//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6: Old Faces, New Stories 
// Story: Order-naries: Redux 
// by CTVulpin 
//------------------------------//

	Trixie inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the wild roses growing on the side of the road, touched with the last hint of morning dew.  It was a fine accent to the start of what looked to be a perfect day to be on the road, and not even the thought of the eventual destination could ruin it for the azure showmare.  The entire troupe, shy little Cabbage Patch included, had opted to walk when they saw how the day had dawned bright and clear, and Barnacle Salt was pulling the stage-wagon.
“Hoofington’s a nice town,” Harlequin said, to make conversation, “when it’s not under the hoof of a crazy, power-drunk pony anyway.  If I were to settle down, that might be the place to do it.”
“It is,” Trixie replied, “if you enjoy timber wolf incursions every couple of weeks and the occasional cockatrice.”
“Is it really that bad?” Maggie Pie asked.
“There’s a reason the old Great and Powerful Trixie supplemented her bragging with stories of overcoming monsters,” Trixie said.  “Well, two reasons,” she amended after some thought.  “The common pony is easily impressed by such tales.  Sometimes too much so,” she concluded ruefully.
“We’ve all had bad days,” Cabbage said empathetically.  Trixie gave her a thankful little smile, until Harlequin ruined the moment with an amused snort.
“Kinda hard to top an Ursa Minor rampage though,” he said.
“Quin,” Trixie snapped peevishly, “must you?”
A low rumble came from somewhere below, followed by a slight tremor that stirred pebbles on the road and caused everyone to pause briefly, all conversation forgotten.  Glances were passed around, and then after a moment of nerve-calming they stepped out again.  They’d only gone a few paces when the ground shook again, harder.
“Earthquakes?” Maggie asked.
“Almost unheard of around here,” Trixie answered, glancing toward the hazy silhouette of the Everfree Forest on the horizon.  “I’d have guessed it’s the tremor of an Ursa’s footsteps, but I don’t think they move during the-”  A third, massive quake cut her off, and the road leading back toward Hoofington started to heave and split apart.  Trixie and company bolted as the primary crack headed their way, and just managed to get themselves and the wagon off the road as it caught up and extended another few jagged feet before stopping and starting to widen.  A head as large as the wagon, made of brown stone and shaped like a bull with wolf fangs and far too many big, wickedly sharp horns rose from the center of the rift, attached to a stone body with arms that would put any minotaur to shame, fists like hammers, and powerful-looking legs ending in viciously clawed feet.  The earth closed up roughly beneath it, and it glowered down at the ponies with eyes glowing with forest-green light.
“Trixie, I take back what I said,” Harlequin said as he stared at the titanic monster in horror.  “What this is, it’s going to be a lot worse than a rampaging Ursa.”





The crash-course in “how to pony” was called short, and within twenty minutes the main room of the Ponyville Library was occupied by the six Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, the four Order-naries, the three members of the so-called Bipersonality Team, and Spike, armed with a quill pen and letter parchment.  Twilight Sparkle stood in the center of the room, with the two sets of out-worlders on opposite sides of the room, and her friends gathered around and on the stairs.  Twilight was wearing the tiara holding the starburst gem representing her Element, to give her an extra air of authority above that which her wings and horn typically gave her.
“All of us here have been jumping to a lot of conclusions over the past few days,” she said in her best lecturing tone, looking at each group in turn.  “The fact that these three,” she indicated Traev, Johnten, and Carrie, “look nearly identical to the Order-naries, ponies that my friends and me are very familiar with, led to a case of mistaken identity and a lot of confusion.  They assumed they could manage well enough on their own after waking up as ponies, and nearly ended up eaten by a manticore.  Worst of all, we’ve all been making assumptions about the Gems that these three are hoping to seek out, because we remember a similar experience and applied the knowledge we gained then to now.”
“Can we get to the point, please?” Rainbow Dash said boredly from her perch on a window sill.
