Chapters Twilight Sparkle and her friends quickly galloped through the corridors of the Royal Palace, their minds in panic. "Hurry!" Twilight cried. "The Princess needs us! It's urgent!"
"Why can't Celestia explain the problem without us rushing toward her?" Rarity asked. "What could be so important we have to travel all the way to Canterlot?"
"It's probably something big!" Rainbow Dash said, hurriedly flapping her wings. "You know how she works!"
As the mare's burst through set of doors, they stopped to catch their breath. The room held a serious air as Princess Celestia sat upon her throne.
"Uh... you called for us, Princess?" Twilight asked nervously.
"Yes." Princess Celestia said. "Do you what happened a few years ago?" She asked.
"Uh... we saved the Crystal Empire?" Fluttershy answered.
"No. Earlier than that."
"Oooh! Oooh! We went to the Grand Galloping Gala!" Pinkie chirped.
"No, a little later after that."
" Um.... we stopped Discord?" Applejack asked.
"Correct. And now, I'm afraid he's lose again." Celestia said, worried.
A collective gasp surfaced among them, throwing them into worry themselves.
"But that's impossible! We turned him back into stone!" Twilight cried.
"True, but his stone statue is missing from the vault we store him in. I can only conclude he's free." Celestia said, nervously pacing the floor in front of her.
"So, what do you want us to do?" Pinkie asked.
"The same thing you did before. Take the Elements of Harmony and track him down. Don't fall for any of his tricks." Celestia said.
"Oh, Celestia. Predictable as ever." A voice rang throughout the chamber.
"Discord!" Celestia barked. "Where are you!?"
"That's not important now. What is important is what I've been up to." The disembodied voice taunted, making the mares shudder. "You see, since your little students stoned me for the second time, I've had quite a lot of time for myself. Enough time to detect other realms."
"That makes no sense, Discord. You can't use magic since we captured you." Twilight said, looking around for the source of Discord's voice.
"When have I ever made sense? What fun is it?" Discord said. "Now, as I was saying, I found one dimension filled with wondrous creatures. Creatures with powers that surpass even your own, Miss Sparkle. I thought it'd be fun to send you six there and let them tear you apart." He cackled.
"Not unless we stop you, Discord. I won't let you harm my students!" Celestia shouted. Before anyone could say any more, the size ponies were gone in a puff of smoke.
"Whoops! Too late!" Discord giggled. "I'm afraid you were too slow, Celestia. Who knows? I might send you there myself if you're not careful."
Celestia was in shock. Her students were gone and there was nothing she could about it. "I'll find you Discord!" She shouted. "I'll find you and end you!"
"Big talk for a little pony. Ta-ta." Discord laughed.
Silence. Celestia felt her anger building inside her, and concern for Twilight in her friends. Could they really handle these monsters alone?
Twilight Sparkle vs. Luxray
A cold wind blew through the area. Twilight Sparkle gathered her thoughts, and stood up on her hooves. Her head was spinning and her stomach was turning. "Ugh... my head." She groaned, shaking her head to stop the spinning. She no longer was in the Royal Throne Room. Instead, a rough grassy hillside, dotted with bare trees and patches of grass. The sky was a dull gray, where rumbles of thunder shook the air.
"Alright. New world. Tons of monsters that you don't know how to fight." Twilight reminded herself. "How bad could this be?"
"Aha! Twilight Sparkle! Just the pony to start off this little survival challenge!" Discord's voice chuckled through Twilight's mind.
"What do you want from me, Discord?" She asked, nervous.
"Simple. You're going to fight monsters for my amusement! Let's get started, shall we?" Discord said. There was a deafening roar behind Twilight, and the unicorn quickly swiveled around. Standing on top of a tall rock, was a lion-like beast, much bigger than Twilight. It had a shaggy black mane that took up its front paws and head, along with a spot near its back. It's face and hind legs were blue, and the creature had a thin tail with a yellow star-like spike at the end. The beast had wide cat ears and eyes colored yellow and red.
"See that?" Discord asked. "That is what the locals call a 'Luxray'. Don't bother hiding from it. Those eyes it has can see through anything." He explained. "Oh, and one more thing. Kill or be killed. That is the rule here. Every creature you will fight will not stop until you die or it dies. Have fun."
As Discord's voice vanished, the Luxray pounced of it's rock, with it's claws drawn.
"Discord! Wait! NO!" Twilight cried, as the beast was too fast for her. The Luxray landed on Twilight, with a sharp claw raised above her.
Twilight closed her eyes as she let out a random burst of magic from her horn, which hit the Luxray right in the face. This sent the monster stumbling back, and letting Twilight get back on her hooves.
The two stood, waiting for the other to make a move. "Come on, Twilight. Think. How do you... kill this thing?" She thought, shuddering at the thought of purposely killing something. This wouldn't be easy. "Alright... everything has a weakness. A weak spot. I just have to find out what."
The cease-fire between them was broken as a metallic taste filled the air. Twilight knew this all too well. With two of her best friends being pegasi, she's familiar with weather control. There was a rumble of thunder, and the Luxray's mane began to stiffen. There was a spark in the clouds, and a tremendous bolt of lightning shot straight down, hitting the Luxray. For a split second, Twilight thought she had won. Lightning would be enough to kill most things, so why not this?
The answer being that the Luxray roared, and an electric aura appeared around it. Then, as if on it's command, it fired a surge of electricity, which Twilight couldn't dodge. The shock made every fiber of her body burn, and she could feel herself nearly fainting from the pain. Her body was nearly numb, and she wasn't sure if she could take another blast like that. "Okay... Lightning. Not off to a good start." Twilight thought. She charged up her own magical energy, and fired off a few shots of magic from her horn. A few hit the Luxray, but it wouldn't be enough.
At this point, Twilight decided to run. She galloped at high speed dodging rocks and fallen trees, despite being injured from the thunder. She looked back to see the Luxray right behind her. She knew she couldn't hide, since she remember what Discord told her about it's eyes. Wait a minute... it's eyes! That was it's weak point, just like anything else. "But how am I going to disable it?" Twilight asked. She then looked down at her hooves, which were leaving trail in the dirt.
A devious smirk appeared on Twilight's face as she planted her front hooves into the ground, stopping her run. She reared up her hind legs, and as the Luxray got close enough, arced her hooves downward, kicking up dirt, mud and sand right into the Luxray's face. The creature snarled in pain. Being a quadruped, the Luxray had no way to rub or wipe it's eyes. It began turning it's head and sniffing the air, blind of Twilight's position.
"Don't like dirt, huh?" Twilight chuckled to herself. She began flinging more piles of dirt at the monster, keeping it off balance. Twilight shot a few bolts of magic, which seemed to be doing more damage against the Luxray.
The beast's mane, however, began to crackle with static once more. Twilight was smarter this time around. She used her magic to bore a hole in the ground, digging deeper. The bolt hit where Twilight was standing, but her earthy shelter easily absorbed the blast. Dirt didn't conduct electricity, after all.
"Alright. Things are getting too hot here. I gotta get this over with." Twilight dreaded. She kept digging and digging until she could feel the Luxray above her. She charged up one final burst of magic, the one to end it. A purple ball of energy welled up at the tip of her horn, and as she released it, the ground gave way.
There was a burst of magic and dirt, and a veil of dust. Twilight sat in a crater, where she sent the magic. Slowly, she stood back up, and looked around. The dust had settled, and there was a heavy breathing and a fallen shape ahead of her. The Luxray. Twilight walked up to it, limping, stood beside it, and looked down. It was too weak to even stand up, let alone kill her. It's chest was slightly caved in, and so was it's front leg. The dirt was cleared away from it's red and yellow eyes, but Twilight could see the life fleeing from them.
"Kill or be killed. That is the rule here." Discord's voice echoed once more. Twilight swallowed, and closed her eyes.
"May Celestia be kind to you." Twilight said, and fired one last burst of magic.
Silence. Thunder continued to rumble overhead, and Discord's voice returned once more.
"Hahahaha! Wonderful show, Miss Sparkle! That was quite a battle!" Discord cackled.
"It's... dead." Twilight said, shaking.
"Of course. How else are you to move on to the next fight?"
"You made me kill it."
"On the contrary, you didn't have to. You could've died yourself, so it may live."
Twilight could say no more, and buried her face in her hooves, sobbing.
"Oh, cheer up kid. Tell you what. I'll fix you up before your next fight."
As if on cue, Twilight's injuries faded away. Her singed mane grew back, her limp was gone, and the pain slowly dulled away.
"Now, I'll give you some time to recover. I'm going to go check on your friends." Discord said.
"My friends? Are they alright?" She asked. But there was no answer.
All Twilight had at the moment was herself, an empty hillside, and a dead Luxray.
Rainbow Dash vs. Honchkrow
A cold, dreary night was just the thing to put Rainbow Dash on edge. The pegasus awoke with a shock to find herself laying in murky water. As she got to her hooves, she looked around. A swampy area in the dead of night. Dead trees growing out of soft, moist earth, a shallow silty stream. The night sky was clear of clouds, showing the full moon and the twinkling stars.
"Oh, this is bad." She muttered.
"Oh, you don't know half of it." Discord's voice sounded.
"Discord! Where are you!? I'm gonna kick your flank so hard when I get out of this!" Rainbow said, looking around the dark, dead forest.
"Oh, don't be so sure, Rainbow Dash. You're gonna have to go through some... rather difficult feats." Discord chimed.
"No problem! I can take whatever you can through at me!" Rainbow said.
"Very well. Take a look at that tree behind you." Discord said.
Rainbow Dash turned to the decaying tree behind her, and was rather shocked. How did she not notice them before? There were at least seven small black birds on the branches of the tree, and one bigger bird. The small birds had yellow feet and beaks, red eyes, and tufts of feathers that were shaped like hats.
The larger bird was much more intimidating. It also had black feathers and a yellow beak, but it seemed... stronger. It's feet were now black, the hat shaped feathers were more broader and intricate, and the bird had a white puff of feathers, were it boastfully puffed out it's chest.
"That, my little Rainbow Dash is a Honchkrow. They work like bosses over their little friends, the Murkrow." Discord said. "Now, you want to hear something interesting? Over time, the creatures don't just grow, they transform entirely into a new creature. So every one of those little Murkrow will transform into a Honchkrow. Isn't it just wonderful?" Discord said.
The Honchkrow held one of it's wings out to the side, revealing a red streak of feathers underneath. The smaller Murkrow then flew away from the branch, leaving the big bird alone with Rainbow Dash.
