Discord's Escapeby Obla DiChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 1Discord's Escape Chapter 1 It was an early autumn morning, this much was a fact. What kind of morning it was, well now that was entirely a matter of opinion. For Cheerilee, teacher of Ponyville's young colts and fillies, it was a fine fall morning full of cold, clean air and pretty colors. The Ponyville primary school had decided to go to Canterlot for this year's opening field trip, and the capital never looked more stunning than it did wrapped in harvest colors of gold, red, and brown. They had even been granted permission to tour the castle's royal sculpture garden, a place that Cheerilee had always wanted to visit. Heat flooded her cheeks at the very thought of the venerable old statues and the feel of crisp leaves underhoof as she lectured to young and hungry minds. Oh yes, this was a fine morning indeed. "Come on, my little ponies," The happy purple mare piped to her students, trailing behind her on the winding path to the garden. "Best not to keep the princess waiting." There was a suppressed groan in response. For Cheerilee's class, it was a foul and miserable morning. Today they were up from their beds before Celestia even raised the sun, packed on a train all the way to Canterlot, and forced to listen to their teacher babble all morning long. It was cold, it was windy, it was boring, and all these Canterlot ponies were gawking at them and their manically chattering teacher. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon shared looks of icy snobbishness while Snips and Snails looked to desperately wish they were back in bed. Twist's eyes were vacant behind her glasses, seeing more of imaginary sweets than the world infront, and the cutie mark crusaders seemed hardly able to find the energy for their cutie mark crusade. Oh yes, this was a foul morning indeed. "What's so special about a bunch of stupid rocks anyway?" Scootaloo complained noisily as the wind flustered her budding wings. "They aren't just rocks dear," Cheerilee said. "The statues which occupy the royal sculpture garden are old and mysterious things as well as works of art, artifacts from a time long past. They illustrate Equestria's history in a way that a mere book never could." "Well, at least when a book bores you, it can do it indoors," Scootaloo whispered to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. The three cutie mark crusaders giggled together. "What are you silly fillies chuckling at?" Cheerilee asked. "Aw nothin," Apple Bloom spoke up. "Just thinkin about how history can be funny sometimes." "Oh yes, indeed it can," Cheerilee beamed. "In fact, did you know that back in the days where power was divided between Celestia and her council, it used to be considered a crime to …" The entire class, including her friends, turned evil eyes upon Apple Bloom as their teacher drawled. The smallest member of the apple family blushed profusely until she was almost as red as her bow. They wouldn't have to listen for long however. Cheerilee fell silent as the little class from Ponyville came upon the twisting iron gates to the sculpture garden. Waiting for them at the entrance to the castle grounds was an unfamiliar figure, a dark pony with an obsidian crown behind her unicorn's horn and folded pegasus wings. It was true they were expecting to encounter an alicorn, but it was the bright and familiar Princess Celestia they thought to meet, not this mysterious star maned creature marked with a crescent moon. Cheerilee's students huddled behind their teacher, remembering the tales of Nightmare Moon their parents used to tell to give them reason to fear the dark. "Princess Luna," Cheerilee said, tenuously stepping forward. It was not just the presence of the night princess that was a surprise, her appearance was a shock as well. The Luna Cheerilee remembered seeing back in Ponyville a year or so ago was a shy little thing that would not have looked out of place behind a school desk, not this tall and majestic mare. The coloring and the markings were the same however, and alicorn magic was very powerful. "What an unexpected honor." Loud was not the word for it. "THE HONOR IS OURS, CITIZEN!" Luna vocally assaulted the teacher. Using her superior height, she peaked over Cheerilee at her students and grinned wolfishly. Snips and Snails, started to shake when she met them with her eyes. "HELLO CHILDREN!" Cheerilee was stunned silent for a moment. Her studies in history however had taught her that this form of address was common back in the day, so she ignored her frightened instincts. "If … if I may ask princess, what is it you are doing here? We were expecting your royal sister." Luna said, "IN THE OLD DAYS, WE WERE CONSIDERED THE PATRON OF PHILOSOPHERS, POETS, SCHOLARS, AND ALL THOSE WITH A LOVE FOR THE STUDY OF THE GREAT AND MYSTERIOUS. WE ARE TO UNDERSTAND IT HAS BECOME CUSTOM TO FORCE CHILDREN TO LEARN SUCH THINGS, CORRECT?" "Um, yes?" "GLORIOUS!" Luna exclaimed, raising a silvery hoof to the air like she had just conquered a nation. "BE GRATEFUL FOR THIS MODERN BOON CHILDREN, FOR IN A PAST AGE THOU WOULDST HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO WASTE THY COLT AND FILLY YEARS PLAYING AND MAKING MISCHIEF!" Scootaloo might have made a sarcastic comment about that if she wasn't huddled with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, fighting to not become cutie mark ground wetters. "REGARDLESS, WE HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE UP OUR SISTER'S ROLE IN INTRODUCING YOUNG SCHOLARS TO THE ROYAL CANTERLOT SCULPTURE GARDEN!" Luna was smiling sincerely. Cheerilee's ears actually perked up at that. "Really? It would be fascinating to hear from somepony who was actually alive during so many historical events." "YES, WE ARE ANXIOUS FOR IT AS WELL!" Luna trumpeted joyously. "HOWEVER, IT IS EARLY MORNING AND FIRST WE MUST INFORM CELESTIA OF WHAT HATH HAPPENED TO OUR KINGDOM UNDER OUR WATCH THIS NIGHT. BEGIN THY TOUR WITHOUT US, AND WE SHALL RETURN SHORTLY! HUZZAH!" Luna's dark wings shot out to her sides, and there was a palpable gust of wind as she took flight. She made towards one of the high spires of the castle in the short distance and was there within seconds. They all sat dumbfounded, watching Luna for a few moments. "Well, won't that be interesting? Come on class," Cheerilee said, trotting through the tall iron gates into the sculpture garden. The twisting paths of the courtyard spread before them full of splendid and wonderful things. The hedge maze stood bushy and enigmatic in the center, and statues of ponies great and majestic towered up around them. Diamond Tiara spoke up. "She's not really coming back is she?" "I don't see why not, she said that she would. Quite loudly in fact," Cheerilee chuckled. "Uh, she's not gonna eat us is she?" Snips asked in a nervous nasally voice. "Now Snips, she's not a monster. She's just having," Cheerilee paused, "A little trouble fitting