The ponies scattered and ran for their lives. Discord and Sombra were screaming profanities and struggling against the blanket I threw over them. I heard them cursing each other and me, failing to get free quickly.

I bit my lip, unsure and hesitant, regretting what I had done. I flew as fast as I could as far away as possible. I passed by a house and I heard Rainbow urgently call my name, so I snapped back and flew towards her voice. The six ponies were huddled behind a checkout counter in a shop. I flew inside and started to frantically board up the doors and windows. The others followed heed, and soon we had the entrances blocked. I started to hyperventilate. “Guys, we need to hide. Seriously, like I’m freaking out and-”

“Darling, calm yourself. We’re okay as long as we have each other,” said Rarity, placing a hoof on my shoulder. I took a long, deep breath. She may be right.

“Why didn’t my spell work?” said Twilight, a look of extreme concern and fear on her face.

“No idea…” I said, lying. I shuddered and I quickly looked around, mapping out the place in my head and taking note of all possible entries and exits and routes and weapons. Luckily, there was a hidden cellar right underneath the counter. We heard Sombra’s thundering hoofsteps and Discord’s wrathful growling and screaming only a couple blocks away. I had to cover my mouth to keep from yelping. I shoved all of the ponies into the cellar and shut the door. Somepony turned on a light and I went into the far back and hid in a box, scared out of my mind. The full force of what my actions have done finally hit me.

“We’re all gonna die!” Screamed Pinkie, and Applejack had to cover her mouth.

“No. Worse,” I said, tears in my eyes. “Those two are sadistic demons; they won’t bother to grace us with something as sweet as death.”

Suddenly everything started to shake. The walls, the ground- everything.

That’s when the lights went out.

Screams of terror filled the room, and I scooted myself under a shelf so I was almost completely hidden. I covered my ears and bit my tongue, afraid I may have just gotten my friends killed.

Then the screams just… stopped. Complete silence so thick it hurt my ears. I didn’t dare move, so scared I had to make sure I didn’t piss myself.

“Chaaaaance…” I heard Discord sing in a disturbingly calm sing-song voice. “Little Chance, little Chance, come out come out wherever you are…”

I started choking on my own sobs.

That’s when I decided enough was enough. I just snapped. I flailed out of my box and entered a pony-less room, headed out of the cellar, and darted out of the back exit. I just ran, ran harder and faster than I have ever run in my entire life. Tears of pure anger streamed my face.

“You.” Discord growled through his teeth. I suddenly found myself hoisted upward and upside down, dangling from my tail. I started kicking and flapping my wings in a flurry of red feathers.

“DISCORD, I SWEAR TO CELESTIA I WILL FUCKING RIP OFF YOUR HORNS AND SHOVE THEM UP YOUR EYES IF YOU’VE DONE ANYTHING TO THEM. I WILL RIP OFF YOUR WINGS AND CRAM THEM SO FAR DOWN YOUR THROAT YOU’LL BE SHITTING FEATHERS FOR DAYS IF I DON’T KILL YOU FIRST. YOU HAVE NO IDEA THE PAIN I WILL INFLICT-”

Sombra bucked me in the throat and then in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me and making me choke aggressively. I was violently thrown on the ground and hit my head so hard I couldn’t see anything for a minute. I struggled to get up, but then massive hooves came crashing down on my head.

I heard a sadistic, mocking, restrained laugh coming from both Sombra and Discord. “I don’t think so. See, you have the order wrong. I,” A dragon claw pressed me hard against the pavement, ceasing my struggles. “…am the one who threatens.” He yanked back my mane, making my head shoot upwards in an awkward angle and making it even more difficult to breathe. “I am the one who decides who wins.” He grabbed my throat with his paw so hard it felt like my eyes were about to fly out of my head. I was thrown hard against a building, and I struggled to get up and kill those two. Sombra bucked my face with the force of a train and my head smashed against the wall, making my nose bleed like a faucet.

Suddenly I was aware ponies were screaming my name, begging me to get up and be okay. I strained to gain vision and saw the ponies locked in a magic cage, only something was wrong.

None of them had their wings or horns.

“Is that all you’ve got?” I slurred, staring at the two and making a feeble attempt to smile.

“Oh, no. Definitely not. I need to make an example of you to your little friends.” Discord snapped his claws, which made another cage appear; only this one had the princesses in it, looking as frightened as fillies.

