//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Incitement // Story: Fourth Harmony: Induction // by CTVulpin //------------------------------// As Twilight Sparkle and Bella Lulamoon reached the clearing in front of the Haven of Harmony, Twilight started to have second thoughts about bringing her student with her. Had she overstepped herself by bringing along a pony who hadn’t been summoned by the Map? Would what she came to find not appear because she wasn’t alone? Bella, not knowing the reason they had come here, had no such doubts, and so kept up her pace as Twilight hesitated. When she reached the foot of the stairs to the Haven’s upper level, Bella stopped and looked back, quizzical. “Is something wrong, Princess?” she asked. “Uh,” Twilight said as she walked up, unsure of how to phrase her doubts in a kind and understandable way. Before Twilight could find the words, the door at the base of the tree-house opened of its own accord, accompanied by a voice that sent a shiver down Twilight’s spine. “Be welcome, Princess Twilight Sparkle, Bearer of Magic,” it said, “and also you, Bellatrix Lulamoon.” “That sounds… exactly like you, Princess,” Bella said, bemused. “What’s going on?” “I think I can guess,” Twilight said, shaking off the willies and walking through the door. Inside, she found herself face-to-face with a glittery, ethereal image of herself. As Bella followed Twilight in, the Princess said, “My first non-pony students said you always adopted my form to speak to them... Harmony?” The glittery Twilight nodded slightly, accepting the name. “Even knowing that,” the real Twilight continued, “it’s still a little strange to finally see it for myself.” The image tilted its head, smiling beatifically. “I’ve never had to do this for you until now,” it said, “because you’ve always been sharp enough to deduce what I needed of you and your friends with just a pointer in the right direction. If this form bothers you, though, I can appear as somepony else.” It proceeded to do exactly that, blurring and reforming into a pink earth pony with an excessively curly mane. Twilight took a step back, grimacing. “No, no,” she said, averting her eyes, “please don’t. I’d much rather look in a mirror than at a ghost.” “Very well,” Harmony said, returning to the form of Twilight. “I’m sorry,” Bella cut in, walking around the real Twilight to stand between the two alicorns, “but can somepony catch me up on what’s happening here?” The glittery image turned its smile on the unicorn. “Think of me as a manifestation of the magic of Harmony,” it explained. “A projection of the power that resides in the Haven, created to more easily communicate with the creatures whose aid I require.” “It’s the same magic that powers the Map and my castle,” Twilight added. “And the Elements of Harmony, when they still existed.” Bella’s mouth made a little “o” of comprehension as the Harmony image nodded. “So, why did you bring me here?” Twilight asked Harmony. “And why the manifestation this time?” “What I have to ask of you this time may be too complex for you to deduce on your own,” Harmony said. It turned suddenly and floated away, saying, “Come!” Twilight and Bella followed the image into the next room, where a pair writing desks and chairs were set up under a window. Harmony drifted up to hover over one of the desks and turned to face Twilight and Bella again. “The magic of Harmony has always existed,” Harmony said, “although it was not until the Pillars of Old Equestria planted a special seed that the magic began to take on a form that ponies could categorize and understand. As the Tree of Harmony, I took the virtues demonstrated by the Pillars and tuned them to higher ideals. Strength into Honesty, Healing into Kindness, Bravery into Loyalty, and so forth. The first rise of Discord prompted me to lend the Elements of Harmony to Celestia and Luna, though as a mere two ponies they could do little with them beyond buying the world time for the True Bearers to be born and prepared.” “Me, and my friends,” Twilight said. “We finished what the Princesses couldn’t, and even cleaned up a few messes that the Pillars left behind.” Her eyes narrowed. “What’s your point?” “With the founding of your School of Friendship and the destruction of Grogar’s Bewitching Bell,” Harmony said, “you and your friends ushered in a new era for the world. Harmony and Friendship