Chapter One: The Age of Strife

Celestia looked out from the peak of her castle at the looming clouds approaching Canterlot. Even from here it was clear that they were not clouds summoned by Pegesai. They crackled with a dark malevolence, swirling and sweeping downward. Thunder roared outwards from them, and beneath as they approached, an inky fog blacked out the ground.

Deep down she felt a twinge of fear, but kept her calm stance. It was not fitting for a Princess to be seen panicking at a time of crisis.

Behind her were gathered her finest followers. The wielders of the elements of harmony. All stood in awe of the approaching darkness. Eventually Twilight Sparkle broke the lingering silence.

'That's nightmare fog isn't it? I've seen it in books. They say any pony who wanders in is doomed to be lost forever.' She shuffled uncomfortably. 'Princess?...Couldn't fog like that only have been generated by some powerful dark magic?'

Celestia remained focused on the menacing clouds that had begun to circle the city. The magical domes that protected all pony lands kept the fog out, but the sun was slowly vanishing from sight as the darkness covered the city like a cloak. Beneath them, ponies on the streets of Canterlot were beginning to whisper in fearful tones.

'Yes Twilight. Nightmare Fog is the product of a haunted pony mind. But for so much to have appeared? There must be a troublesome air overtaking an entire kingdom...' Celestia didn't say anything else. Some time ago she had sent Nightmare Moon to investigate a disturbing magical energy brewing in the zebra kingdom. Her report had been so horrible she didn't want to believe it. Now all of her people would pay the price for her slowness to act.

Rainbow Dash, hovered up and pointed a hoof defiantly at the approaching blackness. 'Can't we just get all the Pegasi in Cloudsdale to whip up a hurricane? That will teach that 'Nightmare Fog' whose boss!'

Fluttershy ducked her head downwards and whispered. 'Um...actually...Rainbow Dash...erm...Spike and I have been trying to talk to Cloudsdale since we saw the fog coming and...um...'

'I can't send messages to anyone!' Spike butted in, waving his short arms in the air in panic and pointing to a pile of scorched scrolls. 'Something about that fog is stopping me from flaming anything to anyone!' Fluttershy whispered a quiet 'Sorry' as Spike finished yelling.

Applejack stepped towards the balcony and looked sadly towards Sweet Apple Acres now lost in the clouds. 'Shucks...' She sighed sadly. 'I sure hope Big Mac is keeping Applebloom and Granny safe...'

Pinkie Pie appeared beside Applejack as if from nowhere and leant in towards her in that usual way Pinkie Pie would. 'Oh come on Applejack! You know Big Mac! I bet he's throwing them the bestest party EVER to keep their hopes up! HEY! Maybe a party here would keep all our hopes up too!' From somewhere she produced a cake and party hat and grinned.

Applejack couldn't help but smile. Pinkie Pie may have crazier than a barn full of Parasprites, but she was right. Big Mac would take good care of them until they could figure this out.

Whilst the others piped up with new ideas to get rid of the fog, Rarity remained uncharacteristically quiet. Even though the Princess hadn't said anything, she knew that this had something to do with the Zebra kingdom. During her recent fashion tour, she had received dozens of orders of elegant cloaks and jewels from the Zebra Kingdoms.

At first she had thought it strange, it but nothing to worry about. Normally Zebras didn't care for the latest thing, but it wasn't like a nice bonnet wouldn't have spruced up Zecora considerably. Besides all those gems they had discovered meant they had wealth to spare! Now that she saw the nightmare fog she realized, all those gems had made them wealthy...and greedy. Who knew what terrible things could happen when they finally realized they couldn't just buy happiness...

Just as Twilight was explaining to Pinkie Pie the reasons a giant party cannon couldn't hurt nightmare fog, Celestia turned silently and began to gallop towards the treasury room. The other ponies forgot their distractions and ran after her.

'Princess wait! What is it!' Twilight yelled, struggling to keep up with the alicorns furious pace.

'Something is coming Twilight!' Celestia replied, her voice serious and fearful. 'The Elements of Harmony may be able to break the Nightmare Fog long enough for us to right these wrongs! But I fear there are already thing moving to stop us.'

'Maybe a party cannon could help us now?' Pinkie Pie shouted, hopping alongside them. Twilight briefly considered telling her to be quiet when Celestia stopped in one of the castles grand corridors.

Twilights hooves curled as she felt a terrible chill in the air. A familiar laugh echoed through the palace. A terrible voice that had the power to twist your thoughts and bend all of reality into it's strange idea of 'fun'.

'Discord!' Celestia hissed.

