The Thousand Year Reign

by iDreamrunner

Rating: everyone
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Adventure, Discord, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna
Length: 6051

After their parents disappeared, a young Celestia and Luna must step forward to protect the kingdom.

Far in the future, an archaeology student ventures to the ancient Canterlot Ruins, and discovers a lost archive detailing the myth behind the thousand year (plus) reign of Celestia and Luna. After their parents disappeared, the two young princesses embark on a journey to protect their kingdom from those who'd seek to destroy it.

Published 2012-08-25 08:04:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-08-25 08:04:01 UTC

Demo

Luna woke up with a start, her body rapidly struggling to regain a sense of orientation. She flipped herself off her aching back, and started rising to her feet. Dizziness replaced her slowly pulsing headache, causing her balance to falter. After tumbling into a large, craggy object close by, Luna pulled herself upright with her hooves, took a deep breath, and opened her eyes. The place was blanketed in a deep darkness, and no amount of focusing could detect any light source in the area. The air was still and chilly, undisturbed by the silence. Resisting the urge to panic, Luna tapped her horn, and pushed some energy through it until it produced a soft blue glow.

With the rocky floor now visible, she released her grip from the pillar, and checked her surroundings to discover a large cave. It was difficult to judge the ceiling height from the low lighting, but the various columns appeared to be embedded with a variety of jewels. However, now was certainly not the time to be admiring them. She had to find her sister. “Celestia!? Are you there!?” Luna shouted into the distance, her voice reverberating back into her ears. No response. “I better get moving,” she told herself, “I have to find her before its too late.” Galloping towards a random heading, the princess began calling out for her lost sibling.

Minutes turned into hours. Fatigue began to wear into the princess’s legs, and the sound of heavy breathing soon overtook the slowing trot in the local echoes. Pulling herself to a stop, Luna bent her head low, wheezing and gasping for breath. “*huff**huff* Celestia?” she whined, “Sis? *gasp* Are you… *pant* there?” The cave dimmed as the shining horn buried itself into the floor cracks. “Is… anyone there?” Loneliness began to sink in as her quest seemed to end in vain.

Suddenly, the gems began to illuminate a small radius around the mare. The multicolor rays reflected wildly off each other until they converged their focus into a series of spotlights onto her. The spectacle shocked the lost princess out of her hopelessness, and the newfound brightness started to sting Luna’s eyes. After tossing her front leg across her face to shield them, she perked her ears, and listened intently for any sign of danger. The quiet atmosphere was broken with the sound of gleeful chuckling. As the volume grew louder and louder, the chortles evolved into exuberant laughter.

Luna snapped to an aggressive stance with her horn lowered, and wings open wide at the ready. She cracked opened her eyes for a split second before quickly slamming them shut again. Although her eyes were slowly starting to adjust, she still couldn’t endure the penetrating light. The princess frantically rotated her position in an attempt to locate the source of the commotion, but the echoes were too frenzied, too unruly. Too… discordant. In an instant, the boisterous merriment burst forth next to her, pounding the back her ears. An array of booms, crackles, whirring, and screeching soon followed as Luna felt a giant paw lovingly hammer against her back.

Knees buckling under the pressure, the princess toppled onto her stomach, and face-planted into the floor. When the racket finally came to a close, Discord grabbed Luna by her shoulders, holding her up to his face with extended arms. “Oh, LuLu! Your entrance queues never disappoint, though this one took a bit longer than I was expecting.” “Glad to have kept you waiting,” Luna remarked indignantly as she squirmed out of his grip. Plopping to the ground, she finished her retort, “And don’t call me that!” The draconequus rested his head on his fist with an expression of false disappointment. “You don’t like that one either, huh? Don’t worry. I’ll find you a fitting nickname soon, but would you look at this place! It’s so spacious, and I love the décor! These precious stones are almost as beautiful as I am!” Teleporting next a rather large jewel, he began grooming his beard and checking his crooked teeth.

