CHAPTER 1: EDGE OF SANITY
“There are winds of destiny that blow when we least expect them. Sometimes they gust with the fury of a hurricane, sometimes they barely fan one’s cheek. But the winds cannot be denied, bringing as they often do a future that is impossible to ignore.” ― Nicholas Sparks, Message in a Bottle
___________________________________________________
Sitting solemnly in the corner of a library veiled in shadow was a lone mare. She peered blankly towards the ground with her one eye, and seemed to be lost entirely in her own thoughts. She said nothing, and at one point ran her hoof over a large patch that covered the entire right side her face. Her mane was erratic and wild, and looked like it'd been ages since she ever combed it. She wore a large strap with a very peculiar weapon fastened onto the back. She simply continued to sit there silently, as she reminisced about days gone by, days lost to the hourglass of time.
In her head she recalled a familiar figure, a female changeling, boastful and filled with pride regarding its race. The changeling was yelling at her with a psychotic grin, a devious smile, and its words struck this mare to the core.
"It only makes your ignorance of the situation shine even more Ellie, it's pathetic! You're clueless to everything! There is no us, there never was! You're just a weak pony who has no idea what she's fighting for! A pony who defends an unjust cause, a pony following the herd! Those talks of a life after this, a life after the Gala, to think you have such dreams! I was just as clueless, just as foolish! Ponies and Changelings will never trot together, you daft little pony, accept it!"
Remembrance of the words only sent a chill down the mare's spine as her remaining eye snapped wide. She curled up in that corner somewhat, as she gritted her teeth. She looked as if she were losing it, but somepony broke the silence.
Clop Clop!
The mare's pupil dilated as she'd heard the sound. She looked up to find a pony with glasses, he'd seemed worried for her and he looked a little like some sort of science geek. He pushed up his glasses slightly before clapping his hooves together once more, trying to get the mare's attention.
"Elliot! Hey, Elliot, what're you doing? This isn't the time to be daydreaming, comon let's go!"
The mare revealed as Elliot Brightmare, a mare who'd witnessed the rise of Discord, simply nodded to the stallion who'd gotten her attention. She rose to her hooves, leaving the corner she was finding comfort in as they trailed around the library veiled in shadow, obviously all the lights were off in the place, but the two ponies weren't looking to turn them on either. Actually, as one would look at them, it'd be easy to guess they were actually attempting to keep as quiet as possible and remain hidden in the darkness. The stallion and mare then made their way quietly towards a large window that gave an entire overview of the city they were currently located in.
As one would look over the city, the scenery was quite familiar, except lots had changed since the last time these two were here. They were currently in Canterlot, now practically a military fortress, and a prize for Equestria's new king of chaos. Making their patrols were a multitude of guards madeup of many diverse races, ox, griffon, even ponies, although any pony guards were a rare sighting. Elliot and the stallion looked over the routes they could take from the window, they'd noted that they also had the cover of night.
Before discussing anymore, the stallion peered back at Elliot with a hesitant expression, before reaching back into a bag he had strapped onto his back and pulling out a book, he then winced at Elliot. "Are you sure this is it? This is the one we're looking for right?"
Elliot eyed the book once more to make sure, although she'd seemed a little irked by his need to confirm she got the right one. The book was titled Lessons of the Timelord, a common novel, but often overlooked just for how boring it was. But either way most citizens of Equestria barely got books these days, let alone pony ones. Elliot nodded to the stallion before muttering "Yes, now can we go Sharp Wits? I'd rather not be in enemy territory any longer than I need to."
The pony revealed as a stallion named Sharp Wits sighed heavily then nodded with a smile towards Elliot. He then pressed his hoof against a small earpiece and then spoke softly. "Eden, we've got the book but it doesn't look like there'll be any clear routes of escape. Do you have any suggestions?"
Suddenly a small buzz came from both Elliot and Sharp's earpieces, followed by a youthful male voice. "Hey you guys, I'm happy to hear you're both doing okay. I've heard Discord really changed the place since we were there last, judging by your question I'm guessing those rumors were correct. Anyway; don't worry I've got it all sorted out of course, you see, on the western sector of Canterlot, there's a small cargo train that passes by, it'll head southwest towards New Manehattan. You guys need to hop the train quickly and quietly, the next one should be coming around in the next 10 minutes, more than enough time to make your escape."
Elliot was already in the process of silently cutting a large hole into the window. Her horn began to spark with yellow magic, before slowly calming into a steady yellow light. That light soon burst forth from her horn onto the window, cutting through it like a tiny laser as when she'd finished, she used her hooves to silently lay down the circular piece of glass onto the floor. She then nudged her head in Sharp's direction, signaling the stallion to follow her. "Comon, let's go."
__________________________________________________
As they landed softly atop the tiles of the roof of a small building, Sharp Wits practically slipped on a loose tile as he cringed at the sight of the tile sliding off and about to hit the pavement below. The pavement where the very same guards they were attempting to avoid patrolled on. As the tile clanked and tumbled downward, Elliot quickly used her telekinesis to levitate the tile gently back up to the roof on impulse. She then smirked somewhat at Sharp with a wink.
Sharp felt a blush creep onto his face as he rolled his eyes. "It's times like this I wish I wasn't an earth pony."
-
As the two of them steadily made their way from rooftop to rooftop, avoiding being seen under the cover of night. Elliot couldn't help but wince every now and then, for she'd also been being accompanied by a shade of her haunting memories, which she attempted to ignore and block out of her mind. As they trotted atop the roofs, the changeling would only keep reappearing, she wasn't actually there of course, but to Elliot, she was as real as anything.
"Look at you, a mare who just can't let go of the past, you're a hindrance to the group as a whole you know. It's funny considering the fact you play such a minor role in all this, you want to play the big part, you want to make a difference, but you don't have power to do so. You're an insect trying to dance with the gods, it's time you accept just how powerless you truly are Elliot Brightmare."
-
At that moment the shade of the changeling surged forward towards the mare, as Elliot shrieked in fear atop the rooftop. She scurried backwards on impulse as Sharp Wit's eyes snapped wide. Elliot's sudden reaction caused multiple tiles to slip loose and fall, crashing onto the pavement below as the guards didn't hesitate to flash their lights towards the rooftops, catching a glimpse of the two subterfuge ponies, they began yelling as they sounded the alarm.
Elliot's expression worsened dramatically as she recovered from her little, setback. She then looked at Sharp who simply had an expression of pure annoyance placated on his face as he shook his head. He uttered "Let's go! We don't have much time at this point!" He hurriedly trotted past the disturbed mare as he didn't hesitate to shoot her a scowl in doing so. "What's wrong with you? There wasn't even anything there!"
Elliot's eye widened as she peered down towards the rooftop with a saddened expression. She gritted her teeth, angry with herself for a moment before trotting on ahead. They'd made progress towards the station, and it was now or never, or so they thought.
___________________________________________________
Sitting in his throne room in a redesigned Canterlot Castle was Discord with a bored expression. He yawned as he'd curled somewhat on his chair, letting his hind legs hang over the edge of throne as he held a wine glass in his left claw. He continued to toss and groan in pure boredom as he muttered. "This is truly dreadful, I swear, what's the point of chaos when everything is well....chaotic!? Perhaps I should just go destroy something for fun."
