Dungeons and Discords

“Is it just me?” asked Rarity apprehensively. “Or is the hedge maze… bigger?”

“It seems bigger,” said Twilight. “Discords work, probably. Trying to give us more of a challenge. But no worries! As long as we stick together, nothing can stop us!”

“We–we have to go in there?” Fluttershy quivered, staring wide-eyed at the labyrinth.

“Nah,” said Rainbow, fluttering her wings. “Discord forgot about these babies! I’ll just do a quick flyby, and we’ll have our elements back in no time!”

At which point, Rainbow’s wings glowed in a bright rainbow aura, before disconnecting, and dropping in a box.

“WHAT THE BUCK–.”

Fluttershy screamed, as her own wings vanished.

“Girls, stay CALM!” Twi’s reassurance died quickly, as her horn vanished. “STAY CALM! STAY CAAAA–”

Rarity glanced up at her (lack of) horn, and fainted.

A cackling laugh resonated, spooking several birds out of a tree.

“You should see the looks on your faces!” Discord snorted. “Priceless!”

“Enough ah this!” Applejack snorted. She pawed the ground, facing Discord. “Give em back their wings an horns!”

Discord snapped his claws, and Applejack teleported a few hooves above the ground, before falling. Her hat fluttered down on her.

“They’ll get them back in good time,” said Discord. “I simply took them to ensure there's no cheating. You see, this is the first rule of our game: no flying, and no magic.”

“The first rule?” said Rainbow skeptically.

“The second rule is everypony has to play or the game is over, and I win. Good luck, everypony!”

Discord clapped his paw and claws, teleporting Twilight and her friends away.

This is going to be easier than I thought.

Applejack looked around. She was standing in a dead end of the maze. Her friends were standing all around her, and Rarity had been revived.

“Stay calm everypony!” Twilight said. “We might not have our horns, or our wings, but we still have each other!”

“And we can do anything when we work as a team,” said Rainbow, extending a hoof. “I’m in!”

“Me too!” said Pinkie, putting her hoof over Rainbows. “Friendship rocks!”

“I know, that even when the going gets tough, that, I’ll still have my friends, to help me along the way,” said Fluttershy, putting a hoof in.

“This’ll all work out, so long as we work together y'all,” said Applejack, extending a hoof.

“I do have complete faith in the magic of friendship,” said Rarity, extending the final hoof.

Twilight nodded. “If Discord thinks that he can stop us by trapping us in here, then he’s wrong! Nothing can stop us! Not losing our wings and magic, because friendship is magic! Now let’s beat this maze and get our elements back!”

Hovering invisible above them, Discord shook his head. Time to make things interesting. He snapped his claws.

“Ahh!” yelled the Mane Six in unison, as hedge walls sprang up, separating them.

“Stay calm y’all!” Applejack said. “Head ta the middle as quick as ya can!”

“Moving out!” said Rainbow.

“See you darlings in the center!”

“Last one there’s an un-iced cupcake!”

“Um, I’ll try.”

“Okay, hopefully we can meet up quickly. Also, look for the elements!”

The Mane Six moved out.

Discord watched them go. His gaze settled on Honesty Applejack. Let’s see what you're made of.

Applejack turned another corner. She’d long lost sight of which way the middle was, and was beginning to panic. How long was she taking? Where were her friends? Where were the Elements of Harmony? Where was the Lord of Chaos himself?

And where was she?

Applejack rounded another corner, and found herself in the most interesting place in the labyrinth. Instead of the monotonous green, there was a clearing, with a shallow pond in the middle. Three piles of apples were lying around it. A light red pile, a dark red pile, and a green pile. As soon as Applejack got close, the piles animated, almost as if they were being pulled up by strings. They had taken the shape of ghosts, if ghosts stayed on the ground and were made of apples. They began laughing creepily.

“Wha?” asked Applejack, stumbling backwards. “Who are y’all?”

“Welcome to the Grove of Truth,” said the apples in unison.

“You may ask us… one question… past, future, or present… but be warned… that the truth… may not always be pleasant….”

“Alright,” said Applejack. “This place is called the Grove a’ Truth. Ah suppose I’ll ask what’s gonna come outta this whole Discord thing. I never did get ta see the script.”

“For the answer you seek…” the apples started, gesturing towards the pond. “Go ahead… take a peak….”

Applejack turned towards the pond. It was reflective, and still. And then a single rainbow-colored droplet hit the center of the pool, sending out ripples. And then, an image slowly came into view….

“I hope I never see any of you again!” Rainbow yells. “I hate all of you!”

Rarity stamps a hoof. “Not as much as I hate you Rainbow smash! I hope the Wonderbolts kick you out!”

“None of you ever cared about me!” Fluttershy sobs. “I don’t think I even want to make friends again!”

“None of you even cared about my parties!” Pinkie yells. “You big jerks! I hope you all get banished to the moon!”

“Your parties, were STUPID!” Twilight yells. “And Rarity, I wouldn’t let a convicted murderer wear one of your new line of dresses! They look awful!”

“You never truly felt me!” snapps Rarity, walking away. “I do not wish to associate myself with such… barbarians any longer.”

“Me neither!” Pinkie rages. “I’m going to find someone who actually appreciates me!” She turns and goes in a different direction from Rarity.

“Well you can go buck yourselves for all I care!” Rainbow spits. “I’m cutting ties, to go focus on the Wonderbolts!” She flies away

“I don’t even wanna see you anymore!” Fluttershy sobs, turning away.

“You know what?” Twilight says angrily. “I’m done being the glue that holds this group together. I’m out!”

The Mane Six walk away from each other, all in different directions.

The viewpoint shifts, jumping to a larger and larger picture, until eventually all that's visible, is Discord laughing, the Elements of Harmony, broken at his feet.