Luna’s anger started to boil. Even though she had never found his banter to be in good humor, it was tolerable to a small extent. Since their last encounter however, his taunting began to chip away at her composure, and she felt her body tremor with rage. The newly suave jokester turned around continuing his praises, “This is prime location, too. It’s right underneath Canterlot Castle, so it’s probably worth a fortu…” “What do you want!?!” screamed Luna, interrupting him. Discord flinched in surprise, and his smiling expression melted into a worried disposition. “Why Luna, have you forgotten already? That fall must have damaged more than just your pretty little head. It’s scrambled your memory as well.” With a snap of his fingers, Luna found herself drowning in medical equipment. Discord began materializing in and out from different angles, taking measurements, x-rays, and performing other quick tests. The princess sat there stewing in anger as her head was pulled to and fro for each one. When he finally released her to check the results, Luna cast a small explosion spell, blasting away the instruments.

Dr. Discord stared at the soot covered alicorn with a mischievous smirk. “Now that’s not very lady like. Are you sure this is how you want to present yourself as a ‘member of royalty’?” Luna’s embarrassment caused her fury to vanish, and regain some of her graceful poise. Discord crossed his arms and bowed his head. “Good. We’re only halfway through this little game. I wouldn’t want to see you lose your mind completely just yet.” “What trial am I to complete this time?” she asked, recalling her situation. Bringing his eagle claw to his lips, Discord paused in thought before tugging a nearby string to switch on a light bulb above his head. “I want you to bring me a jewel,” he requested. “Which one?” Luna inquired as she scoped through the thousands of stones around her. “Oh, I don’t know. It could be any precious stone found here.” he teased airily. Luna raised her brow in confusion. “That’s it?” Discord nodded with a menacing smile. “That’s it.”

Luna puzzled over the simplistic task she was given as he continued to glare with that awful grin. “I take it there is a specific one you fancy,” she groaned. Discord reached behind his back grabbing a small book, and then flipped through the pages until stopping on one that caught his attention. Shoving it down into Luna’s vision, he said, “I’m particularly fond of this one. It’s called a White Sapphire. While it’s similar to a diamond, the stone has a special structure that brings out a slightly different luster. According to the archives, there should be one in here somewhere.” Taking a large gulp, Luna started sweating beads as the difficulty of her mission rose. “But that’s impossible! There’s no way I’ll be able to examine every stone in here! Even if I did, there is no way I could tell the difference!” she cried.

Discord laughed maniacally. “Of course not! That’s the point. Unfortunately, you’ve also used up all 3 of my generous abilities too, so I’m afraid you are your own.” He conjured a small, rolled up map, and tossed it to Luna. “If you do complete your task by some miracle, just bring it to the X found here.” Luna unrolled the parchment to see a bright red X in the corner followed by a blinking arrow pointing to a tiny dot titled, “You are here.” Luna wound up the map as Discord patted her head. “Good luck my little pony,” he jeered. Tilting her chin up to his head, he snarled, “You’re going to need it.” In a flash of light, the draconequus disappeared, and the surrounding spotlights faded. Restoring the glow to her horn, Luna took a deep breath and headed deeper into the mine.

Unlike before, the princess rather enjoyed the peace and quiet. The ruckus caused by Discord had been enough for one day, and thinking about her scavenger hunt was only stressing her out. The crystal stalagmites and stalactites dotted the range for hundreds of square miles, and only one of them was bound to contain the prize she sought. Even so, her mind was put at ease knowing she wouldn’t be hearing from Discord for quite some time. At least, she hoped she wouldn’t. Time passed while Luna examined any white or clear object she happened to come across, but there wasn’t any way to tell if it was truly the stone she had been looking for. Discord didn’t give her much time to study the page he displayed, and the information she crammed into her brain had already flown the coop.

Without an available resource, Luna broke the weakened crystal tips with her hooves, and stored the chunks in a satchel created from her folded map. After collecting a good amount, she decided to take a break and scattered the loot in front her. While fiddling with the stones and studying them under the light of her horn, Luna heard a deep voice from the shadows in front of her. “Those are nice looking gemstones you got there.” Startled, Luna watched as a large unicorn with a miner’s helmet stepped into the light, and walked toward her. His eyes stayed fix on her sprawled exhibit, and then stopping in front of it, he cast a quick glance to her face. “So what brings a pretty mare like you down here? I’m not surprised you’ve only managed to collect this much with those skinny legs of yours,” he said with an air of condescension as his legs muscles flexed rhythmically. “Excuse me?” Luna snapped. “For your information, I’m looking for a specific kind of jewel, and I won’t tolerate any rudeness from strangers.”