"Wait... what am I supposed to do here?" Rainbow Dash stammered, as she couldn't look away from the Honchkrow's eyes. They glared at her, watching her every move.
"You must fight it. And the same rule applies to you and your friends. Kill or be killed." Discord repeated.
"Wait- what?! Discord!" Rainbow replied, breaking her stare from the Honchkrow. That was her first mistake. When Rainbow Dash looked back at the tree branch, the bird was gone.
An ear-piercing screech tore through the air, and Rainbow Dash looked up. Braced against the glowing moon was the silhouette of the Honchkrow, wings spread, and talons drawn. Unfortunately, Rainbow Dash was right in it's path. She felt her face and eyes being torn up in the Honchkrow's claws, and heard her own cries of pain over the wing flaps. She thrashed and bucked, and managed to get the Honchkrow off and regain her stance.
Rainbow Dash quickly took off into the night, but left her colorful trail in the air behind her. Rainbow Dash dodged tree after tree, hoping to get some distance. But the Honchkrow's caw echoed through the air once more. She felt another jolt of pain surge on her back, and the whoosh of wings over head. Even in mid-chase, Rainbow was being assaulted. She rose high above the dead forest, and looked around. She could see the faint outline of a bird approaching her. As the shadow got closer, Rainbow Dash retaliated with a forceful blow of her hind leg. The Honchkrow bounced off her hoof, but easily regained its balance in the sky.
The Honchkrow rushed faster at Rainbow in the air, and a dark, shadowy energy formed at the tips of it's wings. It lunged forward, striking the pegasus with its streaks of darkness. She felt her wings and body give way, and she plummeted down to the ground. As Rainbow hit the soft, muddy earth, her head felt fuzzy. Her eyes flickered, trying to stay open. When all seemed lost, Rainbow Dash heard voices.
"Rainbow Dash! Get up!" A voice yelled.
"Twilight..." Rainbow muttered weakly. "Is that you?"
"Come on, sugarcube! Pull yerself together!"
"You have to, darling! Please!"
"Get up, Rainbow! Don't fall!"
"We're counting on you..."
Rainbow Dash's eyes shot open, and her energy returned, despite being battered and broken. The Honchkrow towered over her, it's talons raised over her face.
In one fluid motion, Rainbow grabbed the Honchkrow by the neck, starling it. She then raised her wings and took off, taking the Honchkrow with it. She plowed through dead tree after dead tree, breaking through the wood using the Honchkrow as a sort of ram. Once Rainbow was done she soared high above the area, and arcing straight down, crashing the Honchkrow into the ground.
Rainbow Dash picked herself up again, breathing hard and angry. "Nothing... nothing messes with my friends." She growled to the Honchkrow, laying motionless on the ground.
"Impressive. Figures the Element of Loyalty would use her friends to finish the fight." Discord said, cackling with amusement.
"I did it?" Rainbow Dash said, her words shaking with surprised rage.
"Yes. I'm sure your friends would be just as proud. Or was it horrified? I can't remember."
"We would they be horrified? I killed the monster you sent after me." Rainbow growled.
"Or did you? Take a look at yourself."
Rainbow Dash turned to a small puddle, which showed her reflection. Her mane was matted, her face was covered in bloody lacerations, and her eyes seething with rage. "You killed the Honchkrow, a creature just like you or me, and yet you feel little remorse or guilt? Does that make you any less of a monster as the Honchkrow? Or the other creatures your friends are facing? Or even... me?"
"Stop it!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "Why are you doing this to me?!"
"Because since you imprisoned me in stone for the last few years, I feel like I should make you regret it. Don't worry though... you'll join your friends soon enough." Discord chuckled.
"My friends..." Rainbow Dash muttered. "I only hope their doing better than me."
She picked herself up, and slowly walked through the dark woods, as a wind picked up a few black feathers.
Cobwebs. The wispy, white nets that cluttered furniture after periods of inactivity. And the one thing to frighten Rarity.
"UGH! Filthy cobwebs and dust everywhere! If Discord wanted to send me to the worst possible place, he succeeded." Rarity griped, wiping them away. She found herself in an attic of some sorts, with a single window that let a beam of moonlight pouring in. The rest of the room was too dark to see, but Rarity could tell there were boxes and other items tucked away. It was an attic after all. In the moonlight, there was a hatch sealed with a padlock.
"Thank you, my dearest. I really do try." The god of chaos chuckled, startling the unicorn.
"Don't you dare talk to me, Discord! I'd rather take my chances with whatever you've sent after me than listen to your drivel." Rarity quipped, pointing her nose high in the air. There was a dull clunk in the corner, and Rarity was instantly frightened. "What was that?!" She cried.
"Thank, Rarity, is the alternative to my 'drivel'. Say hello to Banette." Discord giggled.
There was a creak of the floorboards, and Rarity saw a shape walk into the moonlight. A ragdoll, walking on it's own into view. I moved like strings on a puppet from invisible marionettes. It's body was made from gray faded cloth stitched together. It's eyes were red buttons folded in the cloth, making them look rather angry. The ghoul's mouth was a copper zipper, eerily bent to look like a crazed smile.
"Remember those old dolls children through away and forget? Banette remembers too. Turns out in this world, old dolls and puppets become possessed by spirits. And they hunt down the child that abandons it." Discord said. "Now, I won't bore you with the details, and I've already explained it to your friends. One way or another, you won't escape until something kills someone."
As if on cue, Rarity felt her blood chill as the Banette cackled, much like a sentient being. The red eyes seemed to pulse in the darkness, emitting a small swirl of color. Rarity felt compelled to look into the creature's eyes, her own growing heavier by the seconds. "Such... pretty colors." She muttered. "So... sleepy." Rarity said, and there, she could only collapse to the floor as she fell asleep.
The recesses of Rarity's subconscious were buzzing with activity. Memories of past experiences drifted around spewing random dialogue.
"Odd." Rarity thought to herself. "I never thought dreams worked like this." She said, looking around. She saw her own body drifting in an endless sea of wispy darkness.
The shifting shapes and shadows around her formed a floor. A physical surface for Rarity to stand. "Did that thing put me to sleep? What good would that do?" She wondered. There was the sound of hooves galloping on the ground, and a voice behind her.
"Rarity! Help!"
The unicorn turned behind her, and Fluttershy was seen, running from a large shape that loomed in the distance. It was a gigantic Banette, towering at least four stories high. It was trudging after Fluttershy, before it brought down it's hand, grasping her.
Rarity attempted to shout out or run to help, but her voice was gone and her hooves were stuck on the ground, by some sort of black glue.
"Rarity! Do something! Why aren't you helping me!?" The yellow pegasus cried out. The monstrous Banette opened its zipper-mouth, and a white smoke seeped from Fluttershy's mouth and into the Banette's. "Do something! Why won't you help me?!" Fluttershy rasped before her grayed, shriveled body dropped from the Banette.
"No... no! This can't be happening!" Rarity thought as a tear slipped from her eye. She just witness a death of one of her best friends and she was helpless.
The giant Banette towered over Rarity, and pulled her up from the ground. Its zipper-mouth opened once more, and Rarity knew what was coming. She shut her eyes and gritted her teeth. "I just want this nightmare to end..." Rarity said, awaiting her fate. "Wait a second... this is a nightmare. And nothing more!" Rarity realized. If she truly was asleep, then this was only a dream. Fluttershy was never in any danger, and neither is Rarity.
She opened her eyes to awaken from the nightmare, and she was no longer in the grasp of a giant demon, but on the attic floor, shaking in fear as the real Banette held out its hands, with ghostly strings stretching around Rarity. The strings tingled as the stayed on her, and the unicorn felt herself growing slightly weaker with each passing second. Rarity thrashed up from her binds, dissolving the strings into smoke, and firing bursts of magic at the Banette and catching it by surprise.
"Don't. You. Ever. Touch. My. Dreams!" Rarity shouted, firing stronger surges of magic between each word. The Banette fell to the ground quickly, and Rarity charged over to jam her horn into the ghost, tearing the fabric. The Banette's button eyes lost their red hue, and its body slumped into lifeless cloth. It's zipper smile was gone, replaced with a blank frown.
"Oh ho ho ho! The fancy lady has a temper!" Discord's voice cackled, snapping Rarity back to reality.
"Oh dear. What was that? I never felt so... angry." Rarity whimpered. "And that awful vision..."
"Yes, isn't it splendid? Some of these monsters prefer to warp your thoughts and assault your emotions, rather than brute force. And it looks like you succeeded."
The padlock that sealed the exit to the attic melted, and the hatch popped open.
"You are a sick waste of space, Discord." Rarity muttered.
"Harsh. But don't use the word 'sick'. It makes it sound like I can be cured. I prefer 'twisted'." Discord said. "Now, carry on."
Rarity slowly walked down the staircase of the attic, with a lot on her mind.
"Dag nabit! Out've all the places to be stuck, ah had t'be put in some dad gum desert!" Applejack groaned as she climbed rock over rock. The sun was scorching the area, and the hot sand and searing rocks made Applejack's hooves hurt with every step. Sweat dripped down her forehead,
"Quite hot indeed. But it's not like I could put you in a five-star hotel, could I?" A familiar voice said.
Applejack hardly looked up. "Ah don't have time fer yer tricks, Discord. All ah want is to go home."
"Oh, you will... probably." Discord snickered.
"Well, that's reassuring." Applejack muttered.
"Quite. Now, I have places to be, things to go, so I'll get right on it. You'll be fighting for your life, kill or be killed, yadda yadda yadda." Discord said. "Let's see... anything left? I've been going over the same stuff with the others... Ah, yes! Turn around, would you?"
Applejack slowly turned her head, fearing what she would see. Behind her, on the orange rocks was a large wolf-like beast. Its red fur was striped with black marks, and it had a tan mane, much like it's bushy tail. The best Applejack could imagine was a Timberwolf and a Phoenix fused together.
"Aright. I have enough time for introductions. Applejack, meet Arcanine. Piece of advice. There's no use running." Discord said, but Applejack still took off in the other direction.
Arcanine quickly sprinted after her. It rammed into Applejack with hardy any effort, and sank its teeth into Applejack's side and flank. The cowpony screamed and tripped, her hat tumbling off. Agony filled Applejack as she lay on the ground, her wound stinging and stabbing at her nerves like hot needles. The Arcanine leaned over her, it's mouth filling with a sphere of fire. Applejack winced in pain as her blood dripped out of her side, but knew she had to act fast. While laying on her stomach, Applejack planted her front hooves in the sand, and drove her hind hoof straight up into the Arcanine's jaw.
