Chaotic Force

The trip to the throne room from the gardens was relatively short, but it was long enough for the cat to calm down and be released from his cuffs. The cat and guards soon arrived in the throne room, the guards bowed to Celestia as she sat on her throne. The cat hesitated for a moment before he bowed as well.

The Royal Alicorn was a wonder in the cat’s eyes. She was wearing a royal purple dress with gold accents, it was styled in the ancient greek style. She wore golden bracelets and anklets near her hands and hooves and her golden crown was decorated with a sun-shaped purple gem. All of this matched well with her white coat and light themed, rainbow mane and tail that seemed to blow in a gentle, but non-existent wind.

“You may rise,” she said in a gentle and motherly voice. They did so and Celestia stood from her throne and walked closer. “Report on the garden situation.”

The frontmost guard stepped forward and spoke, “Your Highness, the statue of Discord seemed to have exploded in a blast. Our spears were transformed and disposed of, so a party of guards is searching the garden for it, and whatever it was that blew up the statue.”

“Good on the initiative in beginning a search, but I want you to recall the search party immediately,” she said. “I know what it was that caused the explosion you mentioned, and I want you to stay here when my student, and her friends, arrive for the same story. Also, for your promptness in acting, and your exemplary service thus far, effective immediately, you are now Captain Shining Armor.”

The newly-promoted Shining Armor had a brief shocked expression before he straightened up and gave a salute. “Thank you, Your Highness. I will do my best to live up to the rank you have given me.”

Celestia nodded and turned to the other guards. “You may return to your posts, or the barracks if your shifts are over,” She said to them, to which the two remaining guards saluted and left the throne room. When the door closed behind them, she turned to the cat. “And what is your name, My Little Kitty?”

The cat’s tail suddenly moved back and forth in a combination of nervousness and agitation. “My name is...umm…” The cat began before giving a defeated sigh. “I can’t remember my original name, but another name seems to come to mind. Rookie?...Tomcat?...Not sure what’s going on entirely, but until I can remember my original name, I’ll be officially called Tomcat, but you guys can call me Tom.”

“You have amnesia?” Celestia asked in concern.

“I’m not sure, but I think you may be right,” Tom said in a sad tone, his ears at the top of his head drooping. “I mean, I can remember that I wasn’t a cat to begin with, but it this form feels natural.” He then started to feel a bit of anxiety and knelt, breathing heavily. “Then there was that moment when the statue exploded, it knocked two gems out of my pocket… pockets… whatever, and I saw two different visions when I noticed. The first one was me standing with one of the gems in hand while a sun was ‘falling’ from the sky to burn me and an army up. The other one was me holding both and the gems were releasing some sort of energy that didn’t seem to agree.”

“You mentioned those gems and panicked when we were getting ready to bring you inside,” Shining mentioned. “What makes those gems so important, or dangerous? If your tone and panic was anything to go by”

“I don’t know,” Tom answered, shaking his head. “I feel like I should, but it isn’t coming to mind.”

Before more could be said, the throne room doors opened with a bang and a purple unicorn entered the throne room, followed by four nauseous ponies, and a hyper looking pink pony. Said pink pony saw Tom, and with a gasp, she was up in his face and was talking faster than he could comprehend.

Tom was suddenly on the floor and breathing heavily. One of the other ponies grabbed the pink one and stuffed an apple into her mouth. “Sorry about her. She’s easily excited.” The pony, dressed in country clothes and speaking with a southwestern accent, explained. “You okay?”

Tom mindlessly nodded before sitting up. “Kinda. She triggered a bit of my claustrophobia.”

The pink pony’s mane, which was curly and poofy, suddenly and audibly deflated until it was flat and straight. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I was just wanting to get to know you, but I just made you upset.”

Tom shook his head and looked at her while standing up. “First off, you didn’t upset me, you just gave me a bit of an anxiety attack. Second, claustrophobia is a fear of tight spaces, and you moving close to me as you did, triggered it.”

The pink pony’s mane slowly regained some of its former shape and poof. “Oh, either way, I’m sorry,” she apologized.

