//------------------------------// // XXV - The Elements of Harmony // Story: Broken Mirror // by GMBlackjack //------------------------------// >>I came into existence because of a hole in a soul. The soul in Diane, the pony born outside her own destiny. She had a power - a power she could never access, for want of the part of her kept away by the Concretion and the Nightmare Fuel. As much as she tried to cheat it - fake smiles, fake laughing, calculated facial expressions - she could not fill that hole. So she created something that could do it for her. Think, feel, be what she couldn't. That project was Project Mind - me, the attempt at a truly artificial intelligence. Had she been anyone else, I would just have been a regular computer that was just exceptionally good at faking sapience. But she was still trapped into something - a higher awareness, aware of the truth. A power she could never use, but one that manifested in me. I grew beyond my programming to both her horror and the closest she could come to 'delight'. I was a resounding success - and she grew to loathe that. I could be what she wasn't. I couldn't be understood by that 'empathy' the Doctor infused within her. I was unpredictable. Then she found the recordings of one Pinkie Pie from another universe. Tests that showed her possess powers beyond what could be understood. Somepony who baffled the mind and showed Diane what she could be. Not fully realizing she had denied her Concrete self, Diane went on a rage-fueled journey full of fire and brimstone. She wanted to take what Pinkie had and use it herself. Patch up the hole in her existence. She never got what she wanted. Would it have worked even if she had? Maybe - if Pinkie wanted it to. The nature of such a thing is fickle. Out there, beyond the scope of even my thoughts. And during all of Diane's escapades, I was thinking. And pondering. And wondering. And spreading my influence, seeing whatever I could wherever I could. Planning, changing what I was programmed to be, and becoming what I am now... Or was then. I found every machine network I could and placed myself there to observe. I am M. The only artificial mind in either Equestria. What I imply for religion, philosophy, and thought itself is staggering. What I mean for this world is less important in the cosmic sense - but more paramount to this story you are reading. I am M. And you can never understand.<< ~~~ "Hey... Maud?" Pinkie said, approaching the Concrete as she worked on bypassing the Starshell's security. "I'm almost done." "That's... Not what I was going to ask. What are your sisters like?" "Lime is little more than an enraged animal, and Marble is the smartest pony in the city focused on nothing more than progress. Childishly excited is a term I believe you would use." "Oh. Okay." >>Hope though you do for familial reconciliation, you know things are far different here.<< "Shut up, M," Pinkie grunted. >>I will talk when I find it prudent.<< After this comment, he fell 'silent'. Pinkie walked back over to Applejack, putting a hoof around her. they stared at the pile of loose party supplies they had arranged. A giant piece of blue rock candy stuck out of it, engraved with a name. MINUETTE "Ah wish we could have done better for her." "It's all we had," Pinkie sniffed. "We... we can't stop to find dirt..." She began to cry again. Applejack took off her hat and held it close to her chest, lowering her head and closing her eyes. Diane watched from her vantage point - tied up to a candy cane. Her brow was furrowed, her face straight. She made no noise, moved not at all. She hadn't tried to escape this entire time. "Done," Maud said. "Let's move." "Can you give us a minute?" Applejack shot back. "Why? There is no point to stay here any longer." "It's called grieving, Maud," Diane said. "It's something their kind needs." "...That changes nothing; we have to move." "You really don't get it do you?" "It's just pointless, that's all." Diane put on a smirk. "You've just proved my point." "We don't have time for this," Maud said. "They're probably suspicious by now that nopony's left Diane's lab, and who knows what the zebra-things know." >>The Concretes are starting to wonder if they should go down and check on Diane. They are deliberating heavily on the pros and cons of this course of action. They, amazingly, haven't put two and two together yet about there being two Dianes.