in. Now come on, let's get going," She raised her hoof and pointed it in the general direction of a certain singing Draconequus statue. "How I loathe being made of stone," The mind of Discord thought from within his flinty prison. Oh, and HOW he hated it. Stone was unyielding, unchanging, and pedantically law abiding; all the most boring properties in the whole universe in one substance. No elbow room at all, and absolutely no fun to be had. Anything else he would have been able to slither out of in time, but not stone. You can't make bargains with something so utterly apathetic, you can't play games with that which refuses to make a move. It was his perfect prison and his perfect torture. And being that Discord's mind was now made of that horrible unmoving substance, he was doomed to be forever frozen thinking this one line of thought: the contemplation of his own entrapment. "How I loathe being made of stone." "How I loathe being made of stone." "How I loathe being made of stone." "How I loathe being made of stone." "How I loathe being made of stone." "I really must think of something cleverer to think of if this happens to me again." A pause. "Did I just, yes I must have. Oh my, I'm doing it right now. Cogito Ergo Discord. It seems that my mind has finally been freed from that wretched, petrified state. Woohoo, time to dance. Hmm, it seems my arms and legs are still made of stone. Well woohoo regardless, I'm just going to imagine myself dancing." Discord's mind shuffle was interrupted however when he began to hear sounds from the outside, muffled by his stone ears but no longer muted. It sounded like his favorite noise: arguing ponies. "Confusion" "Evil" "Chaos" It was like music, a beautiful cacophony of sound. Oh, if he was feeling good before, now he was in an excellent mood. He wanted to hear more, but the quarreling pony voices were getting fainter. Fire and acid burned in his newly awakened thoughts. He wanted to hear more! "Now now Discord, play will come later. Find a way to release yourself fully and you can conduct a veritable symphony of chaos," he promised himself. Discord let his senses extend outward. The first thing he came into contact with was, rather obviously, his prison. He was still stuck in stone, but the pressure was gone. For whatever purpose, the active binding influence left by the elements of harmony was missing, meaning that all that held him was a layer of crumbly rock and old caked on magic, and that weakened. Why, he was held by hardly a thread. In his excitement, Discord tried to break out through a show of brute strength. The stone heaved a little, but try as he might it would not shatter. Okay, so maybe it was a strong thread. "That's alright, all I need is help from a little more outside chaos, like what those three darling fallen angels were singing to me." Discord continued to probe. He could feel new cracks in his prison through which he could look and slip a proverbial claw to influence the outside world a bit. He let his mind expand outward again, through the fissures in the stone, and to the world around. The sun was shining bright and stinking of Celestia's influence, and all around him were a bunch of happy growing things marching through the predictable drivel of their life cycles. Oh, how the world needed him, but focus. There were a number of other statues around. He casually wondered if they were also victims of the alicorn sisters, but he doubted it and he didn't really care anyway. He sensed a hedge maze, a pathetic farce of the art form. Far too predictable; he doubted the paths even changed. And that's when he found them. Six little fillies and two colts. Children were so prone to conflict that it would almost be no fun to drive them to it. Almost. Had anypony been close enough to the cracking Draconequus statue, they might have heard a dark laugh echoing forth from its rotten core. Chapter 2Chapter 2 Cheerilee and her class were studying a statue of the ancient Commander Hurricane, wings stretched and garbed in full military apparel, when Luna returned. "You might remember her from the plays held each year on Hearth's Warming Eve," Cheerilee smiled at the memory of last year's performance. "Quite a hothead." Luna dropped down from the sky behind her, two wicker baskets floating magically at either side. "ACTUALLY, THE CONCEPTION OF COMMANDER HURRICANE AS AN IRATE AND IMBECILIC WARMONGER IS SOMETHING OF A MODERN FOLK CONSTRUCTION," Luna began, causing some ponies, including Cheerilee, to physically jump in surprise. "HISTORY TELLS US THAT COMMANDER HURRICANE WAS ACTUALLY A COLD, POLITE, AND BRILLIANT MILITARY STRATEGIST. SHE MAY HAVE BEEN SOMETHING OF A SOCIOPATH AS WELL. WE STUDIED SOME OF HER TACTICS IN OUR YOUTH, AND FOUND A BRUTAL EFFICENCY, EASY WILLINGNESS TO SACRIFICE, AND ABSOLUTELY NO ROOM LEFT FOR MERCY ON THE BATTLEFIELD. REGARDLESS, HOW WOULDST THOU FANCY BREAKING FAST WITH US?" Luna once again found herself being stared at. Frowning, she laid down her two baskets and awkwardly opened them to expose a variety of rolls, fruits, and vegetables. "Oh, of course we'll have breakfast with you princess," Cheerilee said upon coming to her wits. "Thank you for your hospitality." Cheerilee helped Luna roll out the two picnic blankets, decorated in ornate patterns of blue and white and gold, but she supposed that was rather austere for royalty. They began to unpack the makings of a mini-banquet. There were shelled walnuts, and pomegranate, and thick butter for rolls of dark rye bread. There were sliced pears, canters of fresh squeezed juices, and two steaming golden vegetable pies. It was the perfect picnic for an early autumn morning such as this. The children kept their distance. Snips and Snails were peeking out suspiciously from behind either side of Commander Hurricane, while Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara had their heads so close together in gossip they might as well be one pony. The cutie mark crusaders had the tact to at least pretend they were studying a nearby statue, but they were betrayed by the constant peaks they kept stealing at the night princess. Frazzle maned Twist had initially kept her distance as well, but she was lured over when Luna began to pull out the pastries coated in sugar dust. "Come on everypony, it's time to eat," Cheerilee called out to her class. They approached very reluctantly and very cautiously. Except for Twist who was happily munching on a candied apple between Luna and herself, all of Cheerilee's students had chosen to crowd around the far end of the other picnic blanket, the end away from Princess Luna. They looked suspiciously upon the gorgeous spread the princess had generously provided as if it were poison, pawing and sniffing at it without taking a bite. