//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 - Broken Visage // Story: Monado Of Harmony // by Yosh-E-O //------------------------------// The Tree Of Harmony glistened brilliantly as the Elements Of Harmony shimmered within their respective spots within its trunk. “I can hear it,” awed Yosh. “It says it needs the Monado back.” CREE-CRUNK BOOF! Isabelle and Spiked gaped in awe as a keyhole opened from within the tree. PWOOM “I see it…,” trailed Yosh as he saw himself place the Monado into the opening that was currently only visible to his sighted friends. FWOO “Mayor?” wondered the yellow shih tzu as he proceeded towards the tree. “Are you okay?” “I must hurry,” he said. “Anarchy is almost here.” THWUNK CLICK SHING FWUMP “MAYOR!” cried Isabelle as she watched the dragon-duck insert the Monado, turn it right, and abruptly get absorbed in a blast of white light. “Hey?” worried Spike as he realized he was no longer taller nor in possession of his special powers. “What gives?” Isabelle gasped as she, too, realized her basket of bottomless fruit had left her left side. “Oh, no!” she cried. “Mayor! Yosh! Magic tree! What’s going on?” *** “You’re a fool, Discord,” the grey cat spat as he raised his Monado to have its lens show the lab coat design with periodic table letters surrounding it. “Stand aside and I may let you roam around as a snake throughout the oblivion that is to come.” SNAP SPLAT A giant egg fell on top of the grey cat that broke open and oozed down his fur from head-to-toe. “What is this?” he hissed. SPLAT SPLAT Zecorasplashed some of the potion onto Lord Malice. “Your power now has no effect!” she called. “For causing this I have no regret!” The grey cat looked to see his fur steaming where the potion had splattered upon himself. “What did you do?” he growled while switching the symbol in his Monado’s lens to that of Agony. The zebra shaman stood her ground. “Your weapon I have negated,” she proudly stated. “Just as your vessel will soon be faded.” Lord Malice gasped as the spots where the potion had hit were becoming translucent while also growing in size. “Curse you!” he spat while raising his Monado. “But this is far from over!” TINK-SHING TINK-SHING! TINK-SHING TINK-SHING! Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash all appeared. However their color was faded, they had cold expressions, and their Cutie Marks matched those seen within the lens of the Monado Of Anarchy. FWOOSH! Twilight used her magic to take the Monado Of Anarchy that was tossed to her by the fading feline. “Go!” he echoed as he faded out of existance. “Go forth and destroy Harmony!” WHOOSH! Discord and Zecora had no time to respond as the tainted versions of their friends raced into the Everfree Forest. “Now what do we do?” wondered Discord with frustration. “We wait,” she answered simply. “For it is now up to the others to decide our fate.” Discord clenched his fists and scowled. “Can you do, or say, anything without rhyming?” he asked. “Fluttershy is out there and you act like we’re nothing more than some support characters from some silly fan fiction story.” “Rhyming is the zebra way,” she replied. “Just as you annoy others in order to play.” “Well,” scoffed the draconequus. “I may not be able to get within reach of the Tree Of Harmony but I can get close enough to cheer Fluttershy on.” SNAP POOF Zecora simply nodded at Discord’s disappearance before returning to her hut. *** “Spike!” cried Starlight upon reaching the Tree Of Harmony with Fluttershy and Applejack in tow. “Isabelle!” “Starlight!” cried the yellow canine. “Yosh got taken by the Tree of Harmony?” “What?” the periwinkle Unicorn wondered as she sat the Cutie Map in front of the tree. “Yeah!” panicked Spike. “It opened up this strange keyhole thing, Yosh put that weird sword into it, and then this flash of light happened that made him disappear!” “Oh, my,” worried Fluttershy. “That doesn’t seem right for the tree.” POOF! “That’s because it’s desperate,” stated the tainted Princess Twilight Sparkle as she teleported in. “It knows Anarchy has the upper-hoof.” Fluttershy gasped upon seeing how distorted her purple friend was. Her mane flowed with hints of ebon within its deeper-purple coloring. Twilight’s eyes also seemed to have a red tint within her iris. FWOO-POOM! “Take her, Midnight!” demanded the altered Rainbow Dash. “You have the Monado!” “Right,” the now-named Midnight replied coldly. “Now stand still Hurricane Fury so you can be one with us.” The yellow Pegasus whimpered meekly as Applejack stepped forward. “What’s gottin’ inta’ ya’ two!” she barked. FWIP FWOP SPLAT “Oh, Coercion,” giggled the altered ego of Pinkie Pie after smashing a mud pie into AJ’s face. “You need to be part of the team!” SWAT! “Yeowch!” the orange Earth Pony cried as the unpleasant pink pony hit her fiercely on the backside. Midnight lifted the Monado Of Anarchy as AJ stumbled closer. “Ready, Coercion?” she asked. “Sadistic Smile! Avarice Hoard! Hold her!” The bewitched Rarity, Avarice Hoard, used her magic to bind Applejack as Sadistic Smile used electrified hoof buzzers to pin the farm pony in place. “Oh-oh-oh-oh, m-m-my!” panicked Fluttershy. “Don’t worry!” asserted Isabelle while stepping in front of the yellow Pegasus. “They’ll have to get through me first!” FZZZT POOF POOF “Ow…,” moaned Applejack as she was teleported out of the grip of Avarice and Sadistic by Starlight. “Twilight!” called Starlight. “Every pony! This isn’t who you are! Come to your senses!” Midnight magically levitated the Monado Of Anarchy so the lens pointed towards Starlight. “Why don’t you just give into ours?” she smugly stated as the lens switched to show the symbol of the dagger over the broken cartoon heart. “Sorry,” Starlight stated as she shook her head. “It’s not going to work.” “What does she mean, Midnight?” questioned the tainted Dash. “She is saying she is looking to be hurt,” replied Midnight. “A lot!” “Did some pony say hurt?” Sadistic beamed while pulling a baseball bat from inside her mane. “Batter up!” AJ got to her feet as Starlight charged her horn. “Every pony ready?” asked Starlight nervously as the four corrupted ponies started to advance upon them. “Ready as I’ll ever be,” replied Applejack. “Me, too!” Spike bravely exclaimed while extending his wings. “I’ll do whatever it takes to get our friends back!” “Very well,” grinned Midnight as she glared towards Starlight. “Take them down!”