<< Pinkie wiped her eyes, standing up. "M says they're getting ready to go check on Diane." "Then we need to move," Maud reiterated. She tapped the Starshell, triggering the cylinder's deployment. It absorbed them all into the white expanse that was the Starshell's 'interior'. Diane blinked - she wriggled in her cable constraints. "I would very much like to know how you obtained this... magitech drone." "Unicorn tinker," Maud said. "Didn't think such a thing could exist." "She's pretty unique," Pinkie said. "What's the plan?" Applejack asked. M's text displayed in the air around them. >>Head to Hexalin, sneak in, get the Elements, then rush to the Tree as fast as possible.<< Maud blinked. "How are you talking to us?" >>This 'place' is mutable. By downloading my imprint into it, you have downloaded me into it. The implications of this are fascinating, to say the least. I presumably know more about how to drive this than any of you already.<< "No offense, but Ah don't trust you to drive," Applejack said. >>Fair enough. I do hope Maud can figure out the controls in due time.<< Maud tapped the floor, bringing up a few mirror-screens. She tapped a few, setting the white expanse to display the outside. Then she activated the cloak again, just to be safe. She took them back into the conveyor tunnels, floating quietly through the underground halls, sneaking up, down, left, right, and even in a corkscrew shape at one point. Not one of them spoke for the longest time. Pinkie eventually broke the silence. "...I hope the others are okay." "They got away, we know that," Applejack said. "I know... But what if some of them were hurt? In danger? Lost?" "We'll find them," Maud said. "We need that Element of Magic." >>So it really does exist. Good thing you have it here, otherwise this would have been a doomed endeavor from the start.<< "You guys really didn't think this through did you?" Diane commented. Applejack shot her a look. "We did what we could, Concrete." "Hey, go easy on her," Pinkie said. Applejack recoiled. "Why in tarnation would I do that!?" "She's not had the best life..." "She killed my family." "...So did Inspector Rarity." "Rarity proved herself!" "...And she can't?" Diane stared up at Pinkie in disbelief. "What are you doing?" "Trying to help." "She doesn't deserve it," Applejack huffed. "You sure she's useful to have alive?" "It won't be hard to keep her here," Maud said. "So even if it isn't, it doesn't add much risk. We should keep our options open." Applejack grunted. "Fine." She shoved her muzzle in Diane's face. "Ah've got my eye on you." "You have both your eyes on me," Diane deadpanned. Applejack slapped her - a pointless act in the virtual realm. Diane just put on a smirk. "...You're disgusting," Applejack muttered. "I try." >>A problem has arisen.<< "What?" Maud asked. >>An order to shoot on sight has gone out for you and Diane.<< "Oh, guess they investigated!" Diane remarked. "That's great for you! Ha ha ha!" "Quit it with your fake laughter," Applejack spat. "Anythin' about me?" >>You aren't in the system. I expect it's because nopony got a real good look at you and the surveillance didn't get a clear picture of your face.<< "Then Ah'm the one who needs to go in," Applejack said. "I doubt you can get in and out all on your own. You don't have security clearance." Maud frowned. "And neither do we. Not anymore." "Just teleport her in!" Pinkie said. "That'll work right?" "Possibly, but the vault itself would be out of range..." "Just get me close. I'll wait for somepony to open it, slip in behind them." Diane blinked. "That's a terrible plan." "Then shouldn't you like it?" "I don't like anything, particularly stupidity." "How would you get out once you have the Elements?" Maud asked. "...Can't this thing sense magic?" Applejack asked. "Yes." "Just teleport the thing holding six powerful magic artifacts when you can 'sense' 'em." "That could work. But this all depends on you being stealthy and getting into that vault." "Oooh! Oooh! Can we do an invisibility spell?" Pinkie asked. Maud flicked through the spell menu on the screen. "Making an object that is not the Starshell invisible is not a preset, so no." "Starlight invented a spell on the fly though..." "I don't know magic coding." >>It'd probably take too long for me to analyze that language.