He rolled his eyes, replying “Oh, you’re that kind of lady. Got a name, sweetheart?” “I am Princess Luna of Canterlot,” she replied forcefully. The insulted mare glared with cross eyes as the braggart’s snickers burst into inane laughter. “What’s so funny?” Luna questioned angrily. He wiped tears from his eyes, and slowly calmed himself down. “Whatever you say, miss. So what kind of rocks you lookin’ for? Diamonds for your crown?” he teased. “I am looking for a white sapphire if you must know,” Luna snubbed in reply. The unicorn wore a silly smirk on his gruff, unkempt face as he tried to contain his amusement. “Well, good luck finding one of those, but just in case, let’s have a look anyway,” he chuckled. Dragging the map to himself and switching on his helmet light, he began auditing the hunks one by one. He tossed most of them to the side, mumbling to himself, but placed a few choice ones in a separate pile. The last one was a small, clear pebble no bigger than his iris, but he stared at a few minutes longer than usual.

The miner slammed his agape mouth shut, and snapped out of trance before chucking it into the larger pile. “Alright filly, unfortunately most of the stuff you found is junk. You could probably pass a few of those in the smaller pile as diamonds if you polish them up a bit, but there’s nothing of true value in here.” Luna just looked back at him with an annoyed demeanor. She knew he wasn’t telling the truth, but he continued unphased. “Normally, I’d charge for this kind of service, but since I’m a nice guy you can keep this small pile here. I’ll even dispose of the trash.” And with that, he scooped up the large pile, dumping it into the sack on his back. Luna jumped to her feet.

Realizing his con had been exposed, the miner took off down a nearby tunnel. “Get back here!” Luna hollered, as she snatched up map and darted after him. He had gotten a good lead, but the beam from his headlight kept the agile mare right on his path. Winding through the maze, Luna paid close attention as he stumbled over the shifty terrain, dodging the obstacles accordingly. The restricting shafts soon emptied into a tall, wide, and roomy cavern. The level floor allowed the thief to regain his balance, and soon his strong legs were carrying him farther and farther away. Luna swung her wings open and ascended into air. Locking onto her target, she dive bombed at high speed, slamming into his back.

The bag slid across the ground as Luna and her foe wrestled for control. “Those are mine!” he shouted, thrashing and contorting. “I found them first! You stole them!” she yelled back, trying to maintain her pinning position. Luna felt her grip slip as he struggled on. “It’s just garbage! It’s worthless to you! Let me go!” he roared. “It must worth something for you to take off like that. Now hand them over!” she barked. An abrupt jerk caused the princess to flinch, freeing a spare hoof. Her hold broke as the hoof pounded into her gut, knocking the wind of her. Luna gasped for breath as she was flipped over and shoved to the ground.

Despite all her endeavors, the princess was locked in place under his crushing weight. “You’ve got spunk, filly, but I’m afraid this stuff belongs to me now,” he said pridefully. “You don’t understand. I need that stone! Please, release me,” Luna begged. “Don’t we all, sister, but down here, we get what we can take, and I intend on taking them,” he countered. A yellow aurora engulfed his horn as he tilted his head toward his bag. Bathed a similar light, the bag flung open, and a rope snaked its way across the floor. “Of course, I can’t have you following me around either, so I’m gonna have to tie you down. I’m sure you understand,” he said apologetically.

The cave rang with the sound of Luna’s grunts as the cord coiled and tightened around her legs. She flailed her wings in a final attempt for freedom, but her pursuit died as they were constricted shut. As her feet were bound closer together, a thunk plagued the captor’s helmet. His hold loosened in his bewilderment, causing to Luna to exert one last jolt. He fumbled a bit, focusing his attention back to his captive, but the sound of charging hooves rushed toward them. “Get off her!” cried a voice as a black shadow bashed headlong into the miner, flinging him to the side. As the two tussled, Luna sprang from the ground, the ropes dropping lifelessly off her body. “Grab ‘em and go!” the mysterious pony ordered. Sprinting to the sack, Luna stuffed her map and some of the spilled contents inside, and then fled with it as fast as she could.

After leaving a considerable amount of distance between her and the fray, Luna hid behind a nearby boulder and snuffed out her light. She tried hard to control her breathing, but her burning lungs ached for more. Upon hearing footsteps nearby, the frightened princess held her breath. The soft clogging wandered for a bit before diffusing into silence. Luna breathed a sigh of relief, when a hoof tapped her shoulder. Alarmed, she started to squeal until she felt the hoof shoved into her mouth along with a quick shush. “I think we lost him, but we should keep quiet just in case,” the voice whispered. Luna nodded, and the two stood still hiding in the shadows.

