are you doing? You're scaring me..." Barely said Fluttershy. "Are you... going to eat me? Are you going to eat me?! Heeeeeelp! Heeeeelp! Twilight! Pinkie! Dashie! Teddy bear! Anypony! Heeeeelp! He's going to eat me, he's going to eat meeeeee!" Fluttershy cried, meekly trying to push Discord's head away from her with her forelegs.

Fluttershy calls reached the other mares ears, who quickly galloped to the spot. There, Twilight scolded him: "Discord, you filthy pony-eater! How dare you to take advantage of the weak and defenseless?! Release our friend at once!"

But Discord didn't released Fluttershy, as he was determined to break at least one of the ponies.

"Discord, I regret to have given your welcome party! You're not better than a bucking gryphoon, you damned horsehit!" Pinkie angrily scolded him too.

"Discord, then my fears were justified! You ate Dashie's wings and now you're going for Flutters! Uncout! Degenerate! Disgusting! How can you be so insensitive?! I hope that you end thrown in a muddy swamp and never come out!" Rarity scolded him too.

Rainbow Dash wanted to say something, but she was at the brink of a nervous breakdown, and she couldn't.

"That's enough!" Twilight protested: "Fifth Seal Life-Force Dispelling Spell!" And her horn reappeared on her head again. Then, she lit it, teleporting Fluttershy back to safety, near them.

Discord stood up and smirked: "Heh, I think we're missing some chaos here." But before he could do anything else, he has to teleport by himself, to avoid a Hadou-ken of Pinkie.

"I think you're missing a lot of things here, Discord!" The pink mare warned him. "A lot of things have changed in four thousands years, so snuff up, horseshit!"

Discord appeared again, and mischievously threatened them: "Of course there's a lot of things missing, as I have your magic, and if you keep attacking me, I'll never give it back to you."

"Then, suit yourself, Discord, because I'm not using ANY magic!" Twilight defied him. "So, come and fight with somepony of your level!"

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes and muzzle wide: "Twilight, you're still using your life-force?! NO, stop, you're gonna die!"

"Don't worry, Dashie. I know my limits. And I'm not gonna let that filthy pony-eater unpunished for leaving you wingless!"

Discord chuckled. "You? At my level? Little pony, not even Celestia and Luna together are at MY level." He bragged. "And without your Elements of Harmony, you'll never defeat me! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" He laughed, triumphant.

"Twilight... my wings are gone... let it go..." Sadly pleaded Rainbow Dash.

Twilight looked to her, concerned. "What?! NO! Your wings meant everything for you! I can't allow...!"

"Twilight... please. Your life is more important... than my wings... let it go... please..." Rainbow Dash sobbed, interrupting her. But, as Twilight wasn't giving up, she added: "Twilight, let it go, or I'll kill myself!"

Twilight looked down, and unlit her horn. Then, she looked to Discord, enraged: "I had enough of this horseshit!" Then she turned to her friends. "We're not playing his stupid games anymore, as it's clear that he's tricking us! Just think: He may be crazy, but he's not stupid! How he's gonna give the only artifacts that can defeat him, to the only ponies that can defeat him?! All is a deception!"

The smile disappeared from Discord face: He have hadn't no fun until now, and it looks like that he wouldn't have any fun anytime soon.

"So, to the Tartarus with the Elements of Harmony!" Continued Twilight. "I'm gonna call back my coltfriend, and together we'll give Discord the beating of his life! Pinkie, you protect the ponies while I'm out! The others, head back to Ponyville and organize the evacuation of the town! Move!"

"Hold right there!" Discord raised an arm, and he put it on his mouth and pulled out Rainbow Dash's wings: "Look what I have hereeeeee!" He anounced, swinging them.

"MY WIIIINGS!!" Exclaimed Rainbow Dash, raising both forelegs in front of her.

Right following it, Discord swallowed the wings again.

"NOOOOOOO!!" Rainbow Dash sobbed, and turned to cry again on Fluttershy's shoulder.

"You bucking bastard! Stop torturing my friend! Give her wings back to her!" Twilight exclaimed, enraged.

"Now you see." Joyfully said Discord. "You'll have to play with my rules, or I'll accelerate my digestion, and the cyan pony can say her wings bye-bye."

"NOOOOOOOOO!!" Cried Rainbow Dash.

Twilight trembled and clenched her teeth, infuriated: "Alright... Discord. We'll play by your rules. So... what's next?"

Discord tried to laugh, but there was something about that pony... a resolve... that scared him... But, while he had the wings of her friend, he'll keep her at bay.