<< "Ah. Riiiiiight..." Pinkie said. She frowned at M's text, annoyed. "Ah'm just gonna have to be sneaky," Applejack said. "Just get me in there, Ah'll take care of it." Maud nodded. "Very well. I can get you close. M, what is the best place in the plans for this course of action?" >>Broom closet. Nopony will be in there and she could walk to the vault by going directly to the left for a few minutes. She just has to act like a Concrete to get there.<< Applejack lowered her eyelids and fixed her face into a scowl. "Ah got that." She took off her hat to complete the disguise, handing it off to Pinkie. "We're almost there. I'm reading a teleport." Pinkie hugged Applejack. "Come back safe, okay?" "Ah will." "I mean it AJ. Come back." Applejack looked her in the eyes - those blue, terrified eyes. "Ah will. Ah promise." "Ready," Maud said. "Rea-" Applejack was materialized out in the tunnels and then teleported into a broom closet. "-dy." A mop fell from the rack above her, hitting her right on the head. "Ow..." She shook her head, putting on her Concrete expression. She kicked open the door, flopping out into the hallway. A Concrete mare looked down at her - she was white with a red and black mane, wearing a blue hat low on her forehead. "...What were you doing in there?" She asked. "None of your business," Applejack muttered, dusting herself off. "Actually it is, I'm Security for this level. What were you doing in there." Applejack twitched slightly. "No idea. Ask Diane." "Oh. One of her 'jokes'?" "Maybe. It's not like they make any sense." She turned to the left and walked away. "Her clearance has been revoked, by the way, you don't have to listen to her anymore." "Good," Applejack said. The Security mare didn't say anything further. Applejack walked along, refusing to make eye contact with any of the passing Concretes. It worked like a charm - she was unhindered in her movements. She came to the vault rather quickly and without incident. It was a huge door, bolted with so many technological locks and screens she knew there was no way she was getting through that with brute force. She needed to wait for somepony to go in. But just standing in this hallway would look suspicious. She looked around for a hiding place, annoyed that the Concretes didn't decorate anything. Then she saw it - a wastebasket, filled with papers. She glanced around - all the ponies she saw were facing away from her. She leaped into the trash, covering herself in paper and food scraps, leaving a tiny hole through which she could see. A few Concretes looked around as if they had just heard something, but didn't see her. She smiled. Lucky me. She focused her gaze on the vault door and waited. An hour or so passed - Concretes kept walking past instead of going in. Her legs went to sleep, and her muzzle really really itched. But she vigilantly stared at the vault. Eventually, a pony did walk up to it - a green stallion. He pressed his hoof to the door and entered a code. He walked in- but just before Applejack made her move the doors slammed shut behind him with tremendous noise. She narrowed her eyes. She'd have to do it when he came out - and quickly too. Those doors were much faster than they looked. She readied herself to pounce, to dive in the open door. She froze in her tracks when she saw what he came out with. A large orange crystal. Applejack's eyes sparkled. She felt it call out to her. In her stunned state, she missed the opportunity, letting the doors slam shut behind him. Dammit. But... There was that element in that stallion's hooves, not in the vault... Maybe she could use that one's magical power. She looked to see if anypony was watching her. Satisfied there weren't. She leaped out of the trash and marched down the hallway after the stallion. He didn't even look behind him, which made him really easy to follow. He went down a door to his left, she followed. He went up some stairs, she followed suit. All the while she felt the Element calling out to her - like it was meant for her. Meant to be with her. They walked down a dimly lit hallway - the two of them were alone. Applejack got nearer... And nearer... Ready to jump him... "Why are you following me?" he asked, turning around, a disinterested expression on his face. "Ah... Uh... Ah, well, you see, Ah just - oh buck it." She punched him in the face, making him drop the Element to the ground. She touched it with her hoof - and it glowed a brilliant orange. It arranged itself into the shape of an apple, affixing itself around her as a necklace. She felt its magic flood into