Suddenly approaching the draconequus was a little filly, she didn't look unique in particular, simply baring a brown mane and light orange coat. She wore a maid's uniform and was currently levitating a pitcher of chocolate milk. She also wore a smile, and as she arrived at Discord's throne she asked him in a curious tone, "More chocolate milk my lord?"
Discord smirked at the little filly before nodding, satisfied by her execution of the task. "Why yes dear, thank you ever so kindly for the offer."
The filly nodded to Discord with a soft chuckle before pouring some chocolate milk into the wine glass. "Of course my lord, I live to serve!" She then turned, trotting steadily back in the direction she came. She may have seemed happy, but in truth she knew no better, ever since the beginning of Discord's reign, there were ponies unfortunate enough to be born right when it began. That filly was one such case, all she knew was the life of a slave, and Discord cherished the ones who'd be brought up to know only him as their single ruler. As the filly left the throne room, a minotaur guard made his way in hurriedly, shoving the filly to the side as he stepped.
The minotaur snarled at the little filly. "Watch where you're going twerp!"
The filly shrieked a bit before stuttering. "F-Forgive me! I'll pay more attention next time!" She then trotted hurriedly out of the throne room as fast as she could.
The minotaur rolled his eyes with a slight scoff before making his way over to the king of chaos. Upon arrival he bowed to Discord and then stood to his hooves once more and didn't hesitate to speak. "My lord! It seems in the cover of night there were some intruders who'd just escaped from the sealed quarter of the library! We're not sure what they were looking for, but either way we believed it best you were informed right away!"
Discord's eyes widened as he lit up like a child waking up on christmas day. He rose from his throne before clapping somewhat with a chuckle. "Intruders!? Oh goodie! The library you say? Now that's a first, hmmmm...I wonder what they wanted from that damp old place....either way I could use the exercise, I wonder who the resistance has cooked up for me this time!" Discord immediately poofed from his throne, reappearing a few feet away. He then began to proceed stretching as if he were preparing to exercise, he'd even suddenly had a headband. "They always seem to lighten the mood these days, you mentioned they escaped? Ah, no, not escaped, but they're in the process of escaping. And I have a pretty good idea of where they're heading, relax friend, I'll deal with this myself."
The minotaur gasped as he shook his head before making his way to Discord. "M-My lord! Please, we'll take care of this for you, there's no need for you to get involved!"
Discord let off a hearty laugh before turning to the minotaur. "I've relaxed enough for now. Now don't worry yourself."
The minotaur persisted, he opened his mouth uttering "B-But my lo-" but he grew silent as he noticed Discord's expression change almost instantly. The draconequus was growing impatient with the minotaur, and he could see it in Discord's eyes. The once goofy, comedic draconequus now peered towards the ground with a impatient expression and half closed eyes, before shooting the minotaur a cold and callous glance.
Discord simply inquired. "Are you disobeying a direct order?"
The minotaur's heart raced as he immediately bowed to the draconequus in absolute fear. "F-Forgive me my lord! I, I was foolish to persist, please overlook my disobedience."
Discord suddenly lit up happily once more before laughing and patting the minotaur's shoulder. "Ahahaha! Don't be too hard on yourself now, where's the fun in that!?" Discord then levitated himself before shrugging at the minotaur. "This will be over soon enough, try not distract yourself with such meager things. Say, why don't you go to the brothel, I hear they got some new 'workers' from Fillydelphia, bahahaha!" With that the draconequus was gone, disappearing from the throne room.
The minotaur stood to his hooves once again, attempting to recover from the entire scenario. He gulped as his body trembled somewhat, he clenched the hilt of his axe before muttering to himself. "T-Too close...."
___________________________________________________
As Elliot and Sharp were now passing through the alleyways of Canterlot, they'd soon arrived at the station, and waiting for them was already a cargo train filled with a multitude of diverse items, mainly consisting of weapons, food supplies, and simply things for the guards. They were currently at the back of the train, there being a small ledge for them to climb up on as well as a ladder that lead to the top of the train itself. It puffed with smoke as the departure bell rang out.
-
Sharp grinned, delighted by the prospect of escaping. "Whew! We made it, let's get out of here!"
Elliot nodded in agreement before shrugging. "Haha, a hair's breadth of death."
Suddenly they'd heard the sounds of the guards rapidly closing in on them & the train wasn't going to wait for them to hop on either. They gave each other a quick glance then nod, before hopping on the train eagerly. As the train began to surge forward, out of the city, the two ponies couldn't help but snicker and chuckle at the sight of the yelling ox and their gryphon pursuers, who'd obviously rather stay behind rather than risk leaving and angering Discord for leaving their posts. Sharp stuck his tongue out at the infuriated guards as the train soon disappeared in the distance.
-
As the train rode along the tracks at rapid speeds, one could still take notice of the scenery of Equestria in the distance. Having just left Canterlot, the train was trailing along the side of a steep mountain at the moment, heading downwards into the open plains. It wasn't hard to take notice of the lush green forests and rolling mountains to the right further in the distance, such sights made one often forget they were currently under the rule of a crazy monarch. But alongside the beautiful mountains and fields of green, there were also the slightly less, common, things. The clouds of Equestria were now made of cotton candy, and mixed in with some forest lands were forests made up of sugary delicacies and other crazy things. All a result of the king's chaotic powers of course.
Sharp and Elliot made their way up the ladder and atop the train. In order for this to go smoothly, all they'd have to do is remain hidden and anonymous, and make their way off at a specific stop. But as they were hopping from freight car to freight car, Sharp Wits couldn't help but cock up a curious plan he had.
He looked to Elliot curiously. "Hey Elliot, this train sure has a lot of useful things we can take back to the group."
Elliot winced at him somewhat before stating. "Sooooo." She knew where he was going with this, and she didn't like it, hopping the train was one thing, taking it over and stealing everything on it was another. She crossed her hooves, standing on her hind legs as she raised a brow at him. "Think about it Sharp, we take these supplies & not only do we risk getting caught a second time, but we'll be causing lots of trouble for other ponies out there. If the other cities don't get this food we'll end up starving all of them, the chaos enforcers will lower the pony rations and keep all the food to themselves."
Sharp scowled somewhat at Elliot before stating. "Fine fine whatever..."
Elliot sighed heavily with a shrug. "And we can live off the land easily, least it's not all bad."
-
The two of them grew silent for a brief moment before turning and looking to their right. They faced the gorgeous view with soft smiles as the speed of the train fiercely caused both of their manes to flail about wildly with the wind. They didn't mind however, it wasn't often they could enjoy two nostalgic things at once, peace and scenery. As they simply continued to stand atop the freight car, Sharp looked at Elliot for a moment, before eyeing her patch in specific.
He raised a brow at the mare. "Hey Elliot, you never told me, what happened to your face?"
Elliot winced somewhat as she seemed offended, missing the point. "What was that?"
He laughed nervously before shaking his head and hooves in defense. "No no no! I didn't mean it like that, I mean-..uhm.."
Elliot raised a brow at him before smiling softly. She laughed a little. "Oh, uhm, yea it's a long story...perhaps another time.."
Sharp shrugged, returning the smile. "Whenever's best for you."
The two of them then continued to stare off into the distance.
Sharp continued the conversation. "So, what do you think about Sombra, he's really been on the edge lately."
