In the days of old, the name of Discord was not known among ponies as it would once be, nor was he as powerful.

Back then, he was mostly known as the strange wizard, or trickster that liked to eat, drink, and make mischief. While no one knew where he came from, the giants, trolls, orcs, and Jotnars all tolerated him, often inviting him to join their feasts. Here they would share news of the world, and Discord would, as usual, play his part in spreading the chaos, giving the chiefs ideas, or playing other giants out against one another.

He had a clever mind, few of the Jotnar could keep up with, which was how he could usually avoid any repercussions that would usually follow after one of his pranks.

One night however, one of the giant chiefs invited Discord to drink with him, which he of course accepted. The chief, named Vang, spoiled Discord, letting him have his fill of anything he wanted, playing up to his ego, and Discord being Discord enjoyed every bit of it.

When he was sufficiently drunk, which one would tell based on his constant boasting. He would tell anyone who would care to listen how he was the cleverest, the most handsome, the greatest magic user of all time. At that moment, Vang leaned back in his high seat and said. "If you are so great as you claim, why are you not a god?"

Discord snorted, putting his drinking horn down. "I am greater than any god!"

"Well I hear in the land of the ponies there is a great god, sent from the heavens to save their hides. I hear he is so great he commands the sky above."

This caught Discord's interest, he had heard whispers among the many tribes. Stories of a pale creature wielding a magic weapon of some kind, slaying trolls and giants alike. He had just thought of them as drunken tales of dishonored warriors, having to invent stories instead of admitting to having been beaten by ponies.

"I've heard of him," Discord said warily. "What of him?"

"You claim to be greater than a god, he claims he is a god. I wager you are no god, you a mere magician, nothing more."

Discord was no fool, he knew what the Jotnar wanted, what he aimed to do. Well, he would be sorry to make a bet with Discord the great! "You want to see who is strongest," he said self assured. "I can get you the amusement you seek, but what's in it for me?"

"Why Discord, the great and powerful Discord, you will have finally proven to us all that you are not just a waste of space. You will have proven to me that you are worthy of my hall, worthy to sit and dine and drink at my table. You will forever have proven to every giant in the land that you Discord, you are more powerful than a god."

He spoke well, and Discord knew the speech was not for him, but for the warriors sitting at the many tables. If Discord refused, the word would spread across the land, and every hall, every tribe, every troll, giant and orc would think he was a weakling, a nothing, a waste of space.

Discord couldn't have that, he would show them all he was the greatest, and when he did there would be nothing out of his reach. In fact, if he beat this so-called god, who was to say he could not seize power for himself? His own lands, his own halls, his own kingdom, yes, this could happen if he could only show he was as great as he thought.

There was just one problem, how would he get Thor here? Moreover, if he was as powerful as the rumors said, what would keep him from killing every single giant here, not to mention Discord himself. It would take cunning to lure the so called god here, thankfully, Discord was the greatest of them all, greater than any god, if anyone could do it, he could.

"I can do it, you will have your fun, and I will have my glory."

Vang clapped his massive hands together and smiled. "Then go Discord, bring the killer of my kind to me, then we shall see who is a god, and who is the fraud." Before Discord could rise from the table he added. "And don't come back without him, my gates will forever be closed to you should you fail in this task."

"I will not fail." said Discord as he left the great hall in all haste.

When he passed the thick and high walls of Vang's estate, the gate closed behind him with a sound like great pines moaning and straining as they were being pushed. He knew he could not return here again without this god, or any other place for that matter. No, it seemed he really had to go through with this.

Discord was of course confident in his own abilities, his clever mind, his sharp tongue and quick wit. Not to mention he was a master of magic ponies couldn't even fathom, but this so called god, he knew very little beyond the rumors. Discord would not be so foolish thinking he could force him here. He needed a plan, but to make a plan he needed more knowledge.

There was only one option for him, to go to Thor and see him for himself. That way he could learn how to best lure him to Vang's home, and ultimately his death.

Discord chuckled to himself, thinking this would be easy. "Discord," he said to himself. "No pony, giant or pretender gods can keep up with your clever mind. Why, as soon as you get a look at this brute a brilliant plan will spring to your mind and you will soon be back here, enjoying every comfort you could wish for." Not to mention the power and respect that would follow.

With a grin and a twirl of his talon, he donned a hooded cloak and vanished into the cold wasteland, heading towards the home of Thor.

Days and nights passed, and when Discord finally arrived in the town of Everfree he wasn't exactly impressed. He stood at the edge of the mighty forest, his observant gaze inspecting the land before him. The town itself was not exactly a sight to behold, and yet Discord could see it was a town on the rise.

While it was as simple as an earth pony town could be, he noted how large it was compared to the small farming villages he had passed on his many travels. The castle was probably the only impressive thing, while not big, it did give an air of authority over the town. Was this really the place a god would reside? If so he could hardly be this big threat Vang was talking about.

