Author's note:

First and foremost, I would just like to say that I am using the Australian spelling system to write this fanfic. If you are more accustom to the American spelling system, then do not be worried if you see a 'u' where you think it shouldn't be. Secondly, I have tried to make sure the spelling, grammar and description are all in top shape, as I know it makes for an easier read, but I am prone to making mistakes and not noticing them. Hopefully I'm just being paranoid. Third, this story and all its future instalments are written as if season 2 episode 9 is the most recent canon. Canon episodes after this will make very little impact to the story. Lastly, don't mind the bit with the grey blob person. That's just for my personal fun and shouldn't be taken too seriously.

The Elements of Chaos

Princess Luna awoke in a cold sweat.

It was day out, as she needed to stay awake at night to guide the moon. It was around dusk and her sister, Princess Celestia, was on the veranda, guiding the sun behind the mountains so the day could make way for the night. The sun descended down over the horizon, burning orange as its light grew further and further away. It did so as elegantly as ever, but Celestia herself was clearly distressed. As the last ray of the sun disappeared past view, she heard Luna approach, a worried look written on her face.

Luna frowned. "You felt it too, then?"

Celestia turned to look at her day ending, with the clouds themselves shining the pink and orange of the now gone sun, as if bidding it goodbye. "No, but I saw you were sleeping badly, really badly. And it was more of an effort than usual to keep the sun bright. I suspected, but I waited for you to wake before I ran to conclusions."

"Well," Luna began, "if you're thinking the same thing I am, then you were right. The thing we have feared since the Elements of Harmony reappeared, it is happening." She walked onto the veranda and looked down at the royal courtyard. "They're down there, somewhere. They probably don't even know why they are here, but they know what they must do." She paused, looking at the empty space on one of the pedestals next to the labyrinth. She suddenly sprang with energy "I must stop them!"

"No!" Celestia protested, "You must raise the moon and begin the night! I will try and prevent them from reaching the Vault!"

Luna turned to look her square in the eyes. "They will see you as a tyrant. You will not be able to stop them with anything but force, and force is the one thing you must not stop them with! I can at least reason with them. As for the night, you managed to do it without my help for a thousand years. Why not one more night?"

Celestia looked at the greying sky, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the night. "I am still tired from lowering the moon, but… I guess the night dwellers will be able to stomach one badly made night." Her horn once again began to glow as the grey gave way to dark and the night began with the raising of the moon. Celestia turned, visibly laboured by the effort. "Go."

Luna immediately turned and began galloping though the castle. Around her servants and noblemen alike, getting ready for dinner, moved to one side to let their Princess rush past, giving odd looks in response to the seemingly uncalled for urgency she had. She ran down stairs and through corridors, making her way to the centre of the bottom of the castle. She felt shadows creeping through the hallways, racing towards her quarry with the same urgency. Luna began to panic. She was not going to get there in time.

She went into a flying sprint as she saw the open doors to the Vault. The doors sprang to life as the shadows overtook her and filled the room. She made one final effort, but was too late. The doors to the Vault had closed and were sealed shut.

She regained her composure and stood by the door. "Intruders of my castle, Princess Luna requests an audience with you!"

The silence was replaced by a harsh voice. "Why should we listen to you, traitor?"

Luna sighed. "You do not want to do this! I do not know what you have learned or what you have been promised, but I do know this: it is all true! But that does not mean it is what you expect."

A different, calmer voice rang out this time. "It will be all we expect and more! You may think otherwise but this is our path!"

Luna's head sagged. She knew that this was not working. But there was no other way. She simply could not let these intruders succeed in completing their dark mission. She knew that she could tell them what they need to hear, but she also knew she would not be able to get them to give her the time of day. She had to find those who they would listen to, and she knew exactly who it was going to be.

Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were spending another night at Pinkie Pie's, who had offered to have them over for dinner. Four of the five ponies sitting at the table were severely worried that Pinkie Pie will, as always, treat the occasion as a party. The fifth, Twilight, was also worried, but not of that. She was too busy looking up at the night sky.

