Knights of Harmony, Episode I: Rise of the Elements

by bahatumay

Chapter 5

Day dawned on a somber settlement. As is the case in most smaller settlements, most people were personally affected by last night’s attack, some more so than others. By noon, it seemed that most of the town had showed up to clean up, or do anything else they could to help.

Most of the town, anyway. Five citizens stood in the hospital wing of the town center, standing around and watching as a 2-1B medical droid finished testing the connections embedded in Twilight Sparkle’s forearm. Seemingly satisfied, he held out his hand, and a little astromech droid trundled forward and deposited a replacement, mechanical hand into his waiting hand. He examined it, putting it through a few flexes and watching how the hand moved. “It seems to be functional; if somewhat crudely made. The lack of synthflesh mountings or any support for nerve endings especially shows shoddy workmanship.”

Y1-O1 beeped irritably, rocking from side to side in her ire.

“There’s no need for such language,” the medical droid said airily as he bent over and began attaching it. “They are but the facts.”

Y1-O1 beeped again, and though Twilight didn't speak binary, she was fairly certain that she had just challenged him to a fight. Applejack placed a hand on her dome, calming her somewhat.

Twilight Sparkle inhaled and glanced around. The process was somewhat uncomfortable, like when something had been numbed and kept getting poked at; not painful, but definitely foreign. Around her, her friends stood supportively. Fluttershy gave her a kind (if somewhat fanged) smile; and Rainbow (who was wearing a knee brace) gave her a thumbs up.

“There,” the droid said, straightening up. “All connections have been made. Please test your new prosthetic, and inform me if you experience any errors.”

Twilight Sparkle looked down and slowly closed, then opened her new hand. It was a strange sensation. It was her hand, and it moved like she wanted it to; but the quiet whirring of the many tiny servomechanisms actually opening her fingers as she did was most unnatural. She did a few finger flexes and moved each finger individually, and was pleased to notice that her hand responded accurately. “It fits perfectly,” she said. She glanced up at the droid, and then at Applejack. “Thank you,” she said to both.

The droid inclined his head. “Just following my programming.”

Applejack shrugged. “T’weren’t nothing,” she said. “Apple Bloom was pleased as punch to get to build one.” She snorted a laugh, then winced from the pain and pressed a hand against her still-injured ribs before she could continue. “She wanted to do the organic connections, too; but I said no.”

And Twilight was thankful for that; she doubted that Apple Bloom would have had the tools necessary for the full body anesthesia that that procedure had required. The none-too-subtle dry laughter of the medical droid certainly didn't help, either. “She did a good job,” Twilight said, still flexing her fingers.

As Twilight ran her new hand through a couple more flexes, Rarity coughed lightly. She stepped forward, her hands folded in front of her chest. “You know, Twilight, while you were… out… we were thinking.”

“They were wrong. Ow!” Rainbow jumped as Rarity jabbed her in the ribs with an elbow. “We were wrong,” she corrected herself.

“About what?” Twilight asked.

“About the whole Harmonist thing.”

“That was so brave of you to jump out there like that,” Fluttershy started.

Twilight scowled. “And it worked out so well for me,” she said, unable to keep the sarcasm from her voice as she clenched her left fist.

“Yeah, but you did something,” Applejack insisted. “Rainbow and I didn't last two seconds against her, and you fought her; and you nearly fought her off.”

“But I could have,” Rainbow defended herself. “I just need a little training. You know, I’ve never actually fought anybody else with a lightsaber before.”

“Neither have I,” Applejack added. “None of us have. Except for you, Twilight.”

“What we’re really trying to say is…”

“We want to learn,” Fluttershy finished.

Twilight smiled sadly. “Then I hope you can find someone to teach you.”

“What?”

“Huh?”

“I thought you were gonna…?”

Twilight shook her head. “I can’t teach you. Not me. I’m leaving. I'm going back to Canterlot.”

The girls gasped.

“Can we at least throw you a little going away party?” Pinkie Pie suggested hopefully.

“Yeah, if you've got the supplies with you right now,” Twilight said quietly, “because I'm leaving as soon as I get back to my ship.”

Pinkie frowned, and her normally poofy hair seemed to deflate slightly.

Twilight took a shaky breath. “Thank you all,” she said softly. “It was so nice to meet all of you.”

And with that, Twilight Sparkle turned and slowly left the library.