Elliot shrugged. "He's a good leader, he's just a little overwhelmed is all. I'm sure it's nothing."
Another looming silence.
The two of them just continued to gaze at the sights as Sharp smirked. "Beautiful isn't it?"
Elliot nodded simply, still smiling. "Yep..."
Another voice chimed in. "Yes it's just absolutely lovely, I must say I did pretty good with the place hm?"
Elliot and Sharp's eyes snapped wide as they both immediately felt the chill run down their spines. They turned towards the back of the train to face the sudden voice, which they both knew with tragic recognition.
There, smirking atop the train as he sat in a manifested throne, was Discord himself, the master of chaos.
Sharp muttered to Elliot. "W-We're screwed!....."
Elliot replied hastily, yet softly. "Yep..."
___________________________________________________
Discord then hopped from his throne onto the freight train at the back before chuckling. "Now it's far too dark out, let's get some light in here shall we?" With a snap of his claw, suddenly the sun rose, nearly blinding the two ponies from it's sudden and unexpected appearance. The draconequus then began his dreadful approach as he had a comedic smirk and a raised brow. "Now now, don't look at me like that you two, you have no idea how much I've missed you. Come, enlighten me, I'd love to know where the rest of your little group is hiding out at."
-
The two ponies knew Discord was an enemy beyond their capabilities, and they stood no chance, their only option was to flee, but how could they escape from such an unstoppable foe? No, there was only one way to make it through this, Discord had one major flaw even with all his power. His own need to be entertained, he was confident in all forms, and he had every right to be, but it also made the option of sacrifice a liable option.
Elliot peered back at Sharp and his bag with the book before wincing slightly, she thought on her hooves, and with a mighty buck sent him flying a freight car back. The mare then used her horn to disconnect the couple of the rest of the train from the car her and Discord were standing on, allowing Sharp to make his escape.
As the stallion came to, he'd eventually came to realize what the mare had done. He snapped at her "Elliot what're you doing!? You can't do this!"
Elliot simply smiled at him as she watched the train disappear in the distance.
Sharp snapped angrily once more as his voice faded from earshot. "Elliot!"
___________________________________________________
Discord couldn't help but snicker. "Touching, you know, you always seem to be involved in these sorts of things."
Elliot turned to face the draconequus with fierce determination. She remained silent, simply unsheathing her blade as she took in a deep breath.
Discord continued his approach. "I recall when you were boohooing about Chrysalis, my humblest condolences for that as well by the way." Discord paused for a moment before trailing side to side in a steady motion. "I always wondered about your name, Elliot, it's uncommon for ponies I must say. After spending more than a few seconds thinking about it, I decided that I'd look into such a strange case. Your family really was the odd bunch hmmm, your daddy's obsession with mythological creatures, to even name his own daughter based off one of the words of their language. But the meaning is also quite cute, 'Strength and Right' or 'Bravely and Truly'." Discord smirked before unsheathing his jawbreaker sword. "Tell me, what drives you? Is it Strength and Righteousness, or Bravery? Or ultimately is it all just stupidity?"
Elliot remained silent as she got in her fighting stance.
Discord chuckled. "Either way, I think we both know how this is going to end. I just wanted to thank you for keeping me entertained for all these years, it's truly disappointing that they decided to send you out into the fray, I was hoping I'd be able to see you as well as those other two in a glorious final stand! It would have been a blast! Ah well, things happen." Discord then acted as if he were a dancer wielding a rapier. "So, shall we dance once again? Let's see how much you've learned since last time."
Elliot gulped somewhat. Just around thirty seconds, that's all he should need to make a clean getaway. But even thirty seconds is a stretch with Discord, if he doesn't cut me down in the first five.
-
There was a brief moment of silence as Discord simply smirked at the pony wielding her sword.
Elliot took in another deep breath before making taking the charge. She was the definition of pure concentration as her swift movements led her to Discord's clawed feet, the mighty figure looming over her with confidence. She made sure to make each movement count as she went into a whirling motion with her blade, roaring with motivation as she spun her blade at the draconequus's side. Discord simply sidestepped her attack, blocking it with his own sword.
He laughed a little. "Good good! The form could use a little work but you've progressed well!"
-
Elliot snarled somewhat as she then swung her blade upward, Discord simply took a few steps back, dodging another one of her attacks, this was all too natural for him. But as she'd done what he expected, she suddenly turned out to be quite the surprise, in a fleeting moment her horn bursted with magic, levitating her sword flawlessly, the blade spun itself with incredible speed, moving behind Discord then shooting back like a boomerang. A large grin creeped onto the draconequus's face as he'd let the blade phase through him in an instant, Elliot expected as much as she caught her sword with her forehooves and then stared Discord in the eyes.
Discord burst into laughter as he raised a brow. "Now that was marvelous! Aaaah, you all know how to get the blood pumping, it'll be sad the day this all has to come to an end. Either way, I realize what you're attempting to do. Distractions always seem to be an effective method, and I praise you for deciding to off yourself without a second thought, but you see, all of it is pointless. I will find out what you two stole from the library and why, and I will eventually find where the rest of this little resistance of yours hides. It's been a fun game of hide and seek but you all aren't trying hard enough, I'm getting closer and closer, its time to step up your game." He winced at the mare somewhat. "It's adorable you're still trying. But in the end you're all simply insects, waiting to be crushed. Your roles are too insignificant to make a difference, you're no Celestia, and certainly no Luna, all you are–"
Discord snapped his claws as suddenly pouring from a cloud above, would be strawberry milk and vanilla icecream. As it pelted atop the freight car, Elliot couldn't help but slip and fall to her side as she gritted her teeth attempting to stagger to her hooves. Discord obviously wouldn't allow it as he was suddenly looming over the distressed mare with a smirk. "Is a bunch of ordinary ponies...." He raised his jawbreaker sword as he then swung it down in a powerful motion. Elliot's eyes widened as she knew what was coming, and was powerless to stop it, this was it.
CLANG!
A sudden block of defiance? But from who?
___________________________________________________
There was a mighty flash of light from atop the freight car as Elliot had her head covered with a hoof. The shine was blinding to say the least, and even Discord let off a slight groan of discomfort. The very skies began to twist and crack with lightning as in a moment, night and day fell rapidly in and out of place, before the day came under control again, but not from the draconequus. As the light died down, Discord stumbled back and steadily came to once again. But what he saw caused him to simply stare in disbelief as he held onto his sword. He looked upon the figure with piercing wide eyes, in awe.
-
As Elliot laid atop the train with her head covered, she'd eventually decided to peek herself, wondering why exactly she was still not dead yet. As she looked upon her figure of protection, the one who'd saved her from her untimely demise, she to stared in awe. What she was looking at was the back of what appeared to be an alicorn, she bore a coat similar to the shade of the cotton candy clouds which were a fiery pink color. Her mane was wild and erratic, outgrown and long, it consisted of lemon yellow, violet, as well as a darker shade of pink. Her wings were mighty and large, decked with gradient purple tips on the feathers.
Discord simply stared at the alicorn for a bit before grinning fiercely. He peered at her necklace which was what appeared to be a crystal heart. He burst into a maniacal cackle as he laughed spreading his arms in delight. "Princess Symphony! Why, what a surprise! What brings you to my humble abode!? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The alicorn referred to as Princess Symphony simply peered at Discord angrily. She spoke however in a calm and elegant tone, filled with grace as familiar with both Princess Luna and Celestia. "So it's true...you despicable coward..."