After a few minutes, Luna’s savior nudged her forward, and they crept along the walls, stopping outside a mine shaft. “OK, I think we’re good,” it said relaxed. Luna sparked her horn again, to find an earth pony sitting next to her. He fidgeted with his brown, shaggy mane and then rubbed his green eyes. Luna was perplexed as she examined the splashy white spots covering his tan coat. “You alright?” he said with concern. “I’m fine thanks to you. I don’t know what would’ve happened without your help. You have my deepest gratitude,” thanked Luna as she bowed gracefully. The colt scratched the back of his head embarrassed. “I w-was just passing through. It’s no big deal.” “Well, I admire your courage. You should be commended,” Luna endeared.

The newly ordained hero stood up with a flushed face. “Please, all this flattery will go to my head. Here, let me help you out.” He started dusting the dirt and soot from her coat. When his hoof passed through her darkened feathers, he poked and fluffed them for a bit as Luna shook the dust from her legs. Awestruck, the colt brushed past her flank revealing her crescent moon mark. “Oh my goodness!” he exclaimed in horror launching himself on his back. Luna perked up anxiously, “What? What’s wrong?” Her new friend stared terrified at her mark, his body shaking while he scooted away. Luna heart pounded as she checked herself over. “Is there something on me? Tell me! What’s going on!?”

He lifted a hoof toward her flank and stammered, “Y-You’re P-P-Princesses-s-s…” He gulped as he dare not finish the statement. Luna exhaled in frustration, and brought a hoof to her forehead, “Yes, my name is Princess Luna.” The colt froze. His eyes were unblinking as he stared back into hers. There was a moment of awkward silence as the princess looked back at him, wondering what more to say. “What’s your n…?” she began to inquire before he prostrated himself before her, quivering. “I’m really sorry. I had no idea. Forgive me, I should have, shouldn’t of, been more, tried to, eep!” His rambling came to a halt as Luna closed his mouth.

He slowly raised his head to find Luna with a somber expression, her eyes pointed gloomily towards the floor. “Listen… I’m not a princess, n-not anymore at least. It’s… well… difficult to be treated like royalty after what has happened.” She dropped her hoof, and pulled out her map, his fear turning to sympathy. After checking their new location, she pleaded, “I’m looking for a white sapphire. I need to it get out of here and find my sister. Can you help me?” His attitude brightened a bit, “Well, you’re in luck your majesty because I’m looking for one too.” “So you’ll help me?” “It’d be an honor.” Squeezing him tight, Luna squeed with joy before dumping the recovered jewels in front of him. “Thank you so much! Do you know if these are any good?”

He shrugged and snatched up the clear stone the other unicorn had admired before. He held it up to her horn to check the shine, but then tossed it back into the pile. “You’ve got some useless white minerals and a diamond, but no sapphire,” he said disappointed. Luna’s paranoia caused her to yank the pile quickly towards her. “You sure?” she interrogated. He shook his head, “I’ve been studying gemstones for some time now. I know a diamond when I see one. It may be pretty, but it’s not what we’re looking for.” He walked down the shaft and waved her down, “Follow me. We’ll have more luck this way.” Luna left her spoils on the ground, slung the sack onto back, and proceeded after him.

They strolled quietly down the labyrinth of passageways for some time. Luna hesitated to say anything so as to not break her guide’s concentration. Turn after turn, she tried to keep a mental map of the maze to keep herself occupied, but it eventually became too burdensome. With her attention diverted elsewhere, she bumped into her escort, and ricocheted to the floor. He was standing perfectly still, eyes closed, and softly breathing. Curious, Luna whispered, “What’s going on? We’re not lost are …” He gave a sharp shush, straining in concentration. Resting her head on her hoof in boredom, the princess watched aurora from her spell reflect off the flowstone walls. Her eyelids grew heavy, and just as they closed for sleep, a nearly inaudible sound struck their ears.

