[A/N: I thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter, as it involves two of my favorite characters, and reveals a connection between them that is quite unexpected. Celestia and Discord are fated to meet many times over the course of history, and each time truly is an epic moment.

Lately, I've been thinking a great deal about the endgame of this continuity, Act V. It's going to introduce some much more mature themes and imagery. Unfortunately, it will probably require the M rating, since there will be blood, a fair amount of death, and some very mature metaphors made. Still, I think it offers quite an appropriate ending to the main continuity.

In any event, Chapter 11 is now yours to enjoy. Please do so at your leisure.]

Chapter 11: Dark Times, Dark Measures

At least it was only Discord's head that had materialized out of the swirling mists in the center of the cavern. The still flickering candlelight cast deep shadows on his features from underneath, only accentuating the crooked and discontinuous nature of his visage. Looking upon the face of her greatest enemy once more, Celestia felt all the old hatred again resurface. From the time of her earliest youth, she had struggled against Discord's oppression of her people. It seemed that in order to succeed here, she would have to best him once again.

Although the texts that described the dark magic rituals mentioned that the previous Master generally encoded the summoning process with their own personal flair, Celestia hadn't quite steeled herself enough for this sort of encounter. For his part, Discord cast his sight lazily about the room, taking in what there was to see. The distorted reflections in the myriad crystals of the cavern roof appeared to interest him particularly.

Finally, Discord spoke. "Three hundred years I have waited for something to do, for someone to finally come along and give me a respite from the hours of boredom and despair. While I knew that my ties to the dark magic would probably give me this opportunity at some point, I don't think I ever imagined that it would be you, dear Princess that would end up waking me."

Swirling about her head in a wisp of cloud, the old ruler of Equestria whispered into her ears. "You and that sister of yours were always so perfect, so unblemished and pure. What brings the saintly protector of the free world to my doorstep, hmm? What has caused you to desire the power that I may grant thee?"

Having asked his first question, Discord settled once again in the center of the room, expectantly waiting for an answer. Celestia had of course read the books and knew the general course that this encounter was going to take. Still, having to justify herself in Discord's presence made her all the more uncomfortable. Speaking with confidence, she proclaimed, "I ask only for the strength to protect my own people, to save them from the harm they would wreak upon themselves. When that is done, I will have no further need of your power."

Discord darkened the light of the room, and his form spread out into a dense fog. His voice permeated from seemingly all around Celestia. Clear irritation in his tone, he spoke. "Down here, you don't get to make any of the rules, my dear. You may get precisely what you want as Princess, but there are forms to be observed around here, much as I may personally resent them. Do you think that this is some kind of buffet line? Take what you want and leave the rest? Dark magic is an all-or-nothing thing. When you make that choice, there will be no turning back from whatever path you take."

Marshalling back into a recognizable form, Discord recommenced wandering the room, leaving Celestia to again ponder the potential consequences and ramifications of her decisions. She had only to look at the track record of those before her to understand the risks of accepting the dark magic. Seventeen different sorcerers had perished in attempting to control the ebbs and flows of its power. The only one who had survived was not quite the sort of role model she would have liked to have. Still, there was no other way to get her spell operational in time. Regardless of the potential consequences, Celestia knew she would have to push on. The needs of her people were simply bigger than any personal doubts she might have.

"How did you find the summoning procedure?" asked Discord out of the blue, snapping Celestia's thoughts back to the present. The ethereal spirit was now examining the smoldering contents of the bowl Celestia had prepared. "Dragon's claw, gryphon's feather, and blade of grass; I always thought that had a certain ring to it," he said before snickering audibly.

Celestia only rolled her eyes. Discord's inability to focus on any topic for more than several seconds was proving to be maddeningly distractive. She fervently wished that he would just get on with the proceedings, but from the playful glimmer in his eyes, Celestia could tell that he was just getting started.

"Those first two were so boringly necessary, so in line with all the rest of that 'ancient ritual' hoo-hah. Any sorcerer worth half his salt would have them lying around his laboratory. But what would be more demeaning for an egotistical conjurer than to have to go out and cut some grass, then obsess about trimming it to precisely the right length?" Casting his gaze sidelong for a moment, Discord thought out loud in a wistful voice. "Actually, now that we're here I am a little peeved that you got the grass right on the first try. I had some particularly nasty things planned for anyone who was off in their measurements."

At this Celestia cleared her throat, wishing that she had some means to force his hand and finally get her magic. Unfortunately, he was the old Master, and the choice was ultimately his. Spying her impatience, Discord's face sprouted a pair of disembodied hands, which unrolled a large parchment. Fixing a pair of reading glasses to his face, he addressed Celestia in a flat monotone. "Well, if you're going to be that way, then I guess I had best get started on the standard spiel. Let's see, legal disclaimers, gag orders, etc. etc. You know, I had these same regulations read to me when I was in your shoes, and they didn't make any sense to me back then either."

