//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 - The Incident // Story: The Code of Harmony // by Lapis-Lazuli and Stitch //------------------------------// ~~~~~~Ponyville Town Square~~~~~~ One of the oldest sayings in all of existence is 'history is written by the victors', and it is quite often true. Sometimes though, battles are neither won, nor lost. Sometimes a battle becomes more than a mere contest of arms, wills, or words - but a part of a greater myth that grows in the telling and often changes wildly with the allegiance of the teller. It is these moments, these flashpoints of history that are often the catalyst for great changes. Both sides in the conflict will often claim victory in one form or another from these moments, but it is the moment - not who won or lost - that is important. So would it be here, in this place - Ponyville, that the moment would happen. So would it be the simplest of things - the joy of a foal - that would ignite it. ~~~~~~~~~~~ There were only four things that Dinky Hooves knew for absolute certain. Everything else was subject to change, but these four things remained firm - like the mountains of the western range, they were immutable and undeniable. Even if she wasn't quite sure what those words meant, Miss Cheerilee had said they were a good way of describing these things. The first was that her mommy was the best mommy in all of Equestria, and anypony who said otherwise was dumb. The second was that muffins were delicious, and obviously the very best way to deliver every single kind of food in the world. The third thing was that the most important thing in the world you could do was never judge other ponies before you got to know them. Mommy said so long as you kept an open heart and an open mind, you could make friends with almost anypony. Except maybe Diamond Tiara, she was part of that 'almost' bit at the end. Silver Spoon was kinda nice though, she was always really gentle and kind to Dinky. The fourth thing though... the fourth thing, Dinky had learned all by herself. The fourth thing she knew for certain was that aside from mommy and muffins, friends were the best thing in the world. Dinky never, never passed up a chance to make new friends. Which made today quite possibly the best day ever. Mommy had made Dinky her very favorite muffins - Carrot and raisin! - For breakfast today, and she was only working a half-day too cuz of something going on at the post office, so Dinky was gonna get a whole afternoon of mommy all to herself! The best part of all? There were tons of new fillies and colts moving into town! Oh sure, some of them were kinda funny looking, but that tied right back in to thing-number-three. She wasn't going to let a little thing like some funny lookin' wings or glowy-green eyes put her off! Even better, there was a little crowd of em over by Miss Cheerilee's booth in the town square, where Dinky had been playing while waiting for mommy to get off of work. Even though Miss Cheerilee was nowhere to be seen right then, that meant some of them might be her classmates soon too! Best get to meeting 'em before they got onto the playground. Dinky galloped over to the crowd as quickly as her little hooves could take her and came to a bouncy halt next to the bewildered looking other foals. "Hiya! My name's Dinky! What's yours?" She asked in her most cheerful voice, smiling brilliantly and extending her hoof politely. The crowd of foals were a bit taken aback... but one of the ones with weird eyes and bug wings buzzed over and gave a little tentative smile. "I'm Chita!" she (definitely a she) buzzed in a kind of warble tone of voice. It was odd, but kind of pretty sounding to Dinky. Chita shook Dinky's hoof - and her hooves were a little odd, kind of smooth and a little harder than a normal ponies. Still, Dinky didn't much care. "Nice to meet you Chita! Welcome to Ponyville!" She chirruped, and bounced in place a little. The little bugpony - yeah, that was a good word for her! Bugpony! - smiled herself, giving a little toothy kind of grin. Slowly but surely, the rest of the crowd of strange ponies around her were relaxing and giving in to smiles of their own. "Those wings you have are really cool! And you've got a horn! I've got one too! Do all bugponies have horns?" Dinky enthused, and Chita... well, she didn't exactly blush but she kind of gave off a shy sort of body language as she fluttered her glittering green wings. Chita did beam though. "Thank you! Um.. yes, we do all have horns and... Um... what was I supposed to do?" She said in a half soft voice to herself, dragging a hoof along the ground before brightening up. "Oh yeah! Let me introduce you to my hivemates!" She said in a happy sort of voice, and the tension broke completely - the new crowd of young, if odd looking ponies crowding around Dinky as greetings and names were exchanged. Laughter and joy lifted up from the crowd of youngsters, and though little did Dinky know it - she was already changing the world. This is the best day ever! Dinky thought cheerfully, unaware of the gears of Fate beginning to turn around her... ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lily Valley was more than merely concerned. She was terrified. All of these changelings, all of these batponies, all of these strange creatures everywhere! And worst of all, nopony seemed to care in the least! Well, some of them did. Parasol and Rose and Lucky had all agreed with her that this was a very disturbing turn of events. Some others did too, but Lily didn't know them so well - they were all part of the workpony crews who had come to help them rebuild the town... Lily was lucky. Her house had been on the edge of town, where her flower gardens were and hadn't been badly damaged, so she was still able to live in her house. Still, that was small comfort given that many of these newcomers were talking about building their weird homes not more than a block away from where she lived! It was terrible! Horrible! And the Mayor was greeting them like they were old friends! Had she gone senile? Had she already forgotten the attack a week ago? Oh, but these were different changelings, as if that made it any less obvious that they were all going to be kidnapped and turned into changeling chow. They'd even brought their little changelings, so as to make it easier to feed the townsfolk to their young, no doubt. They were being civilized enough for now... but Lily knew that was just a ruse. Surely, they would reveal their true colors in the night... Lily certainly had no intention of leaving her doors unlocked or windows unbarred tonight. She fretted and worried and fretted some more as she walked down the streets, perpetually jumping at shadows. Even worse, with Celestia vanished into nothingness, all she could do was pen a letter to the new Queen Cadence, and hope that she would put an end to this madness before they were all consumed. But what came next was the worst of it for Lily. There, in the middle of town square - a poor little unicorn filly was practically being swarmed by those beastly changelings. And they were laughing. And nopony was doing ANYTHING to save her! Something had to be done. Before they all were killed. Or worse. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two ways of life - each alike in dignity, In fair Ponyville where we set our scene. When ancient grudge confronts new bigotry, And fate is twisted by those unseen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ditzy Hooves soared through the air, the sun shining off the brass-plating of her immaculate mailmare's cap as she made her way to the town square to pick up Dinky. Ditzy had always been proud of that cap, and what it represented to her. Hers was a job that wasn't just needed - it was as vital to keeping Equestria moving as the Cloudsdale weather factory. Sure, someponies might call her funny names from time to time... but every Hearths Warming Eve, they never failed to surprise her with gifts of bits or food, or sometimes even more extravagant things. Everypony in town thanked her on that day, even if they called her a funny name. But that was not what made her proud to wear that cap. It was the knowledge that she was helping. Sometimes, she helped by bringing letters to those who needed them most. Sometimes, she helped by making sure that vital payment or that critical tool got through in time. Sometimes, she helped by giving a muffin to somepony at the end of their rope, or by spending a few minutes talking and joking with some of the lonelier ponies in town. Whatever it took, she would make the world a happier, better place. One letter at a time. So it was today, as she swooped down low over the rooftops and gave a cheerful wave to a bunch of relaxing roofers, who waved happily back. The workponies all knew her by now, since she was responsible for making sure they got their mail from home, or for making sure the delivery ponies were bringing in the building supplies to the right places. They were all mighty appreciative of that too, many of them having come here from as far off as Appaloosa to work on the big construction projects around town. Ditzy tucked in her wings a little and performed a nice, lazy turn to land just outside of town square... where the sounds of some kind of commotion was beginning to rise above the general din. Wonder what's going on... Ditzy began to think... And then all thoughts were driven out of her head by a single word. "Mommy!" That was Dinky. Dinky was scared of something. Nopony in the entire town was allowed to make Dinky scared of anything, for any reason. Ever. Ditzy Hooves had a reputation in town as a bit of a klutz, and for good reason - she was a little unsteady sometimes, and she knew it. Sometimes, that unsteadiness got the better of her and caused any number of crashes, accidents, or problems. But when Dinky was in trouble... when her Muffin was in