The colt started in the direction of the noise with Luna in tow. It grew slightly louder the more they ventured. The low, quick humming eventually became clings and clangs. A blurred shine appeared at the exit, revealing a respectably large number of unicorns picking away at the walls with pickaxes and shovels. Although most of them had strong physiques, their bodies were ashen and fatigued. As the two wanderers passed by, the workers slowly turned around. “Stay close to me,” Luna’s partner commanded, sliding her body close his. She was slightly appalled with his meager coquet, but upon turning around, she hugged up even to closer him. The clunks and dings devolved into scratchings while the other ponies dragged their equipment along the ground after them.

Luna tried to remain calm as the savage, desperate glares bore into her back. Her companion apparently wasn’t doing much better since nervousness and anxiety was written all over his face. The miners in front of them soon caught on, and blocked the path in front of them. Luna began to quake as the crowd closed in. She tried to think of an escape plan, but the ceiling was too low to fly over them, and the mob was too thick to charge through. The space grew so tight that she could feel her partner’s beating heart against her side. Luna shut her eyes and braced for impact when the bag was ripped off her back. Luna’s escort held it above their heads, while the assembly looked upon it with ravenousness. He dumped the contents to the floor, and without a glint or sparkle to greet them, the crowd’s faces dropped, returning to their stations.

“I should have figured as much,” he griped. Luna was flabbergasted. “What is wrong with these ponies?” “They’re just looking for jewels. That’s all,” he replied as-a-matter-of-factly “That’s all!? How can you be so calm after all that!?” she exclaimed dumb-founded. He placed the pack with its contents back onto her shoulders, and pointed farther down the hall, “I’m just happy nothing bad happened, but we should really keep moving. We’re almost there.” Their voyage coming to a close, Luna trailed behind, contemplating the previous engagement. Were those really her former subjects? How did they get underground? Were they always there? The questions bounced around in her skull until her forehead ached. Before she knew it, she found herself in an abandoned cove, whose walls were littered with thousands of glittering stones.

“Well, we’re here,” her friend said happily. Luna stood in awe, “You think we’ll find it in here?” she asked. He smiled back, tossing her a shovel that was resting against the wall. “Yep. This is place is chock full of nothing but sapphires. Although the pricier ones are often blue, they do come in different colors, so don’t be fooled.” “So we just dig until we find a white one?” Luna inquired, following him to nearby pit. He slid to the bottom of the hole while Luna floated softly down on her wings. “Yeah, that’s pretty much it. We’ll probably have to dig much deeper if we want to have a chance at finding one though, so let’s hop to it,” he answered. Luna nodded, and started chugging away at the dirt.

They drilled bit by bit into the crevice, passing up blue, pink, and even yellow tinted sapphire stones. After a few hours, the two slunk against the matted walls to take a break. Luna reached into the bag, and tossed her partner a canteen saying, “So tell me more about yourself. You certainly seem to know your way around here despite being the only earth pony down here.” He took a large swig and handed it back so Luna could do the same. “Well, what can I say? I’m a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none,” he chuckled with shrugged shoulders. Luna pressed on, “Meaning what exactly?”

He kicked backed his legs into a more comfortable position, and began reciting an assortment of events from his life. “Well, I started out as a salesman, but I just couldn’t get into it. I imagined myself more as an artist and took up sketching, painting, and even sculpturing, but all my pieces were terrible. Without anything worthy to sell, I started up a farm. A pony has to eat after all, and for once, it was starting to work out. Shortly before my first harvest, Discord arrived, and his shenanigans rendered my harvest useless. With city drowned in chaos, I figured I’d take the opportunity to start a cleaning service. Once Discord found out, he turned my ladder into stilts, and my bleach splattered all over me creating these white splotches.”

Luna giggled sympathetically, “How did you get down here?” The pony put on a prideful smirk and continued, “I heard that gemstones were in high demand because they were the only things seemingly untouched by Discord’s magic. Truth was, he actually just transformed them into rock candy, with each kind of stone being a different flavor. It wasn’t too bad a job since I could eat some of what I got, but some of them tasted awful. To avoid the nasty ones, my starving stomach helped me develop a discerning eye to differentiate each stone.” Luna brought a sapphire up to her mouth, “So we can just eat these?” He quickly jumped and grabbed her hoof, preventing it from entering her mouth. “Woah there! I wouldn’t eat that if I were you, unless you want a mouth full of broken teeth.”