He changed his appearance into that of a simple pony with an olive green cloak, and walked to town. On his way there he found something strange, the ponies were, happy? Throughout his travels Discord had been to many villages of ponies, all seemed to have this sadness about them, waiting for the dark chaos heading their way. These ponies however, seemed almost relaxed. Whether they worked on the fields, traveled the road to or from the town, every single one of them radiated with contentment.

It was disgusting, Discord almost gagged at the sight, a sentiment that was only getting stronger as he entered the town. The whole place reeked of this strange energy of order, peace, even harmony. It sent shivers up Discord's back, making him feel very uncomfortable.

Finally, he had enough and trotted up to a pony selling small wooden amulets. "Excuse me good merchant," Discord started, his voice as smooth as the finest velvet. "Tell me, why is everypony so happy? I have seen many towns throughout my travels and never once have I come across a town such as this."

The merchant pony was almost too happy to answer. "Well met, you must come from far away to not know the news. This town is indeed happy, because these lands are protected by Thor."

"Thor," Discord repeated, acting like he had never heard the name before.

"Yes, he's the god of thunder, the defender of ponies, and slayer of giants and orcs alike."

"Well," said Discord. "Where would such a mighty god be found?"

"You can find him at the castle, but you are not the first to ask for him. Many travel from nearby villages to ask for his protection, leave offerings for him."

Discord frowned, offerings? Now that was a life he wanted to live, laying on a silk pillow while ponies gave him gifts. He had to meet this Thor, but moreover, he needed to lure Thor into the trap set for him by Vang. He thanked the merchant, then continued on his way towards the castle.

Soon Discord noticed, much to his annoyance and yet fascination, that the closer he got to the castle, the thicker the crowd got. All of them seemed to want to get to the castle, and were it not for Discord's skills in moving around almost unseen he would have probably never even gotten close to it.

The sight frustrated him, along the walls ponies were leaving small gifts, some went to the castle gate in order to offer something to the god, most were turned away however. Discord wasn't sure if he should be impressed or angry. This was an impressive scam, tricking the poor ponies into worshipping him, it was infuriatingly devious. But like with so many other things, Discord saw an opportunity, and if it worked, then Thor would be dead in a few days.

Still disguised as a pony, Discord crept through the crowd, unseen by common ponies and the guards. Like a shadow he moved behind the walls and into the castle itself. Magic was quite the useful thing, and Discord was a master at it. It was easy enough to find the grand hall, the only thing he needed to do was to reveal himself.

The guards quickly spotted him, they came running, demanding he'd stop, and so he did. "Who are you?" A guard asked.

"I'm Green Bean," said Discord, congratulating himself on the clever pony name.

"How did you get in here?"

"Your guards at the gate let me in. When I told them about the plight that has befallen my village, they urged me inside to talk to this Thor. I've come to beg for his help, please, do not send me away." Discord was a master at faking emotions, he could make his voice sound as mighty as any giant, or as small as any pony.

The guards looked at one another, unsure what to do. While sympathetic to Discord, who they thought was just a normal earth pony, they had been ordered to keep the crowd out. However, none of them wished to be the one to tell him he would have to go away. Finally one stepped forward and said, "you have traveled far, the least we can do is to take you to our king. He will hear your case, and if he is sure about your plight, then you might get to meet master Thor."

Discord agreed, and thanked the helpful guard, all the while mentally patting himself on the shoulder. They took him to the grand hall, which was pleasant and impressive enough, for ponies, but Discord could not get distracted. At the end of the hall was a platform, on top of it three thrones.

The middle was the tallest, and the most impressive, the other two were about the same. In the middle throne sat an older stallion, silver mane, white fur, and a red cape, a typical earth pony king. That was not what caught Discord's attention though, on the other thrones sat two mares, but not just mares, Alicorn mares. Discord knew them by rumor only, and frankly he was not sure if he believed them. Seeing them now however made all those doubts vanish

There were not many ponies in here, some sat at the wooden tables, drinking, or eating, others were conversing with the king, but there was nothing close to a god here. The ones in here were likely the king's close staff, officers, knights and advisers.

Silver Quill noticed Discord, and a guard quickly moved up to him and whispered the reason for bringing him here. The king sighed, having not wished to see anymore ponies today, but now that he was here there was no way around it. He waved Discord over, and Discord trotted closer, bowing before the pony king.

"You wish to ask for Thor's help? Yet I hear you have traveled a long way to get here. How do you think we can help?"

"Word travels fast my lord," Discord replied. "Stories about your lordship being protected by a mighty creature who has been sent by the gods.. I therefore beg of you, send him to help my village."

"And where is your village?"

"It's to the west, a few days travel on hooves."

Silver Quill leaned back in his throne with a thoughtful expression. He didn't need the king, he needed Thor. Perhaps he could lure him with the promise of a good meal, or a good fight. As far as the rumors were concerned he loved three things, food, fighting and drinking. A simple creature like that should be easy enough to recruit.

"Your village," said Silver, bringing Discord out of his thoughts. "Is beyond our borders.. While my lands are growing, they are not yet far enough that I can risk any aid.. You may be right, Thor could help you, but it is for him to decide. When he returns I will let you make your case directly to him. You're welcome to stay and enjoy our hospitality in the meantime."