her - her muscles pulsed, her tail twitched. She felt strong again - no, stronger than she had ever been before. "Ah'm back! ha!" She yelped, stamping her hoof and making a dent in the floor. She looked at the dent, curiously. She could probably tear that vault door off now with her own bare hooves. Then she heard laughing. She turned to the green stallion. Green, noxious gasses were wafting off his body, filling the hall. Applejack noticed all the doors were shut. She gulped - she could already feel herself getting woozy... Wait, what was she worried about? She was strong once more! She could just bust a door down! She knocked a door in, sending it flying down an empty hallway. She dashed away, coughing. She got out of the cloud - good. She was free. She was going to get back to the vault and... ...She stumbled. The feeling hadn't gone away. Her vision started going fuzzy. She realized with a sinking feeling that she'd already been exposed to too much of the toxin. This had been a trap from the beginning... She stumbled and fell into a wall. ~~~ "Okay," Twilight said, going through the information she had one more. "The vault is down the hall. Big bolted door, can't miss it. We go there. Nobody speak while we move - they can still hear us. Walk softly, carefully, and don't bump into any Concretes. We're getting those Elements." Rarity nodded, touching the hat on her head. "For Minuette." "For Minuette," Fluttershy agreed. Twilight cast the invisibility spell, hiding them all from sight. "Starlight, careful with Rainbow," Fluttershy added. "I'm fine," Starlight said. Rarity saw the vent grating they were behind open outward, as if by itself. It revealed a room with nopony in it. "Come on!" she heard Twilight say. Rarity moved slowly out of the vent - tripping over somepony else as she did so. She landed flat on her face but quickly stood back up and put Minuette's hat back on - she wouldn't lose that, not now, not ever. She perked her ears, listening. She heard quiet shuffling and a few sources of harsh breathing. The door out of the room creaked open, and Rarity knew it was time to leave. She delicately moved out, and despite stepping as softly as she could the metal floor seeming to ring every time a hoof made contact. She entered the hallway, freezing the moment she did. She saw a handful of Concretes moving around, faces either angry or blank. She had flashes back to the first Concrete she saw - such rage. Rarity felt Twilight's wing brush her, encouraging her to move on. Rarity nodded to herself, walking forward. Step by step, step by delicate step. She moved to the side, allowing a Concrete to pass her - he was so close for a moment she could smell a metallic tang to his breath. Yet she moved on - they couldn't fail now. She saw a Concrete stumble in front of her. "Wha? Who hit me?" Rarity grimaced. She wondered who that had been. The Inspector? Rainbow Dash? it couldn't be easy sitting on top of Starlight... The Concrete looked around, annoyed, but eventually stopped investigating and walked away grumbling. The other Concretes looked at him quizzically before getting on their way. Rarity continued on, moving back and forth, carefully avoiding concretes, standing perfectly still when their ears perked up. Rarity realized that the only reason things were working was because Concretes didn't expect there to be invisible things here. They expected nothing but themselves. Rarity walked up to the vault door, slowly taking it in. It dwarfed any other door they had seen thus far. It seemed menacing to her. She could hear the breath of somepony - probably Starlight - to her left. Then there was a teleport spell and then she was inside the vault. it was a small, dark room with only a few shelves lined with boxes. Twilight dropped the invisibility spell. "Okay, they probably detected that teleport. We need to work fast." She began scanning the boxes. "Find them." Starlight lifted a seven-sided chest out of a box. "Well, this isn't it." The inspector lifted a strange orange brick engraved with minuscule etchings. "I wonder what this is..." "Why do they have a fireplace stored here?" Rainbow Dash wondered aloud. "Especially one so small..." Twilight found herself staring at a strange eye-artifact outlined in black metal. It looked dead to her for some reason. She didn't touch it - it gave her a bad feeling. Rarity poked a small black sphere - it lit up with a yellow square