The Arcanine's mouth focus away from Applejack and shot a stream of flames forward, barely singeing Applejack' mane. Applejack delivered a second blow with her other hoof into the Arcanine's chest, making the beast let out a pained whimper. Applejack winced herself at the sound. It made her feel like she was hurting Winona, her beloved pet. The earth pony quickly scampered away with an injured leg, but the Arcanine regained its stamina and lunged at Applejack once more.
Applejack only managed to dodge and roll each attack. She couldn't prepare her own strike with a wounded leg, and in the desert, there weren't any spots suitable for hiding. Except for a crevice in the rocks, just big enough for a pony. Applejack managed to kick up a puff of sand to shroud her escape, and wormed herelf through the hole. Once the Arcanine regained itself it lashed at the hole. Applejack hid in the hole where she was safe from the swipe of the claws and the streams of fire the Arcanine spat in.
"There's gotta be somethin' here ah can use." Applejack thought. "Some sort of weapon, maybe?" She asked. She currently kept the Arcanine at bay by tossing stones out of the hole, some hitting their mark with a solid THUNK .
Applejack reached for another rock to throw, but it felt odd in her hooves. It had ridges and holes in it, and it was colored a pale white. She didn't know what it belonged to, but Applejack knew one she saw one. A skull.
"Gaah!" She said, dropping the skull. There were a few more bones in the area, and the way they were arranged looked rather familiar. Like the ones shown in the drawings. The drawings she frequently came across when around Lyra Heartstrings. Applejack was in half shock, half confusion. There was a dead human, right in front of her.
"Sweet mother of Faust!" Applejack muttered. "A human? Ah thought they were myths!" Her train of thought was gone as the crevice spouted more flames, showing the Arcanine hadn't given up. "Oh, right."
The earth pony kept searching the cavern. She was out of stones to throw, but there was something else. Smashed pieces of wood, probably from a barrel, and a length of rope. Jackpot.
The Arcanine put its eye to the crevice, looking for the cowpony. Applejack flung the rope out of the crevice, which she shaped into a makeshift lasso. The rope tightened around the Arcanine's snout, which tugged back with tremendous force, pulling Applejack out of the hole. The earth pony used the momentum to quickly hop onto the Arcanine's back and grab onto it's mane.
The Arcanine thrashed around in outrage, breathing smaller puffs of fire with its mouth being roped shut.
"Alright, ya mangy mutt! Time ta put you down." Applejack said, gritting her teeth. She flung the rope to the side, and catching it again as it flung around the other side. Applejack grabbed the rope and reared back with all her might, tightening the rope around the monster's neck. The Arcanine let out another pained cry, and Applejack fought the urge to picture Winona again. She just closed her eyes and pulled tighter. Harder. Harder. Just a little more... and the struggling just... stopped.
"Oooh... choking. That's a little dark for one of the Elements of Harmony."
"So is bein' forced to murder." Applejack said.
"Really? If I remember correctly, you called it a mangy mutt just a moment ago."
"Ah was scared! Fightin' for my life!" Applejack cried. "Not to mention he chewed my flank off!" Applejack said, looking down at her numbed wound.
"Oh, it's just a flesh wound. But if it's that bad..." Discord said, and the skin and muscle began to grow rapidly around the wound. Applejack's flank sealed up, and her cutie mark reappeared on the skin. "There. Happy?" Discord asked.
"Why? Why are you patchin' me up if you're sendin' monsters to kill me?" AJ said, standing up again.
"Would it be fair for one of these beasts to kill you after another softened you up? I don't think so. It'd be over too quickly." Discord chuckled. "Now, go on. I have other matters to attend to."
The heat of the sun kept beaming overhead, with no clouds in sight. Applejack's only refuge was to pick up her hat. She set it on her head, and turned to the fallen Arcanine. "Ah'm sorry for callin' yah a mutt. Yer not a monster." She said solemnly. Applejack knew it couldn't hear her. But it was better than leaving without a proper farewell.
She kept walking as she left a trail of hoofprints in the sand. "Ah'd like to see that Discord take on a' these things himself." Applejack growled.
The smell of the salty air and the sound of waves crashing against the shore gently lulled Fluttershy out of a gentle sleep. The pegasus gently flicker her eyes opened, and looked around. It was the break of dawn, as shown by the sun gently creeping over the horizon. Fluttershy sat on a beach, where the water pushed forth and receded on the sparkling sands.
"Oh dear... where am I?" Fluttershy whimpered. "What happened to the others?" She asked looking for any sort of answer. There was a wall of unclimbable rocks to her right, and to her left, a vast, endless ocean. A stripe of sand bordered the two, and stretched on as far as the eye could see.
"Ah, it's finally good to see you, Fluttershy. I hope you're ready."
"D-D-Discord?" Fluttershy whimpered, cowering in fear on the sand. "What are you doing? Why am I here?"
"I've told the same thing to your friends so many times. It's starting to get boring. But here's the gist. Fight for your life, kill or be killed." Discord said, rambling on like he was reading a pre-written script.
"What?! Kill?! I couldn't kill anything!" Fluttershy cried.
"And that's why I'm looking forward to this fight! You're undoubtedly the most passive and cowardly out of you and all your friends. Even Rarity has done better than you ever could." Discord taunted. "You'll be torn to shreds."
Fluttershy shuddered at the thought, but she tried her best to look the least bit brave. "A-Am I really a coward?" She asked.
"Tsk. Tsk. Fluttershy, you're one of the only mares I know who could possibly be afraid of her own shadow." Discord answered. Fluttershy looked down, seeing a dark shape of herself mirror her movements. She flinched at the sight, and tried to back away.
"You see? That's what I'm talking about. You're as spineless as... as..." Discord paused, looking for a comparison. "Oh, who am I kidding? There's nothing as cowardly as you are! Bahahahaha!"
Fluttershy felt a small ping of sadness inside her, and a small need to prove herself. "I-I'm not that bad..." She muttered.
Discord finally stopped laughing "Oh well. Let's just get on with it." He said.
A small four-legged creature crawled out from the ocean. It looked like a mammal, but had a light blue coat and several frills around its neck. The creature's tail was split at the end, and shaped like a fin.
"Alright, Fluttershy. This is a Vaporeon." Discord said. "It can turn itself into pure water by altering it's own molecules."
"How do you know so much about it?" Fluttershy asked. She just couldn't turn away from the Vaporeon. Its small shape was very similar to the little animals she cared for back in Ponyville. Fluttershy dropped her guard for a moment, not fully believing she would have to fight such a small creature.
"You see, in this world, the dominant species are not ponies. Nor are they griffons nor dragons. Instead, they're humans." Discord replied. "And they have counted every single creature there is in this world and recorded them. I just happened to get my hands on their little archives."
"Humans?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yes, humans. Now, enough with the stalling." Discord replied.
"Wait! Do I really hav-" was all Fluttershy could say as a jet of freezing water rushed over her. Fluttershy coughed, and pulled the wet mane out of her face, to see the Vaporeon growling at her.
"Okay... take it easy... I'm a friend." Fluttershy said, backing away.
The Vaporeon kept advancing. With a flick of its tail and a short bark, the Vaporeon signaled for something. The ocean began to recede further, and a large bulge of water rushed toward them. The Vaporeon sprinted into the water, instantly vanishing in the wave. Fluttershy could only watch as a miniature tsunami crashed onto her, and slammed her against the rock wall.
The sudden impact made Fluttershy scream out in pain, albeit underwater. She quickly put her hooves to her mouth and tried to swim up for the surface, but the water sunk back down as quickly as it came. Fluttershy coughed up more water, wheezing for breath. How could one little animal have this much power.
"Wait... where did it go?! Did it drown?" Fluttershy asked. Her protective nature made her rush into the shallow water, looking for the Vaporeon. She was met with a sharp pain in her foreleg, and quickly pulled it away as she cried out. There were a few bleeding holes in Fluttershy's front leg, clearly bite marks.
"Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry." Fluttershy apologized inadvertently. Another bite appeared on her hind leg. "Sorry!" Fluttershy whimpered once more. When more bites and scratches appeared, Fluttershy finally had the nerve to step out of the water.
"What did I do to make you angry?" She asked. The water shot up in a small mammalian shape, and reformed the Vaporeon. Its jaws opened, and a small bluish white beam shot straight forward. Fluttershy easily dodged it by flying up into the air. Down where the beam hit, the rocks were covered in frost and ice crystals.
"Oh my... that's not good." Fluttershy said. She quickly landed on the top of the stone wall, shielding herelf from the icy blasts and torrents of water with the rocks above. She could hear the stones shaking as the ice and water eroded the wall.
Fluttershy faltered. These stones were providing excellent cover, and the Vaporeon wasn't able to climb up the steep stone. But she could just as easily push them down, and at least try to fight back. Perhaps she could prove she wasn't a coward. Fluttershy pressed her hooves against the largest loose stone, and began to push. Despite her best efforts, the pegasus wasn't able to push the whole rock down herself.
But with one more burst of water, the rock gave way. It tumbled down the cliffside, and hit the ground in a dull CRUNCH .
Fluttershy paused. Her heart was beating heavily in her chest, and her hooves were shaking. Fluttershy slowly leaned over the edge of the wall, and gasped.
The Vaporeon lay still on the sands below. No bursts of water, no beams of ice. It sat there, nearly flattened as the stone Fluttershy pushed sat in the ocean.
Fluttershy landed on the ground next to it, tears streaming from her eyes. "Omigosh! I'm so so sorry! Are you alright?" She cried, picking up the limp body and hugging it tightly.
"Oh, I don't think he's coming back." Discord said. "It seems I've underestimated you. The coward of the group, finishing her fight faster than her friends! How ruthless!"
"I'm not a coward!" Fluttershy shouted to the sky. "And I'm not ruthless!"
"Au contraire. You killed another creature. You're just as ruthless as the rest of the mares."
"He didn't have to die..." Fluttershy whimpered. "I don't know why he was angry with me."
"Well, I suppose that's my doing. I sent you here to fight, and so I'm making them fight you. Who knows? Perhaps on any other day, it might've been a friend." Discord cackled until his voice echoed away.
At that thought, Fluttershy fell apart. Sobbing, she held the Vaporeon close, and didn't let go.
Pinkie Pie vs. Krookodile
The only sort of refuge in the desert Pinkie Pie could find was a decayed stone temple. Just a small hut stacked from orange stone bricks. It wasn't very big, but it kept the sun out.
