My Little Dream Becomes Reality

A dreadful dryness daunted the tongue of Sweetie Belle. Her two closest friends quickly began to feel it to. It was irritating. They have been standing on a rocky surface in the middle of nowhere for the past few hours with nothing suitable to drink for their health. And the fact that their brains were beginning to drowse up thanks to the hot raging sun from Celestia's past rage, wasn't a good sign.

The Lord of Chaos did have good intentions with bringing himself and the other innocent ponies to the inside of a random cave somewhere around a deserted area. But of course, some ponies refused to see the good in that action. Many were gossiping that they were now only playthings to Discord, lost helplessly in the badlands with no better option but to comply with Discord's demands to survive.

The draconequus did nothing but laugh as he overheard the ponies speak out pointless trash about him from the other side of the cave. To Discord, they really were a group of ungrateful ponies. If it wasn't for his all powerful magic, they probably would have been nothing more than a delightful galloping prey for Canterlot's new owner.

"Discord..." Sweetie Belle poorly called out to her new master before miserably falling down to her tummy.

Discord raised a brow at the unicorn filly as he sat down on the most convenient rock he found. The other two fillies also approached him, misery written all over their face.

"We're thirsty!" the three of them all shouted at once, forcing their lips into a desperate frown, and their pupils to enlarge in a way to emotionally express their begging.

They were at least asking for something essential. It wasn't like the three of them were being over dramatic over something they wanted. So maybe Discord would be willing to-

"Oh come on. Are you little ponies always this 'needy' in front of your caretakers or whoever? Sour me, it's not like you three little hatchlings are unable to take care of yourselves without the aid of the mature," he said sarcastically.

Apple Bloom glared at him and shoved her face in Discord's personal view of space. "But all three of us NEED help! Why did ya take us here of all places to hide from that monster? Our older sisters and parents certainly ain't gonna show up out of nowhere in the middle of this dust of rock. And I'm pretty apple licking sure that you know we can't keep living like this!"

"Exactly!" Sweetie Belle pointed her hoof at Discord. "You're the one who dragged us into this crazy mess! I think you're the one who should be taking responsibility for us!"

Discord crossed his arms. "And what gave you this idiotic idea that I, The Lord of Chaos would ever think about taking responsibility for anything or anypony?"

"Probably because you're the one and only 'caring' draconequus from those lame equestrian history books," Scootaloo stated, finally chiming in. "We always have to read those lame books about creatures like you in class for our assignments. And if we're caught sleeping during the time we're supposed to read, well... you don't wanna know what Miss Cheerlee would do."

"Ha! Me? Caring? No. Don't be ridiculous. And I think I'd rather not know about your derranged teacher. But why speak of your poor performance about studying fake equestrian history? What exactly does that have to do with me or what we're fussing about?"

The three fillies explained. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle struggled to speak thanks to the bitter dryness in their throats, but gave out most of what they read about in Discord's past while Scootaloo only muttered out a few bits of information, refusing to sound like an egghead.

Apparently, before Discord grew chaotic and turned Equestria upside down with his powers a thousand years ago, he once met a beautiful mare back in his earlier days on one very specific cold night. Discord instantly scratched the side of his head with one finger while intrigued and puzzled at the same time at what he was hearing from three helpless fillies.

They didn't provide Discord with a description of the mare as there wasn't any personal info of the mare in any of the books at all. It was only cited that the mare grew close to Discord and the two of them took care of each other responsibly out of pure love, until tragedy struck the two of them and they were forced on seperate paths which both led to their downfall.

At the end of the story, the draconequus lost something dear on the inside of his heart and mind as he lived, while the mare lived just long enough to tell the tale narratively before facing her early death.

"Wow. That...was one of the most pointless fairytales I have ever heard," Discord commented, the fillies presenting a triplet of sad faces afterwards. "You three really think I took responsibility for the life of a mare who dare I say never existed in this world?"

They nodded, hearing a set of hoof steps coming from a distance as Discord weakly slouched in disapproval. His mood was changing.

"Children, those fairytales you read day to day are probably just made-up stories that are meant to make fun of me," he couldn't help but frown at a negative thought. "Of course, who in Equestria would ever like or even fall in love with me, Discord. Every pony hates me for who I am..."

A large bowl of water appeared magically in front of the CMCs after Discord snapped his glorious claw.

"There. Drink up and leave me alone for the time being. I'll take you three back to your rightful homes when I am in the mood."

A protesting thought formed in the back of Scootaloo's mind. However, her thirst for something to drink was beyond her control. Once she saw what Discord brought them, she and her two friends were in a trance.

The trio gave a full minute gaze at the few drops of water splashing around aimlessly outside of the wooden bowl before eventually halting. After a minute, the water grew idle inside of the bowl, leaving the fillies to recklessly plant their cute heads and playfully drink until they were satisfied.

"Thank Equestria that's been taken care of," Discord got up from the rock and knew the fillies were completely distracted by their own slurping that they would not notice his temporary mini exit out of the cave.

When he reached the outside, the sun glistening beautifully before it usually sets for the night, he felt an excruciating pain on his right arm. He couldn't help but to wince and put his attention to his pitiful paw. The wound that was once there had been instantly taken care of with just a snap of his claw. However, a black essence seemed to be spreading nonstop on the inside. The draconequus could tell, seeing how it became more visible and bigger in size with each passing hour. And no matter how many times he tried to snap it away, his magic would have no effect on it.

He sighed, acknowledging the fact that he had underestimated the demon of nightmares. He could feel the poison of darkness at its work. And it would only be a matter of time before the poison would finish him. His physical body was weakening, and he could sense a bit of disconnection in his magic.

Discord sat down on the ground and felt an instant comfort enter his mind as he thought about the future. 'Wherever you are my...friend. Please do help.'

He soon found his inner peace when staring off into the setting sun and watching the moon rise thanks to Luna's control over it. He always wanted to know how in the world Celestia and Luna connected themselves to the sun and moon. Were they under the influences of many magical training sessions to achieve that kind of connection? Or were they basically born with the ability in the first place?

Whatever the reason, he needed to understand alicorn magic. Ethier that, or he needed some pony to take care of the poison for him. His magic alone clearly wasn't enough. Sure, his magic was capable of bending reality without mercy, but it had its limitations. One obvious limitation that had been known for years was its weakness against the elements of harmony. A shame he became aware of his second weakness over alicorn magic when it damaged him in the deadliest way possible.

Now that Celestia passed away, the ponies were left without a pony to rule the daytime. Not only that, but the pony responsible for keeping every pony's dreams safe and significant clearly had been affected deeply by the loss. And well, speaking of that pony, there she was, standing right behind Discord.

A word never came out of Luna's mouth. Not ever since Discord teleported her to his personal cave to hide away from the threat.

"You do know you can speak to me out loud, princess. I dislike quiet ponies who stare at me for a reason but never tell me why," he murmured. "In case you have forgotten I am the one who saved you from that lunatic. You should be repaying me with at least a bit of gratitude, don't you think? I didn't just take you here for you to grief and stare, so speak your mind already!"

Even after the lord of chaos demanded her to speak up, she didn't. Not in the slightest did she say a word. The sounds of hoof steps were the only thing Discord got during the unwanted silent treatment. The princess seemed to be approaching the draconequus for a reason. Was it because of anger? Discord couldn't tell.

His eyes rolled when Luna made the conscious decision to sit down by his left side, also staring off into her wonderous moon similar to him.

He gave one gentle snap of his claw, and he became too distracted by Luna's presence to even enjoy the fireworks he created and sent out into the night sky.

A smile crept on Luna's face and Discord couldn't tell if the smile was the good type or the disturbing type. "Ha. Those exploding flames are easily a sight to behold," the princess finally spoke up. "They...their sparks...reminds me of some pony important in my life who had just passed away..."

"..." Discord could only put a strange look on the princess without saying anything. Of all the times she could've broke her silence and speak, she chose a time Discord had unexpected.

The fireworks continued to do their thing as the two continued to watch. Luna soon began giggling like a little filly after a specific pair of fireworks caught her eye. One of the fireworks exploded into the shape of a yellow sun while the other exploded into the shape of a blue crescent moon. "Tis despairing that the sun no longer exists with the moon anymore..." she said, watching the last few minutes of the show.

