//------------------------------// // chapter 11 battles and memories // Story: LUCKY CHAINS // by discordjediknight //------------------------------// Fluttershy was tossed into a tree. She felt her wing break on impact. Oww, she wined. "Wouldn't of done that if you had held still", Crystal shouted as her horn began to glow. "Why are you…?" "Because!" Crystal shouted at the top of her lungs. "If you know the truth, it's only a matter of time before the rest find out as well. I won't let you turn us back to stone. " "I wouldn't tell anyone. I swear." "Oh, sure. Because you and LC are little lovers' aye. Now hold still. So I can suck you dry." Crystal opened her mouth and a strange pink magic started escaping Fluttershy, she began to feel weak but still had the strength to run from her attacker. "Chrysalis licked her lips as she watched the Pegasus run, still in her pony form. Ahh, nothing better than the taste of love and happiness drained." She grinned evilly. Fluttershy ran deeper into the everfree forest as she ducked, trying to keep low. The last thing she wanted was to run into a timber wolf or something. But with Crystal (Chrysalis) on her trail, what could she do? Her wing was now broken, so she couldn't fly. Not that she liked flying very much anyway. Oh, discord. She thought back. Fluttershy and the disguised discord were hugging each other. Having a nice little moment to themselves. It was so nice to have her friend back. Even for a moment. She wanted to kiss him, but he pulled her in close and set his chin on top of her head instead. The two were about to settle on the couch to have tea when Crystal walked in. Releasing the awkwardness of the situation, he shouted "This isn't what it looks like! We were just…! "I've heard the whole thing. She knows who we are!" Discord quickly pulled Fluttershy aside and stood in between the two of them. "Now hold on, Crystal. She's an old friend. She won't rat us out." "If one knows, we're all doomed," Crystal shouted. "Crystal, please?" Then Discord coughed up a bit more blood. "Lucky!" Crystal shouted in concern. "I'm fine, I'm just sick." "Fine, you look like you're dying." "Well, aren't we all?" He said with a grin showing bloody teeth. "No. No, I finally have it back. I won't let her take it!" "Crystal!" But Crystal didn't listen. No, instead she shot a blast of green fire at Fluttershy who jumped through the small trailer window to dodge it. "Run!" discord told her as he came out of the trailer. "But you," Fluttershy responded. Discord jumped on top of Crystal and tried to hold her down. "Just go!" he said as he coughed some more, thankfully with no blood this time. Fluttershy took off and has been running ever since. Discord couldn't hold her down for too long in his state. Discord also known as LC Cherry Cozy Glow and Blaze were all running heading to the everfree forest. "So what makes you think this is where they're gonna be at?" Blaze asked. "Call it a hunch. I used to live here, remember? The only place you really could do something without getting caught would be the forest. Plus, Fluttershy was running in the direction of her home. She lives too far from the ever free, so it just makes sense." "Good point." Cozy Glow replied. "But any idea why Chrysalis would do this in the first place? I mean, just like us isn't she reformed?" "Yeah, but she's always been a bit off. I could never quite tell with her. Fluttershy figured out who I am and Chrysalis went berserk." "Well, that explains it," Blaze muttered. "Chrysalis is worried that we're all gonna get caught." "Funny enough, if she just listens to me, we wouldn't have." "Yeah, lucky. How are we gonna get out of this, now that they all know our identities?" LC shook his head. "It's my fault, guys. I should have have never come back to this town." He coughed a few times. "You alright." Asked Cozy Glow. "Yeah, at least there's not any more blood. The anti-magic potions working." "You need to sit down, Lucky," Cherry said as she tried to push him to sit down. "No. Not till I get Fluttershy. Don't worry bout me." Suddenly, several kirins popped out of the bushes surrounding them. The group took a fighting stance. "Well, well, well. If it isn't my son. Said the kirin queen. I must admit, you played wonderfully tonight. Here on my way to congratulate all the participants and what I find is the princess in a fistfight with some of the most wanted criminals. Wasn't hard to put together who you were after that." Blaze looked horrified at his mother. "Twilight already warned us about you. But I never thought