"Well, then, it looks that we have to play another game. Shall we?" He happily opened his arms, sure to win this time.

A green skinned male changeling drone, with a slightly darker green mane and tail, quickly flown inside his hive, and there, he galloped to a group of about fifty male and female regular drones, who were spreaded all around the place, lying in the floor in different positions:

"Brothers, sisters! Gather here, quick! I've brought food!" He happily announced, but no changeling moved a bit. "Brothers, sisters, what are you waiting for?!" He asked, concerned. "Come on, you're passed too many days without eating! Come on, gather around me!"

But, no changeling moved.

Scared, the drone galloped to the nearest female drone: "Faria, Faria, look to me, look to me, please! I've brought food! Come, take your portion!" He neared a foreleg to her.

Faria half-lidded her eyes: "Thorax... please... let us go."

Thorax opened his eyes wide: "What?! No! Come on, Faria, eat already! I've to feed the others!"

Faria slightly smiled: "You're too kind, Thorax... but we've already given up. We can't take this anymore... the everyday... struggle... starving... suffering... no more, please." She sobbed.

Thorax lowered his foreleg, dumbfounded, and looked around to the other drones, very concerned: "Then... are you all... giving up?"

The surrounding drones nodded: "We can't take this anymore, Thorax... Save yourself... You don't need feelings to survive... let us go, please..."

Tears slid on Thorax cheeks: "No... You're my familyyyyy... my brothers and sisteeeeeers... I can't turn you down... I caaaaan't!" He sobbed.

But he received no answer to his plead.

Heartbroken, Thorax turned around, and slowly walked away, sorrowful, while mourning: "Ohhh... I have failed... I knew it... I knew that I was an useless half-breed... I was never meant to have been born!" He cried.

Then, he walked to an improvised armory, took a dagger with his magic, and sit on his haunches, mourning: "Don't worry, my brothers and sisters... We're going to be together... forever..." And he raised the dagger, to kill himself.

"NO NO NO NO! WAAAAAAAIT!! WAAAAAAIT!!" Queen Chrysalis' voice saved him in the last second:

"Auntie?" He turned his head, hopeful.

Chrysalis flown to him and threw the dagger far away, and happily announced: "My dear subjects! Your Queen has returned! Quick, gather here to fed!" Then, she turned her head to Cadance: "Princess, cast your spell, quick!"

After all the drones had been fed, they bowed before their queen, grateful: "Thank you, thank you, my queen! You've saved us, when we had lost all hope!"

Chrysalis smiled: "I'm not the one to thank to. Here, she's your savior: Princess Cadance, from Equestria."

"Princess Cadance? She's the royalty? My queen, then, you managed to convince Celestia to forgive us?!"

Chrysalis shooked the head, ashamed: "I'm sorry, my dear subjects, but I couldn't do that. Cadance decided to aid us on her own will."

Thorax looked to his aunt, concerned: "Auntie, but that doesn't turns her into a traitor? If she returns now, she'd likely to be sent to prison!"

Cadance blushed, as Thorax's greeny mane reminded her the bush that she used for magic practice: "Ow, that's OK. I was weary of that boring Canterlot Castle, anyway. And finally, I had the chance of having a real trip! To know the rest of Equus, and not to spent all my life locked-up within closed walls!" She happily explained.

"Alright." Chrysalis turned to Cadance. "Princess, now, let's talk about your part in our deal."

Cadance looked around, dumbfounded: "Here? Around all your subjects?"

Chrysalis giggled. "Princess, I don't hide anything from my subjects. Whatever I decide to do, they have the right to know."

"Ow." Cadance understood. "Well, I was thinking... that 'taking the pink mare out of the way', was a bit going too far. I think that we'll better ponynap my coltfriend, and have him brought here!" She proposed, with an apologetic smile, while thinking: 'Oh, holy heavens... Now they're going to think that I'm a whimsical filly, and they're going to scold me off...'

Chrysalis giggled: "Oh, you're such a whimsical filly! But if that is what you want, then of course that we'll do it!"

Cadance stopped short talking, dumfounded: "... Ow... I... Well..."

Chrysalis chuckled: "Come on, Princess! Don't be ashamed to be in love, or your cutie mark is going to disappear!"

Cadance backed off her head, scared: "What?!"

All the changelings laughed: "We're just teasing you, Princess! Don't take us too serious!"

Cadance sharpened the eyes, annoyed. "Bucking clowns..."

Then, Thorax turned to Chrysalis: "Well, auntie, I'm going to check on the lower levels of the hive. They'll be needing to be cleaned, as they'll be receiving eggs soon. Didn't they?"