Ever since Princess Luna returned and once again began raising the moon, the nights had been stunning, beautiful pieces of art that, on more than one occasion, prompted Twilight to fight the urge of sleep just to look at the sky all night. Not even to stargaze, as her friends were right to expect from her, but just to look at it. She didn't even care where the constellations were on those nights. She just wanted to behold the night's beauty.

This night, however, was a pale reflection of the new standard. There was something… rushed about it. It just didn't have the feel of love that Luna always used. If fact, even Celestia would never normally do a night like this. Something must have happened at Canterlot.

As if in response, the door swung open as Spike ran in. "Twilight!" he yelled with urgency, waving a scroll in the air, "There's a problem in Canterlot! We're all needed right away!"

Applejack raised an eyebrow "All of us?"

"Yes," said spike in an urgent yet matter-of-factly tone, "you're all needed! It says that the Elements of Harmony are involved!"

Rainbow Dash stood out her seat, front hooves pressed on the dinner table and face set into a expression of determination "That's the only word I needed to hear."

"'Elements of Harmony' is three words." Applejack pointed out.

"Not the point," Rainbow dash retorted, shaking her head, "the point is that Equestria needs us again and I'm not gonna let it down!"

Cries of approval ran through the room as the group began making quick preparations to leave.

The seven of them rushed into the castle with an increasing sense of urgency. Guards and servants were stationed at every door to open them on sight of the ponies, no doubt in preparation for their arrival. It took surprisingly little time for them to reach the audience chamber, where Celestia and Luna were eagerly awaiting them.

Twilight halted and her friends did the same. "What's the emergency, your highnesses?"

Celestia, overjoyed to see the ponies all alright, but worried all the same, gave a long sigh. "Something has happened. Something we knew would occur, but hoped would take longer than this."

"We don't have time to explain," Luna interrupted, "We must hurry down to the Vault! Give them the elements of harmony and follow me!"

Celestia silently agreed and gave the ponies their various elements. The next moment, the nine of them were yet again running down hallway after hallway before stopping at a large door pulsating with coloured light.

Celestia turned to look at the keepers of the elements of harmony. "We must stay out here to hold the door open. Just remember, do not fight those inside. Only talk them down. And remember, they are citizens of Equestria and deserve to be treated as such." With that, she nodded to Luna and the two began using magic to open the doors, horns glowing bright. It was an obvious effort. If the ponies didn't know any better, they would think that the doors were fighting back. As soon as both doors were completely ajar, Celestia urged them in and everypony but spike and the two Alicorns rushed into the unknown, the doors slamming shut behind them.

Twilight was just about to cast a spell to light up the room when the room lit up by itself. Or so she thought. Through the dim light, she saw the room was all but empty except for her, her friends, a tall; twisted pillar and six pony-sized lumps. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she realised that they were ponies, all wearing brown cloaks, only their muzzles visible. Most of them wore silver necklaces with some coloured stone sitting at its centre. All but one, who wore a silver crown, set with a magenta stone. Then she saw the pillar for what truly was: a creature with the head of a pony and the body parts of all sorts of creatures, posed as if he was taken by surprise. Discord. So this was the Vault.

The six hooded ponies turned to look at the intruders. The one wearing the crown stepped forward to address them. "Dear servants of Harmony, know that we are taking back our master and that chaos shall once again reign in Equestria!"

Rainbow Dash was fighting the urge not to pounce the crowned pony "Who are you guys?"

One of the others with a pink stone scoffed, to which one with a blue stone responded with what must have been a glare. The crowned one spoke up again "You haven't been told of our existence? Typical, really. Those alicorns will do whatever it takes to keep Harmony in power, even denying the power of Chaos." She turned to behold the statue behind her. "Now, you will know the our power, his power, as you have never known it."

She began to float off the ground. Just as soon, the other five began to float. The six stones they all held began to glow and shine. The colours began to swirl around the stone Discord, creating a whirlwind of coloured light. Something was so familiar about it, yet so foreign. Cracks began to from along the statue. Coloured streams of light seeped into the cracks, creating more fractures along the stone surface. Until the being inside was finally revealed. Discord, released from his prison once again, began eyeing down the six shivering keepers of Harmony.

