Rise of Ruinous

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: RISE OF RUINOUS

Chapter 11 - The Threat Revealed

The time: The day after the Grand Galloping Gala.

The princesses and Nightmare Moon are in the throne room when the Mane 6, Pitstop, Virtuna, Trixie and Corinne rush in, Twilight Sparkle carrying the note on her door.

T.Sparkle: Princess Celestia!

P.Celestia: *looks* Twilight?

T.Sparkle: You wanted to see us?  You left this note for us?

P.Luna: Note, child?

T.Sparkle: *clears throat*

To the Bearers of Harmony,

Due to the fact that three new Elements of Harmony were found, it is imperative to the well-being of Equestria that I speak with you immediately.

The two princesses exchange a quizzical glance.

Trixie: If YOU two did not write this, who in Equestria did?

A shadow lurks in an adjacent doorway, making Fluttershy shriek.  All ponies look to the doorway with an incredulous look on their faces.....

T.Sparkle: You?

*INTRO SEQUENCE*

T.Sparkle: You?

Standing in the doorway was none other than Discord, wearing an uncharacteristically serious expression.

Discord: Everypony, and I mean EVERY PONY, follow-me.

Slowly, everypony follows Discord to his chambers, the chaotic draconequus clearing a spot on the wall.

Discord: I was going to tell you eventually, but Virtuna, Trixie and Pitstop getting their elements as fast as they did sort of..... accelerated my timetable.

P.Celestia: Oh?  You've been reading up on Ruinous?

Discord: You could say that..... *clears throat*  But nevermind that now.  I have some information that WILL prove immensly helpful.

N.Moon: What kind of information?

Discord: Ruinous..... doesn't act alone, he has six..... lieutenants.

Fluttershy: Lieutenants?

Discord: Yes.  And each of them are powerful enough to take over Equestria.

Discord snaps his fingers and a picture of a sick-green earth pony with a dark-sick-green mane and tail and a green skull-and-crossbones as his cutie mark appears on the wall.

Rarity: EW!  What is HIS power, spreading fashion disaster?

Discord: *smirk* No, he poisons everything.  His name is Toxion, and he spreads toxins all around.  Every step he takes is deadly to flora and fauna alike.  He does have a weakness, however.  He can't stand Kindness.

N.Moon: Can't stand it?  You mean like how ice melts when you put it in the sun?

Discord: Yes.  In order to win these battles, you have to use your Elements of Harmony much like Twilight Sparkle uses her magic.

P.Celestia: Sounds somewhat unconventional.

Discord: These ponies are unconventional..... and very powerful.

Another claw-snap produces a picture of a pale-white pegasus with a white mane and tail, a Scream-mask-like face as her cutie mark.

Fluttershy: She looks scary.....

Discord: That's the point.  Her name is Fryght, a pegasus who scares the emotions out of everypony.  She flies in the night, much like Nightmare Moon, but instead of TAKING nightmares, she gives them.  And that's just the start of it.  She can also appear in the DAYtime to make you see things for what you fear they are.  She is weak to Laughter.

Discord sighs, then snaps his claws again.  On the wall was a cobalt pegasus with light-blue hair and a snake as a cutie mark.

Applejack: What kinda pony is that?  Looks like it's got a sidewinder on its flank.

Discord: This is Fyb, a pegasus that flies around spreading lies.  It is said that anyone who hears his lies can't stop lying, kinda like the Pied Piper or a siren's song.  His weakness is Honesty.

The ponies nod, then the draconequus snaps his fingers again.  On the wall appeared a picture of a red earth pony with black hair and a dragon's hoard as a cutie mark.

P.Pie: Weird cutie mark.

Discord: She is the spirit of selfishness, her name is Styngee.  She goes around making everypony keep everything they have and not give anything to anypony else.  Her weakness is Generosity.

The chaotic beast snapped his claws.  On the wall was a picture of a grey unicorn with black hair and a dark star as a cutie mark.

Trixie: What is that, a dark version of Twilight?

Discord: Judges?  Yes, they WILL accept that answer.  THIS is DarkSparkle, the evil version of TWILIGHT Sparkle, she will challenge Twilight to a unicorn's duel.  Only by winning the duel will you beat her and Twilight's Element of Magic is the only Element of Harmony that can do anything to her - until Twilight beats her.

With a sigh, Discord snapped his claws.  Even Princess Celestia was awestruck at what she saw - for the wrong reason.  On the wall was a picture of a dark grey unicorn with dark colors in his mane and tail and two red eyes in a hateful glare as his cutie mark.

P.Luna: WHOA!

Discord: I know, not a pleasant picture.  THIS is Hatetrol, a wicked unicorn who spreads around hate.  Remember how you girls were due to my trickery? *The Mane 6 nod* Picture it bad enough that not even Twilight's memory spell could break it.

P.Celestia: Sounds hardcore.

Discord: He is.  It'll take considerable power to beat him, and for what it's worth, Loyalty is his weak point.

R.Dash: And then..... There's Ruinous himself?

Discord nods, then snaps his claws once more.  A black alicorn with black dragon wings, a crooked horn and black smoke as his mane and tail and around his hooves appears on the wall.  A crumbling planet served as his cutie mark and his glowing red eyes conveyed nothing short of pure evil.

Virtuna: geez.....

Discord: *nod* Yeah..... Rare is the time Ruinous himself has to intervene, but when he does, nothing survives.  He represents the sheer power... of oblivion.