"Geez! It's like there's two suns out there!" Pinkie said, poking her head out into the sun. Heat waves danced across the dunes, and not a single plant grew in the arid wasteland. "I really need water... or maybe a double layer chocolate cake." Pinkie mused.
"Oh, I wouldn't be so concerned with water if I were you."
"Hiya, Discord!" Pinkie chirped. "Where are you? Did you break the fourth wall like I do?" She asked, looking around for the voice.
"What? I don't even-" Discord stammered, then sighed. "Look. You just better be ready. I wouldn't want to waste time with every explanation."
"Ready? For what? Are we playing a game?" Pinkie asked.
"Uh... sure. Why not? It's fun for me, anyway."
"Neat! So how do you play?" The pink earth pony asked.
"Simple. I sit back and watch while you fight for your life."
"Fight?" Pinkie said, her voice losing some of its optimism.
"Yes, fight. And one other rule applies. Kill or be killed. Your choice."
"I'm not sure about this, Discord..."
"Well, I am." Discord said. The floor of the stone hut crumbled under Pinkie Pie's hooves, and she tumbled down into a dark chamber. Pinkie Pie sat up, scanning the area. It was some sort of tomb, the wide walls carved from orange stone and inscribed with cryptic languages and primitive paintings. The walls also held torches, which dimly illuminated the chamber. The floor was covered in sand. No, wait, it was sand. Just packed so tightly it gave the illusion of something solid underneath. There were only four walls. No doors, no openings except for the hole in the ceiling Pinkie fell through.
"Alright, Pinkie. Time to play." Discord chuckled. The sand in front of Pinkie began to shift, and a large reptilian being erupted from the ground. Shaped like an alligator, the beast had rows of sleek, black points on it's back and along its tail. The creature had a white underbelly, but black and dark red stripes, along with a long snout filled with teeth.
"Gummy?" Pinkie asked.
"No, Pinkie. This isn't your pet. It's a Krookodile. It's much bigger, stronger and more violent than your little 'Gummy'. Now, start playing." Discord said.
The Krookodile quickly lunged at Pinkie, its jaws wide open. The mare was able to sidestep quickly enough to avoid being hurt, but found herself hanging by her tail in the beast's teeth. Pinkie struggled to get herself up, but the Krookodile swung its head up, and flinging Pinkie into the air. It open its teeth filled mouth to try to catch Pinkie while she fell.
No such luck. In mid-air, Pinkie summoned her trademark Party Cannon, firing it right into the Krookodile's waiting jaws.
"That's funny." Pinkie giggled. "My Party Cannon doesn't usually do that. It's probably because your mouth's real big."
The Krookodile spat out as much confetti it could, and glared at Pinkie with dark, angry eyes. It slammed its front claws on the ground, and the entire temple shook, shaking Pinkie off her hooves and jiggling the Party Cannon out of her grip.
When she looked up, the Krookodile was gone, and a large divot in the sand took its place. Panicked, Pinkie looked around, trying to find anything. She picked up the Party Cannon once more. She swiveled it around, aiming for some sort of target. The ground shook below her again and the sand underneath erupted. The Krookodile burst once more from the ground, jaws open.
This time, Pinkie wasn't quick enough. The jaws nearly closed around her, but with her hind legs on the bottom jaw, and her front hooves on the top, she straightened her body as best she could, acting like a pole to keep the Krookodile from closing its mouth. She just had to be mindful of the teeth. The dozens of triangular, sharp teeth that nearly surrounded Pinkie. The two of them fought each other in a match of strength, and the earth pony was severely outmatched. Her limbs began to bend, and the gap was closing.
Knowing her limits, Pinkie Pie sprang out of the Krookodile's mouth, which snapped shut. Pinkie looked down at her hooves, which were slightly lacerated from those teeth. The Krookodile began charging at Pinkie at break-neck speed, jaws ready. Pinkie winced as she tried to sidestep once more, but was stuck in the beast's path.
Like a loose train, the Krookodile didn't stop, and it rammed itself into the temple wall, along with Pinkie. As the dust settled, the Krookodile had broken straight through the the temple wall, into a small sealed off tunnel. The tunnel was lined with stone pillars, which the Krookodile also rammed through.
Pinkie lay on the back wall, broken and nearly out cold. The Krookodile loomed over her, and growled triumphantly. It was ready to achieve full victory, but an odd sound rang through the temple. The sound of stone crumbling. Pinkie Pie looked up in her weakened state, and saw dust seeping from the cracks that appeared in the stone.
In a sudden burst of power, Pinkie head-butted the Krookodile, and made a made dash for the ceiling of the center room, where she first entered. The Krookodile attempted to run after Pinkie, but it stopped short. The beast fell face-first onto the floor as chucks of rock crumbled from the tomb's ceiling, pinning its leg down with tremendous weight. Pinkie didn't bother to look back, but heard the Krookodile's roar echo through the chamber. More stones fell from the ceiling, and the exit was so close.
Pinkie hopped on some fallen rocks, and furiously climbed for a hole in the ceiling. She wormed through, and plopped herself into the stone hut, her breath shaky and fragile. She looked outside, and saw several craters in the ground, where the temple ceiling caved in. The desert was nearly silent.
"Hmm.... not bad." Discord muttered. "Could've killed it a bit more directly, but I shouldn't be so picky. The beast is dead, and you're alive. I suppose that counts as a victory."
"Discord..?" Pinkie asked. Her pink, fluffy mane began to straighten out and 'flatten', a tell-tale sign Pinkie was upset. "I don't want to play this game anymore." She whimpered.
"So much for the Element of Laughter. Haven't you figured it out, little pony? This isn't a game. Not anymore. Time to kick things up a notch. Ready for another round?" Discord asked.
"No... please don't." Pinkie said. "It hurts..."
"Oh, don't be such a baby. You walked out of this one, didn't you? If you keep it up, you'll probably live longer." Discord said.
Pinkie struggled to get up, and limped out into the sweltering heat with a bruised ego.
Twilight Sparkle vs. Alakazam
After her battle with the Luxray, she continued to move forward. Twilight Sparkle wandered the hills, the rumbling thunder escalating into a torrential rainfall. She had stopped by a large tree to rest to dry under the branches, only to hear Discord's voice once more.
"Oh, Twilight. I just got back from watching your friends fight, and boy, was it fun! You should have seen the look on Rainbow Dash's face!" The draconequus cackled.
"Enough, Discord!" Twilight yelled at the empty space around her. "Why am I still here, anyway? I killed it. I did what you asked."
"True. You did succeed in killing the Luxray. But that won't be enough, oh no. I still have a wonderful plethora of creatures to throw at you."
Twilight looked down at herself. Since Discord healed her injuries a while ago, he felt rather healthy. "I guess I'm ready for another fight..."
"Are you sure? You seemed a little... distraught after your last encounter." Discord reminded.
Twilight sighed. "Will I see my friends again?"
"Perhaps. If any of you live long enough, your bound to encounter each other."
Twilight paused. "Fine. What's next?" she asked, mostly regretting her question.
"I'm glad you asked! You seem like a smart pony, so I figure I'll wager you against something smarter. Something with around, oh I don't know... 5000 IQ points?"
The mere mention of that made Twilight shake her head. "No... that's not scientifically possible. No creature could be that smart."
"Believe it. This world isn't Equestria. You could fill all of Canterlot with the things you don't know here." Discord chuckled.
If there was one thing Twilight hated, it was looking like an ignorant fool. "I don't care how smart this thing is! I'll beat it, regardless!" She said, raising her voice. Once she finished her thought, she was surrounded by a dim purple aura, similar to her own magic. She was lifted into the air and out into the rain, where a creature stood on two legs. It was an orange and brown fox-like creature, with pointed ears and hair that grew like a moustache. The creature's eyes emanated a purple glow, the same color as the field surrounding Twilight. In its hands, it held two silver... spoons?
"This, Twilight Sparkle is one of the many species here that is more intelligent than you. The Alakazam." Discord said.
All Twilight could do was skeptics the name. "Really? That's it's name?" Twilight said, raising an eyebrow. Without warning, the Alakazam arced Twilight over its head and straight into the ground. The shock made Twilight's vision blur for a moment, and her head was throbbing in pain.
"I wouldn't be so condescending. It may not speak like you or me, but it dosen't like to be trifled with." Discord explained.
"I've noticed..." Twilight groaned, until she was lifted once more, and she was launched right into the trunk of a tree. The unicorn managed to sit herself up, and tried to fire a few magic bursts at her attacker.
The Alakazam hardly flinched. It simply raised one of its spoon, and the magic stopped in mid-air. They then flew backward, straight toward Twilight. Her own our purple beams ran into her, stinging with the magical energy they were made of. Getting hit with you own attack was something Twilight wasn't fond of. She fell to the ground, shocked by what just happened. The Alakazam hardly moved, and already Twilight was already overpowered. How could she possibly hope to beat it?
The orange creature began holding its spoons in front of it, and the purple energy returned. The second Twilight laid eyes on it, trying to determine its next move, she was met with agony. Her head began throbbing and blurring, like her very brain was being tied in knots.
"AAAHHH!" Twilight screamed as she shut her eyes tight and clenched her teeth. But it wouldn't stop there. Twilight felt her very perception warp and and bend, making her sense of sound and vision distort. Twilight shut her eyes as much as she could, but she could still see the area around her. The area around her bulged and caved in, and she was surrounded by a deafening pulsing sound, that burned more with each beat.
"Make it stop! Make it stop!" She screamed in her mind, trying to drown out the horrid noise. She had no such luck. There was so much to perceive around her, it overwhelmed her senses to an agonizing degree. But in the midst of the pain and torn reality, Twilight could only make out one clear image. The Alakazam slowly stepped toward her, focused on its spoons, which twisted in its grip. A cryptic incantation rang around the creature, which synced with the pulsing noise.
Twilight figured it out. The Alakazam used the spoons it held to boost its powers, and was the source of its powers. Her injured psyche managed to formulate a plan, but she would have to wait. She continued to endure the mental assault for as long as she could to get a chance at beating the Alakazam. At this level, Twilight began to see twisted images and distorted voices of her memories be torn, shredded and melted before her eyes. As each one disintegrated before her eyes, she felt them slip away from her mind. The creature was erasing her memories, something Twilight valued dearly with all her heart.
"This has to end. NOW." Twilight told herself, and sprung her plan at that moment. She drove her rear hoof right into the Alakazam's hand, which flung the first spoon out of its hand. With the intensity of the psychic attack lessened, Twilight rammed her other hoof into the Alakazam's face, which made it drop its other spoon.
