As the chaos causing crusade continued, the villainous group steadily got smaller.

Gargant fell to a ninja’s poisoned blades.

Calamity’s elemental powers got sealed in multiple jars before a paladin’s hammer crushed her.

Echo never heard the supersonic arrow approach before it went through her head.

Lupus fell into a spike trap his spectral wolves could not detect or trip.

The last two villains, Tzentacles and Joker, stared each other down across a table in a tavern. It was the same one they’d started their adventure in, and only one was going to make it out alive. “Why don’t I end your scheming right here, Tzentacles?” Joker asked. “Surely you’d like to put that active mind of yours to rest for a while?”

Tzentacles considered it. “Hmm, maybe. But if you do that, all you’ll do is complete my plan. If you kill me, there will be chaos the likes of which you can’t even imagine!”

Joker raised an eyebrow. “What kind of chaos?”

“It’s unimaginable, so I can’t even tell you! And it’s all because everything is going exactly as I planned all along.”

“Even that time you got half your face blown off?”

“Yes.”

Joker narrowed his eyes. “How does that work?”

“Great achievements often require personal sacrifice. I’ve put everything into this scheme, and honestly, no matter what happens, I won the moment I flipped that number over outside this tavern three months ago.”

The tavern owner heard that. “You what?” He rushed out to inspect the address numbers. It wouldn’t be long before he came back looking all around at everything.

“I was wondering about that,” Joker said before he realized what happened. “Was that your plan all along? To make us wonder what you were doing?”

Tzentacles grinned. “It worked. Especially once everyone stopped questioning me. I’m sure you dropped hints to get rid of our allies, right?”

“And a few bribes along the way. Those ninjas were overpriced, but worth it.”

Girder gasped. “You set that up?”

Quick Quip shrugged. “Guilty as charged.”

“Who else did you get?”

“Lupus as he walked out of his tent. I had to get the right stuff to make sure his wolves couldn't trip it, which was difficult.”

Hearthstone narrowed his eyes at Quick Quip. “I should have known it was you after all those dice rolls.”

Joker continued. “Enough about that, though. The real question is which of us is going to leave here alive.”

Tzentacles spread her arms. “Then let it be you who lives, so my plan may be complete. You want to pull more pranks, right?”

Joker’s eye twitched in irritation. “You are making things really difficult. But if I complete your plan the way you want it, you won’t scheme anymore.” He got up, drew his sword, and rammed it into the tentacled woman’s gut, pinning her in place.

Tzentacles’ cry of pain was brief before turning into shallow laughter. “This. . . Is all according to plan. The ritual. . . Is done. Chaos shall reign, and order will fall.” Moments later, Tzentacles was dead.

Joker looked around. Things seemed alright, but knowing Tzentacles as he did, he couldn’t help but wonder where the chaos was.

“Sounds like I win,” I confidently said.

“But Tzentacles just died,” Sunflower pointed out. “How does dying let you win?”

“I think I just figured it out,” Diamond groaned. “There was no actual ritual or plan. All those little things Tzentacles did in the campaign will be investigated, and when nothing is found, the people will just keep looking and start losing their minds. That’s the chaos she intended to bring, right?”

“You got it,” I happily said. “The plan everyone was reacting to was all an allusion, which was all according to the real plan.”

“How many of our actions did you predict?” Soprano asked.

“Absolutely none of them!” I proudly stated. “But once your reactions to me started getting predictable, I might have done something like leave a note about holy magic techniques on a commander’s back without anyone questioning me.”

“So that’s why the guards had such powerful holy magic,” Sunflower said. “But why did they target everyone instead of just Kurana?”

“Simple: have the mages be prepared for an easy win by saying it would take down her allies and minions as well.”

“So the Princess that hates lies the most was the best liar of all of us?” Diamond asked. “How did you do it?”

“I learned from the best: the snooty nobles.”

Girder nodded in understanding. “That makes sense.”

“And we’re done just in time for Hearth’s Warming,” Brooke said. “Inova?”

“Yes?” I responded.

“Do you think we could go with you to Canterlot for Hearth’s Warming sometime?” With that question, all eyes were on me.

I gave the first answer that came to mind. “Maybe next year. It’s a bit late for joining in. It’s also a family trip, so. . . I’m not too sure. I’d like to talk more, but I have to go talk to Discord. I promised that I would.”

“Alright. See you tomorrow, Inova.”

I flew up to the castle’s landing platform and took a brief breather before going into the hallway leading to the spiral staircase. “Alright Discord, the campaign is over.”

On cue, Discord happily showed up. “I’ve been waiting to hear that! So, how did you cause chaos in your little game?”

“Well, I did random things that affected nothing or just seemed pointless and said everything was going according to plan.”

“And what was this plan that needed pointless things?”

I smirked as I explained the plan. “The plan is that there was no plan. The real chaos came from the reactions to what I said and did.”

Discord started scratching his chin in thought and I heard the gears in his mind at work. I found the sound oddly relaxing. After a bit, he started laughing. “That is hilarious! Why didn’t I ever think of that?”

I shrugged. “I dunno. Have you done anything fun recently?”

He sat down on nothing. “Well, I had some fun pranking a few of the snooty nobles for Fluttershy recently.”

There was a big smile on my face immediately. “And like that, you have my attention. What happened?”

“They tried to set up a program called the Inward Animal Care Operation Networks, or IACON. An oddly appropriate name, right?”

“I don’t get it.”

“Anyway, part of it would have made any animal care illegal within two miles of the edge of a forest, and you know where Fluttershy lives, so she let me prank them for her vengeance. I got Celly in on it too.”

“So what did you do?”

“We made them sound like animals when they talked. Of course, they heard themselves talking just fine. Everypony started trying to figure out what was going on, and then Celestia said, ‘Yes, I agree that an animal themed costume party would be fun, but Nightmare Night was over a month ago,’ and they all lost it! Some guards heard the scared animal noises, looked around, and left.”

I let the scene play out in my mind and started laughing. It was hilarious and sounded very appropriate. “I wish I could have seen that.”

“As long as there’s snooty nobles, you’ll always have another chance to see it, and we have all the time in the world. I’d like to stay and talk a bit more, but Fluttershy’s making a refreshing herbal tea, and I’m not about to miss out on that.”

“Sounds good. See you at Hearth’s Warming?”

“I might be able to give you a definite probable maybe. There’s a chance of it. Toodles!” With a snap, he left.

Since I had no further business in the castle, I went back to the landing platform and took off, gliding home and letting my mind settle a bit. The chaos had been fun, but it was time to set it aside for relative peace. Flurry was still a hoofful to deal with, even with her suppressed magic.

Author's Note

And thus concludes another H&H arc.

Coming up whenever I get around to publishing it: another Hearth's Warming break arc, with a good amount of "how have you been?" throughout it.