//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Rescue The Mayor // Story: The Elements Of Harmony: The Equestrian Crisis // by JC Borch //------------------------------// Once again, we return to Ponyville where a brave and tired Applejack is breaking through to the heart of the city. Twilight and Spike are beginning to see the split between allies as they move from city to city on duty from Celestia’s Academy of Magic. Rarity is having her reservations about her newfound penniless state among the impoverished of Canterlot. Fluttershy is trying to get past her fears and tread forward into the realm of Discord. Rainbow Dash has retired from the front and is nursing her wounds back in Cloudsdale. Pinkie is discovering a whole new side to herself, a darker side she didn’t know she had in her. THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY: THE EQUESTRIAN CRISIS CHAPTER 4 - RESCUE THE MAYOR - Ponyville was a sore sight. The rainclouds that pegasuses had positioned to mourn the death of Celestia could do nothing to kill the roaring fire that raged through the straw roofs and wooden walls. Smoking ruins and blackened beams were all that was left as Applejack, the zebra captain and a small handful of Celestia’s guards made their way through the soggy grass. Most of the inhabitants had made it out alive, but they encountered a lone body from time to time. Applejack made sure not to look too closely at them. She would lose all her courage if she found Fluttershy among them or somepony else that she knew. There were monsters present as well, ones that had encountered before, the imps with hairy bottoms and naked tops and the reptiles with scales and crest. Now that the gate had been closed, the monsters were stranded here and the only way to get rid of them would be to kill them. Applejack was weary to the bone, but she clutched her sword tightly between her teeth. When the monsters approached her, she took it in her hooves and sliced at them as hard as she could. They left neither blood nor corpse and simply disappeared in a rancid cloud of purple smoke. They made their way into the heart of town through the monsters. The guards did what they could with spears and axes, but the imps had sharps claws and the reptiles had pointy beaks. It nearly broke Applejack to see so much death and blood around her with all the peace she had known all of her life. She carried on with tears pressing behind her eyes and the goal cemented in her mind. She had to find Celestia’s heir and restore order to Equestria. It was a task that she could not fail for anything in the world. In silence they moved between the scorched remains of Ponyville, the zebra captain and his men in front with Applejack following behind them. Rain crept under her armour and though warm from the lands beyond the gate, it had quickly cooled down again. It was a dreadful feeling and she hated it, but that armour had protected her on more than one occasion. The scratches and dents were a testament to that. The closer they got to the centre of town, the less destruction they encountered. The fire had not reached here yet and hopefully never would. The market place still showed signs of panic though. Vendors and customers alike had scrambled over each other to evacuate when the smaller gates had first appeared. It could have been dramatically worse if they had known that they would be trapped in here once the larger one appeared. A flock of those strange quadrupeds stood around a tomato stand and sniffed at the red fruits with their big snouts. Their bat-like ears wriggled at the sound of movements and quickly noticed the procession of guards. The two groups clashed and the guards made short work of them. The imps gave pitiful cries as they disappeared and the guards carried on the same, like nothing had happened. Applejack stepped over a single dead guard whose throat had been ripped out, his blood mingling with the juice from the tomatoes. His still eyes stared pleadingly at nowhere in particular. Carts and stalls had been flipped, vegetables and fruit spilled and lives lost, the incessant rain only serving to further the gloom. The once so peaceful town lay in shambles, but very few residents lay here. At that moment when Applejack’s mood was reaching the lowest, still one thought persevered. Where there is a will, there is a way. The town would rise again. The city hall stood in a circular plaza with a little stream next to it. More creatures scampered around on their four legs, some of them turning to vandalism by tipping over a stone statue of a mare on her hind legs. The guards went to work and dispatched them, imps and reptiles alike. An eerie silence spread across the square, only intercepted by the drumming rain and the crackle of fire somewhere behind them, closer than they cared for. The zebra commander stepped up on the front porch and shook the doors, then proceeded to bang on it with his hooves and sword hilt. “Dammit, this is no good! The doors are locked,” he muttered in frustration and turned towards the windows. “HEY! Can anypony inside hear me? We’re guards from Canterlot! HEY!” He took a step back and looked at the situation, biting his lower lip in nervous rumination. Applejack didn’t mind the short break and sighed deeply, but she couldn’t stand idly around out here either. The zebra ushered a few of his subordinates towards the doors and commanded them to break them down, but they quickly learnt how sturdy they were. Made of wood, they were thick and reinforced with large bands of iron. Applejack observed their futile attempts and looked up. The mayor’s office was somewhere on top, in the spire of the conical red tile roof. That had to be where the last survivors were now huddling in fear. Between the roof and the ground floor was another floor, slightly smaller and separated by a large round plate that acted as a balcony. The windows up there were smashed, some at least, and looked to be freely enterable. This was in contrast to the ground floor where chairs and couches and other furniture had been piled up against the broken glass to prevent the beasts from entering. At least, any more than what might already be inside. The zebra commander waved and the guards ceased their attempts to enter. The town hall had been rebuilt to act as a shelter in times of crisis, a necessity that had become apparent from the infrequent monster attacks in later years. No one inside heard the rescue attempts, whether it was the rain muffling their cries, monsters having killed them all or that they were all at the top. “Commander, Ah think we need ta ask a pegasus from the camp for help,” Applejack said. She nodded towards the upper floor and the zebra went out into the rain again to have a look. “Well, perhaps it won’t be