Twilight's mind quickly recovered, and Twilight's lost memories were restored. The pulsing noise stopped and her eyes let her see the world right again, no longer suffering from warped realities. She let out a shaky breath as she got to her hooves and pounced at the Alakazam. The creature also lunged forward, in an attempt to incapacitate Twilight once more. Twilight lowered her head in mid-air, which led her horn to tear into the Alakazam's throat.
As the unicorn hit the ground, she was shaking. She never used her horn to attack, let alone kill. But the Alakazam slumped down in front of her, its heavy breathing audible. Twilight pulled her horn from the Alakazam's neck, stricken with a solemn fear.
The Alakazam turned its brown eyes to Twilight, and another voice rang in Twilight's mind.
"I cannot best you, Twilight Sparkle. I can only wish to be as kind and forgiving as you."
It wasn't Discord speaking. This voice was much more deeper, and seemed wiser. The Alakazam closed it's eyes, and the truth struck Twilight like a train.
"I-It could talk?" Twilight whimpered.
"Of course." Discord said, It was definitely his voice. No regret, no compassion. A heartless soul. "With an IQ of 5000, wouldn't you expect it to be able to understand your thoughts? It reads minds like you read books, so that's saying something."
Twilight held back a tear, and choked a sob. "Why am I doing this?" She asked.
"It's my own revenge. Do you regret sealing me away in stone for your precious princess now?"
Twilight paused. If she hadn't stopped Discord, chaos and mayhem would would swarm Equestria, and her friends would most likely be dead then. Was the lives a few creatures in another world worth order and harmony?
"I don't regret stopping you. But I still regret killing these creatures. Even if they are fighting us."
"Hmmph. You're as stubborn as Applejack. I guess I'm not trying hard enough. Don't worry, Twilight. I'll make you rue the day, one way or another."
The rain continued to pour down, and it seemed even darker and grayer in Twilight's eyes.
Rainbow Dash vs. Froslass
Rainbow Dash probably had the least regrets fighting the monsters. She slowly walked around the murky forest, just looking for a way out.
"Stupid Discord. Making my fight some stupid bird. Putting me in some stupid forest." Rainbow Dash muttered.
"You know I can hear you." Discord replied.
"I don't care! I'll take on anything you throw at me, and I killed that stupid crow of yours!" Rainbow said.
"You shouldn't speak so illy of the dead. Perhaps I should pit you against something just as... cold hearted." Discord chuckled. The way he said 'cold hearted' made Rainbow Dash uneasy.
"Fine! Bring it on! I'll take anything you can throw at me!" Rainbow Dash shouted.
The pegasus heard an eerie noise behind her that made her blood chill. A sort of low, sad cry. Shivering, she turned around, and there was a white creature behind floating her. The creature had a translucent body, and a body as white as snow. The creature had two arms that hung like sleeves, and a red ribbon-like strip around its waist. The apparition had no legs, just a white cloak hovered a foot of the ground. The creature had a sort of mask-like face, showing yellow eyes against a purple skin, covered by the white.
"Well, Rainbow Dash, this is a Froslass. Time your hot-headed attitude got a little cool down, wouldn't you say?" Discord cackled.
"Ha! Piece of cake." Rainbow said, her breath condensing into a visible mist. She took off toward the Froslass, her hooves ready to ram into her opponent. Rainbow was caught off guard as she flew straight through the creature, and ran into a tree. "What the hay!?" She shouted.
The Froslass turned to her with ghastly, emotionless eyes and raised its hand. An flurry of small ice crystals appeared, and and it flung them toward Rainbow Dash. The pegasus flew high into the air, and the ice crystals grew in size as they pinned themselves in the tree that Rainbow Dash was milliseconds before.
"Alright, you wanna play rough?" Rainbow muttered, and rushed down once more. Instead of running into the Froslass, Rainbow circled around it, letting her hooves attack the Froslass with fierce blows. However, her hooves hit nothing but air, and the Froslass swiped at Rainbow Dash with a hand cloaked in dark energy.
Rainbow stumbled and rolled onto the ground, her body stinging. She looked down, but there was no wound. Rainbow attempted to stand up, until the Froslass attacked once more. A fierce blizzard wind tore through the woods, flinging drops of snow and small ice particles at high speed. The frigid gale hit Rainbow hard, but the mare stood her ground. Her eyes stung as she tried to face the Froslass, but the wind was too strong and too cold to face head on. Rainbow Dash's body grew numb, and her hooves started shaking. The Froslass's white color made it nearly invisible in the flurry of snow, so it made detection harder. Soon, Rainbow Dash couldn't feel her body any longer, and passed out from the sheer cold.
It hardly felt like any time had passed. Rainbow Dash slowly awoke from her torpid state, and realized she couldn't move.
"What happened? Where am I?" Rainbow thought. "It's so cold... I can't move!" Her limbs were locked into place, and the mare's vision was clouded by frost. She tried to shift her neck around, feeling something crack around her. She violently thrusted her head in the other direction, and the cracking intensified. With one final jerk, Rainbow's head broke free from whatever encased it.
Ice. Rainbow Dash had been frozen solid, and somehow brought into a cave carved into the side of a glacier. Giant icicles hung from the roof of the cave, and the ground was pure ice, too. All around her were other frozen creatures. Each one varying in shape, size and color. Some of them were paralyzed with expressions of fear,anger or even death, like a snapshot of their icy capture. The Froslass was nowhere to be found. If there was a time to escape, now would be it. The rest of Rainbow's body was coated with ice, but her head was free to look around.
Rainbow Dash shifted her hooves to try to break them free, but she didn't have the same leverage her neck did. Rainbow took a quick look at the ground. She then swung her head from side to side, her body rocked on her hooves. Once Rainbow got enough momentum, she threw all her weight to one side and hit the cavern floor. The impacted shattered Rainbow's icy casing, sending small chucks of ice everywhere.
Now, Rainbow needed an escape. She galloped down the cavern, where the draft was strongest. She gained some distance, but stopped short as the icicles above crumbled, blocking off the exit. The same mournful moan echoed through the cavern, frightening Rainbow once more. The Froslass appeared from the icy rubble, phasing through the blockade. Its eyes were a vengeful yellow, almost sickly with sorrow.
"Am I still fighting this thing?" Rainbow asked herself. "How am I supposed to kill it if I can't touch it?"
The Froslass let out a frightening shriek, which made Rainbow Dash sprint in the other direction. She didn't know why, but the blood-curdling wail made even Rainbow Dash's knees shake like gelatin. She kept running, past the other frozen victims, and turned every corner of the tunnel. She soon ran into the dead end of the cavern. She turned, fearing the Froslass would corner her and freeze her again. She had a feeling that this time, it would be permanent.
The frigid spirit was a small distance away from her, and the ice blocking the exit a long ways away
"Wait. At this distance..." Rainbow thought. She dropped down on her front hooves, and quickly flew down the cavern again, at break-neck speeds. She passed through the Froslass, as expected, and ricocheted of the curved walls of the ice like slides. She could tell the Froslass was right behind her, but not by much. Rainbow Dash heard several cracks as she rushed by the other frozen victims. A conical pocket of air formed at Rainbow Dash's hooves, which exploded into a violent surge of color when Rainbow Dash impacted the ice wall. Rainbow Dash tumbled by the snowy mountainside, breathing heavily as she was finally outside.
But it didn't end there. A wave of hot air blasted out of the cavern, followed by a life-like scream. Before Rainbow Dash could look inside, several other creatures rushed out of the cave, heading their own separate ways, wether by flying or running. Rainbow recognized them. They were the creatures that had also been frozen in the cave. Perhaps the pegasus's speed was enough to break them free... but the Froslass never came out of the cave.
Rainbow Dash cautiously wandered inside, when Discord spoke once more. "My, my. It seems your victory was rather... indirect."
"Wait, I won?" Rainbow Dash asked. "But how did it-"
Rainbow Dash stopped short. Laying on the floor ahead of her was a red ribbon, sitting in a puddle of water.
"You see, Froslass freeze their prey to show off in their caves. Once you freed the others, It seems like they wanted vengeance."
Rainbow Dash stopped to think, something she rarely did. Did one of those things kill the Froslass? "But... why didn't it kill me when it had the chance?"
"Beats me. I guess it was saving you for something more horrific."
"W-what makes you say that?"
"Well, there's a species similar to the Froslass. It's called a Glalie, and it eats its frozen victims. That's right. You might've been something's dinner just now." Discord said.
Rainbow Dash shuddered from the thought of being both frozen and eaten. She quickly shook the feeling. "Whatever. It's dead." Rainbow muttered.
"Wow. You really are the most heartless mare to ever face these things. Well done."
Rainbow Dash stifled a pained grunt and quickly flew out the cavern, with no destination in mind. Flying from her problems. Her follies. Her guilt.
The attic Rarity crawled out of was no different from the rest of the house. Dusty. Dark. Abandoned.
"Oh my. Who in their right mind would leave such a marvelous house? Well, it could use a touch up..." Rarity said to herself. The house was more like a mansion, with elegant banisters on the stair case that towered three stories and curtains that draped over the tall windows. A giant glass chandelier hung from the main foyer, with the bolts rusted, but still surprisingly holding the whole thing up. A large rug was spread over the tiled floor, with an intricate pattern. Did this house belong to royalty? But the whole house seemed... dead. Every bit of the house was either cluttered with cobwebs or dusty beyond recognition. Not a single peep was heard, except for Rarity's own hoofsteps as she casually stepped down the stairs. Rarity approached the giant door, and tried to jiggle the doorknob with her magic. Locked.
"Rrrgh! Why does every exit around here have to be locked?" Rarity growled.
"Well, I can't let you just wander out without a fight, couldn't I?" Discord chuckled.
Rarity let out a frustrated sigh. "Discord, you're not even being subtle. Let's just get this over with." She said, turning her head back to the grand staircase.
Another creature walked itself out of the shadows of the second floor. A tall, skinny creature that stood on two legs. It's forearms were slightly flat, and it's elbows were sharpened into points. The creature had a red triangular plate on its chest and back, like it had been thrust through its chest. The creature's head possessed a grey ridge, like it was wearing a helm of some sorts.
It leaped down the stairs, glaring at Rarity with its red eyes. The unicorn flinched as the pointed elbows extended into giant sword-like blades. But it did nothing more. It stood in a fighting position, but simply paused.
"What's it doing? Why isn't it attacking me?" Rarity asked.