Being the honest mare that she knew she was, Luna had to admit that Discord's magic impressed her. Though it was a shame that he chose to use it for his own selfish desires.

After the mini firework show ended, Discord eyed the mare beside him carefully. "Okay, what's your deal? You're the princess of all Equestria now. And you haven't said anything ever since that 'incident' for the past hours until now. What gives?"

Luna didn't answer. She looked up and put on a smile on her face as she focused on the stars. And she swore each star was aligned in such a way that by playing connecting the dots would form the appearance of...her.

"Can you feel her? She's up there, telling me everything will be alright," she then turned to the draconequus. "What do you think? Do you think everything will be alright?"

He quickly caught eye of her entire face staring off into his soul. Her well-being was somehow affecting his heart, and Discord couldn't describe the feeling. "Uh- well uh- I don't know. M-maybe," a slight blush formed across his cheeks, but he shook it off immediately. "But seriously, why are you here? Shouldn't you be someplace else doing royal business things?"

"Nay," she shook her head. "I see no point. Everything is falling apart."

"No point? What do you mean, there is no point? Are you seriously considering giving up?"

Luna nodded. "Tis what I had in mind after thinking about Equestria's...end."

A sigh escaped Discord's mouth. "And here we go with the end of the world again. For the love of chaos am I sick of hearing that. Do I have to go through those times when I heard that lie over something stupid? 'Goodness to Celestia, I'm late for school or my job and it's the end of the world! Sweet Celestia, it's the end of the world because I forgot to deliver the cupcakes to some pony's tea party!' Ergh! It's soooo dramatic."

The sheer act Discord pulled off left Luna giggling for a short time, but she quickly dismissed it. "Oh my. You certainly do know how to act, Discord. But this is serious. You must understand, the reason why I traveled far and wide to...um, Disorderlot alone was because I needed answers. Answers from you, Discord."

"Hmph. Go on."

Luna stood up and gazed upon the stars once more as she spoke. "I think something is wrong with Equestria. And I do not think it is because of you or anypony else, but because there are beings or specific things that don't belong in this world."

"..."

"Ever since that fiend appeared in the dream realm, I have been sensing something unusual in the works of magic. While that demon is definitely a part of this mystery, I feel that there are more beings who too have trespassed into this land with different intentions."

"And what exactly makes you so sure that those beings you speak of even exist?"

"I have spotted at least three of them who were clearly...unequestrian by first glance. One of those beings had to be the creature who stole away the Elements of Harmony. And ever since that creature did just that, Equestria hasn't been the same. Now I am here to ask you why. Why did that creature steal Equestria's most defensive tool? I must know. Because I believe very much of the damage to our peaceful civilization could have been avoided or sustained if those artifacts were still in our hooves."

"Oh? You know about my two-legged friend?"

"Yes, I believe I do. There have been many newsletters about him. Also, a new student of mine, Twilight Sparkle, has given word of your little 'escape' from your stone prison. And she claims that you have a potential bond with that creature in some way. Is that true?"

A grin suddenly crossed his face. "Welllll, we sort of are close friends in a way. Oh, but who am I kidding? I suppose I could provide you with the answer on why he took the elements, but...I think I'd like something prepaid before I give an answer."

Luna knew it wasn't going to be easy to convince Discord. Which is why she wasn't surprised when Discord demanded a price. Discord then held up his paw and presented to the princess the area where the source of the poison of darkness began to spread throughout his body.

"Would you mind fixing this for me. I have tried snapping it away hundreds of times and it has become tiring. You are the only alicorn I know who may be able to neutralize the poison. And it is fueled by Celestia's alicorn magic. Surely you must know much more about it than I do."

"Oh, you poor creature!" Luna pitied, gently taking a hold of Discord's paw to analyze without his consent. "That demon must be the cruelest being to ever exist!"

"Um? What are you doing? Uh-no no NO!"

"Please. Let me help you," she said gently and enthusiastically, igniting the magic in her horn to charge up a spell that is supposed to be purposely made for restoration on any biological being.

Discord could feel the tingles of magic entering his veins. The process wasn't anywhere near pleasant for him to say the least, but it also wasn't so bad for him to handle. He would've thrown a chaotic tantrum over it if it started to sting like Tartarus.

"Almost there..." Luna kept her focus, watching as the poison of darkness gradually decreased inside of Discord's paw. Whatever she was doing seemed to be working to Discord's surprise. He couldn't even take out a small ounce of the poison with his own magic.

Meanwhile, the trio of unsatisfied fillies were exiting out of the cave, wanting more from Discord.

"Hay, Discord! We appreciate the water and all, but when exactly are you going to be-" Apple Bloom and the others froze in place upon catching the scene before their eyes. Their jaws dropped on the ground like anvils as they witnessed Luna, one of the alicorn sisters who once turned the Lord of Chaos to stone, giving away her hospitality to Discord.

Luna glanced at the young fillies as soon as her work was done. She smiled, both for her accomplishment on healing Discord and knowing how ridiculous it may have looked for the fillies to witness an unspeakable act.

"There. It is done. Good as new?" the princess asked, hoping she had made a difference in Discord's case.

"Welllll," Discord took a moment to analyze every part of his former infected arm. The black essence was gone, and he could sense every part of his strength returning. "I'm DEEPLY sorry to say this to you princess, but you just did a horrible..."

Luna raised a brow. "A horrible........what?"

Another playful toothy grin formed on Discord's face. "A horrible outstanding job of course! Hahaha! Oh, I knew you would be the one to save me! I saw the outcome through the possible futures in my own eyes! And I can't wait to see the look on that demon's face when he- haha! Sees that I'm still alive! HAHAHA!"

A set of thunder actively started to blast away a wild sound, almost perfectly timed when Discord flied up high into the air. He snapped his claw without hesitation and teleported himself and every pony else onto a special cloud he designed with his magic. And he finished his creation by attaching a steering stick made of candy canes to maneuver the entire cloud.

"Wait. Discord, what are you doing?" Luna inquired. "Are you not going to give me the reason for the creature's theft on the Elements of Harmony?"

"Well, look, about that. I was planning on taking all of us to him that way he could give you the full story but...I don't know where he is. Uh-not that I can't find him or anything like that, it's just I was poisoned, and I honestly had no mood or energy to search for him during that time. But when you, princess, came to your senses and aided me with your magic, I now feel like my true self again. And I'm willing to do whatever it takes to aid you in return. I am the Lord of Chaos Revie-"

A mini shockwave from behind Discord interrupted his title before he turned around. From miles away, a giant red portal formed above the night sky and out came a floating isle with a large building on its surface. After the sky portal closed, the island remained floating in a steady position.

Instantly, Discord clapped his paw and claw and rubbed them together. "Oooooh, looks like we're in luck, princess! We might not have to search the whole weeks' worth of Equestria to find him after all."

"What do you-" Luna found her question being cut off as her hooves were sort of stuck tightly into the cloud's fluffy thick surface.

"Buckle up everypony!" Discord unnecessarily warned, fueling the cloud with his magic before it blasted off like a rocket. "DISCORD'S BACK, BABY!"

*The Floating Isle*

Well...this is a little awkward.

Sam was definitely not expecting a surprise visit from the tree. Or at least a visit from the pony form it presents itself as if now. There were still so many questions Sam wanted to ask of it, but he felt quite hesitant about saying anything at the moment. His new friends including every single student of CHS were staring at both him and the alicorn of harmony. Sam had honestly never had this much attention from a crowd. Throughout his whole life, he had only gotten the strict attention from maybe one or two strangers for being a reckless deranged child on specific bad days. And even that was enough for him freeze up when they would judge him for his acts.

"Soooo, Tree of Harmony. I get the whole idea about gathering all six of the infinite element gems to defeat Nightmare for my sake and for the sake of this world. But I feel like you left out a few specific details about the mission."

"You may ask away whatever you wish for me to answer, Master Samuel. Also, you do not have to address me as the Tree of Harmony," it said with an android-like tone of voice.

"Really? Then what should I call you? The Fausticorn?"

"It does not matter what you wish to call me. But if you are curious, no, I am not the Fausticorn. I am merely taking the form of my creator who...left this world under my hooves. The form you see before your eyes is the form of an imaginary goddess who you believe maintains authority and harmony in this world. To clarify, this imaginary goddess is known as my original master and creator, Laruen Faust. I took this form because I believed you would deem me more trustworthy. And if you must know about my identity, my creator had already given me a title before I became a tree with my essence stored inside of it. The name given to me was Dream; a pleasant name for my existence, in my opinion," the alicorn fully addressed.