'Is this your doing Discord? Get rid of that Nightmare fog NOW!' Celestia was visibly angry.

Fluttershy squeaked as she felt the invisible body of Discord slither past her. Rainbow Dash stood ready to strike, but the voices seemed to come from everywhere, and nowhere.

'My doing, Princess? Oh that's rich! You can blame me for a lot of things...but the darkness in the hearts of your precious ponies isn't one of them! I'm just, shall we say, a casual observer?'

Celestia knew Discord could never be trusted. He would see the whole land destroyed just to mock the ashes. 'You stop this right now Discord! That fog could doom us all! You included!'

'Me? No no no sweet Princess. You see Nightmares are things of chaos! They are where I thrive! I haven't felt this good in years. I really could have taken this chance to escape already, but then I decided a much more fun game we could play!'

Celestia paused in horror.

'The Elements? You leave them alone, or I will personally end you Discord!'

'The elements? Oh we've played that game before Princess, and it was a lot less fun than I'd hoped. I have no interest in taking your tacky collection of gems and tiaras anymore.'

Celestias hopes raised. If they could just get to them and clear away the fog, then they could deal with Discord on their own terms.

'Beside which, I don't need those elements, not when I have their essences right here!'

Before Celestia could shout to warn them, a series of crackles ripped through the chamber. The ponies screamed as purple, swirling vortexes tore open in the air. From within the chimera body of Discord burst out simultaneously. The horrible laughter rang out as each pony was grabbed by him. Fluttershy shrieked as Discord yanked her away, the portal slamming shut as she disappeared. Applejack and Rainbow Dash kicked and buckled against him, but it was no use. One by one they vanished until only Twilight remained, her hooves held by Spike.

'NO, LET HER GO YOU BIG MEANIE!' Spike screamed, holding on Twilights outstretched arms will all his might. Behind him another portal sprang out of nothing and Discords head slid through.

'A Meanie? Well that's me told. I guess I'll just have to let her go now and rethink my life...'

'Really?' Spike smiled happily.

'NOPE' Discord laughed, grabbing the young dragon by his tail and flinging him across the corridor. Celestia charged, determined to tear Discord in two for what he had done.

'Princess! SPIKE! NOOOOOOOOO' Twilight screamed as she was yanked through the portal.

'TWILIGHT' Celestia yelled. Firing off a bolt of magical energy at the form of Discord as he mockingly waved goodbye to the terrified unicorn. Before it hit he vanished. Celestia burned with rage!

'Oh calm yourself your highness!' Discord whispered into her ear. 'They're not harmed, just 'elsewhere'. Once the fog lifts you'll probably find them quite easily. Though I do wonder how long that will take. After all, we both know nightmare fog can really do some crazy things with the passage of time...Ah well, toodle' oo, I have a lot of fun to be had!'

With one final laugh, Discord blasted a hole in the wall and vanished into the enveloping fog. His menacing cackle filling the air all over Canterlot. On the streets ponies began to whisper, to panic, and to plot. Some feared Celestia must be dead. Others grew angry that the fog was still coming. Others believed the time was now ripe to seize what they liked. The power of Discord trickled through the city streets like an overflowing river, and the madness began.

Princess Celestia felt like crumpling to the floor in defeat. There was nothing they could do, and now...those poor ponies were scattered to who knows where. Discord had won. A tear began to well up in her eye. Terrible thoughts of what would happen to all those places, Ponyville...Cloudsdale...Phillydelphia...all safe from the fog, but now completely alone. What would become of her kingdom?

Suddenly she became aware of a soft sobbing noise. Spike lay in a crumpled heap on the floor, nursing an injured arm and crying.

'Twilight...*sniff*...come back...please...'. he wept.

Celestia looked at him and felt something burn inside her. She had to stay strong, for this scared baby dragon. For all those people in the streets of Canterlot. For Twilight and her friends. She would rebuild everything Discord wanted to take from her, and more! This was about more than revenge, this was about all of Pony kind.

She slowly stepped forward and nuzzled Spike.

'Spike. Listen to me, I know this is hard, but I need you to stay strong. We will find Twilight, and Rarity, and all of them. But if we're going to rescue them, we need to stay strong!'

Spike sniffed and wiped his eyes. Celestia nodded kindly.

'I will need your help Spike. To save your friends and all the kingdom, we have to stay strong against those who would hurt us! We will make Discord pay for this, we will make them all pay!'

Spike lifted himself up and stood beside Celestia. The two of them paused, a brief acceptance that all of Pony kind now rested on them. Then they turned and walked towards the royal barracks. There were plans to make, and order to be restored.