"You see, Gallades are a rather courteous species. They allow their opponent to make the first move. I guess you can call it 'Ladies first'." Discord explained. But the idea had Rarity rather curious. This thing... this Gallade truly was waiting for Rarity for strike. Despite what may follow afterwards, it seemed like a selfless gesture. Almost as selfless as Rarity herself."Well? Go on." Discord said, snapping Rarity back out of her trance.
Discord was right. No matter how long it took, Rarity had to get out. Even if it included killing such a being she saw herself in. Rarity let out a small burst of magic, hitting the Gallade square in the chest.
Now the battle had begun. The Gallade's blade arms glowed a blazing purple, and as it tore through the air, a crescent shaped surge of energy rushed toward Rarity, hitting her just as hard. The force slammed Rarity against the door, before she fell to the floor. It felt like a sword had made a slice at her side, but not even a single scratch appeared Rarity winced as she rolled on the floor before another crescent struck where she stood a short while before.
As Rarity stumbled to her hooves, she fired more and more bursts of magic, which arced in the air to hit the Gallade. When the Gallade shrugged it off, it rushed toward Rarity, who flinched.
The first thing the unicorn felt was a ramming blow to her stomach. Rarity's eyes shot wide open, and she was able to see the Gallade kneeing her in the stomach. Rarity jolted up into the air, allowing the Gallade to spin and use its other leg to kick Rarity at the side, sending her bouncing against the floor.
Rarity found herself groaning in pain, her vision blurry and her ribs stinging. She winced as she coughed, and tried to get to her hooves, only to collapse. She could barely stand the weight of supporting her own body, she succumbed to exhaustion in a matter of seconds. She felt something wet drip down the edge of her mouth. Panicked, she saw a crimson drop hit the floor. Blood.
She looked up, and the Gallade slowly stepped toward her. Its bladed arms retracted, and a serious glare was cast on its face. It grasped Rarity by the throat, who grunted in pain. It held her up in the air, lifting her off her hooves.
At this angle, Rarity had a clear view of the ceiling. As the moonlight cast shadows off the chandelier, it also made the dangling crystals glimmer in the dreary house. Rarity felt the shine give her a bit of hope, like a twinkling star beckoning her home.
Rarity finally worked up the energy to move, and fired a glimmering light at the chandelier with her horn. Curious, the Gallade looked up to the chandelier, where the energy landed, and a violent surge of light and heat filled the foyer. The energy had been refracted through the chandelier's crystals, and illuminated the area with a bright white glow. The Gallade was blinded by the flash, and dropped Rarity to shield its eyes. With her last ounce of strength, she crawled away from the Gallade, and looked up to fire another surge of magic. Instead of exploding into a bright flash, the magic struck the chandelier's chain, which snapped. Time seemed to have paused for a moment, before Rarity looked away during a deafening crash.
As Rarity turned back, she felt conflicting emotions. Success, then shock, then horror. The Gallade was right underneath the chandelier when it landed, and had its legs pinned under the pile of crystal and metal. Its torso, arms and head were free, but it was clear the Gallade was not getting back up. Rarity slowly stepped over to the fallen creature. She looked over the Gallade, feeling a small wave of regret and compassion.
To Rarity's surprise, the Gallade's eyes shot open. Rarity flinched and pulled back, expecting it to lash at her with its sharp arms. But it simply looked down its legs, and became of aware of its defeat.
But Rarity felt her heart break as a thought returned to her. The Gallade was still alive. She had to kill it, or never see her beloved friends again.
Rarity stepped closer, and lowered her horn. "I'm so sorry." She whispered. As a magical glow formed on her horn, she felt a tear slide down her cheek. "I have to do this."
The Gallade merely nodded, and closed its eyes. Rarity did the same and let the magic release. As the shock of the energy sounded, she opened her eyes. The Gallade was completely lifeless on the floor, and all went quiet.
The sound of slow clapping in Rarity's mind broke the silence. "Marvelous job! Way to kick 'em when they're down!" Discord chuckled sarcastically.
"Stop..." Rarity whimpered, tears rolling from her eyes. "I can't do this any longer."
"Oh, but you must. It is my command. Do you regret sealing me away in stone? Do you regret me plotting revenge and forcing you to kill these creatures?"
Rarity collapsed onto the floor, putting her hooves over her eyes. "Yes! I do! I regret everything! I regret everything I've ever done!" She wailed.
There was a loud CRACK in Rarity's mind. She sat up, and looked around. "What was that?" She asked.
"Muahahaha... perfect. One down, five to go." Discord said, and faded once more to silence. The locked door slowly creaked open, but Rarity continued to sulk on the floor.
Ever since she began her long trek in the desert, the most relief Applejack got was the clouds rolling in, and cooling the desert. After all, she needed a cool-down after she fought a ferocious fire-tiger-wolf. She settled into less sand, and kept moving into rockier terrain. AJ's hooves were still scuffed up from the blistering sands. She soon sat herself down, tired and aching.
"Land sakes! Ah haven't felt this sore since that applebucking spree." Applejack grumbled. She was a resilient mare, but even she had her limits. She slumped to the ground, and her hat tumbled off. The length of rope she used against the Arcanine was stored inside, in case she needed to use it again.
"Aww... is the wittle pony tired?" Discord said condescendingly.
"Shut it, ya two-timing snake!" Applejack grumbled. "Ah'm gettin' real tired of your tricks!" The earth pony said with spite. She tried her best to not let Discord's words poison her.
"Somepony's a little grumpy. What would your friend Pinkie Pie do in this situation?"
Applejack wheeled her head around to the invisible voice. "Don't say one damn word about mah friends!" She shouted.
"Temper, temper. If you keep that attitude up, who just might meet your match here." Discord said.
Applejack sighed, exasperated. "Ah'm gonna be fighting again, aren't ah?"
"Yup."
"Figures." Applejack said, and stood back up. "Alright, where is this varmint?"
Applejack's question was answered as a white and red blur charged at her from the rocky cover, letting out feral screeches. AJ heard the creature approach her, and quickly sidestepped the pouncing creature. It was a cat-fox-ferret sort of beast, with giant claws on its hands and a stripe of red fur over its white coat. The red pattern continued across its eye, like a scar. The creature bared its sharp teeth as it growled. It skidded across the stony ground, using its claws to scrape the rock and slow down.
"Applejack, meet Zangoose. I'm sure you're I don't need to explain the rest." Discord chided. Applejack hardly had time to blink before the Zangoose pounced at her again, claws drawn. The earth pony met the creature head-on, and thrashed about as she was knocked to the ground.
The Zangoose's sharp claws raked across her sides, and Applejack screamed out in pain. It was too soon for her to be wounded already, especially since it was too similar to the Arcanine attack. Applejack quickly bucked the Zangoose off of her before the Zangoose swiped at her face.
Applejack had a pair of bright red lacerations across her face, and another set of scars down her ribs. Applejack was breathing heavily, and saw her hat with the rope. She knew she had to get there. The only problem being the Zangoose was between the two.
Applejack charged for the Zangoose, only to have the beast disappear in a quick flurry of dust. Not wasting any time, Applejack focused her attention on the rope in her hat. She quickly snatched the end between her teeth, and whirled around for her target. She was met with another hard slash at her face, and reared up on her hind hooves to avoid the furious swiping. She whipped the rope to lasso the Zangoose, only to have the rope shredded by the Zangoose's claws, becoming short, frayed segments.
"Feisty little critter, ain'tcha?" Applejack grumbled. She let go of the rest of the rope, and locked eyes with the Zangoose. The clawed creature glared back, with primal, pink eyes. To Applejack, it's leer was quite unnerving. The Zangoose lunged forward in a rapid blur, but Applejack could hardly react. She was tackled by the beast, and its claws scraped at her sides once more.
Applejack gritted her teeth and slammed her own hooves into the Zangoose, and it let out a pained snarl that told Applejack it was working. With the stubborn Zangoose refusing to let go, Applejack kept ramming her hooves repeatedly into the Zangoose as the claws kept tearing at her torso. Blood was starting to leak out at a disturbing rate. Applejack felt the energy fade out of her at the same pace, but noticed something else.
The Zangoose's scratching became weaker and slower. As Applejack's bucking slowed down, so did the Zangoose. She took this opportunity to thrust her hooves forward, and the creature flopped to the ground in an exhausted heap, with bruises and splatters of blood of its own. It took breathes of labored breathing between its vain attempts to keep swiping at Applejack. The earth pony stood over the Zangoose, her own breath heavy and sore. Her on skin stung from the clawing, but was the only one still able to stand, let alone breathe properly at this point.
She looked over the Zangoose, and felt her heart sink. The creature was on the brink of death, and it was still writhing, still itching to fight. Its stubbornness- no, its willpower surpassed far more than Applejack suspected.
But the cowpony reminded herself of her purpose here. She rolled the Zangoose off its side, and onto its stomach. She placed on hoof on its back, and raised her other. She slammed her raised hoof down on the Zangoose's back. Hard. It let out a agonized pain, and Applejack did so once more. This time on the Zangoose's neck. Another snarl of pain. Applejack shut her eyes and gritted her teeth, before she slammed down one last time.
Silence. No more movement. No more fighting.
"Wonderful. Simply wonderful." Discord said. "Ooh, I wish I had my camera!" He cackled.
"Shut it." AJ grumbled, her voice shaking.
"I just might put the picture in a frame, and hang it on my wall to show it to all your friends!"
"Ah said shut it!" Applejack cried.
"What? I'm just so happy to see you mares in distress. After all, I'm here to make you regret your goody-two-horseshoes ways."
Applejack shook her head. She hated the idea of killing for someone else's amusement. She just wanted to go home, back to Ponyville. But the only thing stronger than her regret was her anger. Her spite for Discord.
"NO! I ain't gonna fall for you, Discord! Ah'll hunt you down, and knock out yer teeth. One at a time. And make you eat 'em!" Applejack shouted, grabbing her hat and setting it atop her golden mane.
"Big words for such a little pony. But no matter. I've already made Rarity submit. The rest of you will too, eventually. I'll make this drag on for days. Weeks. Maybe even forever." Discord chuckled.
Applejack's eyes widened. "Wait, what about Rarity?! What are you doing!?" She cried out. But no response.
"Dagnabit...." she grumbled, limping over the rocky slope.
The pink mare's mane drooped. Not only from the isolation she's been through, but from the sheer heat of the desert. Dunes of orange sand stretched out for miles, with not a single landmark to go buy.