Sensing that another one of his rants was coming on, Celestia offered only a noncommittal "Oh?" before settling down against the back wall.

"Indeed," Discord continued, reading now from the parchment. " 'At no point is the recipient to misuse his/her dark powers or present the holding of such as undesirable or otherwise inferior, with the penalty for such offenses being loss of the aforementioned power.' I'll tell you, I spent years trying to break that rule, and look where I am now, still full to the brim with dark energy. I mean, whoever wrote that one probably had an even bigger sense of humor than I do."

Celestia continued to relax against the side of the cave as Discord waxed on about the vagaries of the strictures surrounding the use of and uses for dark magic. Stifling a yawn, her thoughts turned towards Luna, who by now would probably be attempting to negotiate with the Ponyville rebels. Celestia knew that the negotiations were not going to go well. She had specifically ordered her sister not to budge on the land ownership issue, and she knew that that was the only thing the rebels cared about. Whatever happened, it was imperative that a battle was fought. Imperative to the rest of the plan. Luna might not immediately realize it, but the lives that would be lost in Ponyville were a necessary cost, the price that would be paid to ensure centuries of peace. In the end, Celestia was sure that her sister would see the truth.

Mid-rant, Discord stopped to notice that not only was Celestia no longer paying attention, she appeared to have dozed off. Grabbing a hot ember from the smoldering remains in the bowl, Discord pressed it to the chipped segment of Celestia's horn, knowing that the sensitive nerves would take only a few seconds to wake her up. Celestia awoke with a scream of agony, clutching instinctively at the tip of her forehead. Discord withdrew the ember, and retreated to the rear of the room. Speaking boldly again, he proclaimed, "Since it seems that you do not care for the rest of the rules, perhaps it is time we move on to tonight's feature presentation. If you so will it, I will grant you that which you desire. Step forward to claim it."

Now that the moment had finally arrived, Celestia was eager to get on with the proceedings and the rest of the plan. However, before she could reach him, Discord spoke one final time. "Oh, one last thing. I am contractually obligated to offer one standard warning concerning the destructive potential of dark magic. Its ability to twist and subvert the natural order of the world is unmatched. You need only remember me to see the potential consequences of giving oneself up to it."

That final remark gave Celestia pause. It had always been her intent to take the magic for just this one purpose, and then forget about it for the rest of her life. But indeed, this power would have a life of its own, a will to dominate her own sense of determination. In the end, it would be a fight if she hoped to maintain her own free personality. For the last time, Celestia considered the responsibility she held for the lives of all her people. When she and her sister had committed to this cause, both of them had pledged to sacrifice whatever was necessary to protect their kingdom's security and freedom. In several days, Luna would be ready to sacrifice her own life if need be, in battle against rebel forces. Given this chance, she knew she had no right to refuse the responsibility.

And so Celestia stepped forward to the center of the room, ready to sacrifice even her own form for the good of her people. Swirling forward to meet her, Discord conjured a dark ball of spiraling energy, holding it just above Celestia's face. Bolts of lightning crackled from its center, and striations of dark purple seemed to draw the light of the room into the core of the orb. Celestia was conscious of the fact that the room had become noticeably darker. Looking up into Discord's face, she heard his voice in her mind. "Thrust forward your horn of power, and partake in what I have to offer. Or, leave at once, and forever wonder about my secrets." Without hesitation, Celestia plunged her horn into the dark orb.

For several seconds, Celestia felt herself drifting in a shapeless, colorless void. She still maintained the sense of her body, still felt even the reverberating twinges of the chip in her horn, so she knew she was still alive. After some time, she materialized in a small field. Attempting to get her bearings, she noticed that it was the middle of the night, and there was a small log cabin immediately to her right. Far out on the horizon, she recognized the profile of the mountains, cutting away to the west. On the western slopes of those mountains she expected to find the city of Canterlot, but in this view, the spot that the city occupied was bare. Seemingly, then, this scene was taking place in the ancient past, long before even Discord had come to rule Equestria. Sensing a presence behind her, Celestia whipped about to see that Discord was standing there, in his full form now. He spoke to her then in a low voice. "Now that we are connected in our magical power, you have earned the right to one of my darkest secrets, and an eternal warning about the choice you have just made. See that cabin? It was my home in this world, before I became what I am today. It was a home that I made for myself and my love. There we made a happy and carefree life, and raised a strong family. At the moment, I am out in the forest, gathering wood, and my wife and two children are sleeping in the house."