necessary, young earth pony,” the commander said. “Look!” Barely visible in their blue costumes against the grey sky, the Wonderbolts emerged from the distance, a small outfit led by a pony that Applejack recognised if nothing else from Rainbow Dash’s many recounts. Soarin’ landed in the soggy mud and folded his wings close to his body. His white coat was stained red and his blue hair clung to his neck from the rain. Ten more Wonderbolts passed over the city and landed, presumably, wherever they found stragglers. Only three of them accompanied Soarin’ down to the town hall. The otherwise merry pony had a grim look on his face. He was illuminated for a brief instance by a flash of lightning and he looked at Applejack sternly, almost frighteningly. “We were on our way back to Cloudsdale when we encountered Silver Lining. He explained briefly and we will help where we can,” Soarin’ said. “That’s mighty fine and all,” Applejack said, “but why are ya speaking ta me?” Soarin’ looked behind him and noticed at last the royal guards, all of which were still sheltering from the rain underneath the balcony. The zebra commander standing next to Applejack simply nodded. “You tell him, it was your plan anyway.” “Well, uh, Mr Soarin’ sir,” Applejack began nervously. She swallowed a lump in her throat and pointed up to the first floor windows. “There’re survivors in there, but we can’t get in with the door locked and all. We need a pegasus ta fly through those windows up there and open the doors from the inside.” “You heard the mare, get a move on,” Soarin’ yelled and threw his head in the direction of his team. They threw their hooves to their heads in a salute and entered the town hall from above. It didn’t take long before roars and scratching noises made the building rock in its foundation. As they had feared, there were monsters in there as well. The Wonderbolts quickly opened the doors and the guards stormed in. The zebra commander rushed in after them while Soarin’ and Applejack filed in behind. “Is everything all right?” Applejack asked and looked up at Soarin’. She remembered him as a goofier pony, not this sourpuss. “None of your business,” he snapped and picked up the pace. Affronted, Applejack was about to retort but the fighting inside the town hall quickly took her mind away from his bad manners. The Wonderbolts had been woefully unprepared. It was pure luck that no one had perished yet, but many had deep gashes ripping up their fabric uniforms. They had retreated to the windowsills and other platforms around the interior. It was with a sad smile that Applejack began to reminisce about the place. Nightmare Moon had once appeared up on that balcony where a blonde Wonderbolt tended to her wounds. It was at that time Applejack had understood how cruel this world could be and that life wouldn’t always be sunshine and happiness. She recalled how she had met all of her best friends on that day too, as if by fate. “This area’s clear. We’ve got to get further inside and find the Mayor before it’s too late. Move out!” the zebra commander bellowed. Applejack shook her head and followed behind them. There was no time to daydream when the mayor was still unaccounted for. The downstairs had been cleared and no survivors found. The barricades had held but also locked the monsters inside. A door led them to an outer ring, between the large common hall and the outside walls. It was eerily reminiscent of the tower she had climbed in the burning wasteland. She shuddered at the image and followed the procession upwards. The first floor was in a worse state of chaos than the floor below it, for the sole reason that there was more to wreak havoc on. Bookcases had been tipped and their contents spread across the floor, tables had been smashed and vases had been broken. There were no corpses here, though. No survivors had stopped here, either continuing ahead or gotten slaughtered downstairs. The monsters roamed here as well. It was just the guards and her now. She looked behind her, but Soarin’ and his Wonderbolts had stayed behind. The guards were getting tired, but they pressed on against the enemy and dealt with them effectively. They came to the end of the hallway and the zebra raised his hoof at the prospect of more stairs. Everypony fell quiet and he turned towards Applejack with a small smile on his lips. “All right, this is it! The Mayor is just upstairs, so we’ll stay behind and secure this floor. Don’t come back without her!” he encouraged. Applejack nodded and hurried up. There wasn’t much to be seen on the floors she traversed, mostly conference rooms and offices. She checked each of them, just in case and found only more monsters. The imps were trying to comprehend the finesses of studying by chewing on the books. They were like ugly children with sharp nails, the reptiles more like angry dogs with pointy teeth. Applejack had little time to study these curious beasts. They had a keen sense of smell and could detect her as she walked from room to room with hopes of finding the Mayor alive. She grabbed her sword and ran them through their hearts. No blood, only a slight whimper and poof, gone. Another flight of stairs ended directly in a door. She approached it warily and knocked melodically on the door. It creaked open and a pair of dark yellow eyes looked out at her. “Why, it’s... Applejack!” a voice said, and the door opened completely. Several elated ponies craned their necks to see this Applejack that had come to save them. They all beamed as she entered and the stallion that had opened for her shook her hoof. She smiled back at them nervously and looked around. All of the survivors showed various bruises and bumps but were all in good cheer. There were only one other official among. The mayor sat behind a heavy desk of finest, polished wood at the end of the spacious room. Several bookcases lined the walls and a snuggly rug covered the floor. A portrait of the sitting mayor stared down at them from between two windows. The fire outside shone through a window in the slanted roof and cast shadows on the walls. The Mayor herself sat in front of her desk among the others and almost looked like any other pony, had it not been for her yellow-rimmed glasses and her collar. “Applejack?” she asked surprised and got up to greet her. “We are all so glad to see you, but what are you doing here?” “Ah came ta find ya. There’s something Ah have ta ask ya... the balance of Equestria is on the line.” The Mayor was quiet for a long moment. “Is the way clear?” she finally asked, to which Applejack nodded. “All the monsters have been removed from the building. Guards are waiting below,” she replied. “Everypony!” The Mayor looked out at them with a bright smile. “I know the suspense has been terribly, but the wait is