Discord didn't like to wait, he wanted to get this over and done with. Still, if that was what he had to do, then that's what he had to do. He gave the king his best grateful look he could muster through his impatience, but before he could thank him, a side door opened with a loud bang. Most ponies jumped at the sudden interruption, but the two Alicorns only seemed to wince, like they knew what was about to happen, and judging by the expression of the king, he knew too.

The disguised Discord turned towards the door, but was suddenly hit by a wave of nausea. His knees almost gave way under him, his eyes shifting for a brief second from his pony eyes to his normal eyes. Discord could hardly believe it, he felt something with immense power, the likes of which he had never felt. It was like he could feel complete order, a thing he hated, mixed in with the chaos of war, a combination that almost made Discord pass out from the sheer force of it. The best way to describe it was like a powerful scent, something you liked in the right amounts, but this, it was too raw, too strong for him to handle had he not been a master of magic.

Then he stepped inside, a creature Discord had never laid eyes upon before. He was massive, yet still much smaller than any giant. His clothes were simple, a tunic, trousers and leather shoes with wrappings. In his large belt hung a large hammer, which just by looking at it could tell it was a powerful weapon.

That was not the most disturbing thing however, no, what was disturbing was the fact he was covered in dry blood, the blood of giants, the blood of orcs. Discord could smell it, it was like an entire battlefield had been splashed over the man. He didn't seem to care however, he looked proud, satisfied, like he had just been out to the market for eggs. What was he?

"Thor," Silver Quill called. "I trust all went well." The king asked, trying to keep his expression neutral at the sight of all that blood. Even his Alicorn daughters seemed to struggle with the sight, and smell, though Discord could tell this was not the first time they had seen him like this.

The large man started to walk towards them, he gave a low and amused chuckle as he said. "I doubt we will be having any more problems on the south road. I had your ponies discard of the.." Thor stopped as he noticed Discord.

And Discord didn't like the look Thor was giving him, it was like he saw right through him, through his magic. Before he could try and smooth things out and retell the story he had told the king, the man took large steps towards him, grabbing Discord by the throat and held him high above the floor.

"Ergh!"

"THOR!" The two alicorns and the king stood from their thrones. "Put that pony down!" Silver demanded, but Thor ignored him.

Instead he looked directly into Discord's eyes. It was like a powerful force was compelling Discord to reveal himself, like all the magic he could have used to normally get out of such a situation, had vanished, drained even. For the very first time in his life, Discord felt scared.

Thor reached for his hammer, still not breaking the eye contact. Then as his hand closed around the hilt of the hammer he said in a threatening tone, "Reveal yourself, creature.."

Discord would refuse, but something shot through him he could not describe. It was something deep inside him that forced Discord to do exactly that, and to the shock of all the ponies, Discord revealed his true form. The ponies gasped as the pony suddenly became a serpent like creature, it was unlike anything they had ever seen.

"What are you, speak fast or I'll break both your horns." Thor threatened.

Discord whined, struggling in Thor's grasp, but he could not escape. "Noooo, don't do that, my intentions are good, I swear they are!"

"Then you will tell me what you are." Thor replied flatly.

"I'm a Draconequus, the only one of its kind!" This was not how Discord had imagined this would go down, far from it. Discord, the master of magic, the creature with the most clever and brilliant mind, he could not be taken by a simple brute! Despite his anger however, Discord valued his life over his pride any day, and so begged the thunder god to let him go.

"Thor, " the gentle voice of Celestia called, and Thor looked to her. "Please, let us hear what this, Draconequus, has to say."

Thor hesitated, but to Discord's relief it seemed the white Alicorn had some sway over the creature. Thor released his iron tight clasp, and Discord fell to the stone floor, coughing and gasping for air. He had expected his magic to return in that instance, but instead he only felt it slowly rising, like the tide of the sea.

Thor moved to the side, but still kept his hand firmly wrapped around his hamm-

"Wait wait wait!" Rainbow Dash cut in, interrupting the story. "Thor could really hold Discord like that?"

Luna nodded, though had an annoyed expression as she did not like to be interrupted. "As we mentioned before, our husband was the counter weight to Discord, he was strong and powerful, so much so that Discord's own magic couldn’t let him escape his grasp."

Twilight wrote everything down they had said so far, and of course added some notes to herself, reminders and theories for her to study more closely at a later time. "It is really fascinating, it is like Thor merely touching Discord, or holding him, disrupted his magic."

"Like a sponge losing water," Luna confirmed with a small grin.

"But was Discord really there to get Mr. Thor killed..?" Fluttershy asked, seeming a little uncomfortable.

Celestia gave her a gentle smile. "Those were dark times, Fluttershy. Very dark, a far cry from what ponies experience today. Discord did indeed try to kill him, but only this one time. He always chose the best outcome for himself, this time would be no different."

"You said ponies were already worshipping him?" Applejack suddenly asked, having been a bit more interested in learning how her tribe came to love this god so much.