P.Celestia: As in nothing returns?

Discord: Not a thing, Princess.  He has no weaknesses and he has massive power.  If you ever find yourselves facing him, I HOPE you have everything, and I mean EVERYthing, prepared to the zenith.

R.Dash: Whoa-whoa-whoa!  Hang on.  How do you know all this, Discord?

Discord: *gulp, sigh*  *He turns his back on the ponies*  Because I used to be a lieutenant.  When I was first defeated by the Bearers of Harmony, he severed all ties with me.  When he finds out I'm HELPING you ponies, he's gonna be furious.

Nopony knew what to say, nopony could even move - that is, until Princess Celestia walked across to Discord and put her head on his shoulder.

P.Celestia: I'd rather hear it from you than not at all.  Besides, something in me figured that all that chaos was just a set-up for something bigger.  *Discord looks at Princess Celestia with a sniffle*  Aw, calm down, it's OK.  You said so yourself: "Used to be".  If I am to forgive you, I have to forgive EVERYthing in your past, right?  Besides, thanks to you, we now have a plan, an idea, a strategy to beat Ruinous AND his henchponies.

R.Dash: That's right.  To know your enemy is to win half the battle.  *Rainbow Dash looks at Twilight Sparkle, blinking as she sees the lavender mare standing there shell-shocked!*  What?!

T.Sparkle: I thought you were reading Daring-Do!

R.Dash: OK, OK, I MAY have accidentally took down "Think, Fight, Win" by Solar Sway instead of "Daring-Do and the Treasure of the Dragon of the Sun".

Discord laughs his tail off, prompting the others to join in.  Nightmare Moon had everything Discord said written down and she was studying the scroll, sighing.  But Discord had one more revelation:

Discord: *floats the book about the new Elements to him*  There is one small issue: This book is outdated.

Twilight Sparkle cocks her head, then gasps horrifiedly as Discord burns it up, only to blink as it seems to have suffered no damage!

Discord: Read where I marked it.

A red ribbon appears about halfway through the text.  Twilight Sparkle opens the book to that point and reads.

T.Sparkle: New Elements of Harmony: Empathy, Sincerity, Humility, Tolerance, Respect, Surprise..... Hope-Love-and-Faith?

Trixie: Our task is not concluded?

Discord: *nods* Hope, Love and Faith are the three Master Elements.  They're the only reason why there IS an Equestria after Ruinous' last attack.

P.Luna: LAST attack?  I was unaware of such occurance.

Discord: It happened about 2,000 years ago.  Ruinous' evil would've destroyed this world utterly if not for the Master Elements sealing him away.  But he's undid the seal and now he's back to threaten Equestria once again.  I HAVE to warn you of one thing: These ponies are so evil, simply purifying them as you've done me and Nightmare Moon won't work.  These ponies HAVE to be destroyed.

P.Celestia: Destroyed?

Discord nods, a solemn look on his face.

Virtuna: Well, get them before they get us, right?

T.Sparkle: Oh?

Virtuna: If what Discord says is true, we can't risk this happening again 2,000 years later.  I KNOW the Elements of Harmony aren't meant to be used as weapons of mass destruction, and I KNOW Equestrian magic usually doesn't work in the manner we need it to to defend against Ruinous, but if they're coming here to try to kill us in four ways.....

A loud stomp halts all conversation, everypony looking at the expression on Princess Celestia's face.

P.Celestia: There IS a way to make the Elements into weapons capable of defeating Ruinous and his henchponies once and for all.  The only way is for all of your hearts to beat in synch with the Heart of Equestria.  That will amplify the power of the Elements of Harmony to the point where they're powerful enough to destroy Ruinous' henchponies.  Ruinous himself will require more Elements AND the Master Elements.  With those, we can destroy Ruinous.  *looks at Discord*  Discord, do you know who weilded the Master Elements?

All eyes locked on the draconequus as he tries to think.

Discord: .........Those three took ponies of considerable power.  Outside of the princesses and MAYBE Nightmare Moon, I don't know who we can call on now.  The Elements of Hope, Faith and Love aren't just..... revealed to a pony like the other Elements are, one's spirit has to be strong enough to handle them.

T.Sparkle: I see......

P.Celestia: This is important information.  Thank you for sharing it.

N.Moon: *passes the scroll* Here, Princess.

Princess Celestia takes it and reads it, nodding satifiedly after a while.  One by one, ponies file out of Discord's chambers until only Twilight Sparkle was left with the draconequus.

T.Sparkle: Why the change?

Discord: *looks at Twilight Sparkle*  Hmm?

T.Sparkle: Why warn us about Ruinous?

Discord: Because I saw how Ruinous works, how he destroys ponies - to varying degrees of the expression.  NO pony deserves HIS wrath.....  I just..... didn't want that to happen to you girls.

Twilight Sparkle smiles and nuzzles Discord's dragon leg.  Discord looks down at her.

T.Sparkle: We got this, OK?  We will NOT fail.  We beat Nightmare Moon, we beat you and we overcame every obstacle with friendship, love and trust.  We WILL beat Ruinous AND his henchponies.  Now, come on.  THIS is not MY "Discord".

Twilight Sparkle trots out of the castle and smirks as she sees a HUGE cotton-candy raincloud!

T.Sparkle: MUCH better.

The lavender unicorn laughs as she returns home, gasping as she slips on a soapy dirt path.  She laughs and cheers as she slides all the way back to the library.

TO BE CONTINUED