Twilight shot her a glare for interrupting, and then cleared her throat.  “As I was about to say, we can’t afford to run about assuming that we all have the same information.  So,” she turned and pointed at Traev, “you are going to start from the beginning and tell us everything that pertains to the Chaotic Gems and what is after them besides you.  Spike, take notes so we can send Princess Celestia a revised summary of the situation.”
“Right,” Spike said, putting quill to paper in preparation.
“Johnten is the best storyteller among us,” Traev said, nodding to his golden-yellow teammate.
Johnten stepped forward and began to speak.  “The story actually begins with our very first year as the Bipersonality Team,” he said.  “We started out by taking down a group of terrorists masquerading as professional exorcists.  One of their number was particularly fanatical, and when their leader died he vowed revenge against us.  He started seeking out the Chaotic Gems, and we, of course, tried to stop him.  We managed to secure most of the Gems at first, but by some twist of fate he managed to steal them all from us, and initiated his plan by activating all seven at once.”
“How big of an explosion would that have caused?” Ash asked.
“Universe-shattering,” Traev answered gravely.
“That’s a little hard to swallow,” Ash scoffed.
“The legends may have been exaggerating, a little,” Johnten admitted.  “At any rate, we managed to interrupt his ritual by removing the Diamond of Light, and the energy fed back into his body and presumably annihilated him.  Years went by, and we had other adventures, the biggest of which tending to get the Gems involved, but we thought no more of the insane Soul Crusher, until one day when four of the Gems vanished.  We tracked them to the location of his demise in time to witness the creation of a monster that seemed to embody the power of the elements and the man’s hatred for us and his desire for revenge.  He calls himself Vanatos Unisco now, and his power has proven great enough to cross dimensions, and to attract the Chaotic Gems.”
“So,” Traev cut in, “the longer we sit around not tracking them down ourselves, the more likely it is he’ll get one and set something disastrous in motion.”





“Go, go, go!”
“We’re giving it all we’ve got Cap’n!” Harlequin exclaimed over the pounding of his and Barnacle Salt’s hooves on the road, the rattle of wheels from the wagon they were pulling, and the avalanche-like growling of the giant rock monster chasing them.  Trixie was standing on the wagon’s roof, horn glowing brightly as she tried to deflect the rocks that seemed to fly from the monster’s body as it moved.  Inside, Maggie and Cabbage were scrambling about looking for fireworks and pyrotechnic cannons, which they set up in the rear-facing doorway, aiming at the monster.
“You can start shooting any time you want Trixie,” Maggie called up with desperation as she secured a rocket in place.
“I know,” Trixie shouted back, grunting as she caught a rock and directed it to the left, “I just need – ugh – an opening first!”





“The Gems represent the seven magic elements, right?” Twilight asked.  Traev nodded.  “And those elements are?”
“Fire, water, air, earth, light, darkness, and Aether, also known as thunder in some schools,” Ashen Blaze answered automatically, but then clapped a hoof over his mouth with an apologetic look.
“Those are them,” Traev said, nodding at his double, who relaxed and smirked.
“Ok, I just wanted to make sure of that,” Twilight said.  She turned to Spike just as his cheeks bulged out and then let out a belch of fire that formed into a scroll bearing the royal seal.
Spike expertly plucked the scroll out of the air and opened it.  “Dear Princess Twilight,” he read, “Thank you for alerting us to this most interesting of occurrences.  We have full confidence in your ability to manage the situation, but if you require anything do not hesitate to contact us.  Best of luck, and write back at your leisure.  Signed Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.”
“Princess Twilight?” Carrie exclaimed.
“The title goes with the wings and horn,” Gale said lightly.  “It’s not really that big of a deal.”
“Hey, it’s a huge deal!” Rainbow said confrontationally.  She flew down and got right up in Gale’s face, asking, “Do you know how many ponies have actually become alicorns in the history of… ever?  One, and that’s Twilight.”
“Ok, ok, I’m sorry,” Gale said, backing away with her forehooves held up placatingly.
“Down, Rainbow,” Twilight said, off-handedly.  “Ash,” she said, “I may have asked this already today, but do you have any leads yet?”