"Yes indeed, when Thor started to fly over the sky, fighting the giants, stopping raiders, the earth ponies could finally tend to their fields in peace. He could summon them rain if needed, and he would often drink with them, feast with them after a good harvest." Luna giggled, thinking back at all those fun memories before she continued to explain. "Pegasi and unicorns were a bit more protected than the common earth pony. So you could say with Thor watching over them, they could finally reach their full potential and have a chance to blossom in their own right."

Applejack nodded, she had never really been that good when it came to studies, she had never really been interested in anything other than farming. Hearing about Thor, how he protected her tribe, how much they looked up to him, it almost made her ashamed they had forgotten. Of course, 10,000 years was a very long time.

If she could understand and learn more, then perhaps she could honor him that way. Celestia and Luna certainly still cared for him, so why should they not? Heck, Sweet Apple Acres was right where Thor would have been, he had watched over what was now Ponyville, he at least deserved to be remembered. So, looking to the princesses she said, "Please, go on."

Looking pleased, Luna continued. "Discord had been surprised, he had underestimated Thor, and so he knew he would have to play it smart. If he wanted to lure Thor into the trap, he would need to convince him to go, and so he said-"

"I've come to warn you, I know of a large war camp of giants and orcs. They're all waiting to travel here and burn everything down." Discord stood up, his face the perfect picture of sincerity.

Silver Quill frowned, sitting back on his throne with a thoughtful expression. "If that is true we must bolster our defenses. How large is this force?"

"Oh you know, it's big, they have numbers on their side, definitely. It will take an army, or a god," he glanced at Thor. "To wipe them out."

"How do we know we can trust you?" Luna asked, her face stern, and her eyes accusing. Discord didn't like that, he didn't like that at all.

Discord shrugged and said. "You can of course refuse to listen to me, take your chances and allow their numbers to grow. I did not lie when I said that word travels fast, the giants know of you, know of Thor, and they will seek your destruction."

"Bhah!" Thor waved his hand dismissively. "I've never backed out from a fight, let them come and I shall kill them all."

"You can do that." Discord said simply, his voice calm and calculating. "But even someone as strong as you cannot contain a whole army. You might kill many, but some will slip past you, and they will kill the ponies you protect. Your best option is to go and meet them head on before they even get close to your borders, and I'll take you to them."

Thor clenched his teeth, his grip tightening around the hilt. "No." He said in almost a low growl.

This surprised not only Discord, but all the ponies gathered here. "And why not?" Asked Discord, almost accusingly. "Don't you care about these ponies?"

Thor snorted, "I do, but I don't think you do. I don't trust you, Draconequus. Now leave these lands before I rip off your fur and use it as a coat." Thor actually started to lift his hammer, and Discord could hear the rumbling of thunder coming from outside. Using what little magic he had, Discord changed himself into a bird and flew out the window like an arrow.

Lowering his hammer again, he looked to the stunned king and his daughters. "He is a troublemaker, trust me. I promised I would protect you, and I will."

Silver inclined his head. "You have upheld your word so far, Thor, and despite our disagreements I am glad to have you on our side."

While everything returned to normal at the castle, Discord was furious. Thor had refused to act, refused to follow him. Either he was as stubborn as a mountain or he was smarter than he looked, the latter seemed the most unlikely. He couldn't force the thunder god to come with him, if it came to a fight Discord would lose, so he needed another way. He needed a clever plan, more clever than the last.

If he could not force him, then he would simply need to lure him. The prospect of danger did not bother him, so to lure Thor to Vang he needed bait. Discord could try and steal Thor's hammer, that would certainly get his attention, but Discord did not know enough about the weapon that he wanted to risk it. Then he thought about the Alicorn sisters, the one that has swayed Thor to let him go, yes, the white one.

If he listened to her then it meant he cared for her, and if he cared for her he would come to her rescue if she was in danger. If it failed, then maybe at least Vang would be satisfied with a pet until he could figure something else out. Before he could put his plan into action he would have to call in a favor, and more importantly, wait for nightfall.

Hours passed, and when nightfall did come the castle was still full of life. Thor was eating and drinking in the grand hall, singing along with the knights. It was a big change from what the king and the alicorn sisters had been used to, but the change did not bother them.

Although it could become loud, it was nice to see some joy and happiness, instead of fear and dread. It was only around midnight that the thunder god finally went to bed, he could still keep going, normally he would, but he had been out bashing trolls most of the day, so after a wash and the feast he was pretty tired.

How much time passed he did not know, but Thor suddenly had the feeling something was very wrong. Instinctively he reached for his hammer and sat up. Something was wrong, very wrong, and he needed to find out what. Caring not for his garments, he stepped out into the hallway with no shirt to cover himself.

The halls were quiet, but he could not stop this feeling of danger. Without thinking he simply began to run, letting his intuition guide him. Each step he took echoed loudly through the halls, and as he turned a corner he spotted Luna looking out from her chambers giving him a puzzled look. How he knew, he did not know, but in seeing Luna, he became convinced Celestia was the one in danger.