Discord grinned. "Now don't be like that, this should be a touching family reunion! Tell me, how is the little Princess Cadence? I do hope she's quite alright. I never expected you'd actually leave the eastlands to come here, this, this is truly a delight, a delight indeed. I welcome you Princess Symphony, or should I say? Mi amore Simfonia..."
The alicorn simply regarded the draconequus with a slight wince. Before she manifested a blade made up of fiery pink gems and a rainbow hilt. She seemed confident in herself before stating "I'll end this sickening rule of yours here and now Discord. Today, all the ponies of Equestria shall be freed, and the Crystal Empire will take its foothold upon the lands as the new guardians of peace and love in the days to come. I hope you're ready."
Discord continued to chuckle as he got into his stance once more. "Hmhmhm, now this, will be fun."
Elliot simply remained silent as she watched the two mighty beings prepare to do battle. She couldn't help but wonder who exactly this was, she'd never heard of any other Princesses, but, this alicorn couldn't have been anything else. Princess Symphony otherwise known as Mi Amore Simfonia? Little did she know–
The ruler of The Crystal Empire had arrived to the battlefield.
Chapter 1: World End Rhapsody
CHAPTER 1: WORLD END RHAPSODY
The earpiece buzzed with static as a highly concerned voice echoed through. "Elliot!? Are you okay!? Answer me!"
Nothing but silence, was there even a way to react to this. In a mere instant a god had appeared before Elliot and was taking on arguably another god. Or they could be argued to be gods. If there was a heaven, it'd obviously been watching over her considering the fact this alicorn seemed to appear supposedly out of nowhere and at the exact right moment. It was actually a little comedic, but Elliot would accept her blessings as they came, no point in questioning it really in her case.
-
As Elliot remained on the top of the freight car simply observing the two deities stare each other down, there was a looming silence. Princess Symphony didn't take her eyes off Discord, wincing at him angrily as she levitated her sword; a picture of pure concentration. Discord however wasn't intimidated, he simply smirked at the long forgotten princess of the east with his sword in his claw, both of them waiting for the other to make the first move.
Suddenly Discord spoke up. "So, tell me Princess, what has the wardancer and founder of the crystal empire accomplished so far in Equestria? If you're here I have no doubt you've already managed to acquire a foothold in my lands. Would you be kind enough as to tell me where?"
Princess Symphony winced once more at the fact he proclaimed these were his lands. She gritted her teeth somewhat as she calmed herself, clearing her head before speaking in a calm, elegant tone. "If you're going to be professional about this, then I won't deny you at least that much, it's not like the information will be useful to you after you're dead."
Discord chuckled softly. "Oh? Such confidence coming from you, although I won't deny that you have every right to be. Mi amore simfonia, the alicorn who single hoofedly drove out the tyrannical dragons of the eastlands and founded the crystal empire. I recall how proud Celestia and Luna were when they'd heard you'd accomplished so much. It's a shame they're not here to see what a mighty princess you've become."
Princess Symphony scowled at him, still holding herself back.
Discord continued. "So you brought all your forces? Perfect. That will make things much more interesting in the long run."
Princess Symphony finally smirked. "Yes, & we'll take back these lands through force, and like the dragons that came before, the crystal ponies shall crush your despicable empire of chaos. Did you truly think you could get away with your actions? You'll pay dearly for this. Prepare yourself Discord-" Princess Symphony's eyes widened as she'd looked like she finally snapped. "Your moment of reckoning is at hoof." And in a blinding flash of light and a crashing boom that sounded like a snap of thunder, the princess of the crystal empire was gone, then reappearing in front of Discord who'd actually put on a concentrated face at this point.
-
As they clashed, with each of their parried blows the sky became disoriented and changed its setting at multiple points. It was as if the mere blows of these two were scrambling the very force that held this world together if there even was one. Princess Symphony did not let up however, and as they shot across the skies holding one another off, it wasn't hard for Elliot to notice the alicorn seemed to be getting the upper hoof on Discord.
Elliot's expression then worsened somewhat, no, Discord wasn't one to lose, especially to one who didn't even know of his new practically passive ability.
-
As they continued to fight, Discord began chuckling at one point as he spun and parried Symphony's mighty blade at the same time. "Tell me Princess, what makes you think you can win? What makes you think you can do better, and accomplish what not even your precious aunties couldn't?" Princess Symphony snarled at him as she didn't let up, still continuing her attack as Discord simply began to smirk. He then continued to try to egg her on "Even with all your power, you're still no true alicorn, your power is not your own, you can't expect to defeat one of true skill now can you?"
Symphony's crystal heart necklace then began to pulse with a vibrant blue hue. She snapped at Discord angrily as when she struck against his blade, Discord's eyes snapped wide as he saw his jawbreaker sword actually crack somewhat, Discord gritted his teeth, revealing a fleeting moment of anger. He then smirked again as Symphony only continued to attempt to make her point. "The only reason you ever defeated Auntie Celestia and Luna was by catching them by surprise! And what you don't seem to understand Discord!-" She then let off a mighty magical spark that struck Discord and sent him stumbling backwards, as if he was caught off balance on a flat surface of air. Discord looked shocked; as Symphony raised her head and swung her blade towards his midsection, yelling "-You will never do that to me!"
Elliot raised a brow to the sky as she peered at Discord seekingly. Why wasn't he using his phasing ability? Over the years in her encounters with Discord, Elliot never failed to notice his mastery over time magic. So why was he attempting to conceal this even at the cost of his own defeat? Unless. Elliot's eyes snapped with realization as she shouted up towards the Princess in desperation. "P-Princess! He's lying! Your blade, pull it back, on guard!"
Princess Symphony raised a brow as she'd heard the mare give her a warning from below. She didn't understand, and actually didn't have much time to find a way to react to such a warning, but Symphony was a battlemaster in many ways, having taken more to her Auntie Luna's way of thinking, she didn't fail to notice most details in the heat of battle. And as she considered the mare's words, she saw confirmation in Discord's sudden change of expression. Symphony's eyes widened as a grin had creeped onto the draconequus's face. As Princess Symphony ended up following through with her attack on impulse, her blade did just as Elliot expected it would and phased through Discord as if he were never there. She'd looked shocked, dumbfounded as she stared at the draconequus, but she immediately pulled back and tried to move into a defensive position; Discord didn't hesitate to take this chance.
Discord swung his jawbreaker sword upward, but he wasn't aiming for her torso or any particular part of her body, he was aiming for the crystal heart. Symphony saw this and in a quick reaction managed to parry Discord's sword with such force that caused them both to fly back a little. Upon finishing that little encounter, Discord could only grin at the alicorn who seemed a little overwhelmed by the entire thing. Symphony breathed heavily as she looked at Discord with a hint of worry, and that's exactly what he wanted, to break down the alicorn's confidence.
Discord crossed his arms before smirking at Elliot down below, then giving her an amused nod. The draconequus then actually let his blade fade from his claws and looked at Princess Symphony with a smile. "I see now that you understand the grimness of your situation Princess. But don't worry, I don't plan to finish this here and now."