I'd find you here, of all places." "Mom," Blaze muttered shakily. "Arrest them!" The queen shouted. Blaze jumped out in front of LC. "GO!" "Blaze you can't be..." "If they're here, they already got Tirek and the chain links. You guys have to stop Chrysalis before she does something even she will regret." LC nodded. "I'm staying with ya!" Cozy Glow shouted! Sweat dripped from her face. "I can't keep running with these little legs anyway," she smirked. "Blaze smiled back at her. It was a weak excuse, but he knew she wanted to help him." he thought back for a moment on how he met the gain. His backstory wasn't much to tell. Long ago due to the kirin ketching things on fire all the time when angry with his mother, the queen demanded no one speaks anymore. But there was a little more to the story than just that. One of the prince's favorite things to do as a kid was telling stories. And stories can sometimes get you into trouble. At first, the queen loved hearing his tall tales, but as he got older the tales got taller, and soon lies became his norm. He often gets into fights because of it, causes most of the Kirin kingdom trouble. When the queen decided they should stay quiet forever, the princes didn't like it. He wanted nothing more than to let his voice be heard. Even if it was a lie that came out of his mouth. He soon started a speaking revolution against the queen that ended with him in Kirin prison. Even with apple jack befriending the kirn kingdoms and the queen lifting the no-speech law, her own son was never free due to his treason acts. So he escaped without them knowing and ran into a little pink alicorn who couldn't fly, and it was she who lent him a hoof in friendship. Yes at first it was just so she could have power over him. It wasn't long after that they met lucky chains and started a band. And even cozy glow motives for keeping her friends changed. "None of you are going anywhere." Said a Kirin guard that jumped at them in his fire mode. Cozy Glow kicked it in the face, giving the kirn a bloody nose. "I'm an alicorn remember? I don't have a lot of power, but we can definitely hold them off." "Why are you…?" Blaze began to ask, but Cozy Glow cut him off. "This is what friendship truly is all about. And I learned that from all of you guys. There is no way I'm counting you out." "Get them, don't let them escape", queen Kirin shouted. Several other kirin guard lunged at them. Cherry and Discord jumped and flipped out of their way together. Discord winced in pain as he landed, but Cherry took no second to kick the oncoming threat with her back hoof. "Come on," she shouted as she grabbed a hold of Discord. "What I wouldn't give for your teleportation potion right now." He told her. "Or any of my potions for that matter," she replied as the two took off. "You two go after them." The queen shouted. But Blaze stepped in front of the guards and kicked their heads into the ground. "Not while I'm here!" Blaze shouted. The queen looked at him as he turned to his fire form. The queen did the same, expecting to fight her own son. "Mom, you got to believe me. I was ..." "Why should I, every time I try to, it's a lie from you." "Ok, I admit it I'm a huge liar, but it's only because you keep me locked up like a prisoner. I wanted to get out. To play Guitar." He then turned into a fire kirin and blasted fire magic at his mother, who dodged it. "No, you wanted my throne." Lucky Chains and Cherry rushed through the ever forest. Some of the trees were still marked from the last time they were here. They looked in all directions, keeping their ears open for any sign of life. Be careful what you wish for. A pack of four timber wolves came jumping out of the woods and circled the two. "Timber wolves why is it always timber wolves?" "Better than cockatrices, believe me, if you knew how it felt to be in stone." Lucky Chains growled as he repaired for a fight. Just as the Timberwolves came closer, the two heard a high pitch scream as they saw a green glow up ahead of them. "Fluttershy!" LC cried out. "Go after her." "But you." "No, I got this." Cherry gave a reassuring and confident smile. Lucky Chains didn't share her confidence but knew he needed to get to Fluttershy before it was too late. He then jumped, and a wolf tried to snatch at him. Cherry Pie did a backflip and kicked the wolf's mouth shut, letting LC get away. "Alright, you mangy mutt," she put her hooves up. "Let's dance." Fluttershy dodged another attack from the crazy pony trying to kill her. She screamed as the ground crumbled beneath her, and she