touch the lives of more than just Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth Ponies, and there is no longer any threat that could rise from this world that would require the overwhelming power of the Elements to defeat. “However,” Harmony’s voice grew grim, “there still exist things that could bring disaster to this world, things not born of this or any other Universe. You have faced two such things already, Twilight.” “I… I have?” Twilight sputtered. “Discord,” Harmony said. “Tau’rin.” Twilight blinked, too taken aback to voice her confusion. Bella, on the other hoof, found her tongue still worked. “Wait, Discord’s not from Equestria? He’s from another universe?” “Yes, and no,” Harmony said. “Discord’s origins predate time and space as you know them, Bellatrix, but over time he has become integrated into the rhythms and flow of the world. Tau’rin was… an unwelcome and untimely intrusion. You were extremely lucky to have survived your encounter with him, Twilight.” “We certainly were,” Twilight agreed, “but I’m sure if we hadfound a chance to turn the Elements of Harmony on him directly-” “They would have done little,” Harmony interrupted, every feather of its suddenly outstretched wings quivering. “Perhaps they could have turned Tau’rin to stone as they did Discord, if we were lucky. Powerful as they were, the Elements were not intended to combat evil of such... foreign origin on such short notice.” Harmony calmed, and its smile returned. “More things like and yet not like Tau’rin will set their sights on Equestria in the near future,” it said, “and in light of that, I am preparing these.” It pointed down at the desk, the top of which popped open to reveal five dull grey crystals, each with a unique shape that both Twilight and Bella recognized instantly. Twilight’s voice grew soft with awe and reverence as her eyes swept across the lighting bolt, the butterfly, the diamond, the balloon, and the apple, naming them each in turn. “Loyalty, Kindness, Generosity, Laughter, Honesty.” She looked back up at her glittery doppelganger and said, “You’re bringing the Elements of Harmony back?” “Yes,” Harmony said. “Although, they will likely not take the forms you remember once they are ready. A new kind of danger comes, and so new ideals may be needed to counter it. New symbols for the creatures of this world to rally behind and master. This is the task I ask of you, Twilight Sparkle, last of my original intended Bearers: prepare for a new generation to take up the mantle of Element Bearers. Be a mentor and foundation for Equestria’s next defenders to build upon.” Twilight felt her heart sink a little. To see the Elements of Harmony recreated in front of her and be told that they would be needed was bittersweet enough, but to also be told that she wasn’t to take a direct role herself? She blinked away a bitter tear and gave herself a mental shake. Don’t be selfish, she thought. This isn’t about you, Sparkle. You’ve devoted your time to spreading Harmony and Friendship precisely so you don’t have to shoulder the burden of protecting Equestria alone. She took a deep breath to calm herself and looked the manifestation of Harmony in the eye with sincere determination. “I’ll do my best,” she said. “You always do,” Harmony replied, warmly. Bella inhaled through her teeth, drawing the others’ attention. “Sorry,” Bella said, “just curious, but, why are there only five Elements here?” Twilight cast look at Harmony, and then answered, “The Element of Magic only appeared to me once I’d paired the other five with their Bearers. I assume it’s going to be same way this time? Awaken five to summon the sixth?” “That is my current plan,” Harmony said. Its eyes suddenly unfocused, and it began drifting toward the ceiling. “I’ve said what needs to be said for now,” it declared. “Head back home, seek out potential Bearers, and be prepared to act once the Elements are readied. The day may come without any warning.” The desk closed up and the image faded into empty air. Twilight turned to Bella and gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Well, you heard her,” Twilight said. “Let’s go. I have a lot to think about, and I still need to check on Citrine.” “Of course, Princess Twilight,” Bella said, falling dutifully into step behind the alicorn. Before she stepped out of the Haven, she paused and took a last, lingering look back at