Princess Symphony raised a brow at him, inquiring she was confused about his perspective in the situation. And although she hated to confirm it for him, she was worried about how this would've ended as well, now that he'd shown how he managed to best her aunties in battle. Princess Symphony regarded Elliot for a brief moment, not showing any reaction to the mare before looking back to Discord, but in truth she was quite thankful for the warning which probably saved her in that last moment. She then continued to listen to Discord.
Discord continued. "You see, it's been far too long since I've had any 'decent' entertainment here in Equestria. The crystal empire's arrival will most certainly change that. I look forward to our next encounter Princess Symphony. Do try to stay alert, it just might save your life. I cannot wait to see how this progresses in the long run." With that the draconequus in his familiar fashion, began to dissipate and disappear. He wore a grin as he looked to the ruler of the crystal empire with piercing eyes, another fierce enemy to defeat, and another great game in his eyes.
Princess Symphony then snapped at him angrily as she charged his fading body. "Coward! Come back here and finish this!" Obviously Discord ignored her taunts as the moment she'd reached his position, he was gone once again. The Princess's body quivered with fury as she gritted her teeth, snarling angrily at herself. She had to calm down, had to keep cool, it wasn't often she'd let her emotions drive her actions in the heat of battle, but all of this was still quite sudden for the alicorn. She'd finally encountered the creature that'd took her family away from her. Discord was gone, but she swore to herself that confidence he had would be his undoing as well, he wouldn't catch her by surprise again. She'd make the preparations and take the battle to the draconequus herself, this was war.
-
Princess Symphony's expression then died down somewhat as she calmed herself. She then turned and peered down toward the still curious Elliot who couldn't take her eyes off her. She flew down towards the halted freight car before landing atop of it, and then approaching the mare in a steady trot.
Elliot's eyes widened as she immediately lowered her frame in the form of a bow to the Princess. She closed her eyes, and although she had no idea who this Princess was and had never even heard of her before, she knew that her title rang true from witnessing her powers. Elliot didn't hesitate to speak, introducing herself "Elliot Brightmare! Second in command of the rebellion force of Equestria. It's an honor to make your acquaintance Princess!"
Princess Symphony's eyes widened with surprise. "You've all managed to hold on for this long against Discord? Such a feat is near impossible, nonetheless your battle prowess has earned my respect. There's no need for you to address me as such, I am not your ruling Princess and in all honesty, we should probably be considered equals. For without your aid, I'd have most likely not had time to save myself in that moment. I thank you Elliot Brightmare." The Princess wore a gentle smile as she bowed to the bowing mare herself, and winked at her slightly.
Elliot felt a blush creep onto her face. She raised herself then shook her head hastily, "N-No Princess! It's...it's not really our skill that made the difference, it's most likely due to the fact that without us, Discord would have nothing to do. He's, quite the bored individual. He has probably been toying with us for all this time, but we'll do our best to assist you in the days ahead Princess." Elliot raised a hoof to her head in the form of a quick salute. She didn't say it, but looking upon Princess Symphony gave her a feeling of newfound hope. Although Sombra was indeed a good leader, and without him they likely wouldn't have made it this far either, the fact that Princess Symphony was an alicorn made quite the difference. But Elliot winced somewhat at what Discord had said earlier, his words still etched in her mind. Even with all your power, you're still no true alicorn, your power is not your own.
Princess Symphony regarded Elliot with a nod of respect. She then turned and peered off into the distance. "Tell me Elliot, what was that earlier? I have never seen anything like it in all my years of battle, and I've been through countless."
Elliot sighed heavily before looking up at her. "It was a process known as phase fighting Princess, it requires a high mastery over time based spells. As you probably know, time based spells can range from the manipulation of the very flow of time, dimensional rifts, as well as world phasing and teleportation. That's why the practice of the school was forbidden by Princess Luna and Celestia due to the catastrophic damage it could cause to our world. Discord disregarded these rules and nearly destroyed all of Equestria, but...P-Princess Luna and Celestia saved us all..."
Princess Symphony winced somewhat before gritting her teeth. "At the cost of their lives...tch!"
Elliot then shook her head with a pondering expression. "Actually Princess, I believe they might still be alive. You see; well erhm, my father, was really interested in time based spells. He was a criminal, but I won't deny that his knowledge has been greatly helpful to us these past few years."
Princess Symphony's eyes widened. "That is excellent news Elliot!" She then smirked as she trotted atop the freight car anxiously, thinking about the future ahead. She turned once more to the mare before regarding her with another nod. "Come, we must get you and your allies to our foothold here in Equestria. You see Elliot, me and my forces have already managed to take the northeastern portion of the land, an excellent position to be in. The cover of the mountains will aid us, and mere blizzards are no threat to one such as myself who can bend such conditions to a more suiting atmosphere. Upon arrival we'd managed to take notice of the fact Discord holds many fortified bases large enough to be considered cities, we will take these one by one, and Canterlot will soon be ours once more."
At the mention of the word allies, Elliot seemed a bit dumbfounded as she'd totally forgotten about the fact Eden was still probably panicking on the other line. She pushed her earpiece hurriedly before shouting into it "E-Eden! Sorry about that, there's no need to worry, I'm okay."
Almost immediately another voice chimed in as it was obviously the young stallion. "Elliot! How did you make it out of there? S-Sharp informed us you'd been caught by Discord..w-we...we thought..."
Elliot couldn't help but smile, somewhat touched by his concern but she shook her head and then spoke in a serious manner. "And you all would've been correct, had it not been for the intermission of Princess Symphony, ruler of the crystal empire." She spoke that last part with a sudden admiration in her voice at the mention of Princess Symphony.
Eden was silent for a few seconds before muttering. "Princess who?...."
Princess Symphony's expression merely sunk as a deep blush blossomed onto her face.
Elliot's eyes widened as she cringed a bit, she then shouted, pressing on the device. "I-I'll explain later! You'll all understand when I get there, just wait!" Elliot laughed a little as she began twiddling her hooves and then looked over at Princess Symphony, as she saw what the Princess was doing she couldn't help but blink at her a bit confused.
Sitting solemnly over at the corner of the freight car was the Princess with an extremely depressed and darkened expression, rotating her hoof in a circular motion in a pitiful fashion, muttering to herself. "Sheesh I'm really that unknown huh..."
__________________________________________________
After a short flight to Neighagra falls atop the back of Princess Symphony. The Princess was surprised to find the rebellion had hidden themselves so close to Canterlot, she guessed they were simply using the hiding in plain sight strategy. Upon arrival to the beautiful area, it was obvious why they had chosen such a place to conceal themselves. The land was lush and filled with enough fruit to last a lifetime, it was shrouded with wildlife and the water was fresh and easy to access. But Discord would of considered this possibility as well, where had they hidden themselves? Although smart, it was also still too risky on open land.
Elliot pointed a hoof towards a small rocky pathway on the side of the lake as Princess Symphony didn't hesitate to land. As they did so, Elliot simply nudged her head signaling the Princess to follow her.