As soon as Luna saw Thor held his hammer, her confused expression turned into worry. "Thor, what is-" He ran past her.

"Celestia!" Thor called as he stopped in front of her door. No answer, and he was too impatient to wait. He pushed through the door, leaving it in splinters, much to the shock of Luna who quickly followed him into the room.

"Hast thou gone completely daft!?"

"She's not here," Thor growled, cutting her off.

She turned, looked around and saw that was indeed the case, her sister was nowhere to be seen. "Sister?"

There was no sign of any struggle, nor anything that would suggest she had been hurt. Thor walked to the Alicorn's bed, placed his big hand on where he could see she had been laying. It was barely warm, which meant she had been here only moments ago. Standing back up, he smelled the air, and almost immediately could he smell the foul stench of a creature that did not belong to this castle.

"Thor," Luna said, gaining his attention. "What has happened to my sister?"

"She's been taken," he replied, looking to the balcony. "A troll was here, but how?"

Keeping herself calm, Luna used her magic to sense the room. She could already detect the magic of her own sister. Though quickly she detected something else, an unknown magic. "Black magic was used here. It does not come from my sister, this is foul, dark."

Thor nodded, then placed his hand on Luna's cheek. "I will find her."

Luna trusted Thor, she could feel the power behind his words but also the care. She leaned into his hand, looked up at him and said, "Please do."

And just like that the whole castle seemed to come alive, bells were rung, and guards were doubled. Silver Quill and Starswirl both trotted into the grand hall, both with worried expressions. Thor had in the meantime gotten dressed and stood near the throne with his arms crossed.

"How could this happen? No troll, giant or orc has ever come so close before, so how could one simply penetrate out defenses?"

"Powerful magic was at work." Starswirl replied. "Your majesty, I fear they will try to ransom your daughter in exchange for your kingdom."

Silver bit his lip, he didn't wish for his daughter to be harmed, but he could not allow his kingdom to fall, too many lives were at stake. "It won't come to that," said Thor. "I will find her, and I will bring her home, unharmed."

"How do you know that?" Starswirl asked.

"Because this smells like a trap, and I have a suspicion of who is behind this."

And just as Thor had suspected, their visitor suddenly popped into existence. "Tadaaa!" Thor growled, reached for his hammer and moved towards the Draconequus. This time however, Discord was ready for it, and so moved away while smiling. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, if you want to find your Alicorn friend, then you best leave me unharmed." As expected, Thor stopped, and Discord's smirk widened.

"Good boy, now, I would not have done that if you would have just come with me from the beginning, but since you did not, I was forced to take her. Now if you want her safe and sound you should let me take you to her."

"Do you think us fools?" Luna growled. "You've laid a trap, you wish for Thor to get killed."

Discord snorted. "I do not desire his death, I couldn't care less, but you have made enemies." Discord replied with an almost nonchalant attitude. "The giants want you gone, moreover, they want to see if you truly are a god. I'm just the one who was asked to bring you to one of them. Either he kills you, or you kill him, either way, I have upheld my end of the bargain." Discord did not bring up the fact that he was in fact taking Thor to Vang in order to compete with him, Discord already knew he would lose any sort of competition with Thor, so he needed to change his plans a bit.

"I'll tell you what," Discord continued. "I'll take you to the giant holding your friend, I'll even help you rescue her, but in return, you let me join you here at the castle. I know lots of things, and I'm clever, if you want a chance against the giants, you need someone like me."

Thor glared at Discord. "You've just told me you kidnapped Celestia in order to lure me into a trap. Now suddenly you want to help me in exchange for staying here? Why?"

Discord simply shrugged. "Boredom. I like to see how things play out, if you die I will stay with the giants, but if you somehow live, then I will follow you."

This was far from what Discord had planned, but he had no other choice, he needed Thor to kill Vang and his tribe, if not, then he would be forever branded a mere magician, and all doors would be closed to him. At least with Thor he could follow the chaos of the brutal fighting, at least with Thor he could live and have some fun. This way, his reputation would still be worth something in the land of the giants.

Thor wanted to break the Draconequus's neck, but he needed him to find Celestia, so instead he'd put the hammer back in his belt and asked. "So what do we call you?"

Discord smiled, did a theatrical bow as he said. "You can call me Discord."

At first light Thor was getting ready for the journey ahead. Cornflower had made sure Thor's massive goats, Snarler and Grinder, had been fed and gotten water. Discord was quite pleased with himself, to him it seemed nothing could go wrong, either Thor died, or the giants would, either way, he would escape trouble yet again.

"I told you already Luna," said Thor. "You will stay here with your father and teacher."

Luna stomped the ground with her hoof and snorted. "You know I can fight, so let me come with you to save my sister!"

"No, it is because you can fight you must stay here. If something should happen, then you need to be here and be safe."

"Don't you trust me?!"

"It is because I trust you that I want you to stay here!" Thor said, raising his voice. Luna was surprised, and for a moment it looked like she was going to protest, but seemed to decide against it.