He let out a laugh. "So, how have you been?" He teleported beside Fluttershy, who was too petrified to even scream "Me? Trapped in stone. But you would know a little something about that, don't you?" Then he turned to look at his saviours "You all, however, are on my good side! I would have preferred you coming before they had a chance to turn me to stone again, but after a few thousand years of being trapped in stone you learn to have a wide range of standards."

The crowned pony bowed before its master. "It is an honour to serve as a part of your grand design, o great one!"

"Speak for yourself!" The pony with the red stone exclaimed.

Discord smiled "Oh, don't you worry, my little friends! You shall be rewarded!" he turned his gaze to Twilight Sparkle and the others "And as for you, you shall have a front row seat to this world's decent into Chaos!"

Twilight raised her head proudly "Not this time, Discord! We came prepared this time around! Elements and friendship included!"

That second, the keepers of the elements unleashed their power of Harmony, coloured rays shooting past Discord, who seemed more or less unmoved by this development. Just as the main wave began its approach, an identical wave moved in to block it. The two cancelled each other out with a bright flash. The scene that was left was Discord laughing maniacally and the cloaked ponies all, with one exception, visibly smiling.

"Oh, Twilight," Discord mused, "did you really think it would be that easy?"

Twilight didn't understand what had happened.

"Well," Discord said, starting to calm down, "Now that everypony knows the rules, how bout we move this on to the next level!" And with that, he and the cloaked ponies all disappeared.

The six ponies all felt defeated as the reality of the situation set in. Discord was free and the only thing they had to fight him with was… useless. Twilight turned and knocked on the great door behind them. The heavy doors began to glow as the two alicorns on the other side used their magic to open them. It was much quicker this time, with no visible resistance. As the six ponies came out one by one, Celestia's initially hopeful face soon faded as she saw the looks on each of the ponies.

"Who were those guys?" Rainbow Dash asked, finally realising she never got an answer the first time.

Applejack looked up at the ragged-looking group "Those thangs around their necks, they were just like-"

"Just like the Elements of Harmony." Twilight finished. She turned to Celestia "Who were they?"

"Your equals and opposites."

Everypony turned to look at Luna, eyes downcast. "In this world there are two forces that keep the world functioning. Harmony, making sure that everything functions in perfect coexistence. Chaos, inducing change to keep everything prepared for the future. These forces are constantly at war with each other. And through this clash, order is somehow formed. You six were always destined to wield the Elements of Harmony. The six you saw were always destined to wield the Elements of Chaos."

Fluttershy hid behind her mane "Elements of Chaos?"

Luna nodded "Each as powerful as your own elements yet different in every way. Just like those who wield them. Just like me." She turned to her sister, Celestia.

Rarity's eyes widened with the shock "You're one of THEM?"

Luna lowered her head "Used to be, yes. But I was the equal and opposite to Celestia, my own sister. As sisters, we were the best of friends. And friendship is the one thing more powerful than the conflict between Harmony and Chaos. I could not wield the elements of Chaos against her. So I wielded the Elements of Harmony with my sister instead. And so we fought Discord together."

Applejack cleared her throat "Well, given how Apple Bloom wouldn't be able ta walk in them there cloaks those other ponies was wearing, I doubt we'll have the same thang happen ta us."

"Princesses," Twilight began, "how do we stop Discord and the Chaos ponies?"

Princess Celestia was the one to answer "Twilight, to defeat Discord, you must first strip the Chaos ponies of their Elements. There are two ways to do that: you can either attempt to get them to abandon their Elements, as Discord did with you, or you can try to take away the stones holding the Elements."

"The Elements of Chaos are each complete opposites to your own." Luna continued, "They are the Elements of Deceit, Sadness, Greed, Cruelty, Betrayal and Sorcery. Those who wield the opposite of your own element will be very much like yourself, but at the same time so very different. You must learn to face these elements, for they are just as powerful as your own."

That second, both Celestia and Luna turned their heads in the exact same direction, towards the castle gates. Celestia looked down at Twilight again with a frantic look on her. "It has begun."