As they trotted the ambience was absolutely soothing, the sounds of the falls crashing against the surface of the water and multitude of rocks, the sounds of the birds chirping in the wind, and the bristling leaves of the trees all made this a place worth fighting for. As they trotted steadily down the rocky path along the side of the large lake that split off into a river, they eventually came to the side of the falls. Elliot peered back towards the Princess with a smile, "You see we have a ally here who is very skilled in defensive magic, it occurred to him to check back here sometime after our escape from Canterlot on...well, that day..." Elliot's expression saddened as she then cast a small barrier around herself.
Princess Symphony caught on immediately as she to cast a barrier around herself, while Elliot's was a transparent yellow, hers was a transparent pink. They both then proceeded to trot into the falls, their magic protecting them from the pressure of the falling water. As they passed through, Princess Symphony's eyes widened with awe as she looked upon the vast and wide cavern filled with an insane amount of passageways, it was an underground network system that could possibly stretch on for miles on end. Who knows how long it went on for, perhaps it even lead throughout all of Equestria.
Elliot smirked somewhat. "Haha, get the picture?"
Princess Symphony simply nodded as Elliot continued to show her the way. As they proceeded into the cavern, Elliot then peered down towards the ground, and trotted towards the entranceway of one of the tunnels. There were three small, almost indistinguishable slash marks cut into the rocky surface, you had to know what you were looking for to notice them. Elliot then proceeded to make her way into that one specific tunnel as Princess Symphony followed close behind her and they began trotting down what seemed to be an infinitely long pathway.
As they trotted, Elliot seemed hesitant for quite awhile, eyeing the Princess every now and then who wore a blank expression. She then decided to muster up the courage to speak, "P-Princess, may I ask you something?"
Princess Symphony looked to Elliot, surprised she felt the need to still ask as she nodded almost immediately. "Of course."
Elliot then took in a deep breath before continuing. "Uhm, Discord mentioned that you weren't a true alicorn? What did he mean by that, I don't mean to question your status or anything but I can't help but be curious. You're related to Princess Luna and Celestia, but, I've never heard of you, nor have I ever heard of this Crystal Empire you rule..."
Princess Symphony chuckled softly before replying in a calm demeanor. "Yes, it's quite understandable. You see, me and my little sister weren't born as alicorns, no, we were blessed with the gift by Auntie Luna and Celestia."
Elliot cut in with a raised brow. "Blessed? Is that even possible, to be turned into an alicorn?"
Princess Symphony nodded. "In actuality, you see me and my little sister were simply pegasi to begin with. We were fortunate enough to receive such praise from Princess Luna and Celestia who saw something in us that even to this day, I don't entirely understand. But to the point, unlike our aunties it's not like we have the ability to simply turn anypony we want into alicorns, to accomplish such a feat requires a near impossible consumption of magic. Unlike Auntie Celestia and Luna, we are not natural born, so such things are beyond our reach. Although, I do believe I may be powerful enough to at least accomplish a fraction of the spell, although even such a small accomplishment would likely cost me my life."
Elliot blinked a bit in awe. "What about the Crystal Empire though?"
Princess Symphony nodded once more, speaking as they continued to trot down the path. "Yes, my kingdom. You see, many centuries ago I had decided to take it upon myself to depart Equestria simply to explore and learn more about the world in itself. What I found in my travels was a land filled with despair, sadness, and pain. A land ruled by tyrannical dragons who overlooked crystal forests, plains of silver grass, and spires of diamond. It was a beautiful land and one where ponies were mistreated simply because they weren't fortunate enough to be born with that same intimidation of dragons." Princess Symphony winced somewhat as she seemed to be lost in nostalgia. "I...alongside a few fated allies, managed to defeat the tyrannical dragon, King Elak, and free the crystal ponies from their seemingly endless torment. It was here that the crystal ponies had also decided to volunteer me as their leader, I, found that I couldn't bring myself to deny them. Over time we created our magnificent kingdom, and it is there I was able to forge this." Princess Symphony ran a hoof over her crystal heart necklace caressingly.
Elliot simply raised a brow at it curiously, continuing to listen intently.
Princess Symphony chuckled. "I learned that, with enough passion, with enough fortitude, dedication, and ultimately love. One could empower objects with a certain trait through use of magic, these objects may be used for countless purposes, and for me, it is a reminder of what I fight for everyday of my life. It is a reminder of the love I have for my family, my subjects, and the kingdom I've created. It harbors all of my feelings, and has never failed me since." She looked up with a slight shrug. "You could say the pieces connected themselves from there. I returned to inform auntie Celestia and Luna that I would be departing to aid the eastland ponies in rebuilding their kingdom, and I would be taking my sister with me. They did not deny me that...." Princess Symphony looked down with a saddened expression, "Recently...I've been starting to wonder how the situation might of differed if they did..."
Elliot smiled as she shook her head. "Don't do that to yourself, I know painfully well how much what-ifs can get to you Princess. You had your kingdom to worry about, even now you still do, yet you still chose t come to the aid of Equestria. We thank you, for everything." Elliot peered towards the ground herself for a moment, yes, she did know the horrors of remaining glued to the past. She looked ahead as a shade of Chrysalis smirked at her in delight. She shook her head as that shade disappeared, but the thoughts still remained. What if she stayed, what if she'd gotten there sooner? Letting go was something the mare refused to do all too well.
-
As they continued to trot on throughout the infinitely long tunnel, they'd eventually reached a dead end.
Princess Symphony simply looked up at rocky wall blocking their progress wide eyed.
Elliot chuckled. "Don't panic, it's just a precaution." Afterwords the mare trotted in a certain pattern, stomping her hooves to a steady beat, obviously a passcode in a sense.
The rock wall then lit a light blue color and moved to the side, followed by a blinding light that soon died down. As the two mares looked into fortified area past the now moved rock wall, Princess Symphony could only stare in awe as inside was a underground fortress. But she had to look past the little blue stallion standing in their way first.
-
Eden's jaw dropped as he looked upon the alicorn Princess, wide eyed himself. The colt had obviously grown in the past few years as his mane had gotten longer as well, he also had a pair of goggles over his forehead. He simply continued to stare as the rest of the resistance within also began to stop and simply repeat the process. All being frozen in awe at the sight of an alicorn Princess.
Elliot laughed a bit as she rubbed the back of her own head with a hoof and nervous smile. "Eheh, ugh, told you this would probably be better explained face to face."
Princess Symphony grinned somewhat. "Uhm; Hi?"
___________________________________________________
Currently sitting in the darkness of a vast empty room within the rebellion fortress of the cavern, was their leader, Sombra. He seemed to relish in the lonesomeness, he simply peered up towards the ceiling as he sat, he seemed horribly drained or tired. Dark thoughts ran through the unicorn's mind as he attempted to keep the peace with himself, but in the end the mind always got what it wanted. Sombra gazed down for a second, as his blackened mane actually began to flow as if it were made of living flame. You're deluding yourself Sombra, all of this, is a waste of time. Save yourself the trouble, it's not worth it.
Suddenly the door to his chambers burst open as the unicorn's eyes widened and he immediately turned to face the visitor. His mane's black flame died down as he took in a deep breath. "E-Eden...what is it? What're you doing?"
Eden raised a brow at Sombra. "Are you okay Sombra?..."
Sombra winced slightly with a small scowl before trotting over to the young stallion, speaking with his familiar intimidation. "I'm fine! Don't worry about me, what do you need?"