over. Please, go ahead.” Delighted chatter broke out among the survivors and they slowly milled out of the room one by one. The Mayor watched them with a concerned look and sighed deeply when they were all gone. Left were just her, Applejack and the grey stallion that had opened the door. His hair was light blue, almost greyish, and wore a collar with a half-eaten, slightly singed black tie. “Ah have ta find a pegasus,” Applejack said gravely. “Her name’s Starfire. Ya hearda her?” “Hmm,” the Mayor said and tapped her chin. “I’m sorry, Applejack, the name isn’t familiar to me.” “Starfire?” the older colt asked and looked at the Mayor. “I haven’t heard that name in nearly sixteen years. Wasn’t she the foal adopted by the Hooves family some sixteen years ago?” “The Hooves? ... Oh yes, now that you mention it, but I don’t think they kept the name Starfire though?” “Well?” Applejack looked nervously from one to the other. “Yes, I believe they did. If I recall correctly, they changed it to–” *** “Achoo.” “You’re not getting a cold, are you?” Pinkie asked and looked at Scootaloo with worry. “I hope not,” she replied, sniffing. “That would just be adding insult to injury.” “Ah told ya we shoulda stayed inside the tents,” Apple Bloom chided and looked at her. “Hey, I was the one who said that!” Sweetie Belle remarked. “You were the one who couldn’t wait to see your sister.” They were all gathered inside a large tent that Big Mac had been issued to keep an eye on the former Cutie Mark Crusaders. With Pinkie there, however, he was free to go outside and help wherever he was needed. She had been sitting them for a while now and it felt good to get the story off her chest. Pinkie had told most of what had transpired and they had patiently listened. It was a nice breather from all the stress she had endured and Pinkie was perking up again. Celestia’s and Luna’s death seemed like a far off event. “Look girls, the rain has stopped!” Pinkie exclaimed and pointed outside. “Probably realised it ain’t working on the fire,” Apple Bloom replied. “Do you mind if we went outside for a bit?” Scootaloo asked and rubbed her arms. “It’s getting stuffy in here.” Pinkie was about to answer but a yawn cut in front of her. “I was thinking we could check up on Fluttershy’s first?” “Don’t you think you should get some sleep first? You look, uhm... tired,” Sweetie Belle said. Another yawn interrupted Pinkie and her eyelids began to droop. “Just a teensy... weensy... snooze then. But don’t go too far, please? I promised the others I would keep an eye on you and my middle name is responsibility!” “We’re not little fillies anymore,” Scootaloo said crossly.. “Sure, Pinkie. Mah big brother might need some help,” Apple Bloom said and walked up to the tent flaps. “Your big brother’s always works himself too hard,” Sweetie Belle said and followed. “I’m sure he’s exhausted already.” Pinkie waited until they were gone and fell down on her back, the sleeping bag catching her. “They’ve grown so much,” she sighed and wiped a happy tear from her cheek. Staring vacantly up at the canvass ceiling, her thoughts turned towards her own family and how little she had communicated with them in the past years. The bedroll was warm and comforting, much more inviting than the train seats. Her eyelids snapped close in matter of seconds. Soon she was snoring and her hind leg kicking. A shadow fell on her face unnoticed as a pony suddenly appeared before her. “So, the deed is done,” the shape said in a drawl and Pinkie bolted upright. “How do I know this? You will find that the Dark Brotherhood knows a great many things. For you are now part of the family.” She stared with fear up into the lavender eyes of the pony she had met on the train. He brushed his hood off his face and revealed a satisfied smile. “I really did kill that old stallion then?” Pinkie asked, trembling with small tears trickling down her cheek. “Indeed,” he said simply, his voice like always taking its time. “The slaying of Rough Spirit was the signing of a covenant, the manner of execution your signature; his blood the ink. As a Speaker of the Black Hoof, I directly oversee a particular group of family members. You will join that group and fulfil any contracts given. You must now go to the city of Baltimare, to the abandoned house on the eastern part of town. Enter the basement and attempt to open the black door. You will be asked a question. Answer thus, “Sanguine, my Brother,” and you will gain entrance to the Sanctuary. Once inside, speak with Thunder Chaser. We must now take our leave of each other, you and I, for there is much work to be done. I’ll be following your, hmm... progress. Welcome to the family, Miss Pie.” Like last time, Prince Lace came unannounced and left just as mysteriously. Though an earth pony, he had the uncanny ability to render himself unseen save for a small blur around him. Pinkie had no reply and lay silent on her back, too afraid to go back to sleep or move. “Everything he told me is true then,” she muttered and lifted her hoofs up to her face. As if seeing the blood there, she pounded them into the ground. The tears wouldn’t stop forcing themselves out of her clenched eyes. “There is... no place... for me here,” she heaved and wiped her eyes. “The girls will be safe here and Applejack can take care of herself. It’s time that I... that I started helping out as well. The best way I can.” She sat back down at the table with a scrap of paper before her and a pencil in her mouth. For a few moments she contemplated what to write, the words eluding her. In the end, she just wrote what came to mind first. “I’m sorry, Applejack and everyone, but I have to leave. I think I may have found a way to get one of the Elements back. No matter what happens, we’ll always be friends. When this all ends, we’ll have a big party with cake and balloons. I’m doing this for you. I just want you to smile forever.” She smiled and fondly recalled the better times. The tears threatened to return, but Pinkie took a deep breath and put the pen and paper away. The world outside the tent had become dark and oppressing. It seemed that everypony knew of the things she had done. Their stares all felt accusing and she tried to avoid being seen. She stealthily crept from tent to tent, evading other ponies’ gazes as she moved towards the train station. *** Las Pegasus is the place to be, a brightly coloured city where any vice can be satisfied if you have the bits. Twilight was highly unaccustomed to such sights and noise, and she was quite taken aback. It was just her luck that the train station had dropped her off in the most tourist friendly part of town. The bright neon signs reflected in her big eyes as she stared out of the window at all the casinos and hotels. Even Spike was paying