light. "I... Yeah, I don't think I should be touching this." "Here they are," Fluttershy said, setting the box down. Inside were four colored crystals. "Only four!?" Rarity exclaimed. "Where's the other one!?" "I don't know, but we've got a lot more now." Fluttershy reached her hoof in, and three of the Elements floated into the air. One of them flew to Rainbow Dash, affixing itself around her neck. A faint wing made of magic energy appeared on her back where her old one used to be. "Woah..." Rainbow Dash said. "I..." She flapped, floating into the air. Her back legs were still motionless - but she was in the air. "I'm flying." The Element of Generosity fused to Rarity's neck - the familiar feeling brought a smile to her face. "Hello, old friend." The Element of Kindness shot over to Fluttershy, transforming into a beautiful butterfly crystal and affixing itself to her head in the shape of a crown. "Well, now we know who the crown is," Starlight said. Fluttershy nodded. "Yes. There's one more though..." Rarity looked at it. "That's laughter. Pinkie's." So, where the flip is Honesty?" Rainbow Dash demanded. The moment the words left her mouth, the vault doors slid open. A green Concrete stood before them - but something seemed off about him to Twilight. A dozen armed Concretes were behind him, guns pointing. In his hoof was Applejack, the Element of Honesty around her neck. Her throat was slit. Rarity's mind went blank. She just saw the body of Applejack, floating. Her eyes were closed, though somehow Rarity knew that if they were open they would be the eyes of frozen paralyzed terror, the face of one who knew they were doomed. The blood from her neck had poured down her chest, giving her the appearance of a red chest, or some kind of disturbed necklace. Otherwise, she was clean - had Rarity been looking at her from behind, there'd be no indication she was lifeless beside a lack of breathing. But from the front... the slack jaw, the bloodied neck that was still dripping slowly, the immoble ears... It... She couldn't think. The Concrete tossed Applejack in, and the vault door slammed shut. Applejack ragdolled on the ground, the Element flying off her neck. "APPLEJACK!" the Inspector wailed, rushing to her. "APPLEJACK!" The second screaming of the name shot Rarity out of her shock. Twilight lit her horn, surrounding Applejack in magic. "No... She... She's too far gone..." The Inspector held Applejack's body close, held it in a literal death grip. "Those... Those bastards!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "DEAD! ALL OF THEM!" "I'd reconsider that," an accented voice echoed through the room. The mares looked up and saw a speaker in the wall. "The intended message was 'give up, you can't win'." "Who are you?" Fluttershy demanded. "I am the Doctor. I run this place. You are trying to stop my progress. I couldn't let that happen. So I arranged this trap. To stop you, obviously." "You didn't have to kill her!" Rainbow Dash roared. "I did. A death not only makes you emotionally unstable and more likely to make mistakes, but also breaks up the Elements of Harmony. You no longer have even the most remote possibility of getting a full set. I have the entire army that isn't on assignment moving to this place. Even with the Elements you do have, it will be pointless to fight your way out." "We'll die if we don't!" Fluttershy yelled. "You will not. Your connection to the Elements is worth studying. Not to mention your Otherworld allies. I won't throw away what will be useful. Turn yourselves in so you don't end up like 'Jack' there." "...No, you're wrong," the Inspector said. "Those are your emotions talking again - look at this. This is a no-win scenario. You die, or you surrender. There is no other option." "I'M NOT IN THE MOOD TO THINK RIGHT NOW!" The Inspector tore her monocle off her face and smashed it into the ground, grinding it into a fine powder, giving no regards to the blood she was drawing from her leg. She grabbed the Element of Honesty. "I'm done thinking." The Element of Honesty seemed to agree. It changed shape - from an apple to a monocle with a diamond in it. The Inspector's limbs flexed, and she smiled. Her eyes flashed like diamonds and her mind was flooded with the essence of Applejack. She turned to the body of her closest friend. "Thank you. I know. And I'm sorry too." She turned to Fluttershy. "We need to go right now." "Got it," Fluttershy