The cat nodded, accepting her apology. “You’re good.” He took on a contemplative look and then spoke, “Now, I’m not a medical expert, but maybe you should get your hyperactivity checked out and see if you need some medications.”

The pony nodded. “Okay, I’ll see about that. But first, introductions.”

“I’m Tomcat,” he introduced himself. “But you can call me Tom.”

“I’m Pinkie Pie, Ponyville’s Personal Party Pony Planner!” She said excitedly.

“I’m Twilight Sparkle,” The purple unicorn said. “I’m also Princess Celestia’s student.”

Shining Armor stepped forward and spoke, “And she’s my LSBFF.”

“Shiny!” Twilight hugged her brother. “I didn’t notice you were standing there, BBBFF.”

“I have the feeling that those acronyms have a story, but not one for now,” Tom said. “Continuing introductions…” He pointed to the orange, and western earth pony.

“I’m Applejack,” she said. “I run Sweet Apple Acres down by Ponyville.”

“Rainbow ‘Danger’ Dash!” A blue pegasus with rainbow mane and tail proudly said. “The Weather Captain for Ponyville, and future Wonderbolt!”

“I’m Rarity, owner of Carousel Boutique in Ponyville, where everything is Chic, Unique, and Magnifique,” the white unicorn with curly purple mane and tail. She then pointed to a shy, yellow pegasus with long pink mane and tail. “And this is Fluttershy. She is rather shy around new people, but she’ll warm up to you eventually.” Fluttershy waved shyly before hiding her face and muzzle behind her pink mane.

“Thank you. Now that we have introductions out of the way, follow me,” Celestia said, strolling forward through the doors. “Twilight, you are very well versed in some of the ancient legends of Equestria. What can you tell me about the legend of Discord? And be brief, and simple, so all can understand.”

Twilight got giddy for a moment before calming down, and then began to explain. “Discord is known by ancient ponies as a god of mischief and chaos. Legends state that two heroes, using magic just as ancient as Discord was, banished him from reality, allowing the world to become normal after unknown centuries of pure chaos and madness.”

“And that is what the legends state,” Celestia said. “At least, as it has been written. The legend of Discord is true, just as the legend of Nightmare Moon was true, but both had their moments of false information, as the two heroes were Luna before her banishment and myself, and Discord was imprisoned, not banished.”

“Where was he imprisoned?” Tom asked.

“He was imprisoned in stone,” Celestia answered, holding a pause for a contemplative look to cross her face for a brief second. “And admittedly, I should have had the statue he became be placed into a vault, and not in the garden, exposed to the chaos of life.”

“So, the statue that exploded held the God of Chaos?” Tom asked, to which Celestia nodded. “At this point, I’d ask if you’re out of your mind, but I don’t think now is the time.”

“I agree,” Celestia said as we found ourselves in a cathedral-like room with various stained glass windows depicting various scenes. “The ancient magic in the legend was the Elements of Harmony, the same ones you used to free Luna from the Nightmare’s influence.”

“Why do you bring that up?” Applejack asked, a confused look on her face. “Hey, why have us come up here when you and Luna could easily just use the Elements to put him back into stone and not bring him up to anyone?”

“It’s because Luna and I are no longer connected to the Elements,” Celestia said. “Our connections to the Elements broke when I had to banish Luna to the Moon.”

“Then how will this Disco guy be dealt with?” Rainbow asked with a slightly panicked look.

“That is where you six come in,” Celestia answered as she stopped in front of a stained glass window that depicted the six present mares using some sort of jewelry on a dark alicorn. “The day...or night you used the Elements of Harmony to free Luna, it was the time you all were bonded to them.”

“So, we need to use them to fix or imprison him?” Fluttershy asked timidly.

“Seems to be that way,” Tom said, carefully sliding beside her and placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, getting an ‘Eep’ from her.