Sighing, she fell to the ground and nodded. "I shall do as you ask of me, but..." She looked back up at him, a pleading look in her eyes. "...bring her back, and be sure to come home alive, both of you."

Thor looked back at her, then nodded. "I promise."

"Why do I get the feeling I'm not included in that promise?"

Discord asked from the chariot, but none of them answered the trickster. Thor said goodbye to Luna and gave her father one last reassurance, promising he would have his daughter back before the end of the week. He then joined Discord in the chariot, took the reins of his goats and gave them a tug, sending both his goats flying into the air.

The ponies in town that saw Thor fly off all waved and cheered, seeing their protector on his way to save their princess. Many had heard the news, and a lot of the ponies were worried. However, they had faith, Thor had proven himself to be a tenacious warrior. He would save her, they were sure of it.

They flew high up in the sky with speed even Discord did not think possible. It would hardly be a matter of days, but hours. It made Discord wonder, was Thor really a god? Had he been sent by the keepers themselves, and if so, what did that mean for this world? Or more importantly, what did it mean for him? Discord had been born into this world from the pure chaotic energy, but with Thor bringing order. Well, order would not happen without a lot of bloodshed. War was chaos, and Discord thrived on chaos. He couldn't help but smile, seemed like Thor would be worth sticking to, it could help him in the long run.

Morning became midday, midday became afternoon, and afternoon became evening. They had traveled the whole day, and yet covered a distance that would have taken days, even for Discord. They were deep into the lands of the giants, a place ponies did not dare travel. Thor had a name for it, Jotunheim. The land consisted mostly of rocks, wastelands and dense forests. Here the giants lived off the fish in the water and the animals in the forest as there was no fertile land to cultivate. This was what happened to the lands when giants and orcs took over, it was what would happen to the whole world if nothing was done about it.

To Thor however, the world could wait, right now he only cared about saving Celestia, and he would.

How had she ended up here?

The thick stench of roasted meat, and smoke from the firepit was strong and thick, it made Celestia sick. She was no stranger to meat eaters, Thor was one, but these giants and orcs were barbaric, almost eating the meat raw. Some of the meat was still bloody and so it dripped to the tables and mixed with the ale and mead, the metallic stench was almost as strong as the smell of roasted meat.

How was she here? The last thing she remembered was going to bed, then suddenly she was here in the land of the giants, in what Thor called Jotunheim. It was magic, powerful magic at that. She did not know where exactly she was, or how it was done, but it had pulled her from her room and to Jotunheim without her noticing at first.

Now here she was, her wings tied to her sides, chained by the neck and string tied around her muzzle, keeping it firmly shut. Next to her was a high seat, almost reminding her of a throne. In it sat the most ugly giant she had ever seen, he wasn't the biggest, but he was powerful, even she could sense it.

Other than her restraints, the giant, called Vang, had not let any harm come to her. He contented himself by letting his large hand stroke her mane, like if she were a mere pet. She would have moved away, but he kept a firm hold on her chain, and each time she would try to do so he would give the chain a hard yank.

It was humiliating, and she was scared, so much so that she hadn't been able to sleep. They hadn't fed her since she arrived either, and she felt hunger gnawing at her after a whole day had passed. She was free to use magic however, and she could of course use her hooves to remove the string around her muzzle, but she did not dare to do so. Vang would tug on the chain, stopping her from doing anything he didn't like. The tugs were painful, and she feared if she made him angry enough he would snap her neck with a swift and powerful tug on her chain.

So here she was, trying to look as dignified as possible by not showing fear to these monsters. Though with being tired and hungry, she doubted she could keep up any sort of façade for much longer. The giant that held her captive had said very little about her reason for being here, it was clearly not by chance, and she was clearly not here to be his pet either. The only conclusion she could reach that made any sort of sense was that they were planning to lure Thor here, to kill him.

Her heart sank, while Thor was powerful, she doubted he could actually fend off a large tribe such as this. There were not twenty, fifty, or even a hundred, they were a small army of over two hundred giants and orcs. She had no doubt that this Draconequus creature who had showed up had something to do with it, and it angered her. Still, she could do nothing but hope, and have faith in Thor, and faith in her sister. None of them would abandon her, they were both too stubborn for that.

As the giants feasted, sang, and laughed, they suddenly heard a distant rumble. Outside the longhouse they could see the wind starting to pick up, and the sky started to flash with lightning. It was then that Celestia knew her faith had been well placed. Despite her trying to remain calm, she could not help but let the corners of her mouth turn up slightly. Vang caught sight of this and gave a small smile of his own.

"So he is coming for you then? Good.. Seems like Discord was right." His voice was loud, even when he talked normally, and Celestia winced a little.

Outside the sky had become darker than night, covering up the moon with black clouds of thunder, lightning and rain. Many of the giants had stopped their feasting, all realizing how strange the weather was. Lightning lit up the sky, and thunder followed almost instantly, making many of the giants cover their ears as it almost sounded like explosions.