Stunned, Luna dropped the stone. She had forgotten Discord’s spell had mostly seceded since she and Celestia had come back. At this realization, her face sunk. Her friend dropped his hold as he saw a tide of angst rise over her. “Those unicorns we saw in the cave. You don’t think Discord still has a hold over them do you?” The colt just hung his head, “It’s hard to say princess. It’s been a mess since Discord took over. Without the order your sister provided, everypony had to fend for themselves. Times got desperate, and the citizens thought you two abandoned them. I can’t say for certain where their depravity originates from anymore.” Luna’s mood dived deeper into sadness.

Quickly changing the subject, he asked, “What’s so special about this white sapphire?” Luna’s expression grew a bit more serious, replying “Discord has my sister somewhere and I’ve been forced into a little game show in order to find her. To pass this objective, I’m supposed to bring him a white sapphire.” The distress that had left Luna jumped over to her companion. “It’s funny you should say that, because Discord said if I find him a white sapphire, he’ll dispel my wife’s curse,” he said sadly. Moved with pity, Luna questioned further, “Your wife? What happened to her?” “She was tired of Discord’s commotion, and went to the castle to complain. He said something about how our appearances often reflect our personality… then he turned her into a crab,” he replied holding his head in frustration. “She’s fine beyond that, but being a crustacean is no walk in the park, so I’m going to change her back no matter what.”

With bold determination, the colt picked up his shovel and shoved it into the ground. The resulting blow sent a jolt through the handle, shooting it out of his hooves. Luna noticed the toppled spade had small chip at the end of it, “It looks like you hit something big.” The two chiseled away around the edges, digging up two handsomely clear gems. Observing the luster, Luna’s partner said triumphantly, “I believe we found what we’re looking for.” “That’s great!” Luna squealed, jumping for joy. “Come on! There’s no time to waste!” Stuffing the sapphires into her bag, she grabbed her friend, and soared out of the hole. After she consulted the map, they embarked for the X.

Following the chart’s directions carefully, the course led them back to the mining hall where the unicorns were still pounding away with their tools looking for anything of value they could find. Unlike last time, they paid them no mind as they filed and shifted down through the masses. The tunnel ended at three way fork. “This isn’t on the map. I wonder, which way we should go?” Luna pondered, twisting and turning the map looking for a clue. Her partner sat down next to her, and reached into the satchel for his gem to admire it while she searched for a new heading. He gazed upon his bright future held within that stone, its glimmer radiating down the dark corridor.

The glint caught the eye of a lone unicorn a few meters down. He crept slowly towards it in hopes of not disturbing his other brethren behind him. His closing presence was unknown to the pair as Luna focused her concentration on the diagram, and her protégé became lost within his daydream. The unicorn could hardly contain his excitement, sweat nervously dripping from his bow, as he inched ever closer to snatch it off the pony’s hoof. The earth pony snapped to his senses after he noticed a diffracted outline along the jewel’s edge as the thief stepped into Luna’s soft glow. Panicked and desperate, the unicorn flung towards him screaming, “Mine!” Tackling his victim, Luna ducked out of the way, and the two rolled and tumbled into a wooden support with a crack.

A low rumble filled the cavern as Luna wrenched the barbarian off her partner. Ignoring her, the brute used his magic to burst from her hold, and dived towards his target once again. His opponent dodged the attack, and the unchecked momentum delivered a healthy blow to the support tearing it in two. The rumble grew louder, pebbles fell from the ceiling, and the ground shook under the pressure. “The cave is collapsing!” Luna cried, “We’ve got to go!” Terrified, the unicorn took off to warn the others as Luna and her comrade sprinted down one of the passages. Boulders fell around them, slowing their progression. “We’re almost there!” her friend shouted, “Jump through!” Applying a final last effort, the two plunged through exit, the passage collapsing behind them.

“That was too close,” Luna breathed brushing off her coat, “Where are we?” The tunnel had emptied into a wide stone landing. On the opposite side, there stood a large opening, casting white rays into the room. “I’m not sure, but we should check out that scene over there,” her partner replied. The beams shone like sunlight through the crag as the worn adventurers scuttled to the opposing end. Although it looked an exit to the outside, the light was too bright to discern anything on the other side, and a force field blocked their progression. “So is this the place then? The X on the chart?” Luna asked herself. A reply came in the form of loud, obnoxious crunching and lip smacking.