Eden nodded as he smiled up at him. "You won't believe it! Elliot made it, and not only that but-" he chuckled somewhat as he grinned looking up at his old friend eagerly. "She brought an ally, beyond our wildest dreams!"
Sombra couldn't help but raise a brow at the young stallion curiously. "Ally?"
Eden nodded in confirmation. "Mhm, come, she's waiting down in the briefing room!"
Sombra needed to satisfy his curiosity at this point, the two of them then began making their way throughout the fortress and towards the briefing room. The place was a little run down overall, but it was a excellent accomplishment considering their circumstances in the past few years. Trotting around them was a multitude of worker ponies, ponies who stood beside the rebellion, there were even fillies and colts amongst them. As they passed by all the ponies, majority of them would regard Sombra with a bow even, mostly a salute, and they would do the same for Eden.
They eventually made it to the waiting room as Sombra and Eden immediately entered, pushing through the door.
Sitting at a large table would be Sharp Wits, Princess Symphony, and Elliot, who then stopped to regard the two ponies who'd just made their way through the door. Nopony was surprised by Sombra's expression who's jaw was dropped as he stared at the alicorn wide eyed.
Eden snickered a little, "Heh heh.."
___________________________________________________
As the five of them were gathered at the large table, it was Sombra who sat at the end directly opposite from Princess Symphony. "Forgive me Princess if I'm a little observant, I'm still quite shaken up by the fact there's are other alicorns in existence. I never imagined there was another pony kingdom like Canterlot."
Princess Symphony nodded to Sombra. "It's quite alright, I have neglected to visit for far too long, it makes sense."
Sombra then continued, raising a brow at the Princess. "But I can't imagine you came to exchange pleasantries Princess, I'd be guessing; but I'm assuming you're here to recruit us into your forces?"
Princess Symphony smiled somewhat before nodding once more. "Why yes, you see, upon arrival we've managed to take a invaluable position previously held by Discord's forces. I have left all my forces and the most reliable of my guard while I attempted to scout the area, first making my way towards Canterlot. When I'd found Discord had been absent, I then began my pursuit, attempting to finish things before they even started, it seems we won't have that pleasure. But I have not lost confidence in this oncoming war, I believe we can best Discord and his minions, and take back Canterlot if we all work together. Your ally Elliot Brightmare here, has told me much about the situation, and circumstances may seem grim but with our support we can quickly turn the situation to our favor. She has also informed me of the possibility of returning the Princesses to our lands, although a slim chance, the mere possibility is a shot worth taking. I ask that you all come back with me to our establishment, and we may start planning from there."
There obviously was no question in any of this. Although Sombra was the leader of the rebellion forces, he wasn't smug enough to think himself above an alicorn, and certainly wasn't going to deny any offer to aid, it practically wasn't even a choice in the matter considering there wasn't really any negative aspect about any of it besides having your own doubts and concerns. Sombra nodded happily as he let off a small laugh "Of course Princess...that sounds excellent..."
Princess Symphony smiled expectantly. "Good, then let's not waste anymore time then."
Elliot smirked as she nodded to the Princess, as did all the others, just as eager to get started.
___________________________________________________
Elliot and Sharp were the ones sent to inform everypony they'd be moving to a new location, of course under the protection of them as well as an alicorn made the situation go much smoother. Nopony really expected to ever meet anypony to be able to call their Princess again, Princess Symphony really lightened the mood in that aspect. There was finally a sense of hope in the community, a sense of victory spurring within all the ponies. Although some ponies wanted to stay behind and remain safe and nestled in the caverns, they had to be denied. Although food was plentiful above, the risk of having simple citizens attempt to trek through the caverns and live on their own was too risky, everypony would be coming. And according to Princess Symphony, circumstances in the new area were much more appealing than living in the dark with makeshift lights.
This was the beginning of the transition, and the start of the new war for Equestria.
___________________________________________________
Although the journey was rather long as expected, it was surprisingly simple. They encountered minimal resistance along the way, only small squadrons of chaos guards attempting to block their path unsuccessfully. It was almost too easy. But these resistance ponies also knew the lands extremely well, especially their leaders who'd guided them all this time. Them along with an alicorn Princess were far more formidable opponents in this case. They all made their way northeast until they'd finally arrived at the Princesses central command, which she'd personally dubbed The Crystal Empire.
It'd been located near the frozen north closer to the mountainsides. Elliot was somewhat nostalgic about this place, although she rarely came here, she recalled days when Princess Celestia and Luna had their own setups in such a place. She'd always wondered what they needed done all the way out here, it's too bad she never took the time to ask.
-
Upon arrival at the gates, the crystal guards, ponies dawned in gorgeous crystal armor, all erupted into a volley of cheers at the return of their Princess alongside the band of rebellious ponies. The place was truly impressive; in such a supposedly short amount of time, the crystal ponies were already working on perfecting their base into a more homely establishment, a place ponies could live peacefully yet defend themselves at the same time. Gathered around in the central courtyard area and housing districts; previously used for supply houses by Discord's forces, were now citizens as well as little fillies and colts. It was almost as if you could forget the world was currently under the rule of Discord.
The group of resistance ponies made their way down the now clean streets of the new crystal empire. The sun was out and the sky looked beautiful, the structures were still a little worse for wear but they were being repaired. The street they were making their way down on was made up of crystal tiles, to think they'd accomplished this much was mind boggling.
Elliot was wide eyed as she simply gazed around the astounding place. "These ponies are amazing..."
Princess Symphony chuckled somewhat as she heard those words. "We've learned how to make use of our resources over time. It's perhaps one of our greatest qualities."
The place itself already mimicked Canterlot in a sense, almost comedically so. It was beautiful, and the crystal ponies were making sure their style of architecture could be noticed, building and constructing things from the materials found here and things they'd brought with them from across the seas. The main fortress, likely where the Princess herself would be staying, seemed impenetrable with the amount of guards present in the front.
Sombra was silent as he to was a little lost in admiration for the place. Eden regarded his friend with a smile, always pleased to see him not stressed, he'd been a little on the edge as of late, it was good to see him finally able to find some peace.
Sharp Wits had actually already separated from the group and was beginning to explore on his own back near the entrance.
Elliot looked to Princess Symphony with a puzzled expression. "So uhm, Princess, what do you plan to do first? And if it's no problem, how did you even manage to find out about Discord taking over anyway?"
Princess Symphony looked down at Elliot, then smirked a little. "Training...and I'm not that cut off from the world sweet Elliot, I to have my subjects who tell me the condition of things in places such as Equestria."
To this Eden, Sombra, and Elliot's eyes widened, even more confused at what she'd mentioned first.
Sombra seemed a bit offended by the proclamation, "Training!? We don't need any training!"
Princess Symphony sighed heavily. "You're all going to need it, we're not simply battling with Discord, we're battling with all of his allies he's gathered along the way. I realize you're all quite skilled, which is why I must ensure you're all at your best before this war erupts in full scale. Discord considers us jokes, we'll show him how wrong he is when the time is right. We've been blessed with time to prepare, and things have been easy for us thankfully, but we shouldn't squander our blessings. We should now ensure we're all at the peak of our abilities once we make our moves." She turned to face them as they'd arrived in the courtyard. "And that's why I'll help you perfect those abilities....for I know not what to expect from Discord, but I can imagine it won't be pretty...."