I immediately got up and stumbled over to Sombra, ready to punch his lights out, only my punch turned out to be a soft swing of my arm which he easily moved away from. He tackled me to the ground and pulled my arm backwards so far I heard a snap, which sent scorching pain throughout my body. I flailed to get free, flapping my wings. I managed to get up, ready to fly away, when Discord brought me smashing back onto the pavement. “Pesky things, aren’t they? We need to get rid of them.”

I couldn’t see what he was doing, but I heard the other ponies gasp. Sombra held me down on my stomach, leaving my wings free. I struggled as hard as I could, knowing what was to come. I started begging, pleading for my life. Suddenly I felt a searing pain in my lower wing, near the socket. I snapped my head around to see what was happening.

They were cutting my wings off.

Not magic, not some kind of painless way of removing them, but a dull, rusty, serrated blade. I started kicking and flailing, cursing them and promising to twist their heads off and feed them to timber wolves. The pain continued, as if Discord was deliberately cutting slowly. I tried with all my might to get away, but to no avail. He didn’t even bother to cut all the way off; instead he broke it off, leaving the nub of the joint still intact. I screamed so loud I could hear Sombra wince.

“Oh, don’t be such a wimp. We still have one to go,” Said Discord menacingly.

Same thing with my other wing- careless cutting and slicing, sending splatters of blood all over the ground and soaking my body. I could see my own feathers and bits of bone and flesh littering the floor. I gave up and started to sob, making tears and blood smear my face.

I started screaming as loud and hard as I could, promising death and curses. Blood got into my mouth and I started coughing and gagging, threatening Discord and Sombra even louder.

“Mm,” Discord said lazily, “That needs to go as well.” He turned to the horrified ponies, positioning my struggling body so that they could see me clearly. I started to cry silently, disappointed I had let them all down. Not even that. I may have doomed their lives to a certain crimson fate. I brought all this upon Ponyville… Maybe even Equestria. I mouthed 'I love you all' to the ponies before I closed my eyes and looked away, tears streaming down my face.

My head was suddenly jerked backwards. Sombra pried open my mouth with his hooves, and my eyes went wide with fear. I tried to get away, but the pain in my back prevented me from doing much wiggling. Discord blocked the view, getting in between me and the ponies. He got up in my face and did a sort of grimacing smile, one that I’ve never seen before. It made me almost throw up with fear. I started begging as much as I could with my mouth wide open. He then grabbed my tongue with his claw, holding it still. Everything went in slow motion then. I heard everypony crying out, pleading, threatening, crying. I tasted metal- a blade was in my mouth. He started to saw away at my tongue, making my mouth and head explode with fireworks of pain. Blood flooded out of my mouth and down my chin, down my throat, and all over Discord’s claw and paw. His claw slipped and made the blade shoot through my cheek. I heard him chuckle grimly. I couldn’t move any part of my upper body from the searing pain. He finally finished cutting away my tongue and backed away. I fell to the ground and writhed violently, gallons of blood pooling around me. I threw up multiple times- deep, heaving waves of bile. I slipped and hit my head on the ground, making me panicked and disoriented. I started at a fast stumble, trying to get away from Discord. I was choking on blood and saliva and bile, and I couldn’t swallow so my mouth hung open, dripping with vile liquids. I could hear frantic screaming coming from the trapped ponies, mixed with maniacal, roaring laughter from Sombra and Discord. In my frenzied stumbling, I tripped over my own hoof and fell to the ground. I did my best to open my eyes to see where I was. I was some distance away from the others. I saw most of the ponies crying; looks of mixed disgust, concern, and fear dominate their faces. I gave a choked cough, sending a spurt of blood onto the ground.

I dazed off, almost blacking out from the pain. I was jerked upward by my mane. “Get up. I’m not done with you yet,” Growled Discord. “These troublesome hooves of yours…” He trailed off, clicking his tongue and shaking his head disapprovingly. He looked at Sombra, who nodded his head. Sombra walked over to me and I weakly shoved myself away from him. I tried saying “fuck off” but a painful sort of gurgling took its place instead. He snarled, reared up, and brought his tremendous weight down on my ankles, shattering them easily. I let out an ear-piercing bubbly scream, drowned out by blood. He twisted and jerked my legs this way and that, setting them in unholy positions. I could hear my bones snapping and cracking, popping and tearing, jutting through my skin. My entire body was saturated and caked with blood. I was surprised I hadn’t died of blood loss yet. Sombra picked me up above his head and brought me back down on to the ground harder than ever before, sending new sparks of pain through my body.