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were crumbling apart a slice of vegetable pie to discern its contents while Apple Bloom had a slice of apple up to her eye, appraising whether it was truly the same kind of fruit as was grown on her family's farm. Cheerilee shot a chastening look at her students for their rudeness, but unfortunately, she was not the only one who had noticed. A somber shadow was cast upon Princess Luna's features. "FEAST CHILDREN FEAST! THY PRINCESS IMPLORES THEE EAT!" she announced. They were all quick to shove something in their faces after that. Snails, who had been examining a plate of condiment, found himself with a mouth full of butter. And porcelain. Satisfied, Luna summoned and undid the lid of a small silver thermos with her magic, and filled for herself a cup of black, black coffee. "SO CHILDREN TELL US, WHAT HATH BEEN THY FAVORITE STATUE THUS FAR?" she asked. Cheerilee answered for them when none spoke up, "Those three were having a spirited debate about your Draconequus." She said, designating Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle huddled towards the back. The three smiled nervously. Luna did not answer immediately. She took a drink of the steaming hot coffee, a long drink, and when she did eventually speak it was not even loud enough to rupture anypony's eardrums. "We are not overly fond of that one personally." There was a thick silence after that, but it didn't last long. It's hard for anypony to remember to be silent when there is steaming food below them, singing birds above, and good friends all around. Cheerilee's class slowly forgot their fears and were talking, eating, and laughing with each other. Cheerilee herself had struck up a fascinating conversation about history with Princess Luna who, forgetting some of her formality, managed to keep her voice down to a dull roar. Cheerilee thought she might have even heard her accidentally let slip an "I" or a "you" now and then. Her students began to slowly but certainly inch towards Luna. The braver among them even addressed the occasional question or comment to her, which made the princess very happy. All was well for a while until it was ended by a blood curdling scream. It was Diamond Tiara. The little pink filly was backing away from the split role she had been nibbling at, and it was soon apparent why. Out from the underside of the roll came crawling a fat, green, slimy slug. It left a mucus trail right over Diamond Tiara's teeth marks. "YOU!" Diamond Tiara hissed, pointing an accusing hoof at Snails, "So that's your special talent? Putting bugs on other ponies' food?" The lanky yellow colt stared confusedly. "Hey!" Snips said, coming to the defense of his friend. "You can't go blaming Snails just because you're too dumb to watch your food. Would you go blaming Silver Spoon if you found a spoon in your soup? And besides, Snails' cutie mark is a snail, not a slug. Duh." "Spoons are supposed to go in soup stupid," Diamond Tiara sniffed. "And a snail is a dumb cutie mark, almost as dumb as scissors!" Snips gasped. That was going too far. "Well at least scissors can do something besides sit on your head and your butt!" "Now now," Cheerilee said, "It was just an accident, nothing to get upset over, and certainly nothing to fight over. Slugs get hungry too you know." "Miss Cheerilee's right," Apple Bloom said walking forward to put herself between Diamond Tiara and Snips. "We're disrespecting Miss Luna and this lovely meal she's prepared for-" Apple Bloom tripped and landed face first in the vegetable pie. She rose up slowly, broccoli and tomato sliding down her face. "Scootaloo, why'd you trip me?" "Hey, wasn't me." Scootaloo said. "It was either Sweetie Belle or your big stupid feet." "HEY!" Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom screamed in unison. As the cutie mark crusaders began to squabble, Apple Bloom shook off the vegetable pie stuck on her face, and as if by some magic, each piece that left her seemed to hit either Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon. "Watch what you're doing Apple Bum!" Silver Spoon screeched as she and Diamond Tiara joined the quarrel. "Ow! Who kicked me?" Snips yelped, and soon Snails and he were arguing as well. The dispute quickly lost any sembelence of reasonableness and was soon devolved into a melee of pushing and name calling. "Oh dear," Cheerilee frowned, getting up from her seat next to Princess Luna. She hovered around the quarreling ponies, offering consoling words that went unheard. Luna looked on with drooped ears as the arguing got louder and fiercer. She had not imagined the first day with her young scholars going like this. "Excuth me Princeth Luna." Luna looked down to see Twist, the only one refrained from the fighting, nudging at her foreleg. Her thick lensed spectacles amplified the creases of worry sprouting up on her young face. "What is it child?" "Isth there sthomething wrong with that statue?" She pointed over towards the singing Draconequus a little distance away. Luna looked past the fighting and saw the statue of Discord crumbling. Horror filled her. Chapter 3Chapter 3 "SILENCE!" the syllables echoed and rang through the statue garden, so loud that birds atop the nearby Canterlot castle were spooked to take flight. The fighting immediately ceased and every eye was upon her. Luna did not notice the fear beginning to stir within their hearts. Of course, neither had she noticed that she was standing, wings spread, and shaking with adrenaline. She was aware only of the crumbling statue. "It … It was her!" Snips accused. "It was Nightmare Moon everypony! She used her dark magic to make all this bad stuff happen!" Luna did not believe they would be so stupid as to believe the little idiot, she could not believe. Sure enough however, whispers of "Nightmare Moon" began to build to as they collectively backed away from her. "Children please." Cheerilee pleaded. did not have time to plead. "THOU MUST DESIST!" she roared at them. "THOU ROUSEST A CREATURE FAR DARKER THAN THOU CANST POSSIBLY KNOW." That only caused their voices to heighten hysterically and their bodies to start quivering. "Every pony for herself!" Scootaloo screamed. Cheerilee cried as her students went scattering off in all directions. Luna did not bother to chase them. She was racing towards the statue of Discord, horn crackling with magical potency, as the last flecks of stone fell away. Just before she was upon him there was a flash of blinding white light that left her unable to see. When her vision returned, he was there in all his disgusting glory. Head of a pony, tail of a snake, limbs stolen from a menagerie, Discord, the king of chaos, was doing squat thrusts. "Oh that feeeeeeeeeeeels good!" Discord cried to the heavens as his horse and lizard legs contorted beneath his disgusting body. He spied Luna staring at him and smiled. "You have no idea, and I mean no idea, what kind of crick I have in my neck right now." True to form, Discord took hold of his head and gave it a 180 degree twist, releasing an array of sickening cracks. He did the same in the reverse direction. "DISCORD!" Luna challenged, teeth bared. "HOW