“There was a possible hit in the Everfree Forest this morning,” Ash said.
“Well then,” Traev said, starting for the door, “point the way and we’ll get after it.”
Ash intercepted him and said, “You’re not going anywhere until I see some magic out of you.  That forest is crawling with monsters, and the manticore isn’t even the worst of them.”
“Give me the Diamond,” Traev replied in a longsuffering tone, “I can make do with that.”
“And how are you going to carry it?” Ash countered, quirking an eyebrow.  “Telekinesis, at the very least, before you go into danger.  Soul, Gale, are your duplicates ready?”
“Once we’ve made a stop at the Lirin to gear up, yes,” Gale said.
“I think so,” Soul said.
“Good,” Ash said, his gaze still locked on Traev.  “At least two-thirds of your team will be involved then.  Along with the twins, Gale, and whoever of the Element Bearers wants to assist, that should be more than enough, right?”
Traev glowered, but since Ash refused to back down or break eye contact with him, he reluctantly gave up.  “Be careful, you guys,” he said to his teammates, “and bring that Gem back personally.”





A short time later, both teams, along with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, arrived at the Lirin.  “Impressive ship,” Traev said with admiration.
Ash glanced at his double, and when he saw a look of sincerity on Traev’s face, he smiled proudly.  “It’s nothing really,” he said, “just a… actually, it isn’t standard anymore.  It was a mere long-range transport craft at one time, but it’s been upgraded with the ability to re-open interdimensional portals and survive the trip through the void between worlds.”
Johnten Drago was also impressed by the Lirin.  “Why couldn’t you have grabbed something like this Traev?” he asked.  “Just by looking at it, I can tell it’s a far superior ride to those death-trap orbital drop pods we had to use.”
“Drop pods?” Gale asked.
“Yeah,” Johnten said ruefully, “back home, our base of operations was the space station Traev stole when he turned to the good, and unless we were going somewhere Traev had established a teleportation waypoint already, we had to use the drop pods to get on and off.”
“Hold on,” Ash said, turning to face Traev, “you absconded with an entire space station?  Alone?”
“Technically, it’s more of a battle cruiser,” Traev answered.  “And yes, alone.”
“I don’t know whether to be impressed or incredulous,” Ash said, bemused.  “Anyway,” he said, shaking his head and turning back to the Lirin, “back to business.”  He gave the command for the ship to open, and gestured gallantly for Gale and Carrie to proceed inside.  The brown earth pony pair walked up the ramp, and Gale led the way straight to the cargo area.  Most of the individual compartments that lined the wall were shut with latches and keypads that would require fingers, or a telekinetic substitute, to open, but two had been modified with a simpler, larger lock that Gale was able to manipulate with her mouth.  From within, she pulled out what could only be described as a gun saddle; a medium-sized cannon rode on the right side of the harness, counterbalanced by a metal ammo pack on the left.
“Hold still,” Gale instructed, and proceeded to fit Carrie into it, tightening the girth straps and adjusting the position of the firing bit with expertise.  “Perfection,” she said when she was done.  “Not only do you look like me, you’re exactly my size.  Now, let me explain what this is and how it works.  This saddle is an equestrian version of my signature weapon: an air-powered cannon that fires a variety of specially formulated gels.”
“What types do you use?” Carrie asked.
“Well” Gale said, “the one you’ll likely be using the most is Magebane.  It shuts down any magic it comes in contact with, good for breaking spells and disabling any magical creatures.  There are a fair number of those around here.”
“Ah, Thaumic Gel,” Carrie said with an appreciative nod, “I’m familiar with it.  It’s not my first preference though.  Do you have anything with a paralyzing shock?”
“I think so,” Gale said, opening the ammo pack and looking inside.  The pack was divided into three compartments, and Gale pulled a ball of bluish gel out of the middle one.  “This is it, the Shock Gel.  It’s formulated specifically for humans though, so I wouldn’t rely on it against anything large, if I were you.  Don’t know how ponies react to it, either.  Where’d you get your hands on a gel launcher in your world?”