fell in a cave. Thinking she had her cornered, Chrysalis snarled in victory. She jumped down the same hole. The cave had a normal entrance and then the one made from the constant blasting of magic. Chrysalis made sure to block both exits. Fluttershy jumped back into the corner. She narrowed her eyes and showed her teeth. "Oh, what's that look for?" Chrysalis chuckled darkly. "For someone with shyness on her name, you're awfully brave. Brave but powerless." "Why are you doing this? Crystal, I thought you were changed." "I. Changed." She barked, "or reformed." She innocently grinned. "Now I know why we came here. That fool couldn't help but see you one last time before he kicked the bucket. You're a liability." Chrystal took several steps towards the Pegasus. Fluttershy ended up right aging the back wall. "Honestly, look how much I changed. I'm honest now. I'm kind to my fellow band members. I'm not much of a laughter, but I enjoy the laughs of others, and above all, I'm loyal to those who show me loyalty. It is because of that dear element of kindness that I can't let you go." Crystal lowered her horn towards her. "For my friends. For my loyal subjects, I'm gonna..." "Don't do it, Chrysalis!" Shouted a voice from the normal entrance of the cave. She turned to see lucky chains standing there. Tired and out of breath. "Discord." Fluttershy gasped. "Lucky Chains." Chrysalis smiled a genuine smile. "Chrysalis..." I"t's crystal. It's crystal, you know that." She shouted at him "Doesn't matter anymore. Due to your actions tonight, the whole band got discovered." Crystal's eyes widen. "What? no, no that's not." "Everyone is now fighting the law enforcement just to give me time to stop you. They want to arrest us, if not turn us into stone". "But, but. I." She breathed heavily. But then turned around. "You." She grumbled. "This is all your fault." Crystal powered up her horn. "Don't do it, Crystal!" Crystal stopped but kept her horn powered. "I made my mistake of letting the enemy live before. I truly thought starlight glimmer had no chance. I won't underestimate any pony ever aging." "You do realize cops are on their way right now, right?" Discord yelled, still out of breath. "Uh, discord." Fluttershy mutters a bit worried. "What are you worried about?" "Chrysalis, she's my friend!" "No, I'm your friend!" Chrysalis shouted as she turned around. "Then act like it. Put down the magic, let's go gather the band members and take off. We still have a chance." "Fine, just as soon as I deal with the loose end." She turned back to Fluttershy. "If you do this, I'll never forgive you. I will personally hand you over to the cops myself, but let her go and we can run. Together!" "Why?" "Why of course I love her, that's why! "Shouted discord. "And if you kill the one pony I care for most, ill make sure you don't see the light of day again. And you'll lose everything just like before." Chrystal turned back at Discord, then at Fluttershy. Her horn still glowing green from her magic. A look of pure shock crosses her face. Her lip quivered as she thought back to what happened with Starlight Glimmer. "Do you know what it feels like to lose everything?" She asked. "I do crystal. I know what it's like to be alone, without friends. Without someone to care about you. Chrysalis." Discord speaks her name softly. She turned to Discord, who helped out his eagle claw, in the same manner as Starlight did back then. She looked at the hand and began to diminish her magic. Just then, Cherry found the whole through the roof after kicking the sticks out of those timber wolves. She had cuts bruises and a few good bite marks all over her body, definitely was bleeding in a few areas but nothing serious. She, not knowing the battle was already over jumped down and kicked Chrysalises face into the ground. Chrysalis magic tho was set off, and a powerful, deadly blast shot off and ricocheted off the walls like it was some kinda pinball. The shot's trajectory first took its sights on Fluttershy, but Discord wouldn't allow his special some pony to be hurt. He jumped in front of it. Cherry Pie seeing this could not let this happen, so she... No. I jumped and pushed Discord to the side. But not far. "ENOUGH!" BAM!!! And for me... I didn't feel the impact. My ears were ringing and my head hurt. All I could see before I blacked out was discord collapsing as blood poured out of his mouth... So as you can see. If it wasn't for me, discord wouldn't of been hurt so bad. Nor would I. You'd think that be the end of this story. But something even more crazy