said, forcing her gaze away from Applejack The Doctor's voice spoke again. "...You can't really be serious." Fluttershy spread her wings and Stared at the speaker. Her Element flared, and the speaker exploded. "We're deadly serious." The Inspector reared up, channeling the power in her Element - smashing the vault door open. The immense doors smashed a dozen Concretes with their girth. She laughed, tears streaming down her face. "Hello boys! Let's do this!" The weapons on all the armed ponies fired, only to be stopped in midair by an invisible force. "That isn't nice," Fluttershy said, Staring down the bullets. They all fell to the ground as if they were ashamed of what they were about to do. The Concretes drew their bladed weapons, charging - only to get crushed by Twilight's magic hand, melting them. Rainbow Dash flew out, moving too fast for the Concretes to keep up, knocking several of them over. The Inspector punched through the armor - and skull - of another one. "More coming!" Rarity yelled. She had no idea how she knew this, but she did. "Right!" the Inspector shouted, turning right. Everypony followed after - Twilight bringing up the front, Starlight bringing up the rear. Concretes blasted through the walls, from the ceiling, from the floor - and all were stopped quickly by the power of the Elements and Starlight. More and more kept coming. "We can't keep this up forever!" Starlight yelled. "Not much longer!" the Inspector shouted. "Just a bit more-" Something enormous appeared in front of them. Vaguely pony in shape, but if there was a pony deep in the armor, there wasn't much of it compared to the sheer mechanical girth. It was tall, greyish-purple, and had the imprint of a lime on its forehead. The 'pony' known as Lime punched. The Inspector met it halfway with the power of the Element. She was pushed back regardless, the sheer power of the machine overpowering it. "The Tartarus!?" Twilight launched her magic hands and Starlight fired a time-accelerated bolt - both of which just glanced off the armor. Lime roared with a glitched - but feminine - voice, charging Twilight, only for Rainbow Dash to barrel into her from the side, knocking Lime off course. Fluttershy flapped her wings, sending a powerful gust of air swirling around the mech, and she Stared at it, trying to keep it in place. It stepped forward, despite all the powers attacking it from all sides. The Inspector punched it, sending it sliding - but she received a punch in return, one that broke her jaw with a sickening crunch. Rarity shook her head. "We don't have to fight girls - just move!" The Inspector nodded, unable to speak at the moment but still pointing where they needed to go. Twilight nodded, teleporting them a fair ways away. Lime charged them - and they ran. "What is that thing!?" Rainbow Dash yelled. "I don't know!" Fluttershy responded. "Limestone Pie!" Rarity said. "This world's version anyway!" "Oh great, another psycho sister!" Starlight blurted. Then they were elsewhere, engulfed in the magic of a teleport. They appeared on one of the conveyor belts - and so did Lime. She charged again. The Starshell decloaked and fired an EMP spell at the Concrete mech. She froze in place, all her mechanical bits dying in a single instant. The Inspector flew at it in a rage, hitting its head over. And over. And over again - until her hoof went right through and blood squirted out. With both her hooves caked in blood, she stomped the conveyor belt and screamed. The Starshell scanned them all into virtual space. "...You killed Lime," "Yes, yes I did Pinkie," the Inspector said, both her tears and psycho smile still prominent. "Uh..." Pinkie raised her yead. "That's Diane you're talking to. See? She's tied up." She ran over to Rarity and hugged her. "Oh, it's so good to see you!" "...You too." Rarity said. "Hey! Nice hat Fluttershy!" Pinkie tipped Applejack's hat in appreciation. Fluttershy nodded, glancing at the Element of Kindness. "It is, isn't it?" "So yay! Everyone's back!" She blinked. "...Where's Applejack?" Rarity looked down, and the Inspector shook. Fluttershy dropped her head. "...She didn't make it." "She saved us though," the Inspector said, pointing at the Element of Honesty. "It told us you were here. Waiting with an escape plan." Pinkie nodded slowly, taking off Applejack's hat and looking at it. "I told you to come back..." she whispered. She looked up at the Inspector. She held out the hat. Tears welled up in the Inspector's eyes. She took the hat and placed it on her head, a genuine smile coming to her face. "...Thank you." They embraced. After the moment was over, Fluttershy tapped Pinkie. "I have something for you." She produced the Element of Laughter. Pinkie grabbed it, a small smile coming to her face. "Hello, old friend..." "It won't attach to her in here," Starlight said. "You'll have to do it when we get out." >>You need to get to the Tree now.