attention, his face pressed against the glass pane of the carriage. Even here in midday, the town was alive with a buzz and a hum. She could spend all day just wandering around to take it all in if she didn’t have business to do. They eventually put the glitz behind them and found the city to be more than simply a long road full of attractions. As they passed the splendour, the city took on a more normal appearance. It looked in many ways like the affluent neighbourhoods of Fillydelphia but had the atmosphere of Baltimare. The houses were solidly built from stone and more often than not had a few floors to them. Their carriage came to a stop in front of a long row of stone houses. It looked like one long house was it not for the many doors. The road was paved with smooth stones and the slightly elevated sidewalk was of a rougher, lighter grey stone. A large sign next to a round window announced that they had arrived at the “Royal Equestrian School for the Study of Magic.” Twilight gazed up at the facade with heightened interest. There was something gothic about the style, quite unlike anything she had otherwise been met with. The windows were narrow and tall, set with heavy, green glass. The roof was dark brown and constructed from many overlapping tiles, pointing upwards in a triangular shape. She paid the fare and jumped outside. A chill wind blew and grabbed at her coat. Spike rubbed his arms and hurried to open the thick wooden doors slung with iron bars. The interior was more comfortable if not a bit gloomy still with only small lanterns to illuminate the pale grey walls. Carpets in dark colours and of many intricate designs decorated the wooden floors while tapestries with old symbols adorned the walls. Wooden shelves along the walls contained a few books, some alchemical instruments and ingredients in bowls. The building was only sparsely populated, and a single pegasus sat by a table talking to an earth pony stallion in a fine shirt. “You think that’s the headmaster?” Spike asked. Twilight procured her to-do list and traced the note with her hoof. “No, the headmaster is supposed to be a mare. I guess that stallion is just a teacher then, though oddly fine dressed.” A set of stairs in front of the entrance led up to a large library. It followed the same rules for decoration as the floor below, but the shelves were packed with books. The tables were empty as well and had small benches in front of them. A female earth pony sat in front of a large round window. She had a coat like ripe raspberries with a light yellow mane braided behind her and eyes of darkest purple. Her cutiemark were three seeds growing and sprouting. “That must be Drizzle,” Twilight muttered and packed her list back into her saddle. She looked up as she heard Twilight’s hooves on the wooden stairs. “I trust you have good reason for interrupting me?” she said and put away her book. “Sheesh, are all headmasters like this?” Spike asked sarcastically. “Running a school is no small task. It’s understandable if they’re a little stressed,” Twilight whispered back to her dragon assistant. “She doesn’t look stressed to me.” “I have a small problem concerning Meteor Thorn. He’s one of the students here. Think you can do something about it?” Drizzle asked, not even waiting for Twilight to represent herself. “You ARE from the academy, are you not?” “Yes, I am! Twilight Sparkle at your service,” Twilight said proudly. “And what is so important about this Meteor Thorn that you had to write to the Academy?” “I just don’t have the time to search for him again, but I do need to consult him about some notes he borrowed. You might want to ask around, and see if anyone can be of some help. Let me know when he’s back,” Drizzle said and resumed her reading. “A missing student?” Twilight asked. “Sounds more like a case for the police,” Spike remarked and leant up against Twilight. “There’s no need to get the police involved. Besides, there might not be anything wrong at all,” Twilight said in a hushed voice and then directed her attention back towards Drizzle. “What can you tell me about Meteor Thorn?” “He’s... well, an interesting unicorn,” Drizzle said without looking up from her book. “I’m sure the others can tell you more about him if you’re interested.” Twilight looked around and noticed an elderly earth pony with olive green coat. He sat in a corner, sampling a batch of cookies and nibbled on the treats. She went across the floor and he looked up at her with his chocolate brown eyes. He swallowed the mouthful and greeted her warmly. “I’m Strong Hooves, a teacher of the school, and I’m so pleased to make your acquaintance,” he said and shook her hoof. “Hello Strong Hooves, my name is Twilight Sparkle and I’m from the Academy. I heard one of your students is missing?” she said and wiped crumbs off her hoof. “Yes, terrible, isn’t it?” He shook his head and picked up another cookie. “Drizzle sent him to study outside of the city, but he missed his weekly report. We’re understandably getting a little worried.” “You expelled him?” Spike asked and scratched his head. “Oh, no, nothing like that!” Strong Hooves slapped his leg and chuckled. “Meteor is a bright young stallion, but we feared his experiments would endanger the city. We agreed it would be best if he continued his studies in a cave nearby. Let me see... I think it was called Bleak Flats Cave.” “And where can I find that?” Twilight asked inquisitively. “It’s just behind the school. Take the back exit and walk across the grass until you see a rock mound with a door in it. He should be somewhere inside.” The weather was clearing up by the time Twilight got outside again. The ground was still wet and the mud slippery. She trod carefully across the ocean of grass to the outskirts of the city. There were no walls and the transition from city to country was fluid and practically seamless. One minute, she had a hard, cold surface under her, the next she had a soggy, wet one. Bleak Flats Cave was impossible to miss. It was an enormous heap of boulders jutting out of the landscape with a few planks of wood acting as a door. The insides sloped downwards and were lit by torches hanging on the rough walls and candles set in small niches. The ground was bumpy, stamped earth and the movement of Twilight’s hoof was dulled to quiet thuds. She had barely entered before a low moan reverberated through the walls. As she got further in, a sickly green pony caught sight of her. It hobbled down the tunnel, giving off a deep throaty sound. It had lost all hair on its body, its skin had rotted and fallen off in places, its left eye and front leg was missing and the ribs on the right side was bared. “Z-z-zombie pony!” Spike said frightened and pointed at it. “Spike, get behind me – NOW.” He didn’t need to be told twice and retreated to Twilight’s side. She thought back to her escape with the Princess. Back then, they had encountered something like this as well. With as much calm as she could summon, she tried to recall what Celestia had done at that time. She had used a spell, a very specific one to repel this type of creature. Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated on conjuring the magic needed and channelled it through her horn. Flames licked it, but separated from the bone by a magical buffer. The fire grew in size and heat until she stood with an orb only slightly smaller than her head. Although a complicated process, it took her seconds to manifest. The fireball blew from her horn and engulfed the zombie. It gave a slight moan before falling to its knees, and then finally to its side. The fire dissipated and the zombie had returned to its lifeless state. “Why is this thing here?” Twilight shot it a contemptuous look as she gave it a wide berth in her way past it. “I hope this isn’t what Meteor’s been doing. Necromancy had been forbidden for a long, long time.” “Well it wasn’t much of a challenge,” Spike said and wrinkled his nose at the acrid fumes escaping the lifeless corpse. The rest of the cave gave little variation with long narrow tunnels ending in wide chambers from which more tunnels carried off. All the while, the sound of the dead laments persisted as a monotonous background tune. Twilight tried to conserve her magic, but there were no other ways to deal with the zombies as they shuffled and limped slowly through the cave. When they at last came to the end, they found a mint green unicorn with a thick, shoulder-length mane in an olive colour, huddled in a corner of his private little study. He had a bedroll on the ground and a niche carved into the wall where he had placed his belongings. He looked up with his frightful brown eyes and backed as hard up against the wall as he could. “You must be Meteor Thorn,” Twilight said empathically. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, and I’m from the Academy. What happened here?” “Are those horrible creatures gone? I’m not going anywhere until they’re gone! Horrible things!” he exclaimed, shivering and shaking in fear. “Sir, calm down. The zombies have been taken care of.” Twilight stepped into his little room and the pony began to calm down. “They’re all gone? I can leave the cave? Oh, thank you! I’m ever so grateful!” he said, jumped up and embraced Twilight with tears of delight escaping his eyes. “I’ve been trapped for days! I didn’t even dare move a muscle.” He let her go again, warmth returning to his face, in eyes and smile especially. “I take it you weren’t behind them then?” Twilight asked, to which he shook his head. “No, by Celestia, no! I’m just a simple sorcerer... you did see my equipment on the way, didn’t you?” One of the last rooms she had traversed had contained a fire pit and some spread instruments, no doubt related to his smoke cutiemark. Twilight nodded and Meteor Thorn gave a sigh of relief. “You’re heading back to the city, aren’t you? Could I... maybe come with you? It’d be safer, I think.” “Sure,” Twilight said and gave an encouraging smile. “It wouldn’t feel right just leaving you here after all you’ve been through.” Meteor Thorn pulled a rope next to his bedroll and a section of the wall slid open to reveal a shortcut that put them almost back at the entrance. He bid her farewell again at the school entrance, leaving Twilight with almost half her duties done. She took out her list and a quill and crossed Las Pegasus out. Next would be Trottingham, then Manehattan, Ponyville and lastly Hoofington. She gave a sigh and looked at Spike as she put away her equipment again. “Have you started to notice a pattern?” Spike looked at her as if awakening from a daydream. He simply gave a shrug as Twilight hailed another carriage to take them to the train station. “First was those black gems filled with dark magic, and now zombie ponies. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost say someone is organising a revival of necromancy.” *** “Ah, there you are!” Master Vision said. Fluttershy looked up and saw the dark purple pony walk up the incline towards her. “The arrows are ready if you are. We might die, but there are worse things.” Having left Master Vision to his whittling, Fluttershy had contented herself with exploring Discord’s realm. At least the small area around Passwall that was available to her. She had located an inn where she had been able to acquire a fulfilling herbal meal, rather than the cooked amphibians they otherwise served here. She hadn’t wanted to go back to Master Vision’s house with all those bones strewn across his place, so instead she had went to the plaza where the Gatekeeper roamed. It didn’t react to Fluttershy as she kept her distance, sitting quietly on the stairs. She felt a stab of sadness at what she would have to do. She didn’t enjoy the prospect of having to kill this thing, even if it was the only way to get past but she needed to see Discord and get her element back. If only she could reason with this thing. Instead, she found herself nodding. “Good,” Master Vision said. “I can’t wait to see his bones without the flesh on them.” He took the bow slung around his shoulder and went inside the ring. The Gatekeeper roared at the intrusion, but Master Vision simply stood up on his hind legs to free his arms and nocked an arrow. It whizzed through the air and hit the monster in its shoulder, shedding blood and making it howl in pain. It charged at him, but Fluttershy intervened. As much as she didn’t want to hurt the Gatekeeper, she wanted Master Vision to be hurt even less. Unarmed and afraid, there really wasn’t much that she could do except to fly around him like an annoying fly and taking his attention away. Master Vision shot another arrow that hit its back. Immediately, the Gatekeeper turned to swing its bladed right arm at him, but Fluttershy circled its head. Every time that an arrow hit it and the Gatekeeper was about to change target, Fluttershy flew as close as she dared. The arm swung around dangerously but Fluttershy knew to keep her distance. Another three arrows, and the blood oozed down its arms and back. Unable to take another step, the Gatekeeper accepted defeat, reluctantly, and collapsed. “The Gatekeeper is slain. Congratulations.” Master Vision stood with a wide smile, panting from the exertion. His bow had already found its place by his side again. “The honour of taking the keys from his corpse is yours.” She hovered back down to the ground and landed on its stomach, looked nervously at the corpse. Heavy bands of iron were wrapped around its shaved, naked torso. Another set of bands acted as a loincloth to cover