the room where the Elements were hidden. I wonder why I was allowed to witness all that, she thought. “You didn’t have to walk me all the way back, Aunt Sweetie,” Citrine said as she climbed the steps to the castle’s front door. “I wanted to, though,” Sweetie replied, her tone deliberately sappy. She laughed at Citrine’s groan and patted her on the back. “Can you blame me?” she asked. “I live just down the street, and I still don’t get to see you very often.” “I get busy,” Citrine, replied half-heartedly. “Ok, ok,” Sweetie said, rolling her eyes. “I get it. You’re still welcome any time, and I promise my cooking isn’t that bad anymore.” She gave her niece a quick hug and turned to head back home. Ctirine watched Sweetie go for a bit, and then turned back to the castle door and heaved a sigh. “Ok Citrine,” she said under her breath, “we’re keeping that temper of ours under control this time.” She pulled the doors open and walked inside. There was a Changeling standing in the foyer with its back to Citrine. It was of average size, unadorned, and had made no apparent alterations to the basic black chitin and teal elytra of the species. Citrine couldn’t tell whether it was supposed to be male or female – or something else entirely, for all she knew – but its legs had wide pockmarks instead of holes all the way through. That, Citrine knew, was a sign of being well-fed from nymph-hood and was enough to grant it a benefit of the doubt. Renegade ‘lings, even reformed ones, tended to be scarred by constant near-starvation. “Can I help you?” Citrine asked. She was disappointed, but not surprised, when the Changeling didn’t react to her voice with shock or fear, but, likely forewarned by emphatic sense, just turned calmly around to look at her. The Changeling’s eyes did surprise Citrine, though, as they were not the featureless blue of an ordinary ‘ling, but pale green with visible, round pupils. Then Citrine noticed its lack of protruding fangs. This was quite possibly a Royal Changeling, then. Those were exclusively female, at least so far... “Hello,” the Changeling said, its voice pushing Citrine’s assessment a few more notches closer to “probably a girl.” The Changeling held out a hoof and said, “I am Beetroot, fifth Princess under Cabbage Patch of the Crystal Hive, true Queen of the Changelings, as this will prove.” A wooden token materialized on the Changeling’s hoof, and she tossed it lightly to Citrine. Citrine caught the token in her magic and looked it over. One side was carved with a heart perforated with holes – the symbol of Queen Cabbage Patch and her Hive – while the other had the words “Beetroot, Princess,” carved and lined with gold leaf. Definitely female then, Citrine thought. Ninety-three percent certain. I’d also say she’s legitimate, except… “Nice to meet you,” she said, “but I thought you were supposed to arrive yesterday. Princess Twilight was rather upset when you never showed up for your audience. Her schedule was thrown off completely.” “Ah, yes,” Beetroot said, rubbing one foreleg against the other as she looked away, “there were some difficulties on the way here. Is… Is Princess Twilight available now, or soon? I must apologize for my tardiness personally.” “Uh,” Citrine said, looking around the foyer, “I only just got back here myself, so I couldn’t tell you-” The sound of the castle doors opening interrupted her words, and she and Beetroot both turned to see Twilight Sparkle and Bella coming in. “Citrine!” Twilight exclaimed. “There you are. Good.” She then noticed Beetroot and said, “Oh, good morning! Sorry, I don’t think I recognize you, Miss…?” I have to learn how she can guess that so fast, Citrine thought before floating the token over to Twilight. “She says she’s the Changeling Princess who was supposed to be here yesterday,” Citrine said as Twilight took the token in her own magic. “I saw her conjure the token, and it matches the name she gave me.” “Beetroot,” Twilight read from the token, and then floated it back to Beetroot, giving her a small smile as well. “You are late, but at least you made it safely. Welcome to Ponyville.” She walked over and gestured deeper into the castle with a wing. “Come on,” she said, “we can work through the formalities in my study. Girls,” she cast a glance over her shoulder, “this may take a while, so I’m going to trust you won’t get into a second fight today.” “Yes