Celestia nodded. “Now this location in the castle is where I’ve stored the Elements of Harmony,” She said as she placed her horn in what seemed to be a decorative hole in the wall, only for it to glow and cause the wall to open like a vault. Everyone looked inside, hoping to see the Elements, but instead, the vault was empty.

Celestia stepped back in shock. “Where did they go? I had locked this vault to only respond with my or Luna’s magic.”

Tom suddenly gasped and stumbled backward before starting to fall. Rarity reacted quickly and summoned her fainting couch and placed it where he would land, catching him and allowing him to recover from his sudden fall.

“Are you alright, Darling?” She asked.

“Physically, yes,” Tom answered. “Mentally, no. I just had a bit of a flashback or something concerning the gems I was talking about.”

“What gems?” Twilight asked in curiosity.

“He said that he ended up losing two gems of importance when Discord escaped after he woke up in the Canterlot Gardens,” Shining told the gathered ponies.

“And the reason for my panic when I mentioned them was because one of them, the Phantom Ruby, is a gem that can mess with your perception of reality,” Tom told them. Rainbow then flew into his face with an accusatory glare.

“I knew something was screwy!” She shouted. “He had to have had something to do with Discord’s escape!” She raised her fist to punch him, but he redirected the punch and sent her sprawling into the ground behind him.

“I’m only guilty of proximity!” Tom responded. “And besides, he also has your Elements, but you aren’t pointing fingers at Celestia, or Luna, for ‘giving’ them to him.”

“But it’s the only thing that makes sense!” Rainbow complained, helped up, and then held back by Applejack.

“I’m not one to usually defend someone, but the only role he played in my release is just being there.” A disembodied voice said, spooking everyone in the room.

Celestia recovered first and shouted out, “Discord! Show yourself!”

An ethereal serpentine creature appeared at the door of the room. “Greetings.” Discord called out. Rainbow shouted a war cry, broke free of Applejack’s grip and charged the Spirit of Chaos...and forgot that he’s a spirit, and flew through him and into the door, crashing comically.

Discord huffed and started walking towards the group. “How rude. Anyway, what do you want Sunbutt? You want me to go back into stone with no ‘ifs, or buts’, right?”

“If only it were that easy,” Celestia said while glaring at the Spirit. “Give us back the Elements of Harmony, and we might allow you to go free, provided you keep your chaos to a general minimum.”

“Well, that is a complicated request,” Discord said as he conjured the Element Gems. “For I can, and will give the Elements back, and none of my chaos will grace the land.” The Elements floated towards their bearers for a brief moment before floating back to above his head. “Unfortunately, a new Age of Chaos will begin, but unlike what I threw out, it’s worse. So I need to do what I can to prepare the gathered for.” A clear gem appeared in his hands and rainbow beams shot from it into the Element Gems, changing them from their symbolic shapes to gem shapes similar to the clear gems.

Tom reeled back in shock. “You’re turning them into Chaos Emeralds!?” He shouted.

Discord nodded with a devilish grin before turning to Celestia with a mean glare. “Yes and no,” he snarled. “I merely showed you an illusion of the Elements. They are actually in a pocket dimension and these Chaos Emeralds contain a similar power to them.”

Celestia scowled back at him. “What is your plan?” She questioned.

“I’m giving your Element Bearers a chance in the coming Age of Chaos,” he answered. “Fight fire with fire.” He then floated the Emeralds to the six bearers and teleported the clear one away. “Now, I have created a pony that has the seventh Emerald and can reveal another Element of Harmony. Defeat that pony, and then face me in Ponyville...and I promise by all things Harmony and Chaos that I will leave the townsfolk unharmed.”

He then vanished, leaving Celestia, the Element Bearers, and the newly named Captain Shining Armor to examine the newly bestowed Chaos Emeralds. Tom moved to the nearest wall and began gently banging his head against it.

“What are you doing?” Fluttershy asked quietly.

“Just thinking about how I need to teach you six on how to use those, since they are different from your Elements,” he answered. “And that’s assuming I’m correct on how they are used...don’t tell me, I’ll find out on my own. Just give me a moment and I’ll teach you all that I can.”