The fillies slowly made their way back to Sweet Apple Acres in a rather sombre mood. If fighting Eris directly before was going to be hard especially without he Elements of Harmony, storming her fort and then fighting her without the Elements of Harmony was going to be even harder if not impossible.
"We need to raise an army! We get every pony from Equestria. Then we get the ponies from other countries. Once we have them all, we take down Eris and kick her butt!" Rainbow Dash said.
"And how do y'all propose we do that sugarcube? If'n you haven't noticed we can't get the Princesses to talk to us much less the folks in Ponyville and they all know us. Howd'ya think we get these other ponies to even listen?"
"Well, we can start with to your family in Appleloosa and the buffalo tribes. I've got Cloudsdale to work with. Pinkie Pie can speak to her family down on the rock farm. Then we get them to speak to their friends and family and by the time we're done we've got an army! And Fluttershy can even call on the animals to help. It'll be a cinch!"
"Yeah, an army of squirrels and birds is really going to help against Eris, " Applejack said dryly.
"Well if you have any better ideas, why don't you tell us?"
"Sugarcube, I'm just a farmer. I buck apples for a livin'. The pony you need to talk to is our resident expert on everything and that's Twilight."
"Yeah, good luck with that now. She hasn't said a word since we left the Everfree Forest."
And it was true, Twilight was currently deep in thought and trying to work out a strategy.
The only ponies they could count on, she thought, were those at the farm. Big Mac was potentially out of the running after a gang of ponies swarmed him when he brought the weekly harvest to town on market day. He was tough, and managed to get away without much injury but she doubted Fluttershy would allow him to do anything strenuous. They couldn't count on Apple Bloom or Granny Smith as they were too young and too old respectively so really that only left the six of them. Only six fillies against a primordial entity with the ability to warp minds. It wasn't a comforting thought but she knew she could come up with something. She just needed the time to do so.
As they walked on the road towards the farm they noticed a couple of ponies walking ahead of them. They weren't dressed as they normally did, in fact some effort had gone into making them look different. But there was no mistaking the way the stallion marched ramrod straight and totally mindful of his very pregnant alicorn wife.
"Shining Armor! Cadance!" Twilight cried as she recognised them and ran forth to greet them. Her worries forgotten for the moment, she revelled in the sight of her big brother and sister-in-law. Both of them turned at once at hearing Twilight call out their names and a smile replaced the frown of suspicion on Shining Armor's face when he saw who it was that called them.
"It's so great to see you! I was so worried you wouldn't be able to make it out of Canterlot!"
"It wasn't easy, but we did manage to leave without too much trouble. The trip through Ponyville was not welcome. I was afraid for Cadance's life just as we left the library. A group of ponies had been following us since we entered the town and we were surrounded. We did our love blessing and that seemed to work well enough for us to leave but it was scary. We slowly made our way here."
"The entire town felt different, but once we were outside the town on our way here the feeling just seemed to vanish. It's almost as if only Ponyville and Canterlot are being affected in this way, " Cadance said.
Twilight and the other fillies just nodded as they had felt the same thing too and which was why they didn't want to go back to Ponyville just yet.
They chatted pleasantly enough, taking their time to get back to Sweet Apple Acres due to Candace's condition. She insisted she was okay, but Shining Armor was being extra cautious. She was due this week and he didn't want to risk her or their unborn foal with moving too quickly. In time they did reach the farm and Candace gladly sat down in the parlour while Applejack ran off to get some refreshments.
Twilight discussed the current issue they faced and how they were going to need to raise an army to deal with Eris.
"You might be biting off more than you can chew Twilly. Raising an army is not an easy task. Soldiers are going to want to be paid, and they're going to need to be fed."
"But what if we ask them to fight for their families and the future of Equestria?"
"You'll find soon enough that ponies that fight only for a cause are few and far between. Trying to convince a large group to fight your battle, for some pony they don't know and have never met is not going to work. And by the time you do raise them you might be too late. You'd be better off hiring some mercenaries and sending in a small commando squad to break in. A large army takes up too much space and makes too much noise."
Twilight started to tear up. She knew her brother was right, he was after all a soldier and knew these things better than her. But there had to be a way for them to break in.
To that end, Rainbow Dash was effectively drafted as their scout. She'd do some flyovers of the fort to see if maybe there was a way intelligence they could exploit. Maybe a gully or river passed under the walls of the fort which they could use to get in. Shining Armor offered his services as well. With his training he might be able to see something that the others couldn't. In the meantime, they were to prepare the farm for a siege. Eris wasn't a fool and once she had total control of Ponyville, the next step would be to expand her influence and Sweet Apple Acres would be the next logical place to continue. This meant bucking lots of apples and harvesting all the crops they could in the event that they had a mob at their doorstep and needed to hole up for a while. Everypony went to work while the scout and the soldier went about their respective tasks.