“It’s a glorified potato gun,” Carrie answered flatly.
“Eh heh… right,” Gale chuckled, embarrassed.  “The gels and launcher are a unit in my mind, so… Where’d your gel come from, is what I meant?”
“Developed them myself, somehow,” Carrie said.  “It’s hard to explain, but the ideas just sort of… popped into my head when I needed a way to pull my own weight on the team.”  Gale gave her a dubious look, but didn’t press for more details.  Instead, she simply went over the mechanics of operating the gun saddle.  “Sorry if it takes more coordination than you’re used to,” she said in conclusion.
“I’ll manage,” Carrie said confidently.  “What about you though?”
“I’ll manage,” Gale echoed, just as confidently.  “I spent most of my time in Equestria without that thing, so I’m used to hoof combat.”  She went to the cockpit, retrieved PC, and then led the other brown mare back outside, nodding at the waiting group.  “We’re all set here,” she said, “let’s go.”





Cabbage and Maggie covered their eyes as a rocket ignited and flew with a high-pitched whistle to explode in a spectacular burst of blue and white light against the face of the stone monstrosity.  It slowed slightly in its pursuit, as the lights of is eyes flickered, but it recovered within seconds and slammed the road with a fist, sending a wave along that ground that tossed the wagon into the air.  Everpony screamed and held on for dear life as they sailed through the air and landed with a shuddering crash.  Miraculously, no one was thrown off and the wheels and axels remained intact.  Barnacle and Harlequin quickly found their hooves again and launched back into a full gallop.
“I don’t think this is working!” Maggie shouted, leaning out of the door to look up at Trixie.  There were more empty rigs in the doorway than rockets now, which Trixie noted with consternation.  With a struggle, she focused her magic into a teleportation spell and warped inside the wagon, leaving a slight scorch mark on the roof and the smell of ozone around her.
“You’re right,” she said to the grey earth pony.  “We can’t handle this without help, and we’re still too far from Ponyville.  Cabbage Patch, how fast can you fly?”
“H-huh?” Cabbage stuttered.
“You’re a Changeling,” Trixie pressed, “That means you have wings, right?  Please tell me they actually work.”
“Th-they do,” Cabbage said.  “But-”
“Can you fly faster than we’re moving right now?” Trixie asked.  Cabbage, nodded, still confused.   “Good, Trixie said. “Fly ahead to Ponyville and get us some help.  Hurry!”
“But, I can’t show myself to them!” Cabbage protested.  “Nopony would ever trust a Changeling!”
“We don’t have much a choice,” Trixie insisted.  “We can’t send Barnacle, or we’ll lose what little bit of a lead we have on that thing, and nopony else in this wagon can fly!  Please Cabbage Patch,” she pleaded, “I’m counting on you.”
Cabbage Patch cringed, fearful and unsure, until the rock monster attacked again and the wagon shuddered.  “Oh,” she moaned, squeezing her eyes shut, “all right, I’ll do it.”  In a brief flare of sickly green light, she shed her sea-green pony form in exchange for the black chitin, perforated legs, and insectoid wings of a Changeling.  Only her golden eyes remained unchanged, and they quivered with fear and anxiety as she walked to the door of the wagon.  “Please be safe,” she said to Trixie and Maggie, “and promise we’ll see each other again.”
“The same to you,” Trixie said sincerely.  Cabbage’s wings buzzed as she prepared to take off, and as soon as there was a chance she took off, turning around almost instantly to speed ahead of the wagon.
“At least she’ll be safe now,” Maggie said just before the wagon lurched again and came down with an ominous-sounding crack.  “Now what about the rest of us?”
“The stallions can’t run forever, and my fireworks aren’t effective enough,” Trixie said, but with a conviction in her tone that stood at odds with the words.  Reaching into the supplies with her magic, she extracted a small locked box that Maggie instantly recognized from the day before.  “The Great and Powerful Trixie needs to become more so,” the azure showmare said, solemnly opening the box and removing the amulet contained within.  “I just hope I can handle the cost.”