it. Fluttershy hesitated, unsure what to do, so she held her breath and extended a hoof down its iron bands. She found nothing by its chest and moved further and further down with an increasing look of discomfort on her face until she retrieved a large, blue key. “As soon as you get those doors unlocked, I’m going in!” Master Vision said eagerly, not catching how disgusted Fluttershy was as she held the key as far away from her as she could. Her face turned green and she looked ready to hurl at any moment. She was unable to say anything through the revulsion, but one thing crossed her mind again and again. “I just want to be back in Ponyville, among my animals and my friends. I don’t care that Rarity had broke up our group, I don’t care that the elements were stolen, I just want things to go back to how they once were.” The gateway wasn’t tall, just very, very large, with the volume of a house. The gates themselves were heavy iron doors set into the grey bricks and contained just a simple lock. But the same magic that prevented pegasuses from simply flying over also prevented any meddling. Only the key taken from the dead Gatekeeper could unlock the way through. The key slid into the lock and turned on its own without Fluttershy assisting it. A crack appeared in the doors and light streamed in, more and more until they were wide open. Master Vision appeared next to her and together they entered the realm of Discord. The strange plants she had observed growing outside the gates were nothing compared to the inside. Even the trees looked different, like massive walls of bark with gigantic crowns. Colourful flowers intermingled with the lush green grass and slimy tentacles crept down rock walls. Master Vision inhaled deeply and sighed explosively. Rather than going with Fluttershy, he sat down in the grass. She was once again alone; alone and a little afraid. But she was a grown mare now and had to do some things on her own. She couldn’t continue to hide behind her friends and animals. She creased her brow determinedly and continued ahead. The road was long still and New Discord was far away, nothing but a speck on the horizon. It took her the better part of the day to get there. Strangely, she met no signs of life on the way, only twisted animals resembling shuffling trees and some giant insects with razor sharp pincers. The roads were safe though and patrolled by guards wearing armour that resembled a mixture of Celestia’s and Luna’s with gilded, dark colours. The ponies wearing them had no colour unity however, but they reacted just as stoically and ignored her completely. Her reason for taking such a long time to make the journey was largely the long road and partly her desire to enjoy the good weather and curiously investigate every little new thing she happened upon. New Discord was bustling with life, its houses made of dark stones and badly illuminated in places. The city contained a fluent transition from rich to poor, from dirty to clean, with a large palace looming above. There were many more ponies here and they seemed to fall into two groups. There were normal looking ponies, all of them utterly mad, hiding their heads for fear of the sky falling down or mumbling to themselves, and then there ones with ludicrous colour schemes or strange cutiemarks. Some were rich and pranced around, others were poor and idly sat wherever they could find peace. More of the strangely armoured ponies guarded the only stairs up to the palace but didn’t object to Fluttershy slinking past them. She met no ordinary citizens from that point, only a host of guards with swords and maces strapped to their sides. The walls gleamed white and Fluttershy shrunk at the size of it all. She walked apprehensively, afraid of getting into contact with anyone and whimpered slightly. That the palace had a sizeable garden helped her mood to some extent and she became more determined the further she went inside the courtyard. Over and over again, she muttered to herself to be strong. “I’m doing this for my friends and for Equestria, not for Discord.” The interior of the palace was as twisted as the outside, with a gigantic tree carved into a throne at the very back, its crown spreading out under the ceiling. The floor was a wide walkway of stone set between trenches of water and Discord himself sat smugly on his seat, controlling the interior weather with the twist of a finger. As soon as Fluttershy entered and descended the stairs, large pink clouds formed above her and threatened to rain their chocolaty goodness on her. “My dear Fluttershy, you have arrived!” Discord said playfully and made the clouds form rude gestures. A pair of particularly ample buttocks stalked Fluttershy, who meeped and felt her confidence drain again. She took a deep breath and ponied herself up. “You give me back my element this instant, mister, or I’ll... I’ll... I’ll be very mad at you!” Fluttershy said and stood her ground. Discord responded by laughing at her and then got up to his full length. “I already told you, it isn’t me who stole the elements.” He disappeared, but his voice remained and a shadow moved around Fluttershy. “It worries me that someone actually managed to do it, however. His power has to be equal of my own.” “W-w-what do you mean?” Fluttershy asked nervously and gave the room shifting glances. “Oh, don’t you get it yet?” Discord mocked, his head appearing up in the candyfloss clouds. “Then let me put it simple. The one who stole the element is an ancient manifestation of destruction, just like I am the manifestation of chaos.” Discord reappeared on his throne with arms resting on the supports. “Do you understand now? We’re talking about an incarnation of the most primal desire in little pony hearts, the one that makes kids kick sandcastles and adults wage war.” “How... how do you know all of this?” Fluttershy asked in disbelief and looked up at the draconequus in fear. “As delighted as I am to have you here, my fine feathered friend, I fear that your killing of the Gatekeeper has brought about some... unforeseen consequences.” A glass appeared in Discord’s left hand. A cloud descended to fill it with chocolate milk. “You didn’t answer my question,” Fluttershy said irritated. Discord gave a derisive laugh. “You must run a little errand for me. Just a small one, and I promise you that we can get to look for your precious element.” Discord swallowed the chocolate milk, then tossed the glass behind him where it exploded. “You will be going to Xedilian, one of my favourite places in my entire realm. With the Gatekeeper dead, ponies will try and enter this realm, some I’m sure that you know well.” The clouds twirled around beneath the ceiling until Fluttershy saw her own reflection. The blank surface rippled and then showed three