My legs were useless, and now I was completely immobile and unable to speak or make any coherent verbal communication. Discord lifted up my limp body by the neck and showed his victory to the trapped ponies. “This,” he said, dropping my body to the ground with a hard thump, “is what has become of your little hero. Not so high and mighty now, is she?” He chuckled sadistically. “Ohh, the fun I will have with you all.” He looked over the two alicorns and my friends, cut up and unkempt, missing their respective appendages. He floated onto his back, lying back in mid-air. “I want to play a game,” he proposed. “Been a while since we’ve done that, hmm?”

I could hear Rainbow Dash desperately beating her hooves against the cage, trying to get free. Fluttershy was sobbing. Pinkie Pie was screaming about what she’ll do when she gets her hooves on Discord’s “meanie face”. Applejack was comforting Fluttershy, assuring everything will be alright. Rarity had fainted long ago from the sight of blood, flesh, bones, and vomit. Twilight was staring Discord dead in the eyes, ready to face whatever comes. Luna and Celestia were all staring as well, surprisingly silent. (And useless without their horns or wings.)

“My game,” Discord said, “Is quite complex. I’m not so sure your mule brains will comprehend how to play it, but I guess I’ll have to dumb it down.

“You will all be released into the Everfree Forest. I will have a magic barrier around the woods. Step beyond it and you will get torn to shreds.” He paused, making sure they understood. “The object of the game is easy: survive and play by the rules. Do what I say. Break a rule and I will personally tend to the troublesome pony. You will each have a varying set of tasks you will need to complete. Some alone, some not alone.”

“Well, that doesn’t sound too hard…” Twilight said quietly. “Oh, but there’s a catch,” Said Discord.

“You will all have your memory wiped, not knowing who you are or who anypony else is. You will not know anything but being an ‘earth pony’ set off into the woods with other ponies. You will not know what dangers lie ahead of you, nor will you know how to combat them without your precious friendship,” he sneered. “Best part is, I get to watch it all!” He started to laugh in a crazed manner. I think he finally snapped. The ponies collectively gasped and murmured frantically. “However, since I’m nice, I’ll choose what you get to remember and what you don’t. I’ll give you all a set of instructions on what to do. Complete them, and you win. But when the last pony standing goes, game over. I win.”

“What do you mean ‘when the last pony standing goes’!?” Cried out Rainbow Dash. Discord just grinned. “You’ll see soon enough,” he said darkly.

I stirred, not sure what I was trying to accomplish. I wanted nothing more than to help my friends. Discord looked over at me through the corner of his eyes, and I stopped writhing, afraid he’ll do me more harm. “Of course, I’ll need some time for preparation…” Discord said lazily, still looking at me with a look of deep thought. I cursed him, hoped to some greater evil that he would die in the most agonizing way possible.

“Dear Sombra, do be a dear and take care of these lovely mares for me while I’m away, won’t you? I’ll take the red one. I have plans.” Discord gripped my tail and lifted me into the air and carried me off, making my hooves drag on the ground. I started crying, knowing he had some kind of malevolent deed planned for me.

We reached the portal, which he carelessly threw me into and followed through. I groaned when I hit the floor, smelling that familiar stench of dried blood and sulfur. Discord said nothing as he dragged me into the room where they tortured me. He flopped me onto the cold steel table and rummaged through the drawers. I gurgled questioningly, wanting to at least know what my fate will be. “Hm? Oh. I have special plans for you, my dear Chance. You’re going to thank me when I’m through with you,” Discord said in a giddy, dark voice, as if he was excited to see me suffer even more. He probably was.

Sombra stared at the ponies trapped in their cages like wild animals. The ponies stared back. “You don’t talk much, do you?” Rainbow Dash asked with an audible tang of hate. Sombra growled, his eye twitching in irritation. “Thought not,” Dash sneered.

“King Sombra,” Celestia finally spoke up, “Whatever you have planned, don’t do it. Discord is only using you to do his bidding. He’ll certainly kill you after he’s-” Sombra lunged at her cage, violently knocking it over and sending the princesses onto the ground. He bucked it hard against a building. The other girls cried out, desperately asking if Luna and Celestia were okay. “SILENCE!!!” He roared, lifting up the cage with the other six ponies in it with his horn. He sent it flying through a building with ease. “I cannot do much damage to you mules. Discord has other plans for you,” He growled through clenched teeth. “So shut the fuck up.” He hesitantly brought the cages back into their original places, wishing he’d let the cages rot on the ground.