"UUghh! It's like an oven in here!" She griped, her tongue hanging from her mouth. Her throat stung from the intense thirst that caused her lips to dry up. However, a single sliver of color beamed out in the sandy dunes. Pinkie Pie turned her head to it, and squinted. The waves of heat distorted the landscape, but Pinkie could see lush green. "Is that... water?" Pinkie asked herself. "No... it can't be. It's just a mirage." She said.
But as Pinkie kept walking, she felt herself wandering toward it, and saw more details arise. Bushes, palm trees, and of course, a small pool.
"It IS water!" Pinkie chirped. Her mane puffed up to the same curly shape before she galloped toward the green. As she got closer, she grinned widely as the vegetation grew closer, instead of vanishing like a normal mirage. It was only until she set hoof next to the water when she gleefully submerged her face in the water and drank. She enjoyed the crisp, fresh water that quenched her thirst. "Mmmm! Quenchy." She chirped. She began to sip more water, until she was interrupted.
"Well, hello Pinkie." Discord said, with a seemingly cheerful demeanor.
"Hiya, Discord!" Pinkie replied, looking up at the empty space in front of her. "Whatcha doin'?"
"Oh, I was just stopping by. I guess it's just time for another round of our little 'game'." Discord said, chuckling softly.
Pinkie nearly shuddered. "Uh... I'm not sure. It's not very fun." She muttered.
"I think it's fun. Nothing like making you and your friends fight to the death with supernatural creatures, huh?"
"Uh, well, the thing about that is-" Pinkie said, but she was cut off by a loud hissing behind her. Pinkie Pie turned to see an enormous serpent slithering from the bushes. It was very long, at least ten feet, all of it green, slender muscle. Its tail was a leafy pattern, baring yellow strips and with small leaves protruding around its neck. It's narrow, pale green head glared at the pony with red eyes, holding its head high.
"Okay. Everything seems to be in order. Pinkie, meet Serperior. Serperior, Pinkie." Discord said nonchalantly.
The Serperior reacted lightning fast, lunging toward Pinkie Pie with ferocity. Pinkie, caught of guard, was quickly wrapped in the monster's tail, which began to constrict her. Pinkie attempted to gasp for air, but the Serperior's crushing grip soon overwhelmed her. "UURRK!too... tight!" She choked out, trying to pull the coil away from her neck. Her face flushed a deep blue, and her muscles began to grow weaker with each passing second.
Pinkie gasped, taking in very little air, but exhaling twice as much. Her vision grew blurry and fuzzy, before Pinkie Pie started seeing spots. "Can't... breathe. Can't... think." Pinkie thought. Her body went numb, as she lost feeling in her limbs. The mare heard another deep hiss, and could barely see the Serperior hovering over her, baring its enormous fangs.
It didn't take Pinkie long to realize that she would end up snake lunch if she didn't act soon. But what was there to do? Pinkie was in the merciless grip of a massive serpent, having the life squeezed out of her. However, in a brief moment of instinct, she opened her own mouth and sank her teeth into the closest chunk of coil.
The Serperior stopped its squeezing, but released Pinkie after hissing in pain. The party pony tumbled out of harm's way, and rose to her hooves, shaky. She took a few deep breaths, the color returning to her face. "Not so much... fun being bit yourself... huh?" Pinkie asked, in between breathes.
A dark fluid dripped from Pinkie's bite mark. The mare's mouth also detected a leafy taste, like an aged head of lettuce. However, the Serperior was not finished. It's eyes glared at Pinkie Pie, averting attention from its tail. The leaves around the tip of its tail extended, forming sharp triangular points.
Pinkie, however, was too intimidated with the two vengeful eyes of the Serperior to notice the tail. The Serperior lashed its tail forward, but Pinkie could only flinch enough to see the blade of the tail slice off a lock of her mane. Then, the eye contact was broken, and Pinkie Pie was able to focus. She galloped closer, and the Serperior swung its tail once more. Pinkie leaped into the air, soaring over the blade and head-butting the Serperior right in its own forehead. Pinkie landed back on the sand, out of breath and sweating. She turned around, expecting the Serperior to snap at her.
But the serpent simply lay on the sand. It sat still, its eyes rolled back into its head. "D-did I win?" Pinkie asked aloud. She cautiously stepped over to the beast. She leaned over it, and put her ear to its body. Pinkie Pie could hear a faint movement, paired with the lack of flow from the Serperior's wound. It was still alive, but barely. "I-I won!" Pinkie sighed, relived. She fell back, exhausted.
"I'm afraid not, little pony. You didn't kill it. It simply passed out. You need to finish it." Discord's voice sounded, in a condescending manner.
"B-but why?" Pinkie whined. "I've done enough. I'm sure once it wakes up it will forgive me!" She said, looking around for the disembodied voice.
"No excuses. Your friends have done their part. Even Fluttershy has finished her business." Discord cajoled.
"Fluttershy killed something?" Pinkie whimpered. "I-I-I guess it's not that bad." She said. Reluctantly, Pinkie placed her hooves on the limp body of the Serperior. She then pushed it closer and closer to the water. Before she fully submerged the serpent's head, she whispered one last thing to the creature. "I'm sorry."
Once Pinkie rolled the rest of the creature into the water, her mane flopped down into a straight style.
"You know, this is becoming too easy for you. I'm going to have to step up my game..." Discord chuckled, his deep chortle echoing to silence.
Pinkie felt a tinge of panic and worry. "I just hope Fluttershy is okay." she mumbled, staring into the hot sky.
Author's Note
So... I'm not dead.
Princess Celestia vs. ???
The goddess of the sun angrily trotted up the steep mountainside. Her mane was frizzled, her coat stained with dirt. She soon climbed to the top of her goal, which taunted her ever since she heard his voice again. At the top of the slope was a cave, endlessly dark and cold. But it was well worth it. Celestia knew this is where Discord was hiding for all this time. She slowly wandered inside, her mane starting to flicker with a heat of spite. Up ahead, she saw Discord, just as she remembered, with the draconequus made of stone, with only his left arm and half of his face made from flesh. In front of him was a large book, filled with text and images of strange, otherworldly creatures. Six spheres hovered in front of him, replaying the mares facing against the beasts that corroded their wills.
"Let's see... too flowery. Too small. Too... this is literal garbage..." Discord muttered, flipping through the book.
"DISCORD!" Celestia roared, her mane and flaring up into a bright orange flame.
The statue turned in surprise, seeing the alicorn behind him. "Ah. Princess Sunbutt. How joyous of you to stop by." He said nonchalantly.
"Where are they?! What have you done to them?!" Celestia shouted, her seriousness escalating with each step closer.
"Oh, don't you worry. They're safely in another realm, battling powerful creatures until they release me from this form." Discord chided. "I'd say its working rather splendidly."
"You release them. Or so help me I'll-"
"You'll what? Turn me to stone again?" The spirit of chaos cackled. "I'm afraid that wont happen. Your little ponies put me here, and they'll bring me out." Discord's yellow eyes soon lit up with glee. "Ooh! Brilliant idea! Maybe if you do the same, I'll get this over with quicker." He smirked, returning to the pages of his book.
"Discord, if you make one more mov-"
<><><><><><><><><>
Before Celestia could finish her statement, a flash of light surrounded her, as she looked around, her environment changed. She found herself in pure space, flying involuntarily. Stars and planets surrounded her, but with no oxygen, she was able to breath just fine.
The princess's mane snuffed out, as her curiosity overtook her rage. A different voice rang in the open sky, not Celestia's nor Discords.
"Princess Celestia of Equestria." The voice spoke, emanating from all directions. A shape formed in front of Celestia. From nothing, there was something. Another four-legged creature, with a long neck craning up. A golden ring shaped around its white and gray torso, limbs like hooves and a growth at the back of its head like a mane. "It is time." It spoke.
"Where am I?Who are you? And what happened to my subjects?" Celestia asked bitterly.
"You are here in the Plain of Beginning. And your subjects are fighting my own. I must confess. They are doing better than I expected." The being said, staring at Celestia dead on. "I am Arceus. The First of Life, and Creator of this universe and the next."
"Discord put you up to this."
"No. I simply allowed this to happen. But now... now you shall face my own wrath on our own terms. Witness the judgement of Arceus!" He shouted, raising his head and spewing a beam of red light from his mouth.
Celestia quickly raised her horn, forming a shield to split the beam apart. The alicorn countered with a golden ray of her own, only to have Arceus vanish, and reappear out of the ray's path.
"Why must it be like this? How can you justify your own creations falling unjustly?" Celestia asked, referring to Twilight and her friends slaying several of Arceus's own subjects.
"It is the cycle of the Pokemon. There cannot be life without death." Arceus said, firing another spark at the princess. "How can you speak ill of me, when you allow your own subjects to kill unjustly?"
"Because this was not their will!" Celestia shouted, deflecting the spark and shooting one of her own. "Discord is responsible for this ruthless havoc! They had no choice!"
"There is always a choice!" Arceus countered, as the spark ran into him. Frustrated, he charged at Celestia at breakneck speed, surrounded by a fiery aura. "A hero chooses, and a slave obeys!"
Celestia was knocked around by the charge, regaining her balance in the zero-G. "My subjects are not slaves!" She roared, her mane re-igniting. "And they never shall be!" Her voice echoed as her wings flapped waves of flame toward Arceus.
The Creator held strong as the fire washed over it. Scorch marks appeared over it's body, but Arceus remained undeterred. The two shot higher into space, flying around in arcs and twists, blasting raw energy at one another. Some were blocked, evaded, but little by little, their power started to wane.
"You cannot beat me. You are destined to fall." Arceus said, raising his head once more. From above, a volley of light rained down on Celestia, making the very space between them burn fiercely.
"Why? What would you gain from besting me?" Celestia gasped.
"You care so dearly of your subjects, why should I not do the same? Once you fall, your mortal followers shall break in spirit, and seize killing my own." Arceus answered, his voice solemn. Celestia paused. Two immortal leaders fighting would not accomplish anything. She was in a position not unlike Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, or any other pony in this world.
"Then let us call a truce. We can vow our worlds never cross paths. For better or for worse." Celestia said, her fiery mane snuffing out to her original teal and blue color.
Arceus held his fire, and slowly calmed. "I understand. This Discord you speak of has been the bane of us all." He said. "No one else must perish."
"Just let me and my subjects return." Celestia said. "It would be best. I hope this does not make us enemies."
"Princess Celestia, your realm and mine has been intertwined. There was no avoiding it. But, despite what has been done here, even immortal beings such as ourselves can find forgiveness." Arceus said, the intimidation in his voice gone. "Go. may justice be brought to Discord."