happened after that. As I blinked in and out of consciousness I woke up in a field of white, what actually happened? Well, let's tell it from a different perspective. Shall we? Fluttershy saw the commotion. She tried to get out of the way of the blast, but knew it was coming towards her. To her surprise, it was Discord who jumped in front of her without hesitation. But just then Cherry jumped and pushed him out of the way, but not before the blast came too close for comfort. When the flash of light was extinguished, Discord still looked like a pony had a bleeding arm, but it was Cherry Who took most of the hit? As Discord fell on the ground, she was already on the floor. Discord quickly wrapped his arms around her as Chrysalises tears began to fall. No, she shoppers. No, no, I wasn't going to... I. I'm sorry I... Discord said nothing as he tried to hold Cherry's dead body in his arms. Then it happened. He snapped. The magic is hidden deep with inside him. The only power that Could possibly save her at this point. He focused it until it boiled up. Fluttershy watched in horror as his magic began to explode out of him. His pony form literally cracked and faded away like sand. Cherry opened her eyes just as she saw discord fall over spring blood. The chains that kept Discord's magic at bay melted on from the heat of his rage. And as Cherry blinked aging the world went white... Or gray depending on if you're using dark mode or not. Look, the point is it got crazy. "Discord!" Yelled Fluttershy as a magic blasted across the area. Boom went a blaze of white fire. And we'll, it went uh, kinda like. Boom! Ok, I know what you're thinking, why on earth is there a page missing from this story? Um, well, that page I would have gone into great detail about how the meat atoms of the my little pony world began to separate and how excruciating the pain was for anyone within the everfree forest to be ripped apart atoms by an atom only to be stood up in a field of white, but I figured yeah that page is a little too much even for this story. So I kept it out. Any way, the weirdest part is just yet to come. Twilight and her friends ran into the light, worried about their friend Fluttershy. They soon entered a world of pure white. Or pure gray if night mode on FIM fiction is used. They walked over until they found a small group of individuals. A crying Chrysalis still in her crystal disguise. Fluttershy ran across the land trying to stop what looked to be a growing exploding discord. "Fluttershy" rainbow dash called out. Fluttershy turned to them. "What's happening?" Pinky cried out. "I don't know as soon as Cherry got hit, Discord's magic exploded out. I think he was trying to save her.". "Well, that's good and all, but whatever he did it's expanding if we don't stop discords magic soon it could erase all of our universes." Twilight called out. Blaze and his mother ran up. "What's going on? We all topped fighting when we saw the blast of magic." The queen of the kirin told them. "All of reality is being erased by chaos magic." Rarity shouted. "Oh, that's great. Now what..." Tireak yelled. "Now we all got to stop discords magic." Shouted the princess. "Why should we trust you?" Cozy Glow yelled. "If we don't then all of our world would be erased, do you want that?" "The villains looked at each other and then simotainsly said nope." They all ran to Discord and blasted him with their magic, but to no avail. Chaos magic was far stronger, and their magic just turned into water. To their amazement tho, Discord now In his true chaotic form stood up. A moment of relief was felt hoping Discord could control his powers, but it flees quickly as Discord opened his eyes. His eyerises gone, replaced with a field of purple dark. Swirly glow. An evil grin spread across his face as he snapped his fingers. Suddenly, the place began sucking in the sky and the ground of the MLP world right into the center of a black hole. Discord laughed manically. But it didn't sound like Discord is all evil laughed. No, it sounded as if he was possessed. A dark and evil laugh echoed in the space all around. "What's Going On, Why isn't Discord responding?" Pinkys asked. "I don't know, usually you know everything." Rainbow told her as gravity itself started to fade away. "Yeah, I know. But even the fourth wall powers of Pinky Pie since can't explain any of this." She shouted out as everyone began floating midair. Just then, I woke up in a field of white. I looked over and saw Discord destroying the very fabric of the pony universe, I couldn't believe my eyes as I