With the flashes of lightning none of their eyes got used to the darkness, and so they could not see if anyone was out there. Only when another flash of lightning ripped through the sky and lightened up the outside did they suddenly see a figure. He had just appeared, just like the lightning, unexpectedly. Many of the giants jumped in surprise, and some wondered if this was the mysterious guest their chief was expecting. Vang knew that it was, and much to Celestia's delight, she knew it too, it was Thor.

The figure started to move, seeming not to care for the cold rain or the powerful lightning. The giants looked to Vang, but he just held a hand up, allowing Thor to step inside without anyone blocking his way. Thor quickly found Celestia, chained next to the big ugly giant. His eyes fixed on him, and they seemed to be almost glowing like the lightning bolts he created outside.

Thor began to walk towards Vang and Celestia, none of the giants stopped him, no one dared to do so, let alone speak. Vang however beamed with joy and slight amusement. He gestured to Thor like he was greeting an old friend.

"Thor! How good it is to finally meet you. I see you come alone? I guess Discord could not make it, haha! But what brings you to my humble home?"

The giant was clearly mocking him, which only fueled Thor's anger. He pointed at Celestia and said, "She does. You will give her to me or I will level this whole place to the ground."

Vang gave a toothy grin as he once again started to stroke Celestia. "Ah yes, you've come to collect one of your beloved ponies. She is a cute one, isn't she?"

Thor's eyes narrowed, and his hand tightened around the shaft of his hammer. "Let. Her. Go. Now." His voice was like thunder, deep, and a threatening amount of power behind it.

Vang simply laughed, stood up and took a single step towards Thor. "You kill my kin, you have spilled our blood, and now you come here, demanding I let one of yours go?" Now it was Vang's turn to sound threatening, but Thor did not flinch, he simply looked up at the giant with a glare of his own. Meanwhile, unseen and unknown by the giants, a shadow moved along the walls and behind Celestia.

To her surprise, Discord seemed to appear out of the shadows, holding up one of his talons over his mouth, but then saw the string around her muzzle and shrugged. Moving closer, he gave a simple flick, and the collar opened, freeing Celestia from the chain.

"Since Discord cannot kill you, I will, starting with your little white pet!" Vang declared, giving the chain a hard yank, expecting Celestia's neck to land at the feet of Thor. To his shock however, the only thing landing in front of Thor's feet was an open collar. "What?!" He turned his head, only to see Discord freeing Celestia. "Discord, you traitor!"

Vang swung the chain towards Discord, but Thor grabbed it before it could reach them. He pulled Vang back, but the giant was fast, despite his size he smacked Thor so hard he flew through the wall and landed in the mud outside. "Kill him, kill them all!!" Vang roared and the giants and orcs leaped up and set after Thor, swords and spears in hand.

The giant in the meantime turned his attention back to Discord and Celestia, but they were gone. "Your magic cannot hide you forever Discord!" Vang growled, and swung the chain, destroying everything around him, including the longhouse he was in.

The whole tribe descended into chaos, and Thor massacred any and all foes that came up against him. None of them were a match for him, no matter how many that tried to rush him at once. His mighty hammer Mjolnir claimed many lives, it glowed dark blue, sending sparks of electricity through not only whoever Thor bashed it into, but those who stood too close to the intended target.

The rain, the darkness and the flashing of lightning made the battle all the more chaotic. Thor kept swinging, kept fighting, never letting up for one second. It was only when Vang heard the roars from his warriors that he turned around to face Thor. To his horror and dismay, he saw Thor had killed over a hundred of his warriors already.

He cursed Discord's name, the fool had played him, betrayed him, and he would kill Discord for it. But first he had Thor to deal with, and so he let out a battle cry, rushed toward Thor with such speed that Thor never saw him coming. Once again the thunder god was sent flying, taking down two barns before he finally landed on the wet ground.

If Thor had not been so angry, he would probably have enjoyed this fight. Vang was fast, much faster than any ordinary giant. Thor however was not so easy to beat down, he stood up, tightened his belt of power, and picked up his hammer. Vang roared, rallying the rest of his warriors and began to charge once again.

Thor did not charge, instead he leaned back, lifted his hammer, and with one powerful swing he threw his hammer with such force that it almost instantly broke the sound barrier. Vang only just managed to avoid the hammer as it flew past him, but his warriors were not so lucky. Either they had been hit by the hammer, exploding into a bloody mess, or they were taken by the vacuum it created, sending them flying with deadly speed.

Vang could barely resist being dragged along, but he managed to keep charging. Rather than wait for his hammer to return, Thor ran towards the giant and almost instantly clashed with him. The two wrestled each other, the power of their punches made the earth beneath them shake violently.

They were titans of power trying to destroy each other. For the first time since he got here, Thor actually felt pain. Each punch the giant landed felt like a mountain crashing into him, and he knew he needed to end the fight, or risk death. He grabbed the giant's wrists, clenching them with such power that the bones broke, it sounded like pine trees snapping in half. Vang screamed, but he was soon silenced by one of Thor's powerful punches, which made the giant fall onto his back.