anonymous ponies in red robes appearing on the hill where Fluttershy too had entered. The vision faded and she once again looked at the smirking Discord. “Running a world between worlds can be so tiresome sometimes. Until we can arrange for a new Gatekeeper, we will have to get Xedilian up and running again,” Discord said playfully. “What is Xedilian?” Fluttershy asked, afraid of the answer yet too curious not to know. “One of my earliest inventions. Quite a marvellous one at that!” Discord laughed, no doubt remembering something that only a twisted mind like his would find funny. “Suffice to say that it was an early attempt of mine to sift through those wishing to enter my realm.” “And how will I get there?” Fluttershy asked and hoped to prove a flaw in his plans so that she wouldn’t have to do this. “Oh, but Fluttershy, you’re already there!” “What?” She turned around to see what he could mean and found a large iron door behind her that had not been there previously. She looked ahead again and saw a long stretching hallway, Discord’s throne gone. In fact, she was no longer in New Discord at all, instead finding herself in a completely different building. Most likely Xedilian. She gave an angry little sigh and blew a lock of purple hair away from her eyes. *** Rarity put on her best smile as a dirty unicorn in grimy clothes handed her a bowl of porridge. For a pony that had always had food on the table and money in her pockets, Rarity now found herself in a very unfamiliar situation. Never had she thought that she would be sitting here among the beggars of Canterlot and enjoy a meal of unknown origin. But she was hungry and couldn’t deny the meagre meal, however revolting she found it. She nipped at it, the thick brown liquid passing her lips. At first just slurping, she ravenously downed the entire content of the bowl. She quickly licked the bowl clean and placed it beside her on the ground with a satisfied smile on her lips. “Everything tastes better when you’re hungry.” The pony that had poured for her smiled. “It is... quite something,” she replied unsure. Despite being poor, none of them seemed distraught. They were chatting merrily and had everything one could ask for. The wall around Canterlot provided them with shelter and food could always be found by those searching hard enough. Add to that the spirit of unity, and it felt more like a club than a dishevelled gang of tramps. It was midday and most of them were off inside the city to beg while the rest sat around the campfire exchanging stories. “There are just other places I’d rather be.” She looked up at the sky and allowed the sun to warm her face. “If only we could find the elements and get this whole thing over with. I’m tired of sleeping on dirty, cold, hard ground... and I miss poor Opalescence.” A zebra sat down next to her. The grey background of his skin stood in contrast with his pronounced black stripes. He had a long mane of black hair combed back, probably with the help of some sort of cream. Though not a pony in the strictest meaning of the word, he still had a cutiemark of sorts, but not one that made much sense to Rarity. It just looked like a bunch of squiggly lines forming a strange pattern. “I don’t think I got your name,” he said. “It’s Rarity,” she replied tiredly. “And you are?” “Armand. Would you mind telling me what you’re doing here? You look a little too clean to be doing this for the money.” His voice was inquisitive, like a small child’s “You’re not the only one to say that.” Rarity passed her bowl to the unicorn again and was served another helping from the pot stirring over the fire. “It isn’t something I wish to discuss, so suffice to say I made a bad decision and betrayed all my friends with nothing to show for it.” “I think I’ve seen you somewhere before... You said your name was Rarity?” Armand asked. Rarity didn’t reply and began to eat her second serving with more manners than her first portion. “I know! You’re the element of generosity, aren’t you?” With her mouth full of food, she opened her eyes wide and looked into his. She nearly choked and swallowed her mouthful as fast as she could and coughed. “I was... once. Now that the Elements have been stolen, I hardly think it matters anymore.” “The Elements have been stolen?” Armand leaned back and whistled. “Hoo-wee, what I wouldn’t give to shake the hoof of whoever pulled that one off!” “So you’re saying that the Thieves Guild had nothing to do with it?” Rarity accused. “Of course not. We’re only interested in money, and we would never be able to sell the Elements. Besides, those things were supposed to be too heavily guarded. Even I thought it impossible.” “Hm. Was there anything you wanted?” Rarity asked flatly and took another sip from her bowl. “You’re the newest recruit. If you want to stay in the guild, you will have to do jobs for us, and I have one just for you,” Armand said deviously. “Really?” Rarity said disinterested and quietly slurped her porridge. “Just a few hours ago, you told to me to wait till nightfall.” “That was before I remembered that I have a uh... situation that you might be able to help with. So what’d you say, huh?” he asked enticingly. Rarity sighed, putting the empty bowl down and wiped her mouth with her arm. “If I must, but just as long as it isn’t something too difficult. I’m a lady, after all, not a thief.” “That’s the spirit!” he laughed and clapped Rarity on the back. “The Grey Fox has asked me to take care of a problem, and I’m putting you on it. Shining Armour actually collected taxes from everypony living here outside the walls! Your job is to recover those taxes.” “S-Shining Armour?” Rarity had a sudden burst of interest and turned her head towards Armand. “You know him?” he asked curiously. “Well, just that he’s Celestia’s captain of the guard!” Rarity smiled widely and avoided eye contact. “How... noble of you thieves to care about the poor.” Armand gave an approving grunt and nodded. “The ponies outside the walls are very poor. Traditionally the city has not collected taxes from them, even though by law they could. The money the city would collect would barely cover the cost of collecting. The Grey Fox has always guaranteed protection to the poor outside the walls. He doesn’t want to let this injustice stand. It’s a matter of principle.” “And why exactly would this Grey Fox, as you call your leader, even care about the poor to begin with?” Rarity asked more confidently in an attempt to shift the subject. “The Grey Fox has led our guild for over three hundred years now. He has always guaranteed protection to the poor outside the walls. He’s a righteous stallion, not like that Shining Armour,” Armand explained admiringly and looked up into the sky, then hardening his voice. “That pony is a fool, a real