//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: The Return of Harmony (EQG Style) // by Bookpony579 //------------------------------// Twilight had saved the best for last: The Canterlot Public Library. It was a large and old building, nearly bursting from all the knowledge and wisdom that had been collected here over the years. "Alright, let's start searching!" Twilight said with a determined expression. "Sssshhhhh!" The librarian shushed from her desk. "Sorry." Twilight apologized quietly with a blush of embarrassment before she got to work. She walked through rows and rows of shelves filled with books containing knowledge of all kinds. Twilight had to resist the urge to pick one up and lose herself in it. "It's gotta be here somewhere. This is the last place in my area!" Twilight muttered to herself as she entered another section. She felt like just giving up and leaving when.... "AAAAHHHHH!" Twilight rushed over to the reading area and what she saw stunned her. Several books appeared to have come to life! They had bat like wings, eyes and fangs. People were ducking, taking cover, or just waving their arms around when the bat-books swooped at them. "Everyone get out of here! I'll take care of this!" The readers were all to eager to agree, even the librarian didn't scold her for yelling in a library! Needing time to come up with something, Twilight ran off, the bat-books flying not too far behind her. Soon there was a whole colony chasing after her! "Okay, need to come up with a plan B!" She uttered, ducking as a bat-book swooped overhead. She looked ahead and quickly jumped before she could trip over a slug-book thing! "Okay, then this is over.....I am going to kill Discord for ruining these precious books!" Twilight kept desperately dodging, trying to come up with a plan to deal with the books without doing too much damage to them. Fortunately, she was able to spot a durable-looking bag left behind by one of the other patrons in the panic. The bag looked big enough to hold the books. With a note to apologize to the patron for borrowing the bag later, Twilight performed a few well-timed rolls to dodge the attacking books and made it to the bag. With a few quick sweeping motions, she DID manage to catch all of the brought-to-life books and securely tie the bag before the books could escape. After that, Twilight sighed with relief, but her watch reminded her that she had to head for the meeting place and check up on her friends. As the monster shot a blast of soda at the two teens, Sunset managed to put up a shield to protect them. "Get everybody out of here! I can handle this!" Sunset called over her shoulder to Flash, who nodded. He quickly got to work helping what few people were left out of there. The he looked and saw the CMC's hiding under a table! He quickly rushed over to them, avoiding the blitz from the battle. "Girls! Are you ok!?" He asked as he crouched down to their eye level. Scootaloo gave him a flat look. "Well, lunch was nice, Sweetie got a new toy for her collection. But then it started raining chocolate milk and....oh yeah, we were attacked by the soda machine!" Flash shrugged. "Had to ask. Now lets...." "Look out!" Sunset called out to them. They turned and saw a high pressure stream of soda being shot at them! Thinking fast, Flash tipped the table over, creating a sort of shield for the four of them. The pressure was hard enough to crack the table a little but thankfully it help up. Sunset hit it with more magic which drew its attention back to her. Seeing the coast was clear, the group moved on, dragging the table along for protection until they reached the doors and slipped out. Once outside, Flash scooted the girls over to some bushed. "You girls wait here, I'm going to help Sunset." "But-" Apple Bloom started to protest. "Just stay here until we come to get you!" Flash ordered before rushing back inside to help in friend, leaving behind three very worried girls. Inside, the monster fired an array of ice cubes at Sunset, who the swiftly melted them with a fire spell. "What's the matter? Can't take a little heat?" She taunted, which made it roar angrily. With it's claws, it picked up a nearby table and thew it at her! She quickly blasted it to bits with magic, but was then pushed aside by the machine! She hit the wall and sunk to the floor on her side. As she looked up, she saw the thing towering over her and her eyes turned into pinpricks. The monster growled but before it could finish her off.... *Whack* The monster turned around and Flash holding a mop. "Time to mop the floor with you!" The monster growled at this and focused it's attention on Flash. This gave Sunset the opening she needed as she got up and summoned a massive amount of fire and aimed it directly at the machine. Flash ducked behind a tipped over table as the monster was coated in flames. This caused the sprinklers to kick in, dousing the flames before they could get out of hand. Thankfully all that was left was a slightly melted but utterly lifeless soda machine. "Thank goodness." Flash said as he got to his feet. "Yeah. Thanks for the help. I actually kind of needed it." Sunset smiled. Flash returned her smile. "No problem. Anything for a friend." "....But seriously though. 'Time to mop the floor with you'?" She asked, smirking at him. "What? I though it fit." He gave a nervous smile and she playfully rolled her eyes. Looking around, they saw that there wasn't too much damage, aside from some broken tables chairs, soda everywhere and a destroyed soda machine. Sunset winced at the sight. "I hope they don't press charges. I think this goes way beyond my allowance." "I think they have bigger problems to deal with." The two teens then walked out side to where Flash had hid the CMCs. Once they saw the older kids, the three girls immediately jumped out and hugged them. "You're ok!" Scootaloo exclaimed as she hugged her brother. "Of course we are." He reassured, hugging her back. "What's goin' on!? " Apple Bloom asked as she and Sweetie hugged Sunset. Sunset hesitated. "Well...." "There they are!" The group looked to see Micro Chips, Sandalwood, Lyra and BonBon rushing towards them. "Sunset! What's going on around here?!" BonBon asked. "Yeah, things have been freaky, and not in a good way." Sandalwood pointed out. Sunset grew nervous as she tried to figure out how to explain it all. "You see-" Before she could continue, a rush of wind raced passed....leaving behind a rainbow trail that quickly disappeared. "Was that...Rainbow Dash?" Flash asked in confusion. Sunset just blinked. "Ok...even I'm not sure what's going on anymore." When Twilight arrived back at CHS, she found most of her friends there, and they had their Elements! "Oh thank the stars you girls managed to find yours! You would not believe what I've just been through!" It was then that she noticed something was off. "Uh...Rarity? Why are you carrying that big rock?" Rarity gave her a confused look. "Rock? The only thing here is this bonafide diamond!" Suddenly she scowled and came face-to-face with Twilight. "Keep your envious little eyes off it! I found it and it's mine fair and square!" Twilight could only blink and back away slowly. It was insultingly obvious that this was Discord's doing, but she had no way to fix it at present."Okay....Applejack do you know what's up with Rarity?" Applejack quickly became shifty eyed. "I don't notice anything strange about Rarity. Or anybody else for that matter." She declared, avoiding eye contact. Twilight was even more confused now. "What happened to you girls?" "Well certainly noting you can laugh at!" Pinkie growled. "I think this awful game is getting to everybody." "Aw, boo-hoo-hoo." Fluttershy sneered. "Why don't you use you magic and make everything all right? Oh, that's right. You can't!" she taunted. "What is wrong with you girls!?" Twilight exclaimed, exasperated at what she was witnessing. "Well, looky there. Rainbow's runnin' away. She's abandoning us!" AJ said, looking past Twilight. "Now I know that's a lie." Twilight muttered before a strong but quick wind nearly knocked them over. She turned around and saw a rainbow-colored aftermath before it disappeared. "Was that...Rainbow? But...." Twilight couldn't believe it. Had Rainbow actually betrayed them? A sinister laughter filled the air as Discord appeared in front of them. "Well, well, well. Somebody broke the "no powers; no magic" rule." With a snap of his claws, all the restrictions he placed on the girls were lifted. Twilight could even feel her magic and powers return. "Game's over my dears. You didn't find all your precious Elements!" He summoned an umbrella and when he opened it, it became inverted. "Looks like we might be due for a big old storm of chaos." He let out a malicious laugh as lightning filled the sky and Twilight could only look on in horror.