A part of Sam's left eye twitched after hearing the excessive information, but he managed to break it down without a complaint coming out of his mouth. "So, what you're saying is that the Fausticorn actually existed, ruled this land in perfect harmony thousands of years ago, and then created you to take her place before retiring. Is that correct?"

"Precisely. But my primary function is to save this world and let the joy of creation shine once again. On the other hoof, my creator's desire and purpose was to fill the empty void that was once not this world with her magic of creative light." Dream stated truthfully.

Sam grew confused as he thought about the whole story. "But what about the Pillars? I thought they were the ones who created you."

"You are referring to Season 7, Episode 26 of your personal cartoon series 'My Little Pony'. It is a respectable show that benefits your mental health during your darkest times," Dream unnecessarily pointed out. "While the Pillars infusing their magic into me played a role in my creation, it was the Fausticorn who created the crystal seed in the first place with her power."

Sam was in shock hearing what she had stated first. "Uhhhh. Wait, hold up, time out for a second."

The alicorn remained expressionless as she obediently waited for Sam to speak.

"We're currently in the middle of a Season 3 timeline, right?"

The alicorn quickly responded with a nod.

"Then how in the world do you...I mean, all I know is that in the actual show, you take the form of Twilight Sparkle, and you don't even show off your conscience until Season 8. I know the question I'm about to ask is silly, but...have you always been aware of what things were going on in Equestria ever since the day you sprouted from under the Earth?"

"Master Samuel, this is a friendly reminder that you are in a dream world built purposely for you. This is not exactly a fanfiction situation where you are a human survivalist trying his very best to fit into Equestria. Any events that occur in the actual show may not happen exactly the way you will expect since this world combines every part of your imagina-"

"Uh okay, okay, okay. I think I get it," he interrupted, trying to push away the fourth wall breaks and all the existential complexity to the side for now. "But why are you helping me in this hard to explain situation? I'm just a random guy who goes to a depressing school and watches My Little Pony for a living."

"Because if you die...this world will die along with you. Innocent ponies and every creature of peace no matter how big, friendly, or strong will transform into dust if your existence were to shatter." Dream reasonably explained. "Since that is the case, my job to protect this world will also include protecting you. I understand you are used to telling yourself that you have no importance in the world but understand that this world you have been pulled into is your world. And whether you like it or not, this world will either serve as your eternal paradise, or your eternal grave."

"Woah. That's pretty dark..." Sam went back and thought about how the whole situation started. He slowly looked at the alicorn of dreams in the eyes and caught one of the friendliest smiles he had ever seen on a person's face. Something about her smile felt caring, kind, and wholesome in every regard. But why? Why would some pony take the time to care for some random dude like Sam? While he was curious, he thought about Nightmare and the menacing smile that demon gave him when he started the whole journey. And he then started thinking about the cruel acts he received from others during his time living the depressing life. "So, you're basically supposed to be the opposite version of Nightmare."

"Considering my name and my intentions, then yes."

"Well, holy moly. I ain't got nothing to complain about that. And here I was thinking everything, everypony, and even me were about to descend to the dark abyss without mercy," he could for some reason feel a big tension spike up from the crowd behind him.

The alicorn of dreams gently turned to face the Badlands from below. "I suppose now you are searching for the Element of Time. Hm. That stone is surely the most unique of the six, but technically each stone is unique in their own way. And it really does not matter what order you gather them in since there is no stone of the six that is proven better than the other or more superior. In the end, each stone depends on the other five to fulfill the purpose they are meant to fulfill by their wielder."

Sam gave a worried look which caught Dream's attention within a matter of a second. The boy hesitated, but he eventually told her what was wrong. "Errr ya see. I think there might be a bit of a problem with that..." he then scratched the back of his head with uncertainty. "Sorry, I don't actually know if there is a problem with it. I just-"

Dream gently came up to him and put a hoof over his shoulder to comfort him. "You can tell me anything whenever you like. I can detect your current emotions through my magic. Currently, you are suffering from a despairing depression, an extreme social anxiety, and a pain of regret from the wrath you had unleashed on the individuals who wronged you in the past. You are also experiencing a slight amount of self-dislike, believing you have said something wrong towards me."

"Woah, woah...okay um...wow uh- you really are caring." Sam stated as he felt a wave of sadness enter his emotional state. And crazy enough, a few tears began dripping down. It was as if a miracle had come into Sam's life once the alicorn started to sound much more like a caring mother. "I don't want to sound so hopeless, but I don't think I'm going to be able hold all six at them at once. Heck, I mean, holding only two of them feels like carrying a boulder on my back."

The alicorn smiled as she quickly came to understand what the situation was. "Yes, it is true the stones require a strong wielder. And the more stones you wield at once, the more weight you're well-being will be forced to carry."

"Yea I know. But is there anything I can do to make carrying the stones more bearable? I'm just asking because if the physical, mental, and spiritual weight from those stones straight up multiply when combined together, I think I'll die within seconds if I carry all six of them at once in my current state," he argued.

"Do not worry about how difficult it will be to carry all of the stones at once. Your quest is far from over than it may seem. I can assure you that if you continue on this quest, you'll face many hardships, battles, puzzles, and several daring tests. While they are difficult, they are there for the sole purpose for you to grow strong. Do you feel stronger after what you've been through thus far?"

Sam shrugged. "I mean I guess so. When I was battling a bunch of monsters a while ago, I really did feel stronger in that state compared to the condition I was in when I first got into this world. I guess...after every moment where I bled, sweat, fought, and solved a problem, I gained a good amount of strength out of it."

"Then, you know what you must do if you desire to wield all six stones at once," Dream gazed upward into the night sky that had suddenly became dark and gloomy. The alicorn could sense the demon's existence just by sniffing the dark essence in the sky above. "And there isn't much time left. My Barrier of Harmony will not hold his destructive form for much longer. Once that form of his is unleashed into this world, I fear it will only be a matter of time before this world is covered by his darkness."

Sam didn't quite catch on, but it definitely sounded unnerving to him. He didn't exactly know what he was going to do other than continue into the unknown. Furthermore, the odds of victory didn't sound good. But he figured that rather than thinking about the probability of being successful, he should focus on the current obstacles that he should deal with for the day. And with hope, he will be able to wield all six of the stones, defeat Nightmare, and live happily ever after with the power of little pony friendship in his life.

"Alright, I'll try to do whatever it takes," Sam said with a sigh.

"Good. Now..." the alicorn gave one last glance to every pony behind Sam. "You must leave this place in my hooves," she flied up without another word and activated her supreme magic. The former humans of the alternate world gazed at her excellence as a magical fog began stirring around the sky. Dream's sudden action caught Sam and a few others by surprise before she replaced every bit of the sky with a blank white void of nothingness around the area.

What the? What the heck is she doing?

His eyes narrowed towards the alicorn who was for some reason doing something...that he knew what she was seriously doing! His now alerted mind recalled back to what had happened in the Crystal Empire. This was the same mysterious alicorn that had for some unknown reason, consumed the entire empire with her magic, and forced Sam and Sunburst to flee into the Equestria Girl's world to begin with. But why? Why consume an entire empire with magic? Was it because she wanted to quickly force Sam to follow his quest for the second stone? Or maybe, it was because she wanted to prevent the empire from ever coming into contact with the demon again. In any case, she could've done a better job if she had at least gave a fair warning to Sam about what her plans were instead of taking immediate action.

"Ummm, Sam. What's going on? Do you know that pony?" Sunburst asked, getting a surprised look from Lyra Heartstrings who stood next to him.

"Did you not hear what she said!? She's the legendary Tree of Harmony!" Lyra exclaimed. "Don't you know about the legend of the tree from Ponyville's most flavorful and unique story?"

"Uh no, I uh- sorry, I've never been to Ponyville. Well, speaking of Ponyville, that was the place I alternatively would have chosen as my place to stay to study magic in peace if staying in the Crystal Empire turned out to be a mistake."