DIDST THOU ESCAPE THY PRISON?" "Beats me," Discord chuckled. He had switched to doing pull-ups using an invisible bar. "As far as I can tell however, you and your sister's spell stopped working because you two got disconnected from the elements. After that it was just a matter of stirring up a little chaos, and here I am." Gravity seemed to reverse upon the Draconequus and he was now using his snake tail to do … pull-downs. "Now the more interesting question in this little chain of events is why you and your sister should be disconnected from the elements. What possible reason could there be to take a weapon that can only harm evil from the hooves of those who can only do good? My guess is because suddenly one of you wasn't so good, and they needed to use that weapon against you. And I doubt of the two of you it was goody-goody Celestia." Discord looked her square in the eye and smiled his best crooked tooth smile. "You were always my favorite Luna. You can be so naughty when you put your mind to it." "ENOUGH OF THY BANTER FOOL! WE ARE GLAD THOU HATH ESCAPED, WE HATH ALWAYS REGRETED NOT MAKING SURE THY END WAS PERMANENT." Luna lowered her head and charged Discord, but he slithered out of her reach before she could gore him. "Eager as always my dear, but I'm afraid I'm still a little sore. Our dance will have to wait." Discord's mismatched wings began flapping. Luna took to the air and followed him easily. "WE FIGHT NOW!" "Now now now, my impatient little princess," Discord tutted, "don't think I was going to leave you empty hoofed." he snapped the claws of his talon and a groan emitted from the statue garden. Stone limbs slowly loosened, and the blunt faced sculptures began to step down from their pedestals. They began to pursue Ponyville's colts and fillies as they ran about in panic. "You'd better go help them," Discord said, "I'd hate to see the ones who helped free me come to harm." He laughed that horrible Discord laugh as he flew off into the autumnal dawn. Luna was at an impasse. Tactical strategy dictate she leave the little ones to their fate and engage Discord while he was still weak from imprisonment, perhaps ending his threat to Equestria before it began. She would not be able to defeat him once he had regained his full strength. Ethically speaking however, she had a duty to defend the weak when and where she could, not to sell their lives as bargaining tokens. It was the little voice that reminded her of what her old self would have done that drove Luna to dive down toward the statue garden. "It's okay children, just stay behind me." Cheerilee tried to comfort her students. Cheerilee was gathering her ponies fleeing imaginary demons when the true nightmare started. The statues she had always wanted to see had lurched to life and started to come after her and the kids. She had managed to gather them, but now the statues had backed them into a corner against one of the unyielding iron fences encasing the courtyard. "I told you these were stupid rocks!" Scootaloo sobbed. They were all crying now. Truth be told she wanted to cry too, but she didn't. She couldn't. Cheerilee had to protect her students. Now she, a little purple earth pony with smiling flowers on her flank, was all that stood between them and the faceless sculpture of Commander Hurricane lumbering forward, its big stone wings flapping in slow viscid beats. Luna landed in front of Cheerilee, taking a fighting pose against the animated stone. "AND THOU STAYEST BEHIND US!" she lowered her horn and launched a wave of telekinetic force at the abomination. The millennia old statue flew backwards and shattered into a thousand pieces as it hit the ground. Luna turned to comfort Cheerilee and her students. "See, thou hath no reason to fear; thou shalt be safe under the protection of thy princess." Luna's words were short lived, as she was soon slammed in the side by a giant Starswirl the Bearded. She was thrown a solid five feet and landed hard, skidding an extra two. Cheerilee and her students screamed in terror as the pre-classical wizard approached them in granite and lichen robes. Luna winced through the pain and worked another spell. Pure dark energies came spilling forth to engulf the statue. One second it writhed as the dark energies consumed it, and the next it was simply gone. Luna continued in this way for five solid minutes, fighting off Discord's monstrosities and ferociously defending her subjects. Her injuries and the heavy use of magic began to take their toll however, and Luna found herself becoming faint. Her mind was slowing, and her movements were becoming sloppy. Just when she thought she could take no more, she caught sight of salvation. The silhouette of dozens of pegasi showed bold and heroic against the sun. As they came closer, Luna smiled to identify her sister and the bulk of her royal guard. The gilded pegasi dropped from the sky like holy fire, chopping the remaining statues to pieces with the razor edge on their wings. Celestia came up to Luna, mane cascading color away from a body of burnished white. Luna smiled. Her sister looked beautiful in the shine of her rising sun. "I'm afraid you were right sister," Luna said, dropping exhausted to her belly. "I was not prepared to give this tour." Celestia turned to one of the guards beside her, his golden armor glinting. "Escort these ones out of here." She said, gesturing to Cheerilee and her class. A parameter of guards formed around the citizens of Ponyville and began to march them out. That hardly seemed necessary at this point however, as whatever remained of the possessed statues were being ground into a finer and finer powder. Cheerilee cast one final grateful glance at Luna before being led away. "Oh Luna, you're injured," Celestia sighed, looking at Luna's ruffled wing. "I am sorry I did not realize what was happening sooner," Her horn began to glow with healing magic as she fixed her dark sibling's side. The mending hurt, but Luna made no complaint. "He's back sister," she said. Celestia was quiet as she knit flesh and feather and bone back into place. "Yes, I feared as much." When she felt the healing was finished Luna got back on her hooves, a little unsteadily at first. She was still light headed and a little pained, but she snapped herself to clarity in an act of pure will. "You must summon the new holders of the elements," Luna said. Celestia nodded. "I can have a letter to them within minutes." "Good," Luna said. She gazed up at the sky in thought, in the direction that Discord had fled. It would start soon. "You should rest Luna," Celestia said. "You were hurt badly, healing or no healing." "That's a luxury I don't have sister. Our kingdom will need what help I can provide it." Celestia sighed under the burden of being an older sister. "I cannot presume to command you. What are you planning to do?" Luna continued looking skyward. It was a crisp autumn morning, and sticky pink clouds were beginning to form in the sky. This much was a fact. "Damage control."