The rest of the rebellion then slowly dispersed as the guards all came to assist them. They lead them to different areas of the fortified city, most likely to settle them in, seeing as it was a long journey for all of them. Sombra, Eden, and Elliot simply looked up at Princess Symphony, still a little thrown back by the fact they were getting thrown into training as if they were in grade school and needed to take a new class. They were battle hardened but perhaps Princess Symphony was right, wouldn't hurt to be certain in the long run.
Elliot chuckled somewhat; crossing her hooves with a shrug. "Hey least we won't be sitting in a classroom."
Eden groaned a bit. "You know it hasn't been that long since I've had to go through that..."
Sombra sighed heavily as he'd peered around. "Where's Sharp Wits?"
Elliot shrugged once again. "Don't know, he went off exploring, he'll turn up sooner or later."
Princess Symphony was actually very pleased to see they were getting comfortable. It only made her desire to protect them all even stronger, seeing as she was looked upon as the leader of the entire pony race at this point.
"B-BIG SISTER!"
A fragile tiny voice rang out.
Princess Symphony's eyes widened as she immediately smiled & turned around to face the rapidly approaching figure. A small filly who looked almost exactly like her. She lowered her large frame and then wrapped her hooves around the little filly and nuzzled her affectionately. "Cadence! I'm sorry I took so long little sister...."
-
Elliot's eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of the small filly. She to was an alicorn like her sister. Elliot couldn't help but keep her hooves crossed with a soft smile as she'd observed the two of them.
Sombra and Eden looked on in interest at the two Princess's hug it out.
-
Princess Cadence had small tears stream down her cheeks as she looked up at her sister. "I was so so worried about you! I- I don't like it when you go out to fight, you might get hurt someday!"
Princess Symphony shook her head with a soft smile. "Don't worry little sister, I'd never leave you behind, you know that. I'm always going to be around to take care of you, and ensure nothing ever happens to you." She rubbed the top of her little sister's head with a soft chuckle.
Princess Cadence sniffled looking towards the ground. "Promise?..."
Princess Symphony nodded to her; smirking playfully before nuzzling her once again. "I promise my sweet little sister..."
They all remained there for a moment, lost in this moment of peace as well as preparation. It all felt so fleeting, but they weren't complaining. The arrival of Princess Symphony may have been abrupt, unexpected, and seemingly random, but for so long they'd been struggling against Discord. They still had so many questions about the Princess, but those would all be answered with time. It was moments like these that reminded them all of what was worth fighting for.
Elliot once again looked around at the scenery of their new home, she smirked, in time she knew this place would become something special, and she only hoped she would still be around to witness that day. Only a few hours ago did she feel she was going to end up dead, her body limp and stiff in the middle of some random forest. Now she was here, with an alicorn and preparing for a battle for all of pony kind. Discord's confidence in himself however was frightening to say the least, but perhaps they did stand a chance against him after all, he did seem interested in the idea of having a formidable enemy to take him on in the future.
Elliot's eyes widened as she remembered something important, she made her way a little ways back towards all the luggage they'd brought with them from Neighagra falls. She dug through a sack she'd obviously found familiar pulling out the book they'd stolen from the Canterlot library. Lessons of the Timelord, the book consisted of a few more Elliot already had and she'd explain that later to the group as well when they were more settled in and used to each other. But this was a desperately needed peace, although she winced in comfort at the idea she knew they were still missing one. One that was currently in the grasp of Discord most likely.
The shade of Chrysalis then suddenly appeared at Elliot's side as it giggled and smirked looking at the book. "Hah, you know you can't just expect to waltz right in there and take it from his quarters, what a waste of time."
Elliot groaned somewhat as she stared at the shade and rolled her eyes. "Why can't you appear as somepony else?..."
The shade of Chrysalis grinned. "Because you miss me the most..."
Elliot's eyes widened as she shook her head hurriedly, causing the shade to disappear. She found that she was blushing as the shade's words stuck in her mind. She sighed heavily before peering back down at the book.
"Elliot what're you doing?!" Eden called out to her from behind.
Elliot shrieked a little in surprise then turned to face him with a cheesy smile. The four of them, that's also including Cadence and Symphony, were still talking amongst each other, although Eden always was worrying about everypony besides himself. As nice as it may have been, it could get a little annoying at times.
Elliot then placed the book back into the bag before trotting over to the four of them once more.
__________________________________________________
Meanwhile in Canterlot, a dreadful force was gathering.
Deep in the castle, Discord cackled somewhat as he spread his arms in delight as he looked upon four shrouded figures entering his throne room. He then grinned happily, "I'm glad to see you all could make it."
The figures were revealed to be four different races in particular, one was a female changeling but not Queen Chrysalis. She bore a similar appearance and surprisingly wore clothes, a long elegant robe. She'd seemed a bit anxious in seeing Discord as a sinister smirk creeped onto her face. She raised a brow at the draconequus "Hmhm, it's a pleasure to see you again Discord, we got word that trouble has arrived in Equestria...as you know, you have the changelings support..."
Discord smirked at the changeling. "And it's highly appreciated, do give Queen Chrysalis my regards when you return."
The next figure was a griffon who wore a small and agile blade on his back. He bore strange armor and peculiar bladed gauntlets that covered his talons. He chewed on a toothpick and had a bored expression as he sighed looking over his talons. "Yo! Discord, what's with calling us out here, is there really a big enough threat that you need all of us here yo?"
The next figure, a minotaur, simply groaned in annoyance with the griffon. He was a mighty large beast and towered over the rest of the figures with ease. As he flexed his muscles and held his behemoth axe behind his back, his nostrils puffed hot air as he snarled somewhat. "Shutup! If Discord needs us then he needs us, why would you question him you moron!?"
The griffon snapped back. "What'd you just say yo!?"
The final and fourth figure remained silent, shrouded in shadow.
Discord smiled at them before sitting in his throne once more. "Simmer down now, simmer down. The reason I've brought you here is for one reason only....we must prepare, for war."
The griffon and minotaur then stopped arguing as they gasped.
The changeling and fourth mysterious figure simply shrugged as they looked at Discord in interest.
The griffon raised a brow as his toothpick fell from his mouth. "War? What're you talking about yo? The buck you mean we need to prepare for war, we got Equestria on lockdown!"
The minotaur sighed heavily crossing his large bulky arms. "Apparently not...."
The changeling snickered playfully. "Why don't you all calm down, this is a good thing, we can finally come out and play..."
The fourth figure remained silent.
Discord cackled somewhat as he grinned maniacally at the four of them. "Worry not my representatives, I have something far more simple planned for the four of you. You see, our guests have only just arrived, and we'll need to put their skills to the test of course. No, we're simply in the testing phase....and we'll test them in full when the time is right, I don't plan to waste such a great source of entertainment, try to think of it as a game!"
The griffons mood died down somewhat as he shrugged with a disinterested look. "If you say so yo..."
The minotaur puffed hot air from his nostrils once again as he rotated his shoulders. "Heh, I see where you're going with this Lord Discord, and can't say I don't look forward to a good workout."
The changeling chuckled as she smirked playfully. "Hehehe, I do hope they actually know how to handle themselves..."
The fourth figure once more, remained silent.
Discord looked down at his representatives with a smirk. His game was being put into motion, and he couldn't wait to get started.
