Life Fiber Harmonize Chapter 2 Preview

Well, the Friendship Games movie is coming out this weekend, and I'm going to do my absolute best to have the second chapter out before then. So far, my progress is somewhere in the neighborhood of 50%, give or take 5%. Still, I felt obligated to share with you readers a little sneak preview. I'll be showing the entire first scene of the chapter, approximately 1800 words, and with lots of interesting details coming to light and even more questions being raised. I hope you all enjoy it!

"You let him get away with Senketsu?!"

A loud slap filled the smoking remains of the Crystal Prep Sewing Club's laboratory as Suri Polomare was knocked to the floor, wearing nothing but her undergarments. Standing over her was a girl with long, straight, dark red hair that fell to her shoulders and covered one of her dark green eyes as she glared down at the fallen girl. Her skin was a light green shade, complimented by the Crystal Prep uniform she wore, the maroon jacket and skirt over a blue-gray blouse.

The redhead placed a high heeled boot on Suri's stomach, pressing down hard as she growled, "There was still data that we could extract from him! We still haven't found the secret to how he is able to evolve! Do you realize how valuable he was to us? Not only that, you let that thief get away with a valuable member of the Sewing Club!" She pulled back for a vicious kick, sending Suri tumbling across the floor.

Tears rolled down Suri's face as she screamed out, "I know! I already told you what happened, Gladiola Nectar! I was tricked! He managed to reform the Kamui! How was I supposed to beat that?

"By neutralizing him from the start instead of running your mouth and giving him time to use his magic, and Senketsu time to awaken!" Gladiola shouted back. "Emerald Mist studied you and learned how to use you. He played you like a fool, Suri! Now, because of your idiocy, we have an obstacle to the spread of Life Fibers out there. There's no doubt that they will get in our way in the future, and it's all your fault!"

"I'm sor--!"

Strands of Life Fibers shot out from the darkness of the lab, weaving their way around Suri's arms and lifting her into the air until she was dangling with her feet just off the floor, arms spread wide to each side. She looked pitiful, her face leaking tears, drool, and snot as she trembled in terror. As she hung there, another girl stepped out from behind her, almost as if from thin air. She had long blonde hair that was tied into two enormous, poofy pigtails that widened out as they rose up, and tapered to elegant spirals as they fell to either side of her face. Resting on her head between those twintails was an obscenely large, pink bow. She wore a frilly pink short dress, and rested a matching umbrella on her shoulder. Her right eye, peering around Suri's hanging form, was a deep navy blue, and her left eye was covered in a patch that was shaped like a Neighponese kanji.

"Now now," the new arrival cooed, running her fingers along Suri's arm. A quick pinch to the neck, and the Fashion Club President's body went limp. "Let's not give her too hard of a time, Glady. I'm actually quite happy with the way things have turned out." She giggled before stepping behind Suri again and vanishing.

Gladiola's eyes darted left and right as she hissed, "What are you talking about, Nui Harime? They are our enemies, and you say you're happy that they're free to cause problems for us?"

"Of course!" Nui's voice echoed from every direction in that deceptively peppy tone. "I knew that mean old Senketsu would follow me to this planet. Heck, I practically gave him no other choice but to! I don't want him locked up and frozen while we destroy this puny planet, though." Her voice took a more manic, sadistic turn as she said, "After what he did to me and Lady Ragyo, I want nothing more than to face him in battle and shred him and any of his do-gooder friends to pieces. I'm going to gobble him up, just like he tried to do to me, and when we're done with this planet, I'm going to go back to my homeworld and finish what I started!"

Gladiola rolled her eyes, reaching a hand out into the shadows and grabbing Nui by the neck to pull her into the light. Her dark green eyes lit with disdain as she hissed, "That will be the death of you, Nui. You still have yet to grasp how different things are from your world because of our magic. That someone like Emerald Mist exists is a huge problem. Not only is he capable of weaving complex illusions with just the power of a One Star Goku Uniform, but he can withstand the power of an incomplete Kamui, and he seems to be able to erase memories too. Suri has no memory of anything after he harmonized with Senketsu, and with no signs of head trauma, that only leaves magic."

Nui's hand reached out to grab Gladiola by the wrist, squeezing tight until she was forced to let go. "I'm done with that name, Glady. I was consumed by the Primordial Life Fiber that I was born from. I'm not even the slightest bit human anymore, so I never want to hear my human name again," she said with a cheerful smile that, despite seeming genuine, did little to hide the malice beneath.