"Hey guys, I think this might be our cue to leave," Sam said to the couple arguing through the situation at hoof. After a familiar white beam of light came funneling down to the surface similar to a tornado, Sam knew the same event was about to occur to the island they were currently stranded on in midair.

Knowing there was not much time, Sam took a little second to glance at a convenient lined up group of his friends. And he quickly believed he needed to at least take them along with him for the next journey. Whatever Dream wanted with the school and its students; Sam hoped they would be taken care of in her hooves.

Then, out of prediction, Rarity began stating a few quick concerning details in Sam's mind. "Sam, darling. Are you sure we can create another portal for all of them? You truly appear ruined after what we've done to get back into Equestria."

'Meh, I think I still got some juice. But there's no way I'm transporting every pony out of here. If Dream plans on claiming this island as her own, then she must be looking forward in claiming everypony else who originally came from the alternate world.'

"Who cares whatever the reason! If you still have the fuel to get us from here to Cloudsdale, then let's book it out of here with our friends already!" Rainbow Dash suggested with reasonable unease.

"Yep. I couldn't agree more with ya Dash," Sam accidentally responded aloud, confusing Sunset Shimmer, Sunburst, Lyra, and Boyfriend who were all chosen.

"Bop bap beep. Beeeep beepbop be beep bep beepaa bopo beep beepo beepo baaaap beepaa beep beepo bip skbep beepaa be beepaa beepbop boop brep skbep boop beepo bepo boop skbep beep beepaa beep beepaa skdoo brep boop beepo skdoo bip boop beepaa beepbop skdoo skbep? beepo be beepo," Boyfriend beeped a single time on his microphone and gave out a peace sign with two fingers as if it were the end.

Sam laughed at the act. It didn't really matter whether the rapper was faking it or not. He wasn't going to be consumed by the magic regardless of what he was thinking. And it all happened so fast as Boyfriend heard the sound of an active stone being used, and the rapper randomly felt himself landing on a soft patch of sand. The other ponies had the same experience, but they landed unpleasantly flat on their bellies.

"There we are. I created a portal wide enough below our feet or hooves to safely take us away from the scene just in case you were wondering," Sam explained before he acknowledged that Sunset Shimmer was not in the group. Instead, he found out that two specific ponies had taken her place.

His right eyebrow raised in bewilderment before he struggled to say their names again. "Um...Sticker Picker and General Dan, right?"

The two ponies who had taken Sunset Shimmer's place were speechless at first. They then turned towards the direction of the island that was currently being engulfed by the alicorn's magic. And Sam couldn't blame anypony like them for feeling unnerved by a being capable of sucking away giant parts of land, especially when the reason is uncertain.

"What in the hell!? What the %@&4 is going on!?" General Dan looked around in his current position in a fast overreacted pace. "And where the $!@# are we!?"

"Dad! Language! There are ponies around us who can hear it!" Sticker Picker pointed out.

"I don't give a dam! I've already used profanity around many people in my life for very understandable reasons. And I have the right to swear any TIME and any dam WAY I want. Especially over a deranged phenomenon like this!"

"Beepbop be bappity boop skbep beepaa beepo baaaap, skdoo' brep brep be bap boop bopo bappity bep be brep skdabeep be bap beepaa beep bop beepo boop bop boop skdoo bappity bapboop skdoo bappity beepaa beepbop boop brep skdoo skebap skebap beepo boop be skdabeep beep skebap boop skbep boop bap beepaa," Boyfriend slightly intervened with his opinion. The general utterly ignored the rapper because the general was currently not in the mood to decipher whatever the rapper pointlessly beeped and baped.

"Hey, don't you guys worry," Sam said to the whole five he brought. "I got a nice chaotic friend that said he'd be down here below the island. Once we see him, I'm pretty sure we'll be able to manage things from this point on."

"BOY! That friend of yours better have a way of getting us out of this $#!%. Because if he doesn't..." General Dan aggressively trotted into Sam's personal space and put a mean hoof onto his chest. "I will shoot your magical @&$ down with my backup pistol!"

"DAD!" Sticker yelled, trying to get her dad to come to his senses again. "All of this is happening for a reason! I know it's unpleasant as can be, but you can't just put the blame on somebody else!"

"What in the world are you talking about!? Look!" Dan pointed a hoof at an empty space in the sky that once had the island floating above the ground. "The island with your school which contained a lot of resources for our survival is now gone thanks to one of HIS fairytale friends! And you expect me not to get pissed off at the person who thought it'd be a good idea to magically take us to a place with no resource against our will?! He could just leave us here by ourselves!"

"Actually, I was not intending on bringing you two here," Sam bravely spoke up.

"WHAT?!"

"I was intending on bringing some pony else, but it looks like she somehow magically swapped herself with both of you in her place. So, I guess she wasn't willing to go with me," he reasoned and hoped it would at least cool the general off. "Oh well, I don't really care. I just thought it'd be unwise to not take at least some pony with me before I left for the next stone. Sorry for the inconvenience."

"Oh, just shut your mouth! Where is this other fairytale friend of yours anyway?"

"Yeah, seriously. Where is this friend your supposed to talk to right now, Sam? I'd really like to know. A friend of you is always a friend of mine," Lyra told them happily, brightening the atmosphere with her mood.

Sunburst readjusted his glasses as he tried to endure the intense chilling cold during the night. "Eh, I just want to meet this friend so we can get out of here already."

"Well, ya see...I don't know if you guys would exactly consider him a friend. Chaos is his middle name afterall-"

"CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU SAID THE MAGIC WORD!"

"Woah what in-" Sam was cut off as a pair of electrical arrow signs with a sloppy text of 'WINNER!' painted on both sides came rooting out of the surface of the sand. The signs were clearly both pointing at Sam as if he had won something special in once of a lifetime. And after that came a ridiculous amount of confide that flooded his clear vision of what was in front of him.

Then of course came the sound effect of teleportation and the voice Sam knew all too well after receiving a dramatic entrance from his friend. "Hoho! Oh, I just LOVE it when some pony uses that word! Honestly, the only ponies I usually hear speak of chaos these days our young little fillies who don't know any better."

All of the ponies were in complete shock once they saw The Lord of Chaos in front of their very eyes. Lyra and Sunburst both received a feeling of insecurity since the two of them were originally from Equestria, resulting in them knowing about the creature's identity. While Dan and Sticker on the other hoof, turned out to be frightened just by the creature's appearance. They didn't know who the creature was or what his intentions were until Sam finally stepped in and chatted with his 'friend' as planned.

"Heyyyy, Discord. It sure has been a while."

"Ooh, I know," Discord magically extended his arm and wrapped Sam in a warm one arm hug. "Where in Equestria have you been? I was looking forward to seeing you again on the day after you fled to the Frozen North."

"Yea I know. But I ran into a bit of a strange event that changed my plans."

"Annnd look at what you collected while you were gone," Discord pointed his pointy claw at the two stones that filled two out of six holes in Sam's golden gauntlet. "You must know that my dragon side is craving to have those for dinner. So, maybe keep those gems away from me before I think about devouring them," he brutally stated his thoughts, creating a nasty discomfort on the two mares inside of the stones.

"Ugh! Did he really have to say it that way? The nerve he would need to even consider swallowing me and you, Rainbow Dash, is absolutely unthinkable!"

"I know right! What a creep..."

"You wanted to talk to me about something, didn't you?" Sam asked whilst he ignored the two mares whispering inside of his head.

"Oh yes, the whole thing about your nemesis. Yes, yes, yes, I know, I know. But really..." Discord snapped his claw and teleported Luna, the CMCs, and a large group of ponies a few feet behind his current standpoint. "The princess of the night is really the one who would LOVE to discuss it with you. I'll just be on my personal cloud of wonder while I listen. Because honestly, The Spirit of Disharmony never wastes his valuable time on conversating in a reasonable manner."

A shrug happened on the inside of Sam's mind before Discord did what he said he was going to do. Sam was sure he had heard Discord sick as a dog back when they spoke on the phone, but he now sounded energized and active. Was Discord's weakened voice really just an act to cause a bitter worry in Sam's soul. If so, Sam would admit that it kind of worked.

But now wasn't the time for Sam to think about small meaningless thoughts. He spotted the princess of the night who was also known as Celestia's younger sister, or Luna by actual name. And at this point, Sam believed the princess, out of all the ponies who would want to talk with him, came to find him by putting her trust in Discord to take her on a small sketchy trip. The boy was now just greatly confused out of his mind.