Whipping her head around to the sound, Luna saw Discord in a nearby lounge chair stuffing a bag of popcorn into his face. “Wary purfeptif Wunah,” Discord spoke through his clogged orifice, spewing crumbs and kernels all over the place. “I have what you’re looking for Discord, so stop stalling and let’s get on with it,” Luna growled. Discord swallowed, and brushed passed her. “In a moment, my dear,” he said sweetly, “I believe I have an earlier appointment.” He stood tall over her partner, who looked back up at him confidently. “I trust you have something for me?” Discord asked. The earth pony shook his head with a firm confirmation, “As a matter of fact I do, the stone you wanted is right… um.” He stood there stupefied as his hooves fumbled around him. “I could’ve sworn I… Oh no…” “What’s wrong?” Luna asked surveying the ground around him. He stuttered in anxiety, “I-I must have dropped it b-back there in the …” He plopped to floor holding his head, kicking himself over his folly.

Discord tapped his foot impatiently. “Do you have something or not?” the draconequus said annoyed. Luna reached into her bag, and pulled out her sapphire handing it over to the sulking colt. “Here, take mine,” she said kindly. He shooed it away, “I-I couldn’t Your Highness. It was my fault. I should have been more careful. Besides, you need to find the princess. That’s certainly more important than my ordeal.” Discord grinned and teased, “Yeah, Luna. Isn’t your sister important to you? Besides, if you defeat me with the help of your sister, his wife will turn back to normal anyway.” Her partner nodded in agreement, but Luna thrust the gem into his hooves, shaking her head. “I’ll be fine, but if we should fail then no one wins. Please, take it. I’d feel better knowing that at least somepony was saved.”

Accepting the gift, the colt gave Luna a long hug. “Thank you. This means a lot to me.” Luna nudged him forward, “Just try and stay out of trouble.” Discord wore an expression of childish disgust while he gagged. “Yes, yes, yes, I get it. Let’s get this show on the road,” he said impatiently, snatching up his prize. He snapped his fingers, and Luna’s partner vanished in a flash of light. Luna gasped, “What? Where’d he go? What did you do?” Discord mouthed back immaturely with his hand, “He’s with his wife, she’s back to normal, blah blah blah.” His mischievous smirk returned to his face. “The real question is what are you are going to do now?” Luna just returned the grin, “I’ve got that all taken care of.”

Discord laughed haughtily, “Really!? This ought to be good. My popcorn could use some extra seasoning for this.” He crushed the sapphire in his hands, sprinkling the grains over his popcorn bag like salt. Luna sly smile grew wider addressing her foe, “You stated that in order to pass, I needed to bring you a jewel.” Discord rolled his eyes, “Yada yada yada white sapphire, yes, but I just crushed your only one.” Luna shook the tip of her hoof like a finger, responding, “You stated you were merely fond of the stone, but the instructions were to bring any old jewel I could find here to you.” Discord stroked his beard in thought, “Hmmm, touché, although I’m afraid you’re still out of luck, my dear. As you can see there’s not a single glimmering rock to be found here, and there’s no way out.” His eyes burned evilly with passionate victory, “You lose.”

Luna continued, “But I do have a stone with me, and as far as I know, it’s as old as it gets.” She engulfed her horn in a navy blue aurora. Above her head, a spark swirled growing larger until it exploded in a blinding light. As the radiance faded, a large purple crystal hovered by her side. Discord removed his newly conjured sunglasses, and then started tapping at the floating stone. “So, this must be the Element of Generosity. Interesting… I’m surprised you could summon it here despite my magic field.” Luna’s tone grew serious. “This test is over, Discord. I’m the winner now.” Her eyes burned with a white hot radiance as the Element swirled around her. The jewel funneled its power to the princess and a piercing beam shot from her horn. Discord pulled out a mirror, reflecting the oncoming attack into the force field nearby, shattering it like glass. Head spinning and energy spent, Luna watched as the Element disappeared before her eyes.

Discord was roaring with thunderous applause, “Bravo! Bravo! Encore! That was a truly wonderful display. Sadly, I’ll have to hold onto it to ensure there is no cheating, but golly I can’t wait for more!” He gave a long bow, chauffeuring her to the open exit, “You’re next test awaits, my lady” Grudgingly, Luna stepped into the light. Once again her body drowned within the rays, and she felt herself falling to her next destination. Her eyes grew heavy, and her tuckered body begged for rest. As the last strand of her mane was consumed, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.