law and order type with a grudge against the Thieves Guild and the Grey Fox in particular. Shining Armour has made it his personal mission to capture him, but the Grey Fox will outwit him.” “I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for this,” Rarity suggested, but Armand shook his head and got up on his hooves again. “Find out where he’s keeping the taxes and bring them to me. I’ll also need the tax records of what each citizen paid so we can return it.” Armand left her again, and she watched him walk away with distant eyes. “How could I have been so foolish?” she thought. “Of course Twilight’s brother lives here, I could have asked him for help instead of these thieves. They probably won’t even notice I’m gone.” With a plan forming in her mind, Rarity got up as well and left for the gates. First in a natural trod until she was inside the city, and then in a fast pace. “I wonder where he can be found though? What am I saying, he’s bound to be in the barracks!” The barracks of Celestia’s guards was placed on the palace grounds, tugged away in a corner where no pony usually came. A sign stood out front with the silhouette of guard holding a spear. The outside was a square white building with ivy creeping up the walls and a heavy wooden door. The floor and walls inside were of a red stone. Oval rugs in red and blue fabrics covered the floor, while small plants were fenced in to add to the inviting atmosphere. Benches had been placed along some of the walls where civilian ponies and guards alike sat. Here, Rarity slowed down. She had never been here before and she walked slowly through the room until she encountered a low-hanging sign on her right. It contained no text like most signs in Equestria, but simply displayed of a helmet. She recognised the shape as belonging to the captain of the guard, and she once again picked up her pace and rushed up the stairs where she emerged in a long hallway. Far on her right were the sleeping quarters of the guards and on her left was another sign with the helmet. The room beyond was large and the walls lined with impassive guards, all of them simply staring right ahead. In the middle of the floor stood a mildly raised platform with more plants like a small park and a bench on top. Shining Armour was not around, however, so Rarity proceeded through this room and finally came to a large office at the other end. There sat Twilight’s brother, looking tired and haggard, hunched over towering piles of papers that he was editing or signing with a quill. He wore his usual purple armour but without the helmet. He looked up and it took him a moment to comprehend who stood before him. “Rarity, right? Twilight’s friend?” he asked and suppressed a yawn. Taken aback, Rarity entered and looked around. His helmet had been placed on a shelf along with some other interesting artefacts and books, while a giant map of Equestria was displayed behind him. The most prominent feature was the heavy wooden desk that was cluttered really badly with papers. “Yes,” Rarity simply said with difficulty in finding her words. “How may I help you?” Despite obviously being buried in work already, he still asked the question. “Well, it’s silly, really. I accidently cut a hole in my pouch and then all my bits dropped out and now I don’t have the money to get a train home,” Rarity explained and shook it off with a laugh. “I don’t suppose you could help a lady out?” “I’m really sorry, Rarity, but I can’t spare a cent right.” Shining took the quill with his magic again and started scribbling. “But I’m only asking for the few bits it’ll take me to get to Fillydelphia!” Rarity smiled nervously and Shining responded with a frustrated sigh. “Look,” he said and ran a hoof through his hair, his voice shaking. “You don’t know what it’s been like here in Canterlot since Celestia’s death. The ministers have all assigned me so many new duties... I haven’t even been home with my wife and son in three days. And on top of that, they asked me to tax the poor outside the walls! Can you believe it?” “Well, it’s funny you should mention it,” Rarity said and smiled sheepishly. “Since I didn’t have any money, I may have accidently gotten involved with the Thieves Guild that may or may not have asked me to retrieve the tax money and the records of it.” Shining Armour opened a drawer in his desk and withdrew from it a leather pouch and a scroll of paper. He placed it on the desk before him, stood up and flexed his tired muscles. “I need a break,” he said and left. Rarity watched perplexed as Shining Armour left his office through a side door, and then looked at the things he had left behind. “Oh. Oh! Wait, I didn’t mean...” Rarity trailed off as the door closed behind Shining Armour. She hesitated for a moment before taking both paper and pouch into her saddlebags and left as well. None of the guard ponies outside stopped her, nor did they react to her clinking saddle. She roused no suspicion on her way back and when she arrived at the homeless hideout again, she found Armand to be waiting for her, standing by the campfire. She shrugged off her satchel and the leather pouch spilled out along with the scroll of paper. “Ah, the Gray Fox will be very pleased.” Armand nudged the pouch with his hoof and all the bits spilled out. His lips moved as sifted through the coins, but only a faint whisper escaped him. Finally he reared his head back in laughter. “Fifty-three bits! Can you believe that fool even bothered to collect this paltry sum? You know what, keep it. I merely wanted the guards to know they went too far, and... I think it’s time to promote you to Footpad. Congratulations on your new guild rank.” “Fifty-three bits?” Armand nodded and took the scroll in his mouth. He shook his head, still giggling, and went off on his own again. “Why that would be enough to get me home, even pay for a proper meal on the train!” The pouch was engulfed in a blue aura and flew back into her saddle. Rarity made a beeline for the train station, her gait giddy. She went out of the small area between the wall and the shanties and out into the road, but stopped up. Conflict screwed up her face and she looked up at the sky. “But is that the right thing to do? This isn’t my money. Do I really want to go back to my parents’ basement?” She paced the ground, talking to herself and throwing her head around. “It’s your own fault that you ended up like this. You could have stayed with Twilight or, better yet, believed your friends over a shady businesspony.” Once again she paused, looking from the train station in front and the homeless camp. “No, I must endure filth, dirt, even hobos!” Rarity said dramatically and took out the pouch. “I must find the Elements of Harmony, even if it means living with these... ahem, charming ponies.”