saw the words being sucked into a black hole of chaos. Hay we got a filly to overhear. Apple, Jack cried out. "A filly? I'm not a..." I gasped as I looked at my little hooves. I touched my face, and it felt puffy and cute. I then looked at my flank and the mark that made me a clone of Pinky Pie was gone. I was no longer a clone... But a little eleven years old filly. "Ahhhhh" I screamed, but the sound went right into the black hole. "Don't worry I got you," apple jack said and grabbed my hoof. "I'm the Pinky clone cherry." I told her. AJ eyes widen but she nodded in understanding. "Wow, I guess this is discords magic that saved you." "Yeah, but now look. How much saving can it really do?" Discord once again laughed that insane and scary possessed laughed. "That didn't sound like the discord I know." I cried out. "The discord you know. That's it." Twilight shouted. "What is?" Cozy asked. "Guys, remember when Discord first took over equestrian and turned us all into our opposites?" "Yeah, so." Rainbow called out. Rarity gasped as she was putting two and two together. "The way we got out of it. You reminded all of us of our true selves.". "Exactly. Threw out memories of friendship." Twilight told them. "You really think that's gonna work?" Asked Spike. "It's worth a shot." "It's not like anyone has a better idea." Blaze called out. "Preposterous, how can a little memory do anything to help?" Said the kirin queen. "Not one memory. But then all. All of our memories. All of those times, when our friendship with him meant something. All of you, we got to grab Discord and detained him. Then I'll cast the spell. When I do, you have to think. Think of the best memory you have of him. If your friend discord." "Right," they all shouted and got to action. It wasn't easy with no gravity, but they all rushed Discord. He dodged a few times, but eventually, everyone was able to grab him and hold him down. Or up, since there was no down anymore. He struggled a bit, but couldn't get any of them off of him "Alright, everyone is ready." Twilight shouted and then cast the memory spell as she dropped her horn on top of Discord's head. "Think of your greatest memory with Discord." They all thought back over the years. Due to the magic, they could see each other's memories of him. They way they first met. The way he befriended them one at a time. It took some longer than others, but eventually, he gained all different kinds of friends. Rarity's best memory was just after she had made a hundred or so of the same dresses and wanted to make something new. Sure she did, but a month after that people came wanting to buy the same dress aging. She was in her boutique surrounded by yarn and fabric. Fluttershy was helping her along with the CMC. Ahh, I can't take these fast enough, I have almost a thousand orders. She gasped and almost fainted. Calm down rarity. I'm sure we can fix this. Fluttershy told her and caught her before she fell. But we won't if you keep fainting. She gasped and nodded yes your right, your right. But how. Just then, discord walked in looking for Fluttershy hay flutters. You here. Spike said you were helping Rarity. "Oh hi, discord. Yeah, we're making more dresses." How long till you're done? I was hoping to grab lunch before I leave "You're going somewhere," asked sweetly bell. "Yes, with Trixie on her magic tore. I told her I'd help her with her magic act." He stopped, and his eyes grew three times their normal size at the stack of orders "Woah. Uh, need some help?" "Oh, I just have too much work." "Well, luckily I'm here." "Oh, no. O no. If you do it, the dress would come alive or something". She said, shaking her hoof at him. He pretended to be offended. "Oh, dear me, how hurtful. Rest assured Rarity I will not use chaos magic to do it." He walked over and picked up some yarn and began sowing "Wait what. You sow." Discord snapped his fingers and a hundred discords showed up. "Fluttershy showed me a thing or two. I think with my copies, we'd be able to get most of these done by lunch. All without altering the dresses with chaos magic." Rarity was surprised, to say the least. But it was the CMC who cheated and hugged Discord. "You're a lifesaver, Discord. Oh, come on now, let's get to work." A few hours later, just before lunchtime, they were able to get most of the dresses done. The CMC rarity and Fluttershy ate lunch before Discord took off with Trixie. The next memory was apple jacks. To her family's dismay, Granny finally passed away. Everyone in the family was in tears. Big Mac, the worst of them