The nine of them all rushed out to find the six Chaos ponies standing at the gates, with the guards around them too busy trying to stop the bricks popping out of the wall from eating the ground. Undoubtedly the result of Discord making changes to the natural order. The Chaos ponies all ran in separate directions.

"Quickly, my little ponies!" Celestia exclaimed, "Follow them! Luna and I will try to stop these bricks!"

The six Harmony ponies quickly rushed off in pursuit of each of the Chaos ponies, leaving Spike behind in their haste.

Applejack ran into the palace cloister. She had not been here since she last attended the Grand Galloping Gala, when she attempted to she her apples to the noblemen. She knew the Chaos pony she was chasing was here, but all she could see was a food cart. Applejack moved closer. This wasn't just any old food cart; it was an exacted replica of her own apple cart. Except for one detail: there were no apples. Instead, the shelves were filled with pears. Pears of all things! Applejack never cared for pears.

"Go ahead," a voice, bearing a southern accent like her own, sneered, "have a pear!"

Applejack looked around, trying in vain to locate the source of the voice. "No offence, darlin, but I don't trust pears. And I trust em even less when they come from folks like you!"

"Is that any way ta talk ta a gal from your own homeland?"

Applejack worked out where the sound was coming from. "How do I even know that?" She moved towards the curtained wall that hid the pony and pulled back the curtains, only to find a speaker. She felt a sharp kick on her flank and toppled over onto the speaker, too disoriented to get up. All she could see was an orange pear-shaped stone.

"Too bad." She heard the voice behind her. "They're really good pears."

Pinkie Pie was skipping around the great Ballroom. She could have sworn the pony she was chasing came in here, but she wasn't too worried. She never took any situation 100% seriously. Especially when in a room built to hold parties. Granted, the most boring parties Pinkie Pie knew of, but parties nonetheless. It took about a minute of skipping for her to spot the lone pony sitting on a musician's stool on the podium.

Pinkie Pie smiled at her "Hi!"

The pony merely sat there. Then she quietly replied. "Hi? What's so good about this depressing place that you can say 'hi' to me?"

Pinkie gave a confused look. "I don't know, I was just being nice."

The pony made her way out onto one of the balconies. "That makes one of us."

Pinkie Pie followed. As soon as she was out on the balcony the stone floor between her and the room began to crack. The balcony was beginning to tilt downward. It was going to fall. Pinkie Pie let out a scream. The Chaos pony merely stood there, unmoved, the blue tombstone-shaped stone in her necklace shaking with every quake.

Rarity had been in the Great Hall before. And from that time she knew there were only a few places for that Chaos pony to hide. Still, she was nowhere to be seen. Then she heard the clang of metal on stone. She followed it outside. There, she took the whole scene in a second. The bulging bag; the servant quivering in fear; the Chaos pony holding a silver plate.

Rarity frowned at the sight. "Now miss, what do you think you are doing?"

When the pony replied, she was as well spoken as rarity herself. "I saw something I liked. I took it. Then this peasant made a big ruckus! So I politely asked him to keep quiet. I'm the victim here."

"She kicked me in the ribs!" the servant yelled.

"That's the only way you could understand me!" the Pony retorted, "If I asked you with words, I would no doubt only receive a confused look in reply!"

Rarity had heard enough. "Give back that plate! And whatever else you've stolen!"

"No!" the pony screamed "It's all MINE!" then she ran off with the bag, light gleaming off the purple coin-shaped stone as she turned.

Rarity was about to pursue her when she remembered the servant. He was clearly in pain. She looked back to where the Chaos pony had gone and sighed, moving towards the servant. "You poor dear. Let me have a look at that."

Fluttershy was really worried. She had no idea what the Chaos pony she was following would want in the royal garden, but it can't be good for the animals living here. As if expecting her, the cloaked pony was standing right in the middle of the garden. No animals could be seen nor heard.

Fluttershy summoned up all the courage she could. "Um, hello. Uh, do you mind if I take up a moment of your time. Yes, well, the thing is, Discord is doing a lot of mean things. And it would be really nice of you if you were to stop helping him, I mean, if that's alright with you."