Rubbing her wrist, Gladiola turned away and grumbled, "And what, pray tell, would you have me call you?"

"That's simple, silly. I am Koketsu now," she declared proudly. "Just like Senketsu, I am both Kamui and Primordial Life Fiber. We are two halves, and in the end, I will take back my true power and devour him." She leaped back to sit on the shattered console of a smoking computer. "Besides, you know as well as I do that the more these puny humans fight and struggle, the more energy we will be able to harvest from them."

"You are too prideful, Koketsu," Gladiola scolded her. "You are a fool to risk the success of our plans just for the chance to fight against Senketsu again, and I will have no sympathy for you when he inevitably cuts you down." She walked to the doorway before glancing back at Koketsu and the charred remains of the lab. "Weave Suri another Two Star Uniform and get the club back to work. It will be a while yet before we are ready to move beyond just the Sewing Club and to the rest of the school. This year's Friendship Games against Canterlot High will be our first trial run."

Koketsu flourished her umbrella over her head and tapped the tip on the ground, letting Suri's unconscious body fall. "As you wish, Glady! Oh, and say hi to your mom for me."

Gladiola replied with only a curt grunt before leaving. Koketsu, on the other hand, shivered with delight and hugged her arms tight around her body as she mused, "It's a shame we're so incompatible. I would *love* to know how good it would feel to wear Glady as my host."

A chill crept up Gladiola's spine as she walked down the hall. Her boot heels clicked purposefully as she moved away from the Sewing Club lab as fast as she could.

Idiots. She was surrounded by idiots. It was no secret that Coco had been the true genius behind the progress that was being made, but Suri's control over her had been a far more effective method of using her than giving the meek girl a position of power. Now they had lost that spark, and would have to pool talent from elsewhere to make up for it.

What had her most worried, however, was this Emerald Mist guy. It was very concerning. He had been a member of the Sewing Club for only about three months. In that time, with only a One Star Uniform at his disposal, the boy had managed to reach the pony transformation state and had become adept in magic.

No, that couldn’t be right. It was unheard of for a unicorn type to learn spellcasting so quickly. He had to have had a purpose from the start. He had to have known about Senketsu, and known about magic even before his official "induction" into the Sewing Club and its secrets. A magnificent act, to be sure, but where did his foreknowledge come from? Life Fibers and magic were a secret long lost, and very few could be aware of their existence.

He even flaunted the cards that he held. He was feeding them information that he wanted them to have for intimidation. As much as Gladiola hated to admit it, the tactic was working too.

He could cast advanced magic. He could lay out and execute an effective plan of action. He had allies; the ones he called brothers. He had access to Life Fibers in order to make One Star Uniforms, and now he had Coco Pommel and Senketsu on top of that. He was capable of harmonizing with Senketsu in Kamui form. He was dangerous, and he wanted them to know it. He could have just as easily erased all of Suri's memories of the encounter, but instead he deliberately removed only the battle. That was worrisome as well. Just what had happened during that time that he didn't want them to know about?

Oh what use was it to worry like this? Even with Senketsu producing them, it would take a long time for them to gather a supply of Life Fibers capable of allowing them to put up a fight. By that time, the trials would be complete, and Life Fibers would be spreading all over the world. Once Emerald Mist and Senketsu showed themselves again, they would just have to strike the nuisances down hard and fast.

As Gladiola reached the entryway to the school, she stopped. Just off to her right, in the shadows of the stairs leading to the next floor, a pair of glowing eyes opened. "Lady Nectar, we have done as you asked," the hidden man announced.

"And? What have you found out about this Emerald Mist?" she asked, not even giving the messenger a glance.

"Nothing, I am afraid," he confirmed regretfully. "There is no information on an Emerald Mist in any database. Individual searches on first name, last name, and facial recognition haven't turned up anything either."

Of course.

A long sigh escaped Gladiola's lips as she resumed walking. "One of his allies no doubt tampered with all the files so we can't track down him or his family. Worry not, I suspected this might be the case. It seems Koketsu will be getting the war she wants after all. Return home for the day."

The eyes closed, and the presence vanished completely in darkness as Gladiola stepped through the front doors and into the open air. The beginnings of a winter chill rode on the wind today, prompting her to hug her jacket closer to her body. She hated the cold.

"It's your move, Mist," she said aloud to her foe, eyes focused ahead. "When you make it, I will be ready."