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The Worst Assembly Ever

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Upon the news that Discord had escaped, Princess Celestia called a meeting with Twilight and her friends, asking them to come to a room decorated with stain glass windows, so they could discuss what exactly was going to happen to combat the new threat of Discord.

Most of them kept silent as Twilight spoke for them, gathering any information she could.

"How did this happen so suddenly?" Twilight asked, still not entirely woken up from her half hour of sleep, "I thought we had a watch on Discord's statue!"

"We studied it extensively," Celestia said, "There was no sign of power changes within the statue, and I even reinforced it myself, with the very same spell Luna and I used to lock him away."

"It couldn't have been as powerful, sister," Luna said, "We used the elements to force him into imprisonment."

"I was sure that it was sufficient," Celestia sighed, feeling like she could have averted this if she had tried a little harder, "There is little we could do now."

"Indeed," Luna agreed, "What is our plan of attack then, sister?"

"We need to attack Discord with the Elements of Harmony as soon as possible," Celestia said, "We strike before he has a chance to plan anything, and we return him to stone."

"You make it sound so easy," Alex said, still upset that Discord had been able to rub his escape in his face.

"I assure you that it won't be," Celestia said seriously, "Discord won't be defeated so easily this time, especially in the same manner as before."

"Do we know where he is?" Twilight spoke up, "Has there been any irregular activity anywhere?"

"None has been reported," Luna said, having just magically spoken with several ponies scattered across Equestria, "Discord will not remain silent for long, however."

"How do you know that?" Spike asked.

"It's not in his nature," Luna said, "Equestria was a nightmare before he we took control from him. He'll wish to see it back."

"I can't believe he once ruled Equestria," Rarity said.

"I feel the same way sometimes," Celestia agreed.

"How do we stop him though?" Alex asked, "If he goes half way around the world and starts terrorizing everyone there, how would we get there to stop him?"

"We can send you anywhere instantly," Luna said, "It might not be pleasant, but it will get the job done."

"So what then?" He asked, his anger rising once again, "We just wait until then? I won't get any sleep!"

"Alex—" Luna began.

"No!" He shouted, hitting his hoof on the table, "We go out, we find him. Who knows how much damage he could do before we find him!"

"Please listen—" She tried again.

"He's going to hurt somepony!" He yelled before Luna decided she had had enough.

"SILENCE!" She shouted, immediately silencing him, "WE ARE AWARE OF THE RISK POSED TO OUR PEOPLE!"

Alex didn't say a word.

"YOU ARE NOT WELL, ALEX," Luna continued, referencing his recent combination with Dax, "BUT YOU WILL SPEAK TO US WITH RESPECT."

The war being waged in his head was terrible. One side of him wanted to tell her to buck off, and never to speak to him that way. But the rational side knew that he was the one being disrespectful, not her.

"Of course, Princess," Alex said quietly, "My apologies."

"I'm sorry I had to raise my voice, Alex," She apologized, "But you need to learn control of yourself."

He nodded, "I just don't want to see anything happen to anypony innocent."

"We don't want that either," Celestia sighed, "But we don't have the resources to search any more than the immediate area around Canterlot."

"And chances are best that he's fled far beyond the city." Luna added.

"And we have no magic that could help us locate him?" Twilight asked.

"Concealing magic is rather basic," Luna explained, "He would have no trouble hiding."

Alex suddenly felt something a little strange in the air.

"An' there's nuthin' else?" Applejack asked, hoping for some kind of super spell they might know.

"I'm afraid not," Luna said.

"So, are we supposed to just keep living our lives, as if nothing is wrong?" Dash asked, "I mean, it's not like we want everypony panicking."

"I'm afraid that will have to be the case," Celestia sighed, "Your families and close friends will be kept here in safety, to ensure Discord won't be able to hurt them."

"What about their school or jobs?" Pinkie asked, thinking about what would happen to the cakes.

"They'll simply miss out, I'm afraid," Luna said, "Any compensation lost will be paid back by the castle."

Alex looked around the room at the various stain glass windows, feeling a strange humming coming from one of them that nopony else seemed to be able to hear.

"What about our elements?" Twilight asked, "Where are they?"

Celestia gestured to a special door on the other side of the room as they all walked across the floor toward it.

"I have sealed your Elements of Harmony inside here," Celestia explained as she lowered her head, and inserted her horn into a small hole in the center of the door, as she cast a spell, making it light up.

The door opened, revealing a jewel encrusted case, sitting on a pedestal.

"Never mind the Elements!" Rarity squawked, "Let me have that case!"

Everypony looked at her.

"Oh, never mind!" She giggled.

Levitating the case toward the eight ponies, Celestia began to open the case before Alex spoke up.

"He's there!" Alex shouted, firing a blast of energy at a stain glass window, blowing up a huge section of the wall, and destroying the stain glass on either side of the one he had shot at.

A small glowing orb floated up from the rubble as manifested into a shape they were all familiar with.

"Hello everypony!" Discord announced as the bright color of his orb faded, leaving the draconequus there in all his glory, "It's so nice to see you all in person!"

"Discord!" Celestia growled.

Guards could be heard pounding on the main door to the room, trying to get in.

"Why, if it isn't the filly that defeated me so long ago!" He laughed, ignoring them, and looking to Celestia, "You've gotten bigger, my dear."

She was not pleased.

"Discord, we're going to offer you once chance to come quietly," Luna said, "Return to your stone prison, and no harm will come to you."

"Are you serious?" Discord laughed, slapping his knee, "So, my choices are… Turn to stone right now or be turned to stone by the Elements of Harmony later?"

"Yes." She said, not wavering.

"I'll take door number two!" He said, wiping a tear from his eyes, "Besides, how do you plan on using those elements against me anyway?"

"What do you mean?" Celestia asked, opening the container and gasping.

They all looked at the container, and were shocked to see that it was empty.

"I've got those," He chuckled, "What's your plan B then?"

The princesses looked to one another, speechless.

"Well that's no fun!" Discord said, "You have no plan B!"

"They have me!" Alex said, trying to fire another shot at him.

"Oh calm down there, Lassie," Discord laughed, absorbing the attack into his paw, "Your chaotic magic is nothing compared to mine."

"What do you want?" Dash shouted, looking pretty pissed off herself.

"Why, I want Equestria back!" Discord said, "Would that be alright, Celestia? Luna?"

"Discord, what makes you so confident that you can beat us?" Alex asked suddenly.

"Because I've been listening," He smiled cockily, "I know all about that Doctor, and his alternate world."

"You do…?" Alex asked, knowing that was not good news.

"I get beaten by the Elements of Harmony, and am sealed away for another thousand years," He said, "I will not have that."

Everypony was shocked, and had no idea what to say to him.

"So, I formed a foolproof plan," Discord smiled, "I remove the Elements of Harmony from the equation."

"You did what?!" Twilight asked in shock.

"I've hid them all over the place," He explained, "You'll never find them."

"The Elements are drawn to their owners," Celestia countered, "They'll come back."

"Maybe," Discord agreed, "But what if I send somepony to a place where they can't be found?"

"What do you mean?" Alex asked.

Snapping his fingers, a blue portal appeared underneath Dash, instantly sucking her into it, making her disappear.

"What the-?" Twilight gasped.

"Dash!" Alex shouted, looking to his friends, before running to the portal himself.

Discord momentarily thought about stopping him, but two less ponies meant much less work for him.

"Have fun," Discord chuckled, waving to him as Alex dove into the floor after Dash.

Immediately, the portal closed.

"Now," Discord said seriously, "Shall we begin?"

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