Celestia continued to observe the scene, silently watching for whatever it was that Discord intended to show her. All at once, she sensed a certain low thrumming in the air, a small degree of nearly electrical suspense. Without warning, a large boulder fell from the sky, glowing with heat and carrying a great deal of energy. It impacted directly onto the small cabin, erupting in a fiery explosion and utterly demolishing the residence, leaving behind only a smoking crater. It was immediately clear that none of Discord's family could have survived. She turned back to him, and a solitary tear curled its way down his cheek.

"A meteor," he said, his voice cracking ever so slightly, "a trillion to one chance. In one small cosmic accident, the great loves of my life were taken from me, without a chance to say good-bye, or for me to see them that one last time." With his words, Celestia observed a light brown unicorn emerge from the woods, galloping at full speed. Momentarily taken aback, she glanced again at Discord, "Is that…?"

"Yes," he replied, "though it's not entirely obvious from my present appearance, I was once a pony of Equestria. But dark times led me to become something else entirely." Around them, the scene shifted to a deep, dark, forest. Discord's past self wandered in among the fallen trees, stumbling over rocks and pausing every so often to weep and rest. "As you would likely surmise, there was no limit to the depths of my grief. I wandered in the forest for some days, without eating or drinking, and sleeping only when I could walk no longer. In my dreams, I marveled at the improbabilities. A random perturbation in a system of thousands of patterns had eternally erased my life. What sense was there in continuing?"

The scene went dark once more for several seconds, and then brightened again into a hemmed-in forest clearing. The area was roughly circular, and Celestia immediately sensed the telltale magical aura that the place held. Discord's past form shambled its way through the leftmost edge of the trees, and collapsed to the ground in front of them. Behind her, her old enemy continued to narrate the scene. "After four days and nights, I was at the edge of death. I welcomed it freely, knowing that it was precisely what I deserved to make up for the continued implausibility of my own life. If I had not been out chopping that wood, I would never have had to live with this loss. But, it seemed the world had other chaotic variations to throw my way that night."

Celestia already understood the implied direction of this vision. The first Dark Master had been lost to history ages ago, but he would have set up the summoning process as he saw fit. It seemed a ludicrously improbable coincidence that Discord would have stumbled into just the right forest clearing, but he had awoken the Dark Master's summons. When presented with the prospect of unlimited power, how could Discord have refused? He would have only had one desire, and the power of dark magic could surely have granted it. But over time, as he lost his resolve, the dark will and power had consumed him, taking his mind along for the ride. Turning to him with compassion, she asked, "Did you ever see them again?"

In discomfort, he turned away. "Yes. For a few brief years, we were together again. But over that time, the dark magic ate away at me from the inside. I had terrible nightmares, and the physical symptoms began to manifest themselves after only a few months. In the end, I was driven away from them, cast out of society as the monster I had become. And so, with nothing else left, I gave myself up to the darkness, embraced the innate chaos of the universe, those freak occurrences that had cost me the only semblances I ever had of normalcy. For some time, I drifted about from place to place, but it wasn't long before I met our mutual acquaintance, The Emperor. He agreed to set me up as ruler of Equestria, and the rest, as they say, is history."

Celestia suddenly found herself back in the caverns beneath Canterlot. The space was once again lit by the flicker of the candle, and Discord was once again merely a face of wispy smoke, floating just in front of her. Celestia could feel the dark magic simmering at the base of her skull, demanding attention and thought, but for the moment she ignored it. Whatever happened, she was not about to let it ruin her as it had its previous Master.

With the ceremony completed, Discord's visage began to fade. Still, he whispered to Celestia, "Now, dear Princess, you are aware of my deepest secrets. We share a connection, you and I, which nothing can sever. Unfortunately for either of us, circumstances do not allow us to become friends. When we meet again, remember that I serve the darkness now, and you continue to serve the light. Verily I say, we shall meet to do battle many times more. Now, however, our time together has concluded. The dark power is yours, to dispense as you wish, and you shall have to deal with its consequences in your own way. For your sake, I hope that you can do better than I did. Goodbye, dear Princess." With a final breath, his face dissipated entirely, leaving Celestia once more alone in the room.

For several seconds, the Princess merely stood still and let the revelations run through her mind. Although the connections that herself and Discord shared remained a shock, she would have time to think about such things later. Noticing that the candle had burned down several inches, she realized a great deal of time must have passed. If she was to have any hope of implementing the final stages of her plan, she would need to be off at once. Leaving the caverns quickly and exiting the palace, she passed Discord's vitrified body on her way through the gardens. Thanks to the dark magic's presence in her mind, she could feel his consciousness held at bay there, thinking over the events it had caused. Unfortunately, Celestia knew that they would never be able to share such an intimate moment again. In the future, they would meet as the champions of their respective sides, turning their wills against each other in the eternal struggle between light and darkness, order and chaos.