As the girls raced up the walkway into Canterlot, Discord was teleporting the Elements of Harmony to a location of his choosing. As Twilight led the way inside and slamming open the door, they saw Princess Celestia standing there waiting for them. Twilight quickly called out for her. "Princess Celestia, we came as soon as we could."
Princess Celestia looked at the girls running up to her and smiled that they were here so fast. "Thank you very much, girls."
Twilight smiled up at her teacher and starts questioning her quite fast. "Is this about the weather and animals' weird behavior? What is going on outside? Why is my magic not working properly? Is there---"
Princess Celestia held up her hand; stopping Twilight from talking, she quickly made a motion for them to follow. "Come, I have something to show you."
Celestia led the girl through a hall with the most famous artwork detailing some of the most important events of Equestria. Celestia explains whilst leading them. "I have called you for an especially important Reason. It seems one of my and Luna's old foes has reappeared, someone we had thought defeated so long ago."
Fluttershy looked up at the window in surprise as she thought something had moved while Celestia did her grand reveal. "His name was Discord."
Fluttershy let out a scream in fear and quickly ran behind the girls while peeking out as Celestia slowly explained what she knew about Discord. "Discord is the mischievous Spirit of Chaos, before my sister and I stood up to him, he ruled Equestria in a constant state of strangeness that was unhealthy for the ponies."
Celestia looked up at one of the artworks in thought, showing Discord holding a puppet while puppeteering three ponies. "Luna and I saw the state of Equestria as something that could not be allowed to continue. We instantly searched for a way to stop him and Discovered the first Elements of Harmony those brave five Ponies walked with us to defeat Discord."
Celestia moved to the next painting in thought while explaining. "We quickly lent the Elements as much as our magic as we could, and they were able to combine our power with theirs; we were able to turn him to stone, but in the process, those brave ponies that rode with us were destroyed; by the power."
Celestia looked at the window that only showed Luna and Celestia defeating Discord and not the magnificent five that rode with them into his Castle of Chaos. Twilight seeing the melancholy on her teacher's face, let out a soundless sigh. Rainbow, not seeing the tone of the room. "That sounds amazing, Princess."
Celestia smiled at Rainbow Dash before moving deeper into the room. "I was certain that us casting with that much power and that level of sacrifice would have kept him contained forever."
Celestia looked at the door containing the jewelry pieces before saying. "I have no idea why the spell has failed right now, it is something that will have to be researched, of course, but that is truly not important right now."
Twilight was equally confused. "Shouldn't the spell have failed in the era when the Elements were dormant and only at a base level, not when they are at their strongest?"
Celestia nodded in agreement. "It is why this is a surprise. I check on him once a week, but with the reawakened Elements, I only checked on him once a month."
Before anyone else could interrupt her, Celestia showed them the door. "This is where the crystallized weapons that you six wield are currently kept when you do not need them, The Central Canterlot tower."
Celestia looked at the door and let out a low sigh before looking at the six brave ponies that appeared again when they were needed. "I need you to wield the weapons of Elements one more time and defeat Discord."
Twilight looked nervous while Pinkie moved off to the side in thought, looking at the picture of them Cleansing and helping Luna. "Why us, Princess Celestia, I know we are their wielders, but the previous generation should be fine as well, right?"
Celestia could see how worried Twilight was before she gave her a gentle smile. "So far, no one has been able to wield them like you six can we expect the next generation might be able, but they are the children of Equestria currently."
Twilight was about to speak up before Pinkie interrupt her. "Look, we are famous girls!"
The girls looked over confused and saw that they were immortalized into the hall of heroes of Equestria. Twilight realized that this was real and that they had no choice of being here. Celestia looked down at them with sadness. "It is either you or no one else, girls, you currently are the only ones that can wield the weapons of Harmony to their fullest potential and with it should be able to defeat Discord."
Twilight looked at her friends and watched them nod, showing that they were willing to do this. "Princess Celestia, we would be honored to wield the weapons of Harmony against Discord."
Pinkie looked at the Pink chocolate rain clouds outside and could not help but sigh with sadness at what she would have to destroy. Celestia smiled; happy that these six were willing to do what was necessary, she quickly used her magic to open the door. As the locks clicked open and slowly, the doors swung outward. As she slowly picked up the case, Rarity spoke up with a line of drool. "Keep the weapon. I will take the case."
Celestia let out a low snicker at Rarity's words before getting serious again. "Fear not, Ponies; with these, I have no fears that you will not be able to defeat Discord."
When Celestia opened the box, it was empty, causing the girls to let out gasps of shock and causing Celestia to drop the package and look at it in shock.
---Ethereal POV---
Harmony could not help but let out a snicker, not really worried. In contrast, Discord let out a massive bellow of laughter and looked at her Elements, who were just as Shocked as Celestia. 'How long has it been since we had such an even game Discord.'
'Oh… I would say a little over 200,000 years.' Discord hummed and looked up at the ceiling remembering the civilization that they both had to destroy because the Filth arrived and made them restart the world. 'It was right after we wiped out the Zel.'
Harmony blinked before thinking about it and nodded in agreement. 'That sounds about right; you just decided to create a copy of yourself on the board.'
Discord nodded while watching his agent slither into place for his grand reveal. 'Win or lose. This has been really fun, Harmony.'
Harmony smiled because, in the end, she was Harmony, and she wanted Discord to have just as much fun as she was. 'Win or Lose Disocrd.'