"Alright, my dear nephew-in-law, but there's no rush. I have to find a King first, you know?" Chrysalis sadly smiled, looking down, making circles with a foreleg and speaking with a mild tenderness, slightly blushing with a green shade of her cheeks.

"Permission to proceed, my queen." Said Thorax, with a royal tone.

"Permission granted. Dismiss." Answered Chrysalis.

After Thorax had left, Cadance turned to Chrysalis: "Chrys... Can I call you Chrys?"

"Sure. You can call me as you want."

Cadance giggled: "Humm, that stallion... he looks so different from the other drones. He's not bald, or tailless either, and he's... so handsome."

"Ow. Thorax, handsome? Ohhhh... he's a daintiness..." Chrysalis smiled, looking up and putting a foreleg in her cheek, with unhiding enthralment. "And I think that's because he's half-breed."

"Half-breed?" Cadance startled. "With what other specie?"

"With ponies."

"With ponies?! Changelings and ponies can mix in?! I didn't knew that!"

"Neither do I!" Chrysalis replied, and both mares laughed: "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Ok, then..." Said Cadance, putting a hoof in her cheek. "And... do you have... you know... any feelings for him?"

Chrysalis blushed green again: "Me? Well, I... humm..." She nervously looked to the sides.

Cadance giggled. "Come on, you don't have to hide your feelings from me."

Chrysalis made an apologetic smile: "Oh, Hives. It was so evident?"

Cadance giggled again: "And, what about him? Does he feels the same for you?"

Chrysalis looked down, sorrowful. "Unfortunately, he doesn't. He still sees me as family, so I fear that we'll never get anywhere."

"Ow. That's too bad. And where are his parents? I haven't seen anypony else here."

"Oh. His father died in combat, and his mother died at delivery. And Thorax has spent his entire life blaming himself for that. Could you please, talk to him? I don't know what else to say to lift his mood up."

"Ow! Sure!" Cadance smiled, closing the eyes and deeply blushing.

Not long after Thorax had reached the hive's lower levels, Cadance stepped down there too:

"Princess! But what are you doing here?! This is not a place for a Princess like you! Is dirty, ugly and stinky!" Thorax complained, concerned.

Cadance sniffed two or three times: "I don't smell anything." Then, she looked around: "And this place looks very clean and neat. Why are you coming here then? It's not like that it needs any taking care of."

Thorax lowered his head and looked down, evasive: "That's none of your business..."

Cadance walked to him: "You come here to cry and grieve, didn't you?"

"No!" Replied Thorax, with tearful eyes and sobbing voice.

Cadance was touched. He looked so commiserable, so needed of love and support!

"You know, Thorax? My mom died on delivery, too." Cadance lied.

"What? She did? And how...? How are you taking it?"

"Quite fine, actually! I don't think on that anymore. That wasn't my fault. One does not ask to be born, you know?"

Thorax raised his head, hopeful: "Do you...? Do you think so?"

"Of course! And, I have to tell you, that never was a hitch to give and receive love! I even earned my cutie mark by giving love to everypony around!" Happily said Cadance. "So, there's no need to lash yourself for something that you haven't the control of. You have the right to love and to be loved. You've earned it."

Thorax started to shed tears, and his lips formed a trembling smile, and his heart, for the very first time in his life, felt as light as a feather. That touched Cadance so hard, that she started to shed tears too, and she sat on her haunches, raised her forelegs in front of her and told him with closed eyes and a soothing smile: "Come on, Thorax. Give me a hug."

With no second thought, Thorax launched himself to hug Cadance, crying of happiness and relief. Cadance's head popped from Thorax's shoulder, with eyes wide open: He hugged her so tightly, that she thought he was going to break her bones or something!

Cadance frowned, and her eyes moved to a side, thinking: Wait a sec. Why should she still be troubling herself with Shining Armor, if he didn't loved her anymore? Besides, it was clear that she didn't needed him. She has spent seven months avoiding him, and there she was, alive and still kicking. Maybe it was time to move on? Start a new life, in a new place, among new ponies, or, in this case, changelings? Wasn't that what she had always wanted, a life of adventure, traveling around Equus, to know another countries, another cultures? Being herself, without the burden of her royal status?

Why she would come back to Equestria, just to face neverending mockings and embarrasment, specially from that jerk of Prince Blueblood? Why don't she better, take the chance that she had right on her hooves, a hopeless and love-needing handsome stallion, who surely wouldn't care about not being the first one? Why not...? So, she closed her tearful eyes too, and hugged him tight, tight, tight...