Chapter 1Discord's Escape Chapter 1 It was an early autumn morning, this much was a fact. What kind of morning it was, well now that was entirely a matter of opinion. For Cheerilee, teacher of Ponyville's young colts and fillies, it was a fine fall morning full of cold, clean air and pretty colors. The Ponyville primary school had decided to go to Canterlot for this year's opening field trip, and the capital never looked more stunning than it did wrapped in harvest colors of gold, red, and brown. They had even been granted permission to tour the castle's royal sculpture garden, a place that Cheerilee had always wanted to visit. Heat flooded her cheeks at the very thought of the venerable old statues and the feel of crisp leaves underhoof as she lectured to young and hungry minds. Oh yes, this was a fine morning indeed. "Come on, my little ponies," The happy purple mare piped to her students, trailing behind her on the winding path to the garden. "Best not to keep the princess waiting." There was a suppressed groan in response. For Cheerilee's class, it was a foul and miserable morning. Today they were up from their beds before Celestia even raised the sun, packed on a train all the way to Canterlot, and forced to listen to their teacher babble all morning long. It was cold, it was windy, it was boring, and all these Canterlot ponies were gawking at them and their manically chattering teacher. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon shared looks of icy snobbishness while Snips and Snails looked to desperately wish they were back in bed. Twist's eyes were vacant behind her glasses, seeing more of imaginary sweets than the world infront, and the cutie mark crusaders seemed hardly able to find the energy for their cutie mark crusade. Oh yes, this was a foul morning indeed. "What's so special about a bunch of stupid rocks anyway?" Scootaloo complained noisily as the wind flustered her budding wings. "They aren't just rocks dear," Cheerilee said. "The statues which occupy the royal sculpture garden are old and mysterious things as well as works of art, artifacts from a time long past. They illustrate Equestria's history in a way that a mere book never could." "Well, at least when a book bores you, it can do it indoors," Scootaloo whispered to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. The three cutie mark crusaders giggled together. "What are you silly fillies chuckling at?" Cheerilee asked. "Aw nothin," Apple Bloom spoke up. "Just thinkin about how history can be funny sometimes." "Oh yes, indeed it can," Cheerilee beamed. "In fact, did you know that back in the days where power was divided between Celestia and her council, it used to be considered a crime to …" The entire class, including her friends, turned evil eyes upon Apple Bloom as their teacher drawled. The smallest member of the apple family blushed profusely until she was almost as red as her bow. They wouldn't have to listen for long however. Cheerilee fell silent as the little class from Ponyville came upon the twisting iron gates to the sculpture garden. Waiting for them at the entrance to the castle grounds was an unfamiliar figure, a dark pony with an obsidian crown behind her unicorn's horn and folded pegasus wings. It was true they were expecting to encounter an alicorn, but it was the bright and familiar Princess Celestia they thought to meet, not this mysterious star maned creature marked with a crescent moon. Cheerilee's students huddled behind their teacher, remembering the tales of Nightmare Moon their parents used to tell to give them reason to fear the dark. "Princess Luna," Cheerilee said, tenuously stepping forward. It was not just the presence of the night princess that was a surprise, her appearance was a shock as well. The Luna Cheerilee remembered seeing back in Ponyville a year or so ago was a shy little thing that would not have looked out of place behind a school desk, not this tall and majestic mare. The coloring and the markings were the same however, and alicorn magic was very powerful. "What an unexpected honor." Loud was not the word for it. "THE HONOR IS OURS, CITIZEN!" Luna vocally assaulted the teacher. Using her superior height, she peaked over Cheerilee at her students and grinned wolfishly. Snips and Snails, started to shake when she met them with her eyes. "HELLO CHILDREN!" Cheerilee was stunned silent for a moment. Her studies in history however had taught her that this form of address was common back in the day, so she ignored her frightened instincts. "If … if I may ask princess, what is it you are doing here? We were expecting your royal sister." Luna said, "IN THE OLD DAYS, WE WERE CONSIDERED THE PATRON OF PHILOSOPHERS, POETS, SCHOLARS, AND ALL THOSE WITH A LOVE FOR THE STUDY OF THE GREAT AND MYSTERIOUS. WE ARE TO UNDERSTAND IT HAS BECOME CUSTOM TO FORCE CHILDREN TO LEARN SUCH THINGS, CORRECT?" "Um, yes?" "GLORIOUS!" Luna exclaimed, raising a silvery hoof to the air like she had just conquered a nation. "BE GRATEFUL FOR THIS MODERN BOON CHILDREN, FOR IN A PAST AGE THOU WOULDST HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO WASTE THY COLT AND FILLY YEARS PLAYING AND MAKING MISCHIEF!" Scootaloo might have made a sarcastic comment about that if she wasn't huddled with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, fighting to not become cutie mark ground wetters. "REGARDLESS, WE HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE UP OUR SISTER'S ROLE IN INTRODUCING YOUNG SCHOLARS TO THE ROYAL CANTERLOT SCULPTURE GARDEN!" Luna was smiling sincerely. Cheerilee's ears actually perked up at that. "Really? It would be fascinating to hear from somepony who was actually alive during so many historical events." "YES, WE ARE ANXIOUS FOR IT AS WELL!" Luna trumpeted joyously. "HOWEVER, IT IS EARLY MORNING AND FIRST WE MUST INFORM CELESTIA OF WHAT HATH HAPPENED TO OUR KINGDOM UNDER OUR WATCH THIS NIGHT. BEGIN THY TOUR WITHOUT US, AND WE SHALL RETURN SHORTLY! HUZZAH!" Luna's dark wings shot out to her sides, and there was a palpable gust of wind as she took flight. She made towards one of the high spires of the castle in the short distance and was there within seconds. They all sat dumbfounded, watching Luna for a few moments. "Well, won't that be interesting? Come on class," Cheerilee said, trotting through the tall iron gates into the sculpture garden. The twisting paths of the courtyard spread before them full of splendid and wonderful things. The hedge maze stood bushy and enigmatic in the center, and statues of ponies great and majestic towered up around them. Diamond Tiara spoke up. "She's not really coming back is she?" "I don't see why not, she said that she would. Quite loudly in fact," Cheerilee chuckled. "Uh, she's not gonna eat us is she?" Snips asked in a nervous nasally voice. "Now Snips, she's not a monster. She's just having," Cheerilee paused, "A little trouble fitting in. Now come on, let's get going," She