Vang whined and growled as the pain was unbearable. Thor didn't care, Vang had put up a good fight, and deep inside, Thor almost felt respect for him. Yet, he had almost killed Celestia, he had humiliated her, degraded her and treated her like a pet. Thor would not let it stand, and so he climbed onto the giant, looked down at him, and started to punch his face in.

Each punch drew blood from the giant's face, and each time his massive head sunk deeper and deeper into the mud. The sight was gruesome, and for a pony it was the stuff of nightmares. Thor kept on his onslaught even after the giant died, cracking his skull, and made him unrecognizable.

Finally, Thor slipped off the now dead giant. He took a few steps, then fell to his knees. Thor was covered in blood, even as the rain was still pouring down from the heavens above. He panted, trying to calm his rage. Leaning back and looking to the sky he let out a fierce cry, and in response lightning roared above him, crawling over the sky like a spiderweb.

When he stopped, the lightning did too, and the rain lessened along with it. Around him was nothing but death, but then a voice called to him, and his blue eyes looked up. Celestia was standing before him, tears in her eyes and a worried expression.

Thor worried he had horrified her, and maybe he had, but before he could utter a single word she embraced him. It took the thunder god by surprise, but the Alicorn did not let go. She cried, happy to be alive, but also happy he had survived what had been a terrible battle for her to witness. After a few seconds he moved his arms around her as well, letting her know he was there and everything would be alright.

She was safe...

The room was silent, only the tabbing of the rain on the windows broke that silence. Each of the ponies gathered looked to Celestia and Luna with a horrified expression, even Twilight had stopped writing as Celestia detailed the events of the battle. The normally bouncy Pinkie Pie had gone quiet, even Rainbow Dash had no cheers to give all the while Fluttershy hid behind her otherwise brave friend.

Shining Armor had seen battle, but nothing had ever come close to what Celestia described. Cadence had moved closer to him, as if she was afraid Thor or the giants would suddenly leap out at them.

After a minute of shocked silence, Celestia continued. "Please, do not judge our husband too harshly. Despite how detailed I can make it, none of you have faced the giants. They were monsters, pure evil. I even dare say Equestria has never faced anything close to the evil the giants brought with them."

Luna gave them all a stern look. "You must understand, this was not something that could be fixed with magic, nor the elements of harmony, which had not yet been made. It was a war of unimaginable brutalities, and Thor always faced it head on. He would rather do what needed to be done a hundred times over before he would let any of us, or your ancestors, jump into a fight."

"But alas, we were at war, and there was only so much Thor could do to protect us." Celestia continued, letting out a long tired sigh. "This was a war not for a single country, but for the very world we now reside."

There was another minute of silence, then Twilight spoke. "It's just, you speak of Thor with such love and devotion..." Twilight hesitated, not wanting to offend her teacher or her sister. "It is just hard to imagine someone you speak of with such love could be so brutal..."

They all seemed to nod in agreement, and the sisters could hardly blame them. It was hard to compare, or even imagine the difference between the world they lived in now and the world they lived in ten thousand years ago. Instead of trying to justify Thor's actions, they instead told them about his love.

"Thor was a warrior, a protector. He could have lived on in the afterlife, never having to experience the pain and loss that he would come to. He came to this world to save the world, to keep us safe. At first, this was just his task, but he quickly came to love it here." Celestia smiled gently, closing her eyes and thought back on all the good times they had.

Luna did the same, but picked up from where Celestia had left off. "He loved us, he loved you, and he would always put us all before himself." She looked at Applejack and Pinkie Pie. "He loved to harvest and feast with the earth ponies." Then at Rainbow and Fluttershy. "Loved to fly, and take care of his animals." Then Twilight and Rarity. "He loved to learn, loved to share his knowledge, and even fashion, with the ponies at the time." Lastly, she looked to Cadence and Shining Armor. "Thor was not a brutal monster full of hate. He was full of love and care."

Celestia nodded, then joined in. "He was our shield, our sword, our protector."

"And none of us would be here now if it was not for him. The world as you know it now would be a dead wasteland, but thanks to him, it is full of life and peace."

Their speech seemed to have the desired effect, and the ponies listening seemed to understand a little better now. Twilight wrote down a few notes, Pinkie got another slice of cake, and Applejack looked to the depictions of Thor with new respect. Then Cadence asked suddenly.

"Was it then that you fell in love with him, auntie?"

Celestia smiled, and gave a single nod. "Yes, it was then that I knew there was more to him than what we had seen so far. Although I did not know it at the time, my heart belonged to him the second I felt his arms around me, and comforted me."

The group all smiled, enjoying seeing Celestia speak with such love and devotion. Rainbow once again looked to the sisters and asked. "So, what happened next?"

Author's Note

I've really struggled with this chapter, I have rewritten it seven times. Deleted it, tried again, multiple edits..

I like to try to make it sound mythological, and in some places I think it succeeds, like in the beginning, but in others I don't feel I can get it down as I want it.

This is the final product, I hope it is not too bad, because I want to move on.

Editor: Jason Monroe, thank you as always.