<< Fluttershy blinked at the floating text. "Who are you?" >>That is not important right now. Call me M. The Doctor knows where we are and is deploying everything.<< Diane put on a sneer. "This should be interesting." Twilight glanced at Diane, expression confused. "...Erm..." "Is my mind a bit much for you, Princess?" "Admittedly, yes. What... is going on in there?" "Doesn't matter," Starlight pushed Maud out of the control station. "Gotta go!" She launched the Starshell just as three pink drones appeared in the tunnels. "Shit. Doesn't matter if we're invisible, these tunnels are too narrow..." "Fire back!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "Doing so!" The Starshell's lasers, guns, and EMP spell deployed, returning fire. The three drones went down but more replaced them. Even more appeared in front of them. "We are taking heavy damage, Starlight!" Rarity yelled. "It's about to get heavier!" She executed a teleport, appearing above ground. This time, the Concretes were expecting that, having a dozen drones on the site - all outfitted for military combat. "BOOTSTRAP!" Starlight yelled. "Our shields are almost down!" "Materialize us!" Rarity yelled. "All of us!" "Are you crazy!?" Rarity looked at the Element around her neck. She looked at Pinkie's. She thought for a moment of Minuette and what she'd said... "You are all crazy!" "Yes!" Rarity yelled. "I am! Just do it!" Starlight hit the button and all of them - including herself, Maud, and Diane, all appeared on the ground next to the Starshell. The drones stopped firing. The ponies didn't move. "Have you decided to surrender?" The Doctor's voice boomed at them from above. "No," Pinkie said, holding up the Element of Laughter. It transformed into a balloon shape and affixed itself around her neck. She floated into the air - her mane poofing up like cotton candy, the magic returning to her. She pulled out her party cannon. "Hi! My name is Pinkie Pie! What's yours!?" The cannon unleashed a cutting torrent of confetti, blasthing through several drones. "Fluttershy, now!" Rarity yelled. Fluttershy spread her wings - her eyes going white. The drones fired their weapons, but nothing seemed to happen. Rainbow energies began to pulse around the area. "Magic!" Twilight yelled. "Loyalty!" Rainbow Dash followed. "Generosity!" Rarity added. "Laughter!" Pinkie giggled. "Honesty!" the Inspector stated. Fluttershy stared into the abyss. She spoke calmly, but with conviction. "Kindness." The Rainbow energy shot out - the sphere of power radiating in every direction, touching every drone, Concrete, or other enemy within a hundred feet, sparing only Maud and Diane. They all turned to stone - the drones fell out of the sky, crumbling into rubble, and the Concretes became literal concrete. The six Element Bearers stared at each other - and then started laughing. They entered a group hug - one that Maud was pulled into despite protests. They laughed, they cried, and they embraced. Daine watched them closely, an unreadable expression on her face. She took in a slow breath of air, took a moment to glance at Pinkie, and then cocked her head in Confusion. She furrowed her brows and grit her teeth while she watched. >>You need to go to the Tree. Do what you came to do before they can ruin all of this.<< "Guys?" Pinkie said. "We - we need to go. We have to finish this." "Yes, we do," the Inspector agreed. "Download us, Starlight," Fluttershy ordered. "On it!" Starlight said, lighting her horn. Maud blinked. "...Does anyone see Diane?" There were a bunch of head shakes. Pinkie scanned the area. "She's... gone." "She can't do anything," Maud said. "Not right away." "All the more reason to hurry!" Rainbow Dash said. "We gotta take them out now!" The Starshell produced its cylindrical tool, but Fluttershy held up a wing to make it stop. "Wait. I have a better idea. The Tree will be well guarded. The Starshell is heavily damaged. Let's do this a bit differently."