"Sam!!!" a trio of voices shouted aloud before he attempted to speak with Luna.

"Huh? Oh-" Sam felt the pleasant soft warm fur of the CMCs after they each leapt directly onto his chest. With a fast reflex, Sam managed to tightly secure the wild fillies with a hug and prevented himself from inconveniently tumbling down from the sum of their weight.

"We're so glad ta see ya again, Sam! Whew, ya have any idea how difficult things have been since ya left?" Apple Bloom questioned her tall friend as she, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were gently brought down out of Sam's arms.

"Yea! Discord has been putting us to work to help spread his chaos. But apparently, Discord had something nasty going on with the princesses and some crazy monster that got Discord hurt!" Scootaloo exclaimed.

"And ever since he got hurt and left Canterlot, he's been looking for you for the past hours!" Sweetie Belle quickly asserted.

"Woah now, calm down. I wasn't expecting all of this company at once," Sam said, taking a breath while an overwhelming feeling made him feel a slight amount of unease. He then noticed that behind the fillies stood a random group of ponies who were with Discord. Unexpectedly, the group of ponies spitted themselves off into three separate mini groups before each mini group put their attention on a specific somepony in the vicinity.

One group trotted over to Lyra, the second wanted to speak with Sunburst, and the third gradually made their way over to the princess of the night. However, Luna quickly and kindly dismissed the third group as she turned out to be more interested in the human standing a few hoof steps away from her presence.

The princess couldn't think of any horrible reason to not start a conversation with the creature. But she also couldn't say it was her fault when she awkwardly stared at the human for a moment and hesitated to speak what she had in her mind. The creature was after all the one who successfully broke into Canterlot and stole the elements. He also was assumed to be capable of dealing with highly durable ponies after the incident with the Captain of the Royal Guard. And even Discord himself, being the nigh-omnipotent being that he knew he was, said he held a considerable amount of respect for the human creature.

Great. I wasn't expecting pony royalty to come into play this early in my quest. I better think carefully on my words. Because I wouldn't want to accidentally upset the princess for talking like an idiot.

Sam neutrally gave his full attention to the princess with his mouth closed shut. Of course, Sam intentionally closed his mouth so that Luna would be given the first chance to start speaking. The princess looked at him funny for a short period, but she began the conversation regardless.

"Greetings...human. I am the princess of the night. Perhaps you have heard of me," she begun, concern painted all over her face.

Sam nodded while he responded. "Yea, I've known about you and your sister. You're the pony who's responsible for raising and lowering the moon."

"That is...correct," her concerned expression switched to a more concentrated and curious one. "So, it is true that you are aware of what goes around in Equestria."

"I mean...I guess so. Though, I've been in an alternate world for who knows how long. So more than likely, I missed out on a bunch of events that may have happened while I was absent."

The princess didn't think much of it as she was overall desiring to get to the point with Sam. "I see...but as a princess of Equestria I must ensure that my land is safe for my subjects. And the reason why I have come to speak to you is because I want to know what business you have in these lands."

"Hm. Well, I'll say my business here was to originally find some way to survive and start a new life, but that idea got pretty dull for me quick. So, I decided...*sigh* you know what, let me tell you why I'm REALLY here, princess."

*7 minutes of explaining later*

"And that's why I stole the Elements of Harmony and am now searching for new and improved ones," Sam finished his long-summarized explanation/backstory and took a breath of relief.

Though, despite Sam's effort to explain his situation and objective, Princess Luna wasn't all that impressed in what she was told, as she felt as if Sam had left out several bits of personal information on purpose.

"So, it is the belief from an unknown deity that collecting those...infinite elements will give you the power to destroy your nemesis?"

"Pretty much. I mean hear me out. To tell you the truth, I'm just some nobody looking for purpose and great pleasure. And if I or any pony else can't kill Nightmare, then we can all kiss our lives goodbye. Because lemme tell ya, I'd rather be dead than watch Nightmare turn everything we love into a living Tartarus."

Her eyes were glued suspiciously at him for a while, but she eventually put her suspicions to the side. However, that did not mean she believed Sam word for word. In equestrian terms of law, the human was technically a criminal. Both a thief and a murderer to be specific. Even if Sam claimed to have good reasons, he didn't exactly have direct proof.

"Listen to me, human. And listen very well. You are free to go," she told him in a stern tone.

"Really?"

"But if are to commit any further crimes, you will be punished no matter the reason," her thoughts drifted to Twilight's loss and the emotional effect it brought to her.

"Okay..."

"Oh, but please do forgive me for saying such a thing. It is by Equestrian law that you are to be punished for such misdeed. As princess, I can only pardon you this once. So please don't take it for granted."

"Alright, fine. I'm not good at making promises, but I'll try not to do some crazy stuff from this moment on. You look pretty by the way."

"You have my thanks, human."

"It's Sam if you're wondering."

"Oh, my apologies..." Luna's horn suddenly detected a dark essence in from afar. And she knew exactly what it was all about. "Sam, is the demon you speak of after you?"

He put his hands above his waistline as his lips showed his frustration. "Yep. I'm his primary target. Any other living being that comes close into his range will be liable as a secondary target. And he probably ain't gonna stop doing what he's doing until he finds me again. Nightmare is just going to destroy everything he sees. And that's just how it's going to be unless he's stopped."

Luna's horn glowed as she and her reliable night vision took sight of every single pony in the area. "Well, I am glad we had this moment to speak with you. As for your friends, I believe they would be much safer with me."

Noticing the glow on her horn, Sam realized she was going to teleport someplace else. "Where are you going?"

"To Ponyville. I must return and warn all of my subjects who reside in the town. I will leave you and Discord to yourselves to do whatever you believe must be done," she finished as soon as a giant flash of her magic took her, Sunburst, Lyra, Boyfriend, and the group of ponies away from the area in the speed of light.

Welp, that talk was convenient. It could've gone better, but I guess time isn't on any pony's side. Although...that may change if I acquire the time element.

"Soooo, what's da plan now, partner?" Discord inquired, a cowboy hat resting on his head as if he were a country person.

"Hmmm," Sam looked up with a finger under his chin. "I guess we should find someplace to stay before we start our search for the third element."

"Well in that case, you're in luck. Because I know the perfect place," Discord said with a bit of mischief in his tone.

"Oh boy...what is it, Discord?"

*The Changeling Hive*

Chrysalis watched as her children went in and out of her chamber to access more restricted parts of the hive as they did as they were told. Many of her subjects were carrying small buckets of water, and bags filled with meat and mushrooms to store into a specific part of the hive. It was pretty much their job ever since Chrysalis gave them the stern order to gather supplies. Unbelievably enough, the entire hive itself was beginning to run low on basic essential needs after the invasion they inflicted on Canterlot.

She found it funny that the Equestrian ponies believed they were only sucking the love out of pure innocent hearts for the pleasure. But the harsh reality of it all was that the changeling race needed that love to survive. And their mission to seek out Equestria's love and contain it in a set of cocoons was a success. However, ever since Discord took the throne of Canterlot for himself in exchange for a way to produce unlimited love for her and her children in the near future, the queen trusted him on the deal, and they were forced to live back in their original home.

The thought of having unlimited love made her drool. She could only imagine not having to put concerns on hunting and cocooning other creatures or ponies for their love, just for them to eventually run out of juice and die out. Physical food and water on the other hoof can be grown or found in the badlands. That only meant the changelings would never have to leave the badlands ever again if Discord were to keep his future promise.

Now, as if right now, Chrysalis was just sitting on a pile of rubble, waiting patiently for The Lord of Chaos to arrive. And she figured observing the magnificent work of her children would pass the time significantly. Although, while it seemed every sentient living being in the hive was productively working, there was...one exception. And Chrysalis could hear it only several hoof steps away.

"Zzzzzzzzz." A sleeping skeleton, with a constant smile on his face, was inconveniently snoring loudly in the far back corner of the queen's chamber.

Chrysalis had respectfully allowed him to stay and rest for the time being after seeing what the pile of bones was capable of. But that didn't mean she was going to allow him to be very disruptive forever. If the skeleton's businesses venturing into the hive was all for the human and not to provide support, then Chrysalis will only tolerate his presence for a day.