Later that evening, Rainbow Dash and Shining Armor showed up at the farm. Both of them were tired and didn't have good news.
"The only way in is the front door. I explored the entire area, there is no back way, window or secret passageway. But we did see something interesting. Ponies from Ponyville have been bringing tributes to Eris and then leaving them by the door."
"What kind of tribute?" Twilight asked.
"Some of it is really weird. Like you'll have a pony bring some food and the next one will bring a clock. Then you get two carrying a basket of old rags. I saw some gems and some other glittery or good looking things but most of them were just bringing ordinary stuff, " Rainbow Dash said.
"Could it be they're bringing things that Eris needs?" Spike asked.
"Maybe, but what would she need with a clock and some old rags? No, my guess is these ponies are under her control and they're simply bringing things, " Twilight said.
Applejack came in then to tell them that dinner was ready and they all marched back into the house. It was getting rather crowded in the farmhouse with so many ponies there that they were all over the place. Some were in the kitchen, others in the parlour, the dining room and even a couple were sitting outside on the porch having dinner there.
Planning and strategising went on through dinner and well into the night afterwards. Some of the ponies had already gone to sleep. Applejack had graciously given her room to Candace and Big Mac had helped to move his bed into the room so that Shining Armor could stay there with his wife just in case she needed help during the night. This meant that they were also staying in the barn with the rest of them.
Twilight yawned broadly and thought to herself how she would kill for a cup of coffee right now. She did have some of the special tea left over that Celestia had given them but she had slowly been working her way through this and gently reducing the dose to reduce her dependence on caffeine. She remembered the last time she went through caffeine withdrawal when the portal in the library had vanished and the headaches that came with it. If they were going to be in Equestria long, she couldn't be addicted to caffeine especially if she didn't have a constant source of it.
"I think we're done here tonight, " Shining Armor said. "We're both tired and we'll think better after a good night's sleep."
"I guess you're right. G'night, " Twlight said as she trotted out to the barn. Some of the ponies were currently asleep or were getting ready for it. She glanced at the couples there, Rarity & Spike, Big Mac & Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash & Applejack that she couldn't see as they were in the hayloft and it made her miss Rick even more than before. Pinkie Pie noticed her look and in a moment of seriousness motioned her over.
"You look like you need a hug, " she said as she hugged her friend.
"Thanks Pinkie Pie, " as she hugged her friend back.
"We'll get him back and everypony will be happy again. You'll see."
Twilight sniffled a bit, squeezed her friend tight and then let go. "I know, it's just we haven't spent a night apart since we started dating. Then I see all the other ponies here and they're all sleeping with their loved ones and it reminds me of Rick...," she trailed off and sighed deeply.
"I know I can't replace him, but if you're looking for a warm body to sleep next to I can provide that."
"You wouldn't mind?"
"Of course not silly! You just keep your hooves to yourself because I'm not that kind of filly!" Pinkie Pie responded in a way which was more her usual self.
"Thanks Pinkie Pie. I appreciate this, " Twilight said as they sank down on the straw. It was true, Pinkie Pie couldn't replace Rick. Her scent was completely different and she had hooves instead of hands but her presence was comforting and before she knew it, Twilight had fallen asleep.
The next morning brought new hope and new despair. Hope in the sense that maybe today they'd figure out a way to defeat Eris and despair because they were 1 day closer to her taking over all of Equestria.
Eris was so excited that she practically skipped downstairs. Today was the day she turned that pony back to his human form and he would be the instrument of Equestria's downfall.
She walked into the hall where he was sleeping, Sunrunner following closely behind with all the elements she needed for the spell. Without waking up the sleeping human she placed the items around the pallet where he slept and started.
Rick was suddenly jolted awake and immediately wished he hadn't. His entire body was in agony, as if somebody had dipped every nerve in acid. He tried to scream, but all that came out was silence. It felt like his body was being torn apart. As if every bone was being broken in a thousand places, being pulled apart and quickly reset only to be broken again and the process repeated. Had he the presence of mind, he would have felt the manacles slip off his hooves as his bones shifted and changed back to arms and legs with the accompanying appendages. But no, the pain was just overwhelming to the point where nothing else could have penetrated his consciousness. And with a suddenness that left him dizzy it stopped.
He lay there, covered in sweat and shaking like a leaf. Something foul reached his nostrils and he realised to his humiliation that during this process he had soiled himself. Gentle hooves helped to clean him up as best they could and the dirty straw was brought away. He felt the cold iron once again clasp around his arms and legs.... he glanced up at his body and saw that he was once again human. Collapsing back on the straw he drew in air in deep gulps. His head ached with a deep throbbing pain that he knew was the beginnings of his caffeine withdrawal. This was absolute torture and he thought the day couldn't possibly get any worse than this.