danger, there was no force in Equestria that could stop her. An entire battle swarm of changelings had discovered to their dismay that the walleyed pegasus would go to any lengths to protect the most important thing in her entire life. Ditzy did not run. She did not fly. She exploded from where she stood, like a shot fired out of cannon. A half a dozen ponies were barreled aside by the massive and sudden change air pressure in front of her. The town square loomed large around her, as Ditzy focused in on the only sound that mattered. Dinky was standing in front of a group of what looked like... young changelings? Whatever. Some earth pony had grabbed Dinky by the shoulder and was trying to pull her away from the crowd of little ones - all of whom were giving off frightened body language - and yelling something incoherent. That was enough. Ditzy didn't need to know anymore. Foals were in danger, and Dinky was one of them. Ditzy was not the world's most brilliant mare - she admitted it freely. But you did not threaten foals. No matter what race they were, no matter where they came from, no matter what. The stupid earth pony had just enough time to turn her head to see Ditzy's hoof grab her around the neck, her face a study in mute shock. Ditzy's rear hooves hit the ground, even as her upper body continued to accelerate - physically lifting the earth pony mare off the ground for a brief moment before slamming her into the dirt with a truly prodigious amount of force. So much so that the mare's shoulders actually made dragging marks into the packed dirt of the square as she was carried along the ground for several feet before coming to a halt. Ditzy spared only a moment to ensure that Dinky was safe - and she was, with the biggest beaming smile on her face - before turning back to the offending pony and snarling in her most angry voice. "Nopony hurts or scares my Muffin, you bitch." The earth pony mare trembled, her eyes wide with terror and shock as she stared into the stormy-golden eyes of the mailmare. The town square stood mute in shock at this tableau - the shy, diffident, kindly pegasus having transformed into a righteously angry mother before their very eyes. Only the voice of Dinky cut through the quiet. "Mommy, Mommy! I knew you'd come!" She cantered up and threw her hooves around Ditzy's left forehoof in a charming little hug. "I made some new friends Mommy! I want you to meet them!" She tugged at Ditzy's hoof... and the angry, enraged look on Ditzy's face softened instantly, and she turned to smile at her little filly. The earth pony mare slowly pushed her way up back to flank... whereupon she pointed a shaking, trembling hoof at Ditzy and screamed at the top of her voice. "Traitor! Changeling Lover! You're in on it, aren't you!? You're going to help them eat us all!!!" She accused, her voice rank with terror and fear. Worse still, several ponies around her were giving Ditzy a decidedly frosty sort of look, and some were looking downright mean. More voices began to speak in low, angry tones... Ditzy spared only a moment to turn her head towards Dinky, and then look over at the crowd of young changeling and batpony foals. They looked scared. Ditzy couldn't allow that. "It's okay." She said softly, directing the words at the group. They looked at her to the last with surprise - or Ditzy thought it was surprise. "I'm not gonna let anypony hurt any of you." She promised in a quiet voice. "Stay behind me." She quickly sized up the crowd and changed her position - the group of young ones quickly moving in front of the new doors to the temporary city hall. That would give them somewhere to run if things got nasty - somewhere even these ponies would hesitate to cause trouble. There were maybe ten of them right now - Though Ditzy knew how quickly that could change. Knew from personal, painful experience with bullies. That was all these angry looking ponies were - bullies. Ditzy turned that fierce golden gaze upon them and spoke in her quietest, most dangerous voice. "They're just foals." She directed the words to each and every one of those angry ponies, her hooves planted in the ground and her wings flared out. "You try to hurt any of them, and you'll regret it." Just for a moment - the steadily growing crowd - there were 18 of them now - hesitated. Lily Valley's voice cut across the hesitation, screaming in shrill and naked fear. "Don't just stand there, they've obviously got her entranced! Get them away from those changelings and KILL THE STUPID BUGS!" Still though, nopony moved. Nopony spoke. A single pegasus mare stared down a crowd of angry and scared citizens of Ponyville... and the gears of fate continued to turn... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tia probably should have reacted better, but she honestly could not help it. Of all the things she had not known about the events in Ponyville on that fateful week - this one thing had stuck in her mind so painfully. To think that the sweet little assistant Twilight had so long looked after had been lost to some dissonant magic had weighed heavily upon her soul. "Ack! It's okay Princess! I'm okay!" Spike gasped out, patting his claws against Tia's back in a soothing manner. His voice softened after a moment, as the familiar wetness against his shoulder told him Tia was crying. "I'm okay." He said soothingly, softly wrapping his stubby little arms around her neck. "It'll take more than some weirdo dark magic to stop Spike the Dragon." He said in his best boastful, confident voice - and Tia gave off a strangled laugh. Tia gently disengaged from him, wiping away the few tears she still had left in her and smiled brilliantly at him. He was no different, not in the least, from the little dragon whelp she'd come to know and love as Twilight's Number One Assistant. (Always capitalized, of course. Spike insisted upon it.) "You oughtn't to call me Princess, Spike." Tia gently admonished. "Here... here, I'm just Tia Sunbeam. Shy little librarian and student of magic." She fixed him with a pointed look. "And most certainly not a Princess of any kind or type." Spike grinned toothily at her. "Yeah, yeah. I got the skinny from Twilight." He waggled a claw at her, and Tia couldn't help but grin at the smug confidence in his tone. "So let's get down to horseshoes. You need someone who can help keep this tree in shape, and I need to get the heck out of babysitting the Cake's kids." He shuddered a little, looking a bit green. Well, greener than normal. "I dunno how the heck Pinkie did that every weekend. Anyway. I'm willing to help you... but there's one small catch." He crossed his scaly arms and gave Tia a 'tough' look. Tia just rolled her eyes a little at that, but she had to admit... there was probably no one better suited to keeping the Library running than Spike. He'd had four long years of experience, and even if he was still technically a baby dragon, he had shown remarkable aptitude to working with ponies. "Alright, I'll bite Spike. What do you want? Gems? A lifetime supply of cupcakes?" Tia grinned softly. She knew a few gem-finding spells of her own...and she could probably keep Spike drowning in his favorite treats. Spike shook his head. "Uh uh. I'm getting enough gems nowadays. I want your help with a spell." He said, in a quiet voice. Tia blinked at him in shock, but he kept going. "Twilight would never even consider it, but... but you've got all that experience. You've got power to spare, and most importantly - you're not Twilight." He fixed her with his gaze, his body language was... secretive and worried. He was obviously very nervous. Tia felt her eyes narrow and her mind start racing, wondering what in the world he could possibly want.. "It's not bad!" Spike exclaimed, holding up his claws. "It'd be a spell cast on me!" "Spike..." Tia began softly, the wheels rapidly turning in her head. Tia could imagine lots of spells might want cast on him - he'd been noted for having an obsession with fancy mustaches, and a desire to be older and bigger... but Tia didn't think that's what he was after right now. No. He sounded like he was about to ask for something far, far bigger. Something more important. "Tell me." She commanded, tapping her hoof onto the floor. Spike sucked in a deep breath... before the words poured out of his mouth, as quickly as he could make them. "I want you to turn me into a unicorn pony." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lily Valley didn't know what was wrong with her. She had never been more scared in all of her life. She was seeing changelings everywhere now - only a few ponies seemed willing to resist them. She screamed out to them, but the words no longer made sense to her. She cowered, but the world no longer seemed to be logical. She curled up into a ball, the pain of hitting the ground paled in comparison to the pain inside of her head. She felt as though her world was graying out - like nothing was important but ensuring everypony around her was just as afraid as she was. Lily was not an unobservant mare though. Far from it - she was often told she had a remarkable gift for observation. Even amidst the pain and the fear and the terror, she could spot little things. Like how one of the angry ponies in front of her had dropped his bags of groceries. Or how one pony was still chewing on a donut he should have swallowed a long time ago. But the biggest thing she noticed was the one, undisturbed thing in the whole square. A strange looking unicorn who was staring straight at her, as though he could see through her very soul. Yet the instant her eyes lit upon him, the world shifted and Lily felt incredibly ill. She could hardly make out his face, let alone any details about him - and every time she tried to look at him, he seemed to get angrier, and she felt even sicker. But she kept trying to look, because some nebulous force in her head told her that it would be important to remember that pony. No matter how scared she was of changelings... He was scarier. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The crowd of angry ponies had grown significantly, but Ditzy had not given up ground. At some point, somepony had run off to inform the guard... but there was no telling what might happen before they arrived in force. The crowd was beginning to grow restless. Then anger and fear began to overcome common sense... and the crowd began to advance on the little crowd of foals and the single, courageous mare who defended them. From the shadows, Blackedge watched on in silence. He had known there would be trouble on the first day. He had known there would be ponies that would hate them, fear them, perhaps even seek to attack and harm them. He had not known... could not have known, even in his wildest imaginings that a little filly would so easily accept the young larvae. She had shown them no fear, she had shown them no hate. She had only wished to make friends... more. She had called them her friends, even though she had just met them. But even beyond that imagining, even beyond his wildest hopes and dreams... he had not imagined that the little filly's mother would become their champion. Rarely before had he seen such courage. No. That did not do this mare justice. He had only once before seen that courage in any pony. Only one of their kind had so often displayed that indomitable resolve. He had not believed that another mare could possibly possess it, and yet... here it was. She had called the larvae 'foals'. She had treated them as if they were no different than any other pony. Just like her daughter... who had called them Bugponies. Bugpony. That very name split Blackedge's face in the biggest grin he'd ever had in his entire life. It was beyond merely cute, it was charming beyond compare. As if they were no different than the thestrals. It was more than just a nickname or a moniker... it was a statement. A statement that rang all the way to the heavens themselves. Words that Blackedge had never thought he'd hear. "We are not so different after all." Yes. Bugpony. He'd have to make sure, with all of the considerable influence he had in the hive, to make sure that nickname was spread as far and wide as he possibly could. After all, nicknames were things for the familiar... and the familiar was no longer quite so frightening as the strange. For now though, he still needed to see what would happen. This mare had stood and declared nopony would hurt the larvae. Was she prepared to shed the blood of her own kind to do so? Blackedge did not know... but he did know the pale figure that strode past him confidently. He stared at that figure as it stepped out into the harsh light of day without fear. Blackedge had always known Baron Siegfried was powerful, but that he was so powerful that he could stand beneath the naked sun without so much as a single sign of weakness? And what was he going to do out there? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ditzy was getting nervous. Very nervous. The crowd was advancing upon her. She didn't want to hurt them - she never wanted to hurt anypony. But it didn't look like they were going to listen to reason. They were mad and scared and they wanted to strike out at something helpless that was also part of the thing that scared them. Ditzy tensed her muscles, ready to lash out at the first of the angry ponies who would get close... And then a massive rush of wind ruffled every last one of her feathers - as a pale blue coated pony with batlike wings and a dashing red cape landed down next to her. His eyes were... an absolutely gorgeous purple-red that seemed to refract the light of the sun like little crystals. The crowd stepped back from him all at once, as if simultaneously recoiling in fear... when Ditzy noticed his mouth had a pair of sharp, wicked looking fangs hanging from his upper teeth as he grinned fearlessly. Ditzy's mind raced, as she stared in disbelief at the impossibly handsome looking stallion. Vampony! her mind exclaimed. Ditzy might have been afraid... if it wasn't obvious that his piercing stare was driving back the crowd of ponies who had been about to attack her. He spoke in a soft, elegant and refined voice. "Do not fear, brave one... I swear by my name, I shall not allow this rabble to harm your child." He turned a gentle sort of smile on her, marred only a little by the fangs that hung over his lower lip. His words rippled with a powerful truth.. and Ditzy knew bone and blood deep that when this stallion gave his word, he would keep it. Ditzy felt a rush of pleasure through her - and returned the smile. Sure, he was a little scary... but he was scary on her side. "Thank you...." Ditzy hesitated, not knowing his name, and wondering why it was so important for her to know. What was it about this stallion that made her tongue tie up and make her want to blush all of a sudden? The vampony stallion chuckled. "