all. Discord was there trying to help his friend. He snapped his fingers and made a million tissues for him. Which shirt I'll wasn't enough for Big mac's tears? Granny, he cried. Discord tried to get his mind off of it with a couple of milkshakes and throwing guys' nights every night for a week. Everyone was helping apple bloom as well. But what about apple jack? Well, the thing is she wasn't a cryer. At least not on the outside. To anyone who looked ather, she looked upset, but she was a tough country girl and didn't cry. She didn't cry when her parents died. She had to stand up and become the leader of the family, especially since her big brother big Mac just didn't have the heart for it. He was a lot more sensitive than she was. But even she had to deal with her own grief at some point. After helping with Big Mac till he fell asleep, discord walked up the little hill where apple jack was kicking apples off the tree. "Hay." He said. Apple Jack looked up and gave him a heads-up but continued her work. She always just continued her work when nothing else came to her. Discord leaned against the tree. And watched her kick it left and right. "Your brother, he's a good fellow but man he's a crier." She nodded but said nothing. "You know I know you don't on the outside but If your brothers have anything to go off of you can't hold that in." Apple Jack looked at Discord and he only nodded. "I won't tell anyone." She then burst into tears, and it was Discord who comfort her as he wraped his arm around her. Pinky memory was pulling a prank on Rainbow Dash. That prank was in fact rainbows fav memory as well. Pinky Pie and Discord made these crazy pies with the weirdest flavors ever. And tricked Rainbow into eating one. It twisted like smelly old gym socks. How Discord turned that into a pie. Well, chaos magic, of course. Twilight fav memory. She was sitting in her library when Discord came in looking for Spike's orger and Obliet book that Spike refused to share with him. "Discord, he said no." "Oh, come on sparkle, I just want to see the page with my new power set." She rolled her eyes. It was clear she was annoyed. But it was more than just Discord. She was now the leader of eqretriah, and she didn't know what to do about this weird political law. Discord, seeing what she was working on shrugged. "You know what you need. A break." "No Discord, I need to get this done by tomorrow". "It will be, but..." Discord snapped his fingers. And they were inside the world of ogres and oubliettes. "In here, we have all the time in the world to play. Just give me one game, and I'll even help you figure out that stupid law." "Do I have a choice?" "No" "Fine, just hand me that sword." She spent three hours playing the game and having a new fresh free mind is just what she needed to get back to work. Tireak remembered his first band practice with Lucky Chains. He taught him how to play drums The changelings were taught how to dance thanks to Discord and Cherry. Chrysalis's memory was her coworker on a new song for lucky chains. Blaze was when he first got out of jail, helped by lucky chains and given a chance to play guitar. Cozy Glow was sword fighting with lucky chains and having a good time. Mine was just after a show Discord as lucky chains saw how saden I was from his sickness. So he got me up and got me dancing with him for fun. I actually had a smile on my face, a genuine one. One that I did not show too often. But it was Fluttershy who had the best memories of all. Their first tea party. The letters they wrote to each other. His constant laughing when around her, complimenting her own. And their last night together. When Discord slept by her side to comfort her after she grew worried about him. All these memories and more were flooded into Discord's head. Reminding discord of who he was. And what he meant to them. Suddenly a memory of discords owning came flooded into ours. A memory of thousands of years ago. From Discord's perspective. A beautiful dark purple pony was wrapped in a white star-designed night cloth. She wore a crown in her hair, and it was hard to make out if she was a unicorn or alicorn or not. She looked down at Discord and smiled. Yes, that's my boy. A sound of crying came from him. "Oh, no, no. Oh, my dear. Don't cry here Mommy will play you some music, that always helps you sleep now, doesn't it?" The baby didn't cry but stared at the figure. She gently played a somber yet beautiful song on her flute. As she played, discord finally snapped back to reality and all of the chaos reverted to normal as he did.