The skeleton was obviously upset when Chrysalis only pointed out possible locations on where the human could be as she didn't exactly have the human under her hooves. And even Chrysalis herself wanted to have at least a chat with the human again.

"My queen," a royal changeling guard confronted her. "We have a couple of visitors approaching the entrance to the hive. How should we respond?"

As the words entered the queen's ears, and her mind begged her to continue thinking about other stuff in solitude, Chrysalis softly dismissed the guard with an unexpected command, "Let Thorax and his little assigned group take care of them. After all, today is their turn to watch over the entrance."

"W-what?!" the guard showed his surprised emotion. "Are you certain they can handle the outsiders? What if those outsiders are highly dangerous?"

Chrysalis rolled her eyes. "You worry too much. Did you even get a good look at those 'visitors?' Because I'm not going to send the entire hive into a panic over something petty. And additionally, Thorax and his group need to learn how to deal with 'visitors' on their own. Especially any hostile ones."

"...Understood, my queen."

"Good. Now get back to patrolling the upper parts of the hive. I have some thinking to catch up on. And if Thorax is in any danger, I assure you those 'visitors' will take it up with me," she said coldly, casually licking her fangs in uninterest.

The guard awkwardly saluted and left the queen on her own.

******

"Welp...I can't say this is the place I had in mind. But you know, the changeling hive may actually be a good place to start when searching these wastelands. Thanks, Discord."

Discord instantly pressured one of his fingers onto Sam's lips. "Dah, no, no, no, no. Don't thank me, because I'm not real. Thank the pony who is ambitious enough to stand up for himself, and the pony who is determined to put his enemy into the depths of Tartarus where he belongs.

Sam gently freed his mouth from Discord's paw and asked, "And who would that pony be?"

Discord frustratingly covered his head with his eagle claw. "Owh, for goodness' sake. The pony I'm talking about is you! Was that not obvious at first?"

"Um...not exactly. Plus, I'm not even a pony," Sam pointed out as he began walking towards the entrance of the hive on foot.

Discord sighed with even more frustration exiting out of his chaotic lungs as he followed Sam. "Well how about I put it a different way."

A spotlight, similar to what presents someone in an elegant manner to grab an audience's attention to that person on stage, is what lit up and glimmered on Sam. Clearly, the spotlight and the sudden darkened atmosphere was Discord's magic at work.

"You, Samuel, are one of the most, if not the most, important and most special pony to ever exist in this cosmos. Why, might you ask? Because you my friend, can gather all six of the infinite elements, and destroy Nightmare before he consumes us all. And if Nightmare succeeds, then I'm afraid everypony will be doomed in an eternal nightmare."

Sam's eyes widened for a moment before returning to normal after hearing what he believed to be a bit ridiculous. "Heh, that's nice of you to say Discord. But don't you think that's a bit of an exaggeration? And back to what I said earlier. I'm not a pony."

'Not a pony yet...' Discord thought in his head before Sam questioned him after they got closer to the changeling hive.

"By the way. What was up with the princess? She seemed depressed as heck when we talked. And I thought I was the only one suffering from constant sadness all the time. Is she okay?" he curiously asked with care in his voice.

"Oh, you really don't want to know..." Discord stated.

"Come on just tell me. I always wanna know what-"

"Her older sister, Celestia, died while you were away from Canterlot."

"..."

"I'm afraid It's the truth."

A rare, shocked expression became Sam's face as if his heart was melting away an emotionless frost. "What in the world happened to Celestia?!"

"She umm. How do I say it? Ugh, I have no clue what happened to that old pony. The least I can say is that something random got into her head and it drove her NUTS. And when she made the decision to take me down, your nemesis showed up and absorbed her magic including whatever that was making her crazy. After that, well...he took Celestia's life in front of her younger sister."

Sam shot a look that was almost a glare at the draconequus. "What the heck Discord! You're the Lord of Chaos! Couldn't you have done something to that dark piece of crap?!"

He quietly shook his head. "Sorry, I couldn't. You see, Nightmare absorbed Celestia's power and had it all for himself. And it only took one blow from that demon to bring me down to my knees. I never told any pony, but alicorn magic is my weakness. And we had no choice but to retreat."

"Ah, good grief. Things just have to start going downhill to make life harder. Golay I'm tired."

Sam was beginning to stress out. But he knew he had to keep pushing forward. Even with Discord walking by his side, Sam still felt he was going through his quest alone. At this point, he was begging for a miracle. He wanted to feel like there was still hope. And...out of everything he could ever want; he wanted to know what he needed.

"H-hault. W-who goes there?" an innocent voice asked. It sounded hesitatant and a little frightened, showing it was not comfortable with meeting strangers at all. And if Sam was recalling the sound of the voice correctly, the voice's owner was Thorax.

Discord noticed the changeling guards right in front of the entrance first before Sam squeezed passed an open narrow crack between two boulders.

"Oh great, looks like we can't walk our way in without being spotted," Discord turned to Sam in a fast manner. "Well, time for you, Sam, to do what you do best!"

"Do what I do best?" Sam scratched his shoulders to knock off tiny pieces of ruble before also taking notice of the changelings who were staring at the two of them in disarray. Sam couldn't tell right away which of the changelings were Thorax, but he could guess it was the changeling at the very front of the patrol group.

"You know. Try to be as reasonable as possible to every pony you meet? I mean, unless you want me to raise havoc to this place and reduce our chances of speaking to Chrysalis for her aid. I'm fine with that as well. Afterall, if there is a 50/50 chance of me dying to that demon of yours if he isn't stopped. It makes me think if I should call the whole 'helping you out part' off and have fun with my glorious chaos before the end of the world," Discord exaggerated.

"Discord. Come on man. You know dang well I need your help," Sam sighed in defeat when Discord didn't respond back. "Fine. I'll do it. But I want you to know that I dislike doing the talking," he cautiously walked up to the changeling patrol and tried to act friendly towards the group. But sadly, all he got in return was a bunch of hissing and glares directed toward his face. Though he could tell those hisses were more out of fear than anger.

"Wait..." Thorax commanded to the group, with Sam and Discord assuming he was the leader. "Are you...who I think you are?" Thorax gazed at the tall human boy with curiosity.

Sam remembered his time with Thorax. He then remembered every bit of the past like it was just yesterday. He remembered being put into a changeling pod, busting out of it to see the changelings had taken Canterlot, and destroyed the magic sucking throne that they constructed over Celestia's throne to get Discord's magic back in action.

"Yea I am who you think I am. But I'm not here to bash out any changelings. Nor is Discord willing to bring chaos to this hive...right, Discord?"

"Yes, yes, of course, of course. No chaos, not even given from the slightest tips of my paw and claw," Discord stated peacefully.

"We're just here to talk to the queen about some big important stuff," he told them honestly, but he only received another set of unpleasant hisses, as if talking gently to the group of bugs wasn't enough.

Shoot. Maybe I shouldn't have included 'bash' in my statements. They may think we're trying to secretly screw their queen up in some way.

"Stop it guys, please!" Thorax exclaimed nervously to his group. "I don't think they're here to cause us any harm. They just need to speak with Chrysalis and be out of our hair."

His siblings weren't very pleased at first, but they eventually suited down and allowed Discord and Sam a free entry into the hive without raising a changeling alarm or anything like that. Thorax was then kind enough from his heart to escort the two visitors through the hive using his navigation skills to make it to room to room while the other changelings followed behind them.

There were so many twists and turns Discord and Sam had to trudge by and many of those turns seemed to be taking them in a constant circle throughout the hive. Even some rooms appeared similar to the entrance rooms as if they just found themselves back where they began. But Thorax claimed he knew the way and Sam trusted him even if the friendly bug didn't sound very clear and confident.

Eventually, as they were nearing Chrysalis's chamber, Sam got to chat a little with Thorax. "Sooooo, Thorax. How have things been around here?"

"H-huh?" Thorax turned around, astonished that Sam wanted to talk.

"You know. How's business been in here? Are yall eating well? Are you guys getting plenty of love and all that sweet stuff?"

"Well, um...yes, we're doing fine. Why do you ask?"

Sam shrugged. "Eh, just wanted to know. I care about a lot of living beings in this world. Especially the beings I know like you, Thorax."

"Oh...thank you. That's...very sweet of you," he responded with a little blush and squeezed lips.