---Canterlot Main six---
Twilight blinked before moving the box around in panic. "The Elements are gone, Princess Celestia."
Celestia started pacing back and forth while thinking out loud. "That chamber is protected by my own magic and only able to be opened with my magic. This makes no sense whatsoever."
Deep Laughter started rocking into the room with a mocking tone. Celestia narrowed her eyes and quickly swiveled around the room, looking for him. The voice quickly spoke out in mocking. "Makes sense? What part of me is supposed to make sense, Celestia?"
Celestia growled out while swishing her head back and forth in annoyance. "Discord, show yourself at once."
Discord let out a peal of laughter at Celestia's demand. "Did you miss me, Celestia? I missed you and Luna Deeply while I was encased in stone. Of course, you would have no idea about the loneliness that I went through while encased in stone."
Celestia followed Discord through the various Paintings while he controlled his painted self. He quickly growled out while knocking on a stained glass pony. "Because I do not encase ponies in stone."
"What have you done with Elemental weapons, Discord!?" Celestia angrily questions Discord, surprising the girls behind her.
"Are these the new Elementals, Celestia? They look much more scared than the ones that helped you defeat me." Discord taunted while looking the girls up and down, mocking them with most of them looking nervous.
Celestia Growled while stomping her foot, causing a massive firewall to appear between them and Discord. "I will not repeat myself, Discord. Where are the weapons of Harmony?"
"Sheeshe Celestia, calm down. You are burning your Castle down, and I only borrowed them for a little while." Discord responded while sitting in a stained-glass painting about the Elements themselves when he snapped his finger, causing the stained-glass version to vanish.
As the fire slowly guttered out, leaving a massive black line in the hall, Celestia looked at Discord in annoyance. "You will not get away with this Discord."
Discord lounged, not really all that worried. "Oh, I forgot how grim you can truly be, Celestia; it is truly quite boring."
Rainbow was quick to speak up in defense of her Princess. "Hey, no one insults the Princess!"
Rainbow quickly flew towards the stained-glass Discord before stopping herself, realizing that she was going to run into a window, she was lucky that she only tapped it. Discord did not even move because he was not truly there. "Oh, you must be Rainbow Dash famed for her loyalty… the Element of Harmony you represent."
Discord teleported away while laughing. Rainbow was quick to speak up. "That is right, I will never betray the Princess."
Discord nodded before moving to a different painting. "We will see about that."
Rarity looked around the room while looking at the massive fire line in the ground. "I cannot believe that we are wasting our time with a tacky window."
Discord appeared next to Rarity with a massive grin. "The beautiful Rarity representing the Element of Generosity if I am not mistaken, and I rarely am."
Applejack looked at the painting with a smirk. "So, you know who we are, big deal."
Discord quickly grew in size so he could look at the Elements in full. "I know much more than just that Honest Applejack."
Celestia watched what was happening and realized something. Discord researched the girls before starting his Chaos. Twilight was quick to speak up, realizing the same thing as the Princess as well. "You seem to know our strengths as well."
Discord smirked, seeing Celestia and her student immediately understand. "Oh indeed, I do Twilight Sparkle, and yours was the most elusive element of them all… Magic."
Discord pointed at each girl while smiling his wicked smile at them. "Fluttershy is Kindness, and Pinkie Pie's is a personal favorite of mine… Laughter."
Twilight was surprised that Pinkie was giggling at something and decided to just ask. "Pinkie?"
Pinkie burst into laughter while pointing at Discord. "He is dancing on your head."
Indeed Discord was dancing on Twilight glass head. Celestia looked at the copy of Discord that appeared in front of her while he was bantering with the girls. "I will not allow them to come to harm as long as you stay in your Castle… Deal Celestia."
Celestia growled back. "Deal Discord."
Celestia marched forward while the copy dissolved into nothingness. She quickly called out to Discord. "Stop stalling Discord. What have you done to the weapons!?"
Discord let out a low groan at her question. "So boring, Celestia, really."
Discord looked at how severe Celestia was before letting out a low sigh before smirking and taunting her. "Fine, I will tell you but only in my special way."
Discord smirked while teleporting around the room. "To retrieve your special weapons, just make sense of this series of events. Twist and turns are my master plan, then find your missing weapons back where you began."
Discord slowly moved into the place he started from before resolidifying and running off while chuckling at their reactions. As the girls walked forward, Fluttershy could not help but ask. "Can we go home now?"
Applejack was quick to question Twilight, seeing as Fluttershy's question was obvious. "What do you think he meant?"
Twilight walked back and forth in front of a window while muttering. "Twist and turns. Twist and turns."
She quickly looked outside and noticed something a maze. "Twist and turns, he might have hidden the weapons in the palace maze."
Celestia nodded, showing her agreement before looking at everyone. "Good luck, my friends."
The girls bowed before taking off out the room, leaving Celestia alone.
---Ethereal Pov---
Harmony hummed aloud while looking at the saddened Celestia. 'They will be just fine, Celestia.'
Discord floated in a circle and watched as his opposite comforted her agent. 'Discord does not kill people Harmony not unless we give a direct order.'
Harmony nodded while looking around and smiled; she danced among the glass, happy to be in the hall of heroes. 'This is one of my favorite places, Discord.'
Discord nodded while looking at the heroes of Equestria. 'They were some of the best heroes I have truly seen.'