raised her hoof and pointed it in the general direction of a certain singing Draconequus statue. "How I loathe being made of stone," The mind of Discord thought from within his flinty prison. Oh, and HOW he hated it. Stone was unyielding, unchanging, and pedantically law abiding; all the most boring properties in the whole universe in one substance. No elbow room at all, and absolutely no fun to be had. Anything else he would have been able to slither out of in time, but not stone. You can't make bargains with something so utterly apathetic, you can't play games with that which refuses to make a move. It was his perfect prison and his perfect torture. And being that Discord's mind was now made of that horrible unmoving substance, he was doomed to be forever frozen thinking this one line of thought: the contemplation of his own entrapment. "How I loathe being made of stone." "How I loathe being made of stone." "How I loathe being made of stone." "How I loathe being made of stone." "How I loathe being made of stone." "I really must think of something cleverer to think of if this happens to me again." A pause. "Did I just, yes I must have. Oh my, I'm doing it right now. Cogito Ergo Discord. It seems that my mind has finally been freed from that wretched, petrified state. Woohoo, time to dance. Hmm, it seems my arms and legs are still made of stone. Well woohoo regardless, I'm just going to imagine myself dancing." Discord's mind shuffle was interrupted however when he began to hear sounds from the outside, muffled by his stone ears but no longer muted. It sounded like his favorite noise: arguing ponies. "Confusion" "Evil" "Chaos" It was like music, a beautiful cacophony of sound. Oh, if he was feeling good before, now he was in an excellent mood. He wanted to hear more, but the quarreling pony voices were getting fainter. Fire and acid burned in his newly awakened thoughts. He wanted to hear more! "Now now Discord, play will come later. Find a way to release yourself fully and you can conduct a veritable symphony of chaos," he promised himself. Discord let his senses extend outward. The first thing he came into contact with was, rather obviously, his prison. He was still stuck in stone, but the pressure was gone. For whatever purpose, the active binding influence left by the elements of harmony was missing, meaning that all that held him was a layer of crumbly rock and old caked on magic, and that weakened. Why, he was held by hardly a thread. In his excitement, Discord tried to break out through a show of brute strength. The stone heaved a little, but try as he might it would not shatter. Okay, so maybe it was a strong thread. "That's alright, all I need is help from a little more outside chaos, like what those three darling fallen angels were singing to me." Discord continued to probe. He could feel new cracks in his prison through which he could look and slip a proverbial claw to influence the outside world a bit. He let his mind expand outward again, through the fissures in the stone, and to the world around. The sun was shining bright and stinking of Celestia's influence, and all around him were a bunch of happy growing things marching through the predictable drivel of their life cycles. Oh, how the world needed him, but focus. There were a number of other statues around. He casually wondered if they were also victims of the alicorn sisters, but he doubted it and he didn't really care anyway. He sensed a hedge maze, a pathetic farce of the art form. Far too predictable; he doubted the paths even changed. And that's when he found them. Six little fillies and two colts. Children were so prone to conflict that it would almost be no fun to drive them to it. Almost. Had anypony been close enough to the cracking Draconequus statue, they might have heard a dark laugh echoing forth from its rotten core.
Chapter 2Chapter 2 Cheerilee and her class were studying a statue of the ancient Commander Hurricane, wings stretched and garbed in full military apparel, when Luna returned. "You might remember her from the plays held each year on Hearth's Warming Eve," Cheerilee smiled at the memory of last year's performance. "Quite a hothead." Luna dropped down from the sky behind her, two wicker baskets floating magically at either side. "ACTUALLY, THE CONCEPTION OF COMMANDER HURRICANE AS AN IRATE AND IMBECILIC WARMONGER IS SOMETHING OF A MODERN FOLK CONSTRUCTION," Luna began, causing some ponies, including Cheerilee, to physically jump in surprise. "HISTORY TELLS US THAT COMMANDER HURRICANE WAS ACTUALLY A COLD, POLITE, AND BRILLIANT MILITARY STRATEGIST. SHE MAY HAVE BEEN SOMETHING OF A SOCIOPATH AS WELL. WE STUDIED SOME OF HER TACTICS IN OUR YOUTH, AND FOUND A BRUTAL EFFICENCY, EASY WILLINGNESS TO SACRIFICE, AND ABSOLUTELY NO ROOM LEFT FOR MERCY ON THE BATTLEFIELD. REGARDLESS, HOW WOULDST THOU FANCY BREAKING FAST WITH US?" Luna once again found herself being stared at. Frowning, she laid down her two baskets and awkwardly opened them to expose a variety of rolls, fruits, and vegetables. "Oh, of course we'll have breakfast with you princess," Cheerilee said upon coming to her wits. "Thank you for your hospitality." Cheerilee helped Luna roll out the two picnic blankets, decorated in ornate patterns of blue and white and gold, but she supposed that was rather austere for royalty. They began to unpack the makings of a mini-banquet. There were shelled walnuts, and pomegranate, and thick butter for rolls of dark rye bread. There were sliced pears, canters of fresh squeezed juices, and two steaming golden vegetable pies. It was the perfect picnic for an early autumn morning such as this. The children kept their distance. Snips and Snails were peeking out suspiciously from behind either side of Commander Hurricane, while Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara had their heads so close together in gossip they might as well be one pony. The cutie mark crusaders had the tact to at least pretend they were studying a nearby statue, but they were betrayed by the constant peaks they kept stealing at the night princess. Frazzle maned Twist had initially kept her distance as well, but she was lured over when Luna began to pull out the pastries coated in sugar dust. "Come on everypony, it's time to eat," Cheerilee called out to her class. They approached very reluctantly and very cautiously. Except for Twist who was happily munching on a candied apple between Luna and herself, all of Cheerilee's students had chosen to crowd around the far end of the other picnic blanket, the end away from Princess Luna. They looked suspiciously upon the gorgeous spread the princess had generously provided as if it were poison, pawing and sniffing at it without taking a bite. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were crumbling apart a slice of vegetable pie to discern its contents while Apple Bloom had a slice of apple up to her eye, appraising whether it was truly the same kind of fruit as was grown on her family's farm. Cheerilee shot a chastening look at her students for their rudeness, but unfortunately, she was not the only one who had noticed. A somber shadow was cast upon Princess Luna's features. "FEAST CHILDREN FEAST! THY PRINCESS IMPLORES THEE EAT!" she announced. They were all quick to shove something in their faces after that. Snails, who had been examining a plate of condiment, found himself with a mouth full of butter. And porcelain. Satisfied, Luna summoned and undid the lid of a small silver thermos with her magic, and filled for herself a cup of black, black coffee. "SO CHILDREN TELL US, WHAT HATH BEEN THY FAVORITE STATUE THUS FAR?" she asked. Cheerilee answered for them when none spoke up, "Those three were having a spirited debate about your Draconequus." She said, designating Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle huddled towards the back. The three smiled nervously. Luna did not answer immediately. She took a drink of the steaming hot coffee, a long drink, and when she did eventually speak it was not even loud enough to rupture anypony's eardrums. "We are not overly fond of that one personally." There was a thick silence after that, but it didn't last long. It's hard for anypony to remember to be silent when there is steaming food below them, singing birds above, and good friends all around. Cheerilee's class slowly forgot their fears and were talking, eating, and laughing with each other. Cheerilee herself had struck up a fascinating conversation about history with Princess Luna who, forgetting some of her formality, managed to keep her voice down to a dull roar. Cheerilee thought she might have even heard her accidentally let slip an "I" or a "you" now and then. Her students began to slowly but certainly inch towards Luna. The braver among them even addressed the occasional question or comment to her, which made the princess very happy. All was well for a while until it was ended by a blood curdling scream. It was Diamond Tiara. The little pink filly was backing away from the split role she had been nibbling at, and it was soon apparent why. Out from the underside of the roll came crawling a fat, green, slimy slug. It left a mucus trail right over Diamond Tiara's teeth marks. "YOU!" Diamond Tiara hissed, pointing an accusing hoof at Snails, "So that's your special talent? Putting bugs on other ponies' food?" The lanky yellow colt stared confusedly. "Hey!" Snips said, coming to the defense of his friend. "You can't go blaming Snails just because you're too dumb to watch your food. Would you go blaming Silver Spoon if you found a spoon in your soup? And besides, Snails' cutie mark is a snail, not a slug. Duh." "Spoons are supposed to go in soup stupid," Diamond Tiara sniffed. "And a snail is a dumb cutie mark, almost as dumb as scissors!" Snips gasped. That was going too far. "Well at least scissors can do something besides sit on your head and your butt!" "Now now," Cheerilee said, "It was just an accident, nothing to get upset over, and certainly nothing to fight over. Slugs get hungry too you know." "Miss Cheerilee's right," Apple Bloom said walking forward to put herself between Diamond Tiara and Snips. "We're disrespecting Miss Luna and this lovely meal she's prepared for-" Apple Bloom tripped and landed face first in the vegetable pie. She rose up slowly, broccoli and tomato sliding down her face. "Scootaloo, why'd you trip me?" "Hey, wasn't me." Scootaloo said. "It was either Sweetie Belle or your big stupid feet." "HEY!" Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom screamed in unison. As the cutie mark crusaders began to squabble, Apple Bloom shook off the vegetable pie stuck on her face, and as if by some magic, each piece that left her seemed to hit either Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon. "Watch what you're doing Apple Bum!" Silver Spoon screeched as she and Diamond Tiara joined the quarrel. "Ow! Who kicked me?" Snips yelped, and soon Snails and he were arguing as well. The dispute quickly lost any sembelence of reasonableness and was soon devolved into a melee of pushing and name calling. "Oh dear," Cheerilee frowned, getting up from her seat next to Princess Luna. She hovered around the quarreling ponies, offering consoling words that went unheard. Luna looked on with drooped ears as the arguing got louder and fiercer. She had not imagined the first day with her young scholars going like this. "Excuth me Princeth Luna." Luna looked down to see Twist, the only one refrained from the fighting, nudging at her foreleg. Her thick lensed spectacles amplified the creases of worry sprouting up on her young face. "What is it child?" "Isth there sthomething wrong with that statue?" She pointed over towards the singing Draconequus a little distance away. Luna looked past the fighting and saw the statue of Discord crumbling. Horror filled her.
Chapter 3Chapter 3 "SILENCE!" the syllables echoed and rang through the statue garden, so loud that birds atop the nearby Canterlot castle were spooked to take flight. The fighting immediately ceased and every eye was upon her. Luna did not notice the fear beginning to stir within their hearts. Of course, neither had she noticed that she was standing, wings spread, and shaking with adrenaline. She was aware only of the crumbling statue. "It … It was her!" Snips accused. "It was Nightmare Moon everypony! She used her dark magic to make all this bad stuff happen!" Luna did not believe they would be so stupid as to believe the little idiot, she could not believe. Sure enough however, whispers of "Nightmare Moon" began to build to as they collectively backed away from her. "Children please." Cheerilee pleaded. did not have time to plead. "THOU MUST DESIST!" she roared at them. "THOU ROUSEST A CREATURE FAR DARKER THAN THOU CANST POSSIBLY KNOW." That only caused their voices to heighten hysterically and their bodies to start quivering. "Every pony for herself!" Scootaloo screamed. Cheerilee cried as her students went scattering off in all directions. Luna did not bother to chase them. She was racing towards the statue of Discord, horn crackling with magical potency, as the last flecks of stone fell away. Just before she was upon him there was a flash of blinding white light that left her unable to see. When her vision returned, he was there in all his disgusting glory. Head of a pony, tail of a snake, limbs stolen from a menagerie, Discord, the king of chaos, was doing squat thrusts. "Oh that feeeeeeeeeeeels good!" Discord cried to the heavens as his horse and lizard legs contorted beneath his disgusting body. He spied Luna staring at him and smiled. "You have no idea, and I mean no idea, what kind of crick I have in my neck right now." True to form, Discord took hold of his head and gave it a 180 degree twist, releasing an array of sickening cracks. He did the same in the reverse direction. "DISCORD!" Luna challenged, teeth bared. "HOW DIDST THOU ESCAPE THY PRISON?" "Beats