"No need mate," said Sam, walking down a set of stairs to reach the entrance of the queen's chamber. "By the way, where's your buddy Pharynx? I don't believe I've seen that purple eyed bug anywhere around during our little escort."

"He was sent on another important mission. Chrysalis even promised him he would get a long-deserved break once he finished."

"Really? What was he ordered to do?"

"I think it was something to do with looting villages from across Equestria. I don't know the exact reason. You'll have to ask Chrysalis if you wanna know."

"Yea, I understand. But hey, it sure was nice talking to ya. Hope we meet again sometime," Sam finished, realizing they had just entered the queen's chamber. And there was Chrysalis, sitting on a large pile of pebbles with her horn focusing on its magic. Then, her eyelids opened, and she spotted the draconequus she had been waiting for.

******

Out of all the visitors she was expecting for Thorax to bring in, she didn't expect the visitors she desired. She looked around her chamber and realized the sentient skeleton was no longer sleeping in the corner of the room. She raised a brow at his disappearance, but she waved it off and focused on what she primarily cared about the most.

With a pleasant look of approval on Chrysalis, she congratulated Thorax and his group and even told them there was a possible reward waiting for them at the end of the day. She then ordered them to quietly exit her chamber and leave her with Discord and Sam.

Thorax was afraid to even make a sound, but he saluted the same way every changeling did and buzzed out of the chamber without a word or a chirp due to the queen's orders.

When the three were alone, Chrysalis first put her focus on Discord who was playfully licking a strange looking flavor of ice cream on a cone.

"Discord. Are you here to pay your debt? Or are you here to just fool around?" Chrysalis watched the draconequus annoyingly toss and waste the ice cream he created for his own enjoyment.

"Yes, I know. The whole 'infinite love deal' I promised when you surrendered the throne of Canterlot to me. Honestly, I don't even know why I made that deal when I, The Lord of Chaos, can just send you bugs flying away with just a sneeze. But I guess a deal is a deal," Discord simply pointed a claw at Sam. "I believe you'll find the answer to 'infinite love' through him and his dumb logical and caring mind."

Chrysalis's eyes instantly locked onto Sam before the boy slightly flinched at the sudden attention. But instead of asking something out of Sam right away, the queen unexpectedly used the magic from her horn to inspect Sam's power. Before the spell activated, however, Sam noticed a bit of grey color mixed with the green essence of her magic. And something about the gray magic felt...dull and off at the same time to him.

*Killed: ???;____Power Gained: -66593614777601010 PP*
*Killed: 5 Timberwolves;____Power Gained: 100 PP*
*Killed: Shining Armor;____ Power Gained: 450 PP*
*Killed: 57 Changelings____Power Gained: 570 PP*
*Killed: Killer Sans;____Power Gained: 1000 PP*
*Killed: 24 Horriflies;____Power Gained: 360 PP*
*Killed: 25 Horribdos;____Power Gained: 500 PP*
*Killed: Horror Sans;____Power Gained: 950 PP*

*Total Power: 3930 PP*

"Well, well, well. Look at that. You've gotten stronger since we've last met. I'd say your three times as stronger as you were before," Chrysalis claimed. "And here I thought you were never going to return to me and serve as my guard as you promised."

"Oh, well, I mean...I'm actually here to ask for your help, Chrysalis."

She looked at him in interest. "Really?"

Sam presented his golden gauntlet, and the two gems contained in its holes to Chrysalis before he explained the whole situation. After he revealed his problems, he asked her if she knew anything about a third existing gem that could be anywhere around the badlands.

Unfortunately, Chrysalis had been completely unaware of the elements of infinity until now. In other words, she didn't have a clue on where the third stone could be. However, that didn't mean she was helpless. The queen began giving out a few suggestions on what Sam could or should do. And Sam turned out to be willing to listen to any advice that he could potentially use to find the next stone.

"If you say the third stone is underneath the sands of these lands, I highly doubt you'll find it anywhere near our hive. But if you're looking for magical stones then you should probably search for one of my most obedient children, Pharynx, who just so happens to be searching for another set of magical dark stones to rebuild my throne."

"Rebuild your throne? I thought you already had one in this place."

"Well, I don't. Originally, I planned on building one to protect the hive from magic. But we got...overconfident and decided to build it in Canterlot when we thought driving the ponies out would mean the kingdom was ours. But it was when you started going on a rampage, took down a good amount of my children one by one, and destroyed my one and only throne is when things went downhill for us."

Ah, that explains why Discord still has magic in here. I guess the throne hadn't been built at all in the actual show until somewhere in Season 6.

"Hey, come on now. I had a reason for being that aggressive during that time. You did order your minions to capture me and my friends in cocoons while we were asleep in a cave."

"Yes well, you forgot about our deal. But I guess the deal's off since it seems you now have much more important things to catch up on," Chrysalis then explained to Sam that if he wanted a chance to find Pharynx, he would have to search towns or villages that were on the northern parts of Equestria that were outside of Ponyville or Canterlot. Finally, she told him a certain being made of bones was looking for him. But she didn't give a description, a name, or where-

"heyyyyy, there you are," a chill voice came interfering from the side of the chamber. "sorry, Chrissy. i had to take a little lunch break. and i know just how much you love my snores."

"Wait...no way..." Sam found himself staring at well-known figure who was short with no hair and a blue jacket covering its bones after he immediately turned to meet one of his favorite characters of all time.

Holy crap! It's actually him! And not one of his corrupted versions for once!

"What?! There's another one of those boneheads?! Grrrr! Sam, use my element and let me give it to him!" Rainbow Dash demanded harshly.

"Rainbow Dash! Calm your nerves! This one may be friendly and reasonable compared to the other one we had to stop," Rarity suggested.

"*yawn* so you're the human those ponies were talking about this whole time, heh."

"..." Sam's will to interact was frozen, but he knew he had to respond at some point. He just couldn't leave Sans the Skeleton hanging. He just couldn't!

"..." the skeleton's expression changed over the silence. "not much of a talker, huh? that's okay. i've seen many humans paranoid about being around strangers. although, you are one very tall human. that's odd. every human i've ever met were pretty short for their height."

"Um...what are you-"

"oh, and you can speak. wow. the last human i remember could barely make a sound out of their mouth. i'm sans. sans the skeleton. what's your name, kiddo?"

"I'm Sam. Sam the...random guy who is currently trying to find meaning in life," Sam answered with brutal honesty.

"heh, woah, buddy. no need to be so dark. i didn't ask to know about your personal life. i only wanted your name, pal."

"Y-yea. S-sorry it's just...it's so great to see you Sans!"

A small, short cackle came out of the skeleton. "sure, kid. we've just met, but i'll roll with that."

"What are you doing here anyway? More importantly, HOW did you get here? And when I say 'here' I mean, Equestria."

"hey now, slow it down, kid. we don't need to get deep into that just yet. i'm just here to help you is all."

"Help? With what?"

"don't ya have some demon chasing after ya?"

The question had Sam in shock. How did he know? "...Yea I do."

"well, how's about you and me form a little bond with each other. nightmare, which is that demon chasing your tail is the same demon who messed with me not too long ago. what do ya say? i've heard you've been making some good friends around here. got any room for one more, buddy chum pal?" Sans requested.

Sam was a little confused and a bit suspicious. While he did think of Sans as a very cool individual, he found it pretty strange of how he knew about Nightmare. And it was not pleasant that the skeleton wasn't being specific. It felt as if Sam was being sweet talked into somethings, he would rather not be involved in. But...he eventually accepted anyway. "Sure. I don't see why not. Let's team up."

The two of them later came up to each other and shook hands. What happened next was the sound of a whoopee cushion that had been secretly tied onto Sans's hand.

"hehehe. the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. it still makes me laugh," he added a chuckle upon witnessing a silly giggle from Sam as a reaction to the funny trick. "it's a trick i use 99 percent of the time whenever i meet someone new."

As the two started a small talk conversation, Chrysalis remained sitting on her pile of rocks, observing them. Though there was not much for her to observe on Discord who was napping on a chair he created in the middle of the chamber. She once again secretly used her magic to scan Sam again. Only this time, she focused more on scanning the two stones themselves. And it only took a few minutes of processing for her to finish. The results...didn't look so good.