An orange spiral of light began to envelop Celestia. The sun princess smiled, and bowed her head. "Thank you... Arceus." She said before she disappeared.
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
The draconequus held his ear to one of six floating windows, enjoying the whimpering ponies on the other side. More of his stone body revived into flesh and blood, making his devious grin widen.
"Ah, wonderful havoc." Discord chuckled. "I haven't felt this giddy since I got out of that wretched prison."
"Oh, I concur." A voice said behind him.
Discord's eyes widened with shock, and turned around. Standing behind Discord was Celestia, covered in bruises and scorch marks, and a smug grin.
"No, that's impossible! Y-You should be dead! I should be free!" Discord panicked.
"It's over, Discord. Have fun in Tartarus." Celestia sneered. Her horn started to resonate with energy, and light up the cavern. Discord's body refroze into stone, and decayed into a pile of ash and dust.
The six spheres shattered as well, letting out glimmering auras, soon formed into the six mares, miserable and weary.
"Wh-what happened?" Applejack asked, looking around.
"Did we... are we home?" Rarity added.
Celestia felt a warm smile. "Yes, my little ponies. You are safe. Discord is vanquished. For good." Despite what Celestia said, the mares didn't seem any less disenchanted. "Did you hear me? I said it's all over."
"We know." Rainbow Dash sighed. "But that doesn't change anything."
"We're killers." Fluttershy whimpered. "All of us."
The mare's hung their heads,lamenting over what they've done. But Celestia would not stand to see her ponies suffer any longer. Her horn hummed with magic as she shut her eyes. "Girls. I want you to know that what I'm about to do is very, very risky. But its what needs to be done."
Twilight looked up to her mentor. "Princess, what are-" Twilight stopped, as her jaw dropped.
A thick cloud of steam and smoke appeared behind Celestia. And from the cloud, creatures started to emerge from it. Twelve familiar creatures.
Fluttershy was the first to react. "Bubbles!" She chirped, lunging forward and wrapping her fore-hooves around the Vaporeon that crawled out.
The other mares grew wide smiles as the rest of the Pokemon wandered from the mist. Arcanine, Gallade, Serperior, all of them awake and alive.
"Celestia... you brought them back!" Twilight gasped, looking up at her mentor with awe.
"I did what had to be done. You should not wallow in sorrow, but now, live together as friends."
Pinkie Pie's mane popped up into it's original curly form. "Alright! This calls for a celebration!" She cheered, before rushing out of the cave with her friends and Pokemon behind her.
Celestia walked after her students, softly smiling. She took another look at the sky outside. "It has been done, Arceus." She whispered.
"We are all at peace..."
The sound of the waves crashing on the shore only made Fluttershy's greif worse. She stood in front of a small pile of upturned sand, with a flat, round stone sticking upward. The stone was carved with only two words.
R.I.P. Bubbles
Yes, Fluttershy had nicknamed the very Vaporeon she killed and buried 'Bubbles'. It was the least she could do to an animal, regardless of wether or not it wanted to kill Fluttershy under Discord's command. She wiped her eyes once more, rubbing her tears away between sobs.
"Ah, you're still here." Discord said, a little unimpressed. "I would've thought you'd moved on after you got over that little thing."
"Go away..." Fluttershy whimpered. "You made me kill Bubbles..."
"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that." Discord said, stifling a giggle. "Did you just say 'Bubbles'?"
"I named him that..." The pegasus replied. "I at least wanted to remember him..."
"May I remind you that it wanted to fight you? To kill you? Why would you ever want to remember something as awful as you murdering an animal?"
"I pity him..." Fluttershy said, her voice shaking. "I just want him to forgive me."
"Oh, spare me the waterworks. Your precious Bubbles is dead. No amount of sob-stories will change that." The draconequus reminded. "In fact, I think it's time to get the ball rolling again."
"Oh, no." Fluttershy cried. "Please don't. I don't want to kill anymore innocent little critters. I wish I was never here!" She sobbed.
There was a loud CRACK , and Fluttershy whirled around. But there was nothing there. Only the sound echoing through her mind. Come to think of it, the crack had no physical sound. Almost like how she heard Discord's voice...
"Oooh! Splendid choice of words! I'm certainly making progress..." Discord chuckled. "Now, as for your little parting gift..."
As Discord finished his sentence, A large, four-legged bug crawled over the stone wall. It sported a red and black body, with yellow and blue legs supporting it. Two spiny points of the same coloring stuck out from the abdomen, along with a single spike from the rear. The spider-like creature had two sharp mandibles and a white spike jutting from its forehead.
"What was that you said about innocent little critters, Fluttershy? Doesn't seem that an Ariados is as sweet and cuddly as your... 'Bubbles'." Discord chuckled again.
Fluttershy followed the first instinct that came to her whenever a frightening spider-creature came into her view. Fleeing. Fluttershy took to the sky, but felt something tag her hind hoof. She ignored it, and kept flying forward. Or, tried to, anyway. The pegasus stayed suspended in the air, not moving forward no matter how strong her wings flapped. Fluttershy only managed to look back, to see that a white, stringy mesh had stuck to her hoof. The other end spanned over to the Ariados, and started to weave itself out of its abdomen. The Ariados's mandibles started pulling on the thread, tugging Fluttershy closer.
The pegasus's eyes widened, and kept flapping her wings to try to escape. She whimpered as she was tugged extremely close toward the Ariados. Not only was Fluttershy afraid of spiders nearly as big as herself, but the fact that the Ariados managed to pull her close without effort. The Ariados was actually very thin and spindly, and Fluttershy was giving it her all to vainly escape the Ariados.
When Fluttershy was mere inches away, The Ariados jammed its mandibles into Fluttershy's leg. She let out a pained squeak, and dropped to the ground. The yellow mare tried to run or fly, but her entire body went numb. Her wings and legs didn't respond to any movement, and she felt a liquid dripping onto her, that stung at the touch. Blood? Venom?
Fluttershy lay limp on the ground, and soon sensed the Ariados looming over her. She turned her eyes downward, and found more of the white webbing slowly being woven onto her. Panicked, Fluttershy attempted to struggle or wiggle out of the web. With no luck, she was soon wrapped entirely in the silky cocoon. There was a small hole in the threads where Fluttershy could peer out, and saw the Ariados bite down on her again. It stung just as much as the first, and saw a purple liquid seep through. It was a poison. She had paralyzed, and felt a tingling sensation run through her body. It grew stronger, and hotter. It escalated to an agonizing burn, like acid flowing through her veins.
She tried to cry out in pain, but she felt her throat close up. Her lungs stung under the venom's bubbling and her breathing began to become more of a grueling exercise rather than an involuntary motion. She tried to look around, try to find anything that would stop the pain, or at least get her out of the cocoon. As the Ariados carried her, she could barely make out black, dried trees with small pink berries hanging from the gnarled branches.
The only sound that could be heard over the entire forest was the sky being torn apart. A fierce, hot wind ripped through the area, followed by a concussive booming and a blur of color. Fluttershy felt the webbing torn off her body with great force and tumbled from the wind, and felt her self slam against a dried tree. The wind must've been extremely strong, because the Ariados had also been blown around, and had apparently been knock unconscious by the heavy debris that was picked up by the sudden gust. The wind died as quickly as it came, and the trees were still shaking.
Fluttershy attempted to look up, and determine what was happening around her. She could only realize that a small berry had landed on top of her. A small pink fruit, that seemed to ease the pain of the venom by simply looking at it. The yellow pegasus was not sure why, but Fluttershy lifted the berry up to her lips, and nibbled at it. She felt the poison stop creeping through her, and her breathing began to ease up. "Oh dear..." Fluttershy muttered as she looked around.
The trees had branches snapped off them and berries scattered all over the ground. The trees had also bent back from the hurricane-force wind, which left a small streak of colors in the sky. "Was-was that-...?" Fluttershy said to herself. "No, it couldn't have been..." She murmured. It was only when Fluttershy looked down to feel her poison-stained heart sink. A large tree had been blown over in the gale, pinning two of the Ariados's legs underneath.
The mare always hated seeing any sort of creature in pain, and wished she was never in this position. She limped over to the Ariados, and simply sat down beside it. The spider simply squirmed under the fallen tree.
"I'm sorry I had to put you through this." Fluttershy sighed, hanging her head in shame. The Ariados weakly clicked its mandibles together in confusion. "I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to hurt anything else. I refuse to kill you." Fluttershy finally said.
"You disappoint me, Fluttershy. I should expected you to back down like this."
Fluttershy let out a frightened "EEP!" and turned around. Discord's voice still rang in her mind, from somewhere far away. "I won't do it, Discord! I'm not killing anything!" She said, mustering all the courage she could.
"What a shame. You've already bent to my rules. You said you wished you were never here. And I won't have you weasel your way out of this one." Discord said. His voice was bitter and almost angry, but the worst was yet to come.
Fluttershy stood up. She was frightened, because she had no intent to stand. Panicked, she looked down to see her body surrounded by a yellow mist. Fluttershy had no control over her hooves as they involuntarily lifted into the air, and loomed over the Ariados's head. "Oh no. Please, no!" Fluttershy cried, as she knew what was coming next.
Her hooves slammed down hard on the Ariados's head, and it let out a pained hiss. Fluttershy tried to look away or shut her eyes, but the yellow mist kept her focus of the dying creature in front of her. Fluttershy felt her hooves forced down again and again, getting harder each time. The mist only faded as the Ariados stopped moving. Fluttershy's hooves trembled as she fell to the ground, grief-stricken. The mare let out a large string of heavy sobs as she buried her face in her hooves, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Well, now do you see when you don't abide by my rules? I own you. I control you, now that I have your covenant." Discord said.
"Wh-why? What did I ever do to deserve this?" Fluttershy sobbed.
"You brought this on yourself. Ever since you said you regret imprisoning me, I can control anything that happens to you in this world. And soon, Your friends will all suffer the same fate."
"Why don't you just kill me? Why do I have to kill when you want me to die?" Fluttershy whimpered.
"Oh, death would be the easy way out. No, I want to squeeze every drop of agony and pain out of you wretched mares. One way or another."
"Please... don't hurt my friends. Do whatever you want to me, but leave them alone!" The pegasus wailed.
"Oh, believe me, I'll do as I please, and I won't leave them out." Discord cackled. "Not one bit."
As the echoing laugh of Discord faded from her mind, the only sound that filled the forest was Fluttershy's cries.
Her heart had been horribly broken. By poison and anguish.