The pony merely turned to look at a large shape covered by a tarp. She pulled away the tarp, and Fluttershy's heart gave a start as she saw what was underneath. The animals of the garden, each huddled in a cage only just big enough to hold it. Cages that reminded Fluttershy of the square shape of the Chaos pony's pink stone.

"Oh, I don't think the animals like that." Fluttershy stammered.

The pony responded by hitting a cage holding a hummingbird, which was clearly in pain.

"No, you're hurting it!"

The pony smiled and began hitting it rhythmically, each hit causing the bird to wince.

Fluttershy began to cry "Noooo!"

Rainbow Dash knew the Chaos pony she was chasing was here in the castle stadium. She knew it! She searched the grounds, the seats, even the suites. She opened the door to the last suite and in triumph saw somepony was inside. Her excitement quickly left her as she realised that not only was it not the Chaos pony, it wasn't even a pony.

As it turned, she got a chance to look at it. It was about as tall as a pony, but stood upright, like the humans described in old tales. It clearly wasn't a human either. It was a human-shaped grey blob with a mechanic left arm, right leg and jaw. A single black eye occupied its face and a tendril pointed out the back of its head.

The creature spotted her "Rainbow Dash? Huh, must've taken another wrong turn."

Rainbow dash raised an eyebrow. "Do I know you?"

The creature shrugged "No, apparently not. Well, not yet. Anyway, I'm in the middle of something so I'll get out of your hair." It turned around before quickly facing her again. "Oh, and for future reference, I know it was you who took those 25 quartz I hid in my closet. Wait, no! Forget that! Darn it!" It buried its face in its hands. "You know what, I'm just gonna go now! See you in a while, I guess."

It slapped its robotic arm and disappeared in a flash. Rainbow Dash moved on, very confused as to what just happened. Then she saw it. The Chaos pony had moved into the centre of the grounds. She was pushing her wings out of slits in her cloak and was preparing to take off. Rainbow Dash smiled. Just her luck! Not only did it mean she was the only one who had a hope of following the Chaos pony, but it would be a nice way to test her skills when it counts. She quickly took off after her. She quickly caught up to her rival.

The pony turned her head to look at her. "We're equally fast, you know!"

"True," Rainbow Dash replied, "but I'll win anyway!"

The pony smiled, the red streak-shaped stone shaking as the wind smashed against it. "Is that so? What if you need to stop?" She shifted her head to look at the ground.

Rainbow Dash followed her gaze to see Pinkie Pie and another Chaos pony standing on a disintegrating balcony. Pinkie Pie was screaming in fear.

Rainbow Dash looked back to her rival flyer. "You have a friend down there too!"

"So what?" the Chaos pony said flatly. "She's not even my friend!"

Rainbow Dash couldn't let Pinkie Pie fall. She broke off her pursuit and flew towards the balcony, grabbing the screaming Pinkie Pie just as the balcony fell. The Chaos pony also on the balcony simply jumped onto a nearby roof.

Twilight was following the last Chaos pony into the Entryway. The Chaos pony ran up the massive staircase and turned to look at Twilight. Her horn began to glow as the stained windows began to shimmer. The scenes depicting various parts of history changed to tributes to Discord, each showing either his greatness or the wickedness of alicorns. In a flash, the spirit of Chaos, who now effectively owned Canterlot, appeared, cackling as if the Twilight's distress was a well-told joke.

Twilight's resolve hardened. "Discord, as the keeper of the element of Magic, I insist you surrender and let Equestria live in peace!"

Discord descended into another laughing fit, but quickly recovered. "Oh, Twilight! You always know just what to say to make my sides ache! Even if that's not your aim!"

The Chaos pony pulled away the hood of her cloak. The face underneath shifted into a smile as Twilight's own face showed her surprise. "You didn't expect me, did you?"

Twilight couldn't reply.

The chaos pony's face soon went serious. "I am insulted. Surely when you heard that we are your equal and opposites, I should have been the first thing to enter your mind! For who is as powerful, but not afraid to unleash their power? Who else but the Great and Powerful Trixie?"