"Ehem!" Chrysalis managed to cut off the two conversating with just that. "I do not believe it would be smart to search for or even wield another stone. You will need more strength, Sam. And I can tell those stones are weighing you down."

Sam momentarily turned to Chrysalis. He was surprised that she knew. But the question still remained; how was Sam supposed to gather enough strength to wield the compacity of six stones? He had slaughtered many monsters throughout his quest, but clearly it wasn't anywhere near enough to reach the strength he needed. Like Chrysalis said earlier to him back when she ruled Canterlot for a day, is that the only way for him to gain strength is to kill more enemies or monsters.

"So, what can I do?" Sam removed the gauntlet from his arm, and he instantly felt the disconnection from Rarity and Rainbow Dash as the weight he carried faded away. And he felt relieved.

"For one, you should work on how you battle your opponents. If you plan on going on a killing spree to gain as much power as possible then you should maybe consider a bit of fighting practice," Chrysalis proposed. "And don't lie to me. I have fought you before and honestly, you fight like a child throwing a tantrum at an adult."

Hey!

"I believe you should avoid using those stones for the time being. Overall, putting a big reliance on those stones could be one of your biggest downfalls. I think you should just focus on yourself for now rather than relying on two pieces of powerful rocks that will only slow you down in growing."

Sam understood what she meant. But he certainly didn't expect such a helpful amount of advice from Queen Chrysalis. Because in the actual show, Sam believed she was one of the most selfish creatures in Equestria, who could care less for any creature or pony except for her children.

"Well thanks for the advice. But why are you helping me this much?" Sam wanted to know as he grew suspicious over the thoughts in his head saying she was an evil dirty villain who would stab him in the back at some point.

"You don't trust me? Why would I not help you? You're supposed to be my guard. The stronger I help you become, the more of a useful defense you can be, which I can order up in case of an emergency," her vision slid over to Sans as she thought about trust issues. She had a bitter feeling that something was wrong with the walking skeleton. When she first saw him, he was serious and desperate for help. But now, he seemed calm and had decided to put on a funny act for the time being.

"You there, skeleton," Chrysalis pointed a hoof at Sans.

"sup," Sans replied.

"I know I said you could only stay here for a day. But I'll allow you to stay in the hive for as long as want if you help Sam train in self-defense," she offered. "That means I want to see you attack him without lethal or even severe force."

Sans responded with a lazy shrug. "sure. sounds like a pretty good deal."

"And Sam, you must evade, destroy, and survive any attack he throws onto you for a certain period of time without passing out," she ordered.

"Wh-what? What are you sayin-"

She cut Sam off faster than a second. "That was an order. Do I have to resort to something else to make it clearer?"

Sam blinked and looked back and forth between Sans and Chrysalis. From the looks of things, it seemed Chrysalis wanted him to train his endurance and agility right in her own chamber right now. And as for Sans, well, he just had a casual smile like there wasn't a worry in the world. However, sadly for Sam, he had it in his very own right to worry. He had been going through so many things in his quest without much of rest. And after transporting the whole CHS building to Equestria with the space and reality stones, he felt way too exhausted for a present fight.

"Remember you two. You both are in my domain, and I will say when you are allowed to stop fighting. When I think you two are done, you both can rest in one of the guest bedrooms to the left of my chamber. Is that clear?"

"can do," Sans agreed.

"Uh, sure..." Sam hesitantly agreed as he didn't want to fight Sans in his current condition. But Chrysalis only ordered Sans to attack without lethal force. And only ordered Sam to evade or endure every separate attack without fighting back. So it couldn't be that hard, right?

"Good. Now get into your preferable battle position," she once again ordered, watching the two of them taking a few steps away for a good distance.

Sam kept his eyes on Sans while gently laying the golden gauntlet down on the floor. Then, he organized his fists and arms into a strange position, similar to a brawler.

With a wave of his left arm, Sans summoned a couple of flying bones that pointed in Sam's direction. Now it was on Chrysalis to give the command to start the mini fight.

"Ooooh, I need to see this," said Discord, who had just woken up from his nap. He even created a bag of popcorn and a pair of 3D glasses for himself as he began to watch.

"Ready..." Chrysalis inspected both Sam and Sans to see if they were truly all set before she continued to give out the signal. She also noticed several of her children peeking through the cracks of the entrance to see what the commotion was all about. "Set..."

Sam took one second to breath in preparation before-

"FIGHT!"

The battle begun and Sam was immediately given a slap on the cheeks by a few of San's bones.

"OW!" Sam felt the bones bounce off, thankful that they didn't impale through his skin. He also could feel a great sting occurring on his cheeks after the attack and he was already about to call it quits.

"c'mon buddy. what's the matter?" Sans summoned a trio of floating bones this time and sent each one of them flying one by one towards the poor boy.

Sam quickly reacted and managed to dodge at least two of the incoming bones, but he was hit square in the chest by the third and he was sent down to his knees. He couldn't find it in his strength to get up. He was tired and hungry. And worse, he didn't have the stones to control the aspects of space and reality to make the fight bearabl-

NO! I ain't giving up yet!

Sam got up and punched a fourth incoming bone into bits as adrenaline started pumping in his veins. Realizing Sam had gotten into a fighting mood, Sans decided to bump up the difficulty by adding a few striking bones from the ground into the mix. The first few striking bones struck Sam hard on the side, but he instantly picked himself up after tumbling down and kept it going.

As Sam pressed forward, Sans thickened the size of his bone attacks and started using bone walls that slid across the entire chamber in a matter of seconds and would bash anyone against the wall if they were hit. And even some bone walls were impossible to avoid that Sam had to resort to punching one of them through the middle to reduce any inconvenient damage. Though, his fists were bleeding out as if he had punched a brick wall.

"impressive. guess i'll add some blue attacks," Sans snaped his fingers and created a combination of every attack he had presented thus far with the exception of the added blue bones.

A grunt escaped Sam after he did his best to evade every attack. The blue bones especially were making it difficult for Sam to dodge anything as he had to halt his every movement for each impassable blue bone that posed a threat for his health. Then, he would find himself immediately switching modes to avoid a normal bone attack within a split second after halting for the blue bones.

Oddly enough, Discord wanted to be a part of the action. But as he thought of what he was going to snap into existence to make the battle more chaotic, something unexpected happened...

*CRASH*

Within seconds after the loud noise, the battle between Sam and Sans came to a permanent stop. Everyone's' ears felt as if they were nearly going to explode after hearing such a loud disturbance. And Chrysalis wasn't complaining when the fight came to an abrupt end over their curiosity rather than her command to cease action.

"What the heck was that?" asked Sam as he turned to eye everyone in the chamber. They too also seemed clueless.

"Hmm. Whatever it was, it didn't sound pleasant. I'd ask one of my children to investigate, but it seems like they ran off to someplace much safer in the hive," believed Chrysalis. She got up from where she sat for the past hours and gave the command to Sam to investigate. "There. Your first job as my guard. Find out what caused the racket, to ensure the safety of the hive."

Ugh! I know I made a deal to be her guard. But why do I feel like everyone is putting everything on me?

Sans acknowledged Sam's expression of concern and decided to encourage. "hey, no worries, buddy. just take it from me. kids these days can walk for thousans of miles. and as for me, well. you could say these old lazy bones can only walk a mile before falling asleep at my post. so, all i'm saying is...you got this kid."

"And he most certainly will have it with my help," Discord spoke confidently as he grabbed Sam by the side with his lion paw. "I'll take us there in an instant."

It didn't matter if Sam was ready or not. Discord snapped his claw to magically take both himself and an unprepared Sam to the source of the noise. In a flash of light, the two found themselves outside of the hive somewhere in the badlands again.

The dry air didn't serve their lungs well, but thankfully with Discord's magic, they found the source right away.

"A crystal with the color green? Huh? Not what I expected," Discord made his way closer to the crystal, which he believed caused the disturbance in sound.

Wait a minute. I know what this is...

Once Sam got close and peered inside of the crystal, there slept a third pony of the mane 6. The sleeping pony's coat was pink, and her tail and mane were puffed up with a much darker pink color. Regarding the color of the crystal being green, Sam guessed the mare sleeping inside should somehow be connected to the time element.

"Pinkie Pie..." Sam worded her name aloud, surprising Discord as he too knew that name.