ma’am,” Citrine and Bella said as Twilight and Beetroot walked away. Once the two unicorns were alone in the foyer, they exchanged glances with one another. “Citrine,” Bella said, levelly. “Lulamoon,” Citrine responded in the same tone. “Sorry I accused you of stealing my hair ties,” Bella said. “Did you find them after I stormed out?” “Just this one,” Bella said, showing off the end of her braid. “Ah,” Citrine pursed her lips. “I… I’ll help you look for the rest. And help clean your half of our room. Sorry for flying off the handle.” Bella smirked. “An apology gift proportional to the offense,” she said. “That’s rare.” Citrine made a non-committal sound, and her gaze drifted to where Twilight and Beetroot had gone. “That Changeling,” she said. “Something seemed off.” Bella looked askance at her fellow student. “She gave you her ID token, didn’t she?” she asked. Citrine nodded. Bella tossed her head and turned away, marching in the direction of her and Citrine’s room. “Then you can just leave her to Princess Twilight,” Bella declared. “Don’t borrow trouble, else you’ll pay it back double. Besides, I have something much more important to tell you about.” Citrine’s head whipped around, and she trotted after Bella. “What?” she asked. When she caught up, she saw a mischievous twinkle in Bella’s eyes. “Bella,” Citrine whined. Bella kept silent and let Citrine’s curiosity simmer until the pair reached their room. Despite what Bella had recently learned about her fellow student, the two still had a long history of academic rivalry, and that wasn’t going to just stop in a single morning. “Seriously Bella, out with it!” Citrine finally snapped. “If you keep stringing me along, there’s going to be another fight.” “Patience,” Bella chided, closing the door. “I just wanted to be sure nopony – or a certain floating metal horse head – could overhear. I’ll tell you everything as we clean.” Citrine glowered, but went over to where her bed-sheets had wound up and started putting them back on the bed, and Bella made good on her word and began weaving the tale of her visit to the Haven of Harmony with Twilight while picking up and sorting the scattered books. When Bella got to the part where the spirit of Harmony showed up, Citrine stopped what she was doing and just stared at her compatriot. “It looked just like Princess Twilight?” she asked. Bella chuckled theatrically. “Ah, that’s not even the most interesting part, though!” she declared. “The spirit gave us a little history lesson that I won’t bore you with right now, and then revealed why it wanted to talk to the Princess.” She paused for dramatic effect, setting her books down heavily in two stacks. “There are new Elements of Harmony!” Citrine met Bella’s broad grin with nonplussed surprise. “Really?” Citrine said. “That’s… Bah re.” “Exactly,” Bella said. “And to really blow your mind, I’ll bet anything that we are going to be two of the new Bearers.” Citrine set her pillow down on her bed with deliberate calm and then slowly turned to give her rival her full attention. “And how do you figure that?” she asked. Citrine rolled her eyes. “Well,” she said, “I didn’t get summoned out to the Haven, but Harmony didn’t seem at all surprised or upset that I was there, which I think means it expected to start working with me at some point. And if I’m going to be a Bearer, then it follows that you, as Princess Twilight’s other personal student, are just as qualified.” She nodded firmly in satisfaction as Citrine got a thoughtful look on her face, and went back to cleaning. After about a minute, Citrine said, “Ok, let’s assume you’re right. That raises the question of which of us gets the Element of Magic.” “It might not go to either of us,” Bella responded. “There are six Elements, you know, which means four more potential Bearers, one of whom may be a better fit...” “Ah ah,” Citrine said. “by your logic, we’re candidates because we are Twilight Sparkle’s students. Twilight is the Bearer of Magic, and she was the personal student of Princess Celestia, who bore the Element of Magic before Twilight.” “The Princesses have never confirmed which-” “And Celestia,” Citrine barreled on over Bella’s objection, “was taught by Starswirl the Bearded, whose virtue of Sorcery was the primitive form of the Element of Magic. Therefore, Princess Twilight’s personal student would be the next Bearer of Magic. But