Eris smiled, in part because she relished the pain and suffering of the human in front of her but also because now that he was human the second part of her plan could be put into motion. She sat down next to him, readied herself and reached into his mind only to be driven back by something. She tried again and once again was unable to grasp his mind. She couldn't understand it. He was only human and couldn't have mental shields that strong and yet there they were.
She pulled out the Element of Magic from the chest and placed it on her head. Thinking maybe this would be enough to shift things in her favour but she couldn't make it work. Fiddling with the other elements also didn't help. She threw them back into the chest, marched over to Rick and smacked him across the face. This brought new tears to his eyes as the pain in his head increased from the shock.
"You're only making it harder on yourself, " Eris said. "The more you resist me, the worse off it's going to be for you in the end. Do you understand me?"
Rick just lay there, breathing deeply and in terrible pain. He knew what was going on around him although he didn't grasp what exactly Eris wanted but this didn't stop him. He looked at her through the haze of pain, gritted his teeth and said simply, "go to hell".
Enraged, Eris blasted him with her horn and he fell blissfully unconscious. Chuckling evilly to herself Eris tried once again to reach his mind, thinking that whatever shields he might have had would have disappeared when he lost consciousness only to find herself in the same situation. She yelled her fury to the skies then proceeded to take out her frustrations on Sunrunner. The poor pony just lay there and accepted his punishment which angered her even more. Finally she stormed out of the room. Maybe cooling down a bit would help matters.
Later on, when Rick came back to consciousness he wished he hadn't. The pain in his head was as bad as ever. Somepony, possibly Sunrunner, had brought him some food but the idea of eating was just too nauseating at the moment. There was also a pile of soft blankets and cool sheets sitting by the chair for some unknown reason.
There was enough give in the chains round his wrists to bring them to his forehead. The cold iron gave some minor relief to his symptoms but didn't make much of a dent in the pain. So he continued to lay there, wallowing in his misery.
He lay there for an unknown period of time, more than anything the boredom of just lying there was really getting on his nerves. As a distraction he tried to recall and recreate Twilight's voice in his mind but the pain that was currently lacerating his brain with a dull kitchen knife made concentrating difficult. Every so often he'd awake from what he assumed was a cat-nap but there was no way to tell time or how long he'd been asleep. It could have been 5 minutes or an hour.
At one of these points he came awake and noticed that Eris was just sitting there watching him. He decided that if she was so interested in him he might as well find out why.
"Why are you doing this?" he asked weakly.
"Doing what? I'm not doing a thing right now other than watching you."
"You know, you're keeping me here for a reason. Why?"
Eris just shrugged and said, "I need you to help me conquer Equestria. This body has the magical power, I have the devious mind but you have the imagination. Once I have that, I'll be able to stretch my dominion over all Equestria and then the world. But something in your mind is blocking me. I need to find out what it is and eliminate it or find a way to get around it. You might as well tell me now because it's only a matter of time before you crack or I find that one chink in your armor. Why go through all that? You'll be well taken care of, good food, a clean and comfortable bed, a filly of your choice."
The pain was so strong it was making his eyes water. Eris took this as a good sign that he was weakening but another probe and she was denied access to his mind once again.
"You may think you're strong, but in the end you're only human and that will be your undoing." With a toss of her mane she walked out of the room.
Rick knew she was right. Those mind probes of hers were strong. The only thing keeping her out was his headaches and in a day or so they'd be done. If he had to figure a way out it had to be tonight or tomorrow at the very latest. After that, he'd have nothing left to fight her with.
Evening rolled around. Rick was still chained up in Eris' fort. Eris was unable to penetrate his mind. Sunrunner was unable to penetrate his mistress and the ponies at Sweet Apple Acres were feeling down.
A whole day had gone by and they had not managed to find a way into the fort or figure out a way once there to get the elements of harmony, find Rick and defeat Eris. Dinner that night was a subdued affair. And while nopony really talked about it, some were thinking that maybe it was best that they all leave Sweet Apple Acres and get out before Eris stretched her power this far. But then the thought of everypony in Ponyville, or the Princesses or even Rick being held captive made them change their minds.
When it got dark and the ponies had settled down for the night, Twilight found herself unable to sleep. She slipped outside, took her blanket with her and made her way to a clearing so she could watch the stars. She had always loved watching the stars, even as a little filly. They were legends and stories come to life and placed in the sky for all time.
"Stormwind the Dragon, the Great Pony, the twins Canter and Bollux, Kickem High the Trickster, the Weeping Pegasus, " she spoke the name of each constellation in turn as she traced them with her hoof. She knew all the stories, having learned them long ago. It was the enduring power of myth, how stories from the past were used to teach people in the present. She heard a crack and a thump behind her, turning around she noticed that it was simply an apple that had fallen from one of the trees. She was about to turn her gaze back to the sky when something clicked in her memory.
"It all started with an apple..."
Grinning like mad she suddenly knew how they could get into the fort, and the best part of this was Eris would actually be the one to bring them in herself!