me," Discord chuckled. He had switched to doing pull-ups using an invisible bar. "As far as I can tell however, you and your sister's spell stopped working because you two got disconnected from the elements. After that it was just a matter of stirring up a little chaos, and here I am." Gravity seemed to reverse upon the Draconequus and he was now using his snake tail to do … pull-downs. "Now the more interesting question in this little chain of events is why you and your sister should be disconnected from the elements. What possible reason could there be to take a weapon that can only harm evil from the hooves of those who can only do good? My guess is because suddenly one of you wasn't so good, and they needed to use that weapon against you. And I doubt of the two of you it was goody-goody Celestia." Discord looked her square in the eye and smiled his best crooked tooth smile. "You were always my favorite Luna. You can be so naughty when you put your mind to it." "ENOUGH OF THY BANTER FOOL! WE ARE GLAD THOU HATH ESCAPED, WE HATH ALWAYS REGRETED NOT MAKING SURE THY END WAS PERMANENT." Luna lowered her head and charged Discord, but he slithered out of her reach before she could gore him. "Eager as always my dear, but I'm afraid I'm still a little sore. Our dance will have to wait." Discord's mismatched wings began flapping. Luna took to the air and followed him easily. "WE FIGHT NOW!" "Now now now, my impatient little princess," Discord tutted, "don't think I was going to leave you empty hoofed." he snapped the claws of his talon and a groan emitted from the statue garden. Stone limbs slowly loosened, and the blunt faced sculptures began to step down from their pedestals. They began to pursue Ponyville's colts and fillies as they ran about in panic. "You'd better go help them," Discord said, "I'd hate to see the ones who helped free me come to harm." He laughed that horrible Discord laugh as he flew off into the autumnal dawn. Luna was at an impasse. Tactical strategy dictate she leave the little ones to their fate and engage Discord while he was still weak from imprisonment, perhaps ending his threat to Equestria before it began. She would not be able to defeat him once he had regained his full strength. Ethically speaking however, she had a duty to defend the weak when and where she could, not to sell their lives as bargaining tokens. It was the little voice that reminded her of what her old self would have done that drove Luna to dive down toward the statue garden. "It's okay children, just stay behind me." Cheerilee tried to comfort her students. Cheerilee was gathering her ponies fleeing imaginary demons when the true nightmare started. The statues she had always wanted to see had lurched to life and started to come after her and the kids. She had managed to gather them, but now the statues had backed them into a corner against one of the unyielding iron fences encasing the courtyard. "I told you these were stupid rocks!" Scootaloo sobbed. They were all crying now. Truth be told she wanted to cry too, but she didn't. She couldn't. Cheerilee had to protect her students. Now she, a little purple earth pony with smiling flowers on her flank, was all that stood between them and the faceless sculpture of Commander Hurricane lumbering forward, its big stone wings flapping in slow viscid beats. Luna landed in front of Cheerilee, taking a fighting pose against the animated stone. "AND THOU STAYEST BEHIND US!" she lowered her horn and launched a wave of telekinetic force at the abomination. The millennia old statue flew backwards and shattered into a thousand pieces as it hit the ground. Luna turned to comfort Cheerilee and her students. "See, thou hath no reason to fear; thou shalt be safe under the protection of thy princess." Luna's words were short lived, as she was soon slammed in the side by a giant Starswirl the Bearded. She was thrown a solid five feet and landed hard, skidding an extra two. Cheerilee and her students screamed in terror as the pre-classical wizard approached them in granite and lichen robes. Luna winced through the pain and worked another spell. Pure dark energies came spilling forth to engulf the statue. One second it writhed as the dark energies consumed it, and the next it was simply gone. Luna continued in this way for five solid minutes, fighting off Discord's monstrosities and ferociously defending her subjects. Her injuries and the heavy use of magic began to take their toll however, and Luna found herself becoming faint. Her mind was slowing, and her movements were becoming sloppy. Just when she thought she could take no more, she caught sight of salvation. The silhouette of dozens of pegasi showed bold and heroic against the sun. As they came closer, Luna smiled to identify her sister and the bulk of her royal guard. The gilded pegasi dropped from the sky like holy fire, chopping the remaining statues to pieces with the razor edge on their wings. Celestia came up to Luna, mane cascading color away from a body of burnished white. Luna smiled. Her sister looked beautiful in the shine of her rising sun. "I'm afraid you were right sister," Luna said, dropping exhausted to her belly. "I was not prepared to give this tour." Celestia turned to one of the guards beside her, his golden armor glinting. "Escort these ones out of here." She said, gesturing to Cheerilee and her class. A parameter of guards formed around the citizens of Ponyville and began to march them out. That hardly seemed necessary at this point however, as whatever remained of the possessed statues were being ground into a finer and finer powder. Cheerilee cast one final grateful glance at Luna before being led away. "Oh Luna, you're injured," Celestia sighed, looking at Luna's ruffled wing. "I am sorry I did not realize what was happening sooner," Her horn began to glow with healing magic as she fixed her dark sibling's side. The mending hurt, but Luna made no complaint. "He's back sister," she said. Celestia was quiet as she knit flesh and feather and bone back into place. "Yes, I feared as much." When she felt the healing was finished Luna got back on her hooves, a little unsteadily at first. She was still light headed and a little pained, but she snapped herself to clarity in an act of pure will. "You must summon the new holders of the elements," Luna said. Celestia nodded. "I can have a letter to them within minutes." "Good," Luna said. She gazed up at the sky in thought, in the direction that Discord had fled. It would start soon. "You should rest Luna," Celestia said. "You were hurt badly, healing or no healing." "That's a luxury I don't have sister. Our kingdom will need what help I can provide it." Celestia sighed under the burden of being an older sister. "I cannot presume to command you. What are you planning to do?" Luna continued looking skyward. It was a crisp autumn morning, and sticky pink clouds were beginning to form in the sky. This much was a fact. "Damage control."