The ponies were quite battered, so none of them said anything. There wasn’t really anything to say, anyway. They were doomed to an uncertain fate and their best friend is most likely being torn to shreds by Discord. They lost their horns and wings and they were trapped. A feeling of immense dread loomed over them like a thick storm cloud. Fluttershy wouldn’t stop crying and the rest just sat and stared at their hooves. Sombra kept watch like a hawk all day, making sure none of them got loose or tried anything funny. Not like they could escape a magic cage, anyway.

The sun and moon were still in a fixed stasis, so night didn’t really come. Sombra went into a house, presumably to sleep. Twilight was planning a way to escape, and a couple other ponies were asleep as well. Hours went by. Sombra was still asleep. ‘I’m hungry’ was the most popular thing being said. Applejack was laying with half of her head poked out of the cage in a half sleep, half awake state. Suddenly her ear twitched, picking up a sound in the distance. She lifted up her head and shushed everypony so she could listen better. Snap. “Do y’all hear that?” She asked. “Hear wh-” Twilight started to say, but got cut off by the sound of timber wolves howling.

“Oh, no,” Fluttershy said. “We’re mutt food!” Cried Pinkie. Rarity had to quiet her, afraid she’ll wake up Sombra. Suddenly Volk came sprinting out of the Everfree Forest, followed by a huge pack of timber wolves. Quiet gasps of joy came from the cages as Chance’s pet wolf jumped around the cage, delighted to see everypony wasn’t dead. “Volk, get out of here!” Applejack said quietly. “Either you’ll end up timber wolf food, or Sombra will…” She didn’t even want to finish the sentence. Volk tilted his head, a knowing gleam in his eye. He stayed put and the pack of timber wolves caught up. Everypony backed up against the cage, trying to get as far away as possible from the vicious beasts.

They were huge compared to Volk; towering, long-fanged apex predators capable of tearing a pony to shreds within seconds. They surrounded the cages, their hot breath shooting like steam vents onto the ponies, making them shiver with fear. The ponies all looked to Volk who just wagged his tail. “What’s happening?” Rarity asked. “I… I don’t think they want to hurt us,” Twilight said. “I think Volk brought them here to help us!”

Just as they were about to start cheering, Sombra stalked out of his dilapidated house, baring his teeth and breathing heavier than a pony who had just run a thousand miles. Discord poofed next to him, looking quite pleased with himself until he saw the unexpected visitors. “What are those things doing here!?” Discord shouted in fury.

The horde of timber wolves all turned to face the two, forming a massive barrier between them and the ponies. Volk was in the center, baring his teeth and foaming at the mouth, ready to kill.

However, something was wrong. There was a sudden, split-second flash of emerald that seemed to fill the entire world. The timber wolves were gone, leaving Volk standing by himself. He looked around, petrified. He glanced over at the ponies for a fraction of a second, as if to say sorry. He high-tailed it back to the forest before he could get hurt. Discord roared with laughter as the ponies exchanged looks of confusion. What just happened? Had Discord made the timber wolves vanish?

“Well, as entertaining as that was, we have a game to play,” Said Discord, wiping a tear away from his eye and pulling in deep breaths. “What happened to Chance!?” Screamed Pinkie Pie. “Gone,” Discord said like it was a waste of breath, flicking dirt from his claw. “Anyway, let’s go.” He snapped his claws and suddenly they were all in the deepest part of the forest. Lush green brush and massive trees grew way over their heads, alive with color and birds. Vines draped the branches which little animals scurried across to get to one tree to another. Berry bushes dotted the forest, which Twilight instantly recognized as edible and sweet. She also saw some that were also sweet, however deadly and poisonous. Those could dissolve your insides. It seemed the bomb hadn’t affected the forest for some reason, hence the massive pack of timber wolves.

Discord snapped his claws again and a colossal light green, transparent dome surrounded the forest, which seemed to go on forever. “Don’t forget,” Discord chimed, “Step beyond the dome and you die… Oh, wait.” He started laughing hysterically, pleased with his ironic joke.

“Here comes the fun part.”

Snap. The cages vanished.

Snap. The ponies were in different locations, away from one another.

Snap. Memories wiped.

“Let the games begin.”

Author's Note

Apologies for the shortness of this chapter; I wasn't really feeling the creative vibe, you know?
More chapters to come, let me promise you that. (Maybe just not as soon as I like it to...)