* * *

Spike adjusted the strap, and Si’s weapon slid to a more comfortable position on his hip. He adjusted it with a grim determination. Si would have wanted him to have it; he would bear it and wield it with honor.

The door hissed open behind her, and Twilight Sparkle stepped in. Spike hissed in greeting, but only got a quiet nod in response. He frowned. He would have expected her to comment on his new blaster.

He was not expecting her to walk over to the navigational computer and start punching in coordinates that looked an awful lot like Canterlot’s location. He gave her a questioning hiss.

“We're going home, Spike,” Twilight answered. “If you've got anything you want to take care of here, now's the time.”

Spike’s question rose even higher in inflection.

“Canterlot,” Twilight confirmed.

Spike hissed and shook his head, not comprehending.

“I failed, Spike!” Twilight nearly shouted at him over her shoulder. “I'm going home, and I’m joining the service corps; if they don't just kick me out! I was the wrong one for this mission.”

Spike tried to protest, but Twilight cut him off.

“The clones we came with are dead, Nightmare Moon is active again, and I could do nothing to stop her!” She held out her left hand and gestured toward her eye demonstratively. “I can’t even protect myself! How does Celestia expect me to help them?” She rested her forehead in her palm. “I just wasn't ready. She should have sent Cadence with me. Or maybe Sunset Shimmer instead. She's a great fighter. I bet she would have won that duel no problem.”

But as Twilight reached up to climb into the pilot’s seat, Spike grabbed a clawful of the back of her uniform and yanked her down. Twilight hadn't been expecting this, and she hit the ground hard, driving the wind from her chest. She fought for breath. It was easy to forget that he was a draconian, and his small size hid great strength.

Spike stepped over her, leaned down, bared his teeth, and snarled.

“I know she sent me-”

Spike snarled again.

“I remember my mission!”

Spike hissed, his tongue flicking out.

“I do remember! I do! I'm just… I’m not strong enough, Spike!” Twilight shouted, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I'm not! I'm just… I'm just not.”

Spike snorted. He walked over towards one of the storage cubbies, and retrieved a small disk.

Twilight recognized it. “The mission hologram,” she murmured.

Spike slid it into the player on the nearby table and pressed the play button. A blue image of Celestia shimmered into existence.

Spike growled. Listen.

And Twilight did.

* * *

Five dejected people sat in the cantina. Rainbow Dash sat on the edge of the table, kicking aimlessly, and nobody felt any desire to tell her to get off.

“Well, now what?” Applejack asked.

Nobody answered because nobody knew.

“A shame she’s gone,” Rarity murmured. Her lekku flicked idly. “I was growing rather fond of her.”

“She was very nice,” Fluttershy agreed.

“She was ok, I guess,” Rainbow said flippantly.

And then, with a quiet whoosh, the door slid open.

Rainbow was the first to see her. She jumped off the table. “Twilight?!”

Twilight waved hesitantly and walked over to their table. “Hey, girls,” she said.

“I thought you were leaving,” Rainbow said suspiciously.

“I was,” Twilight confessed, idly twirling the short replacement braid that hung by her right ear. “But then Spike showed me something. In the mission briefing Master Celestia gave me, she told me that my friendships were my strength.” She cracked a smile. “I guess I missed that part the first time around.” She shook her head. “Look. I'm not strong enough to defeat Nightmare Moon on my own. I know that. But maybe I don't have to be.” She looked up at them. “Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie. Rarity. Applejack. I'm sorry for walking out on you. I know I’m just a Padawan-”

“A who, now?” Pinkie asked.

“I’m still learning,” Twilight translated, “but if you’ll have me, I’d love to be your teacher. I can teach you the ways of Harmony. Not just as a teacher, though. As a friend.”

“I'm in,” Rainbow raised her hand and bared her teeth. “Nobody hurts my friends and gets away with it.”

“Me! Me! Me!” Pinkie cheered, lighting her pinksabers and twirling them around as she spun in a circle (and making nearby patrons flinch away; one quickly moved to another table).

“I’m in,” Applejack said, touching the brim of her hat.

“Don’t forget about me,” Rarity said, flipping her lekku. “I’m in, too.”

Fluttershy nodded earnestly.

Twilight nodded and brusquely rubbed the heel of one hand over her eye. “Then let's get started.”

Comments

[badninja]

Why do I think Sunset will fall sometime during this story? Still it is good to see that Spike was able to knock some sense into Twilight before she actually failed her test. Looking forward to the next chapter!