there are two of us, so... You or me?” Bella sighed. I only have myself to blame for this, she thought. “I think you’re taking this thought exercise a little too far,” she said, although she felt little hope of Citrine agreeing at this point. Citrine huffed and hopped onto her bed, striking a prideful pose. “Of course it’s obvious,” she declared. “I would be the natural choice, as the inheritor of Meis Thamule.” And there it is, Bella thought, giving Citrine her best “not impressed” face. “You do understand how little means to me, right?” she asked. Citrine’s head snapped down to stare at Bella, her green eyes colder than the Yaket range in winter. Bella flinched back a little, cursing her poor choice of words. “Don’t give me that look,” she snapped. “I don’t intend disrespect; I seriously don’t know what you’re talking about.” Citrine blinked, and then got down from her bed, blushing with embarrassment. “You… you really don’t?” she asked in a small voice. “No,” Bella said with some exasperation. “I never even heard the term before I met you, you’ve never defined it for me, and when I tried to ask Princess Twilight about it earlier, she just danced around the question. So, please, tell me straight, what is a meis thamule?” Citrine took a second to answer, biting her lip as she dealt with some inner struggle. “Father told me it refers to the most powerful mage of his birthplace,” she said. Bella’s head tilted to the side as her brow wrinkled. “Wait,” she said, “is it an earned title or inherited, then? Because you talk as if you expect to hold it just because you’re Ash’s daughter, but your definition makes it sounds like something you’d have to prove your right to.” Citrine pursed her lips. “I… Hm,” she scratched her head. “Now that you mention it… I can’t recall Father ever explaining the history of Meis Thamule, or what I would have to do to claim it. He did say I could, and my cutie mark includes the symbol, so...” Bella chuckled a little at Citrine’s perplexed look and went back to cleaning. “So tragic,” she mused quietly, “the great hero Ashen Blaze dying before passing on all his secrets to his successor.” Citrine’s eyes hardened again. “Father’s not dead,” she insisted. “Oh?” Bella turned to look at her. “My mistake. Where is he then?” “He...” Citrine’s ears drooped. “He had to go home, to the Taryn universe. Something terrible was happening and his friends there needed his help. He promised he’d come back. He always, always keeps his promises. But, the portal mirror… broke. Nopony could fix it and-” She froze, her ears perked up suddenly, and she looked at Bella with a broad grin and a sly glint in her eye. “That’s it!” she exclaimed. “I’ll get the portal to Taryn back open and bring Father home. That would prove beyond a doubt that I’m capable of bearing the Element of Magic!” “Oh… kay?” Bella said, taken aback by the sudden shift in mood. “I can’t argue that that would be impressive… Uh, do you… want some help with that or-” She squealed in shock as Citrine suddenly lifted in her in telekinesis and sent her flying toward the door. “Oh no, you don’t get to share the credit!” Citrine declared. “Find your own super magic project if you want to be the Element of Magic so much!” She dropped Bella out in the hallway and shut the door. Bella sat on the floor, too stunned to do anything but try to catch up with Citrine’s train of thought. She could faintly hear the sounds of things being picked up and put down from inside the room, coupled with incomprehensible mumbling. “Find my own super magic…?” Bella muttered, and then her eyes widened as she surged to her feet and whirled to pound on the door. “Citrine! You did not just challenge me to a magic contest!” The door cracked open enough for Citrine to poke her head out and meet Bella’s eyes, a tangled wad of hair ties floating in a bubble of magic above her head. “Found them under your tea saucer,” Citrine said, moving them a little closer to Bella before slamming the bunch onto the floor at her hooves. “And yes, that was a challenge, Lulamoon.” She shut the door again, firmly. Bella levitated the hair ties up and started to untangle them. “I see,” she said quietly. Then, sticking the ties into her mane, she threw the bedroom door open and stalked back inside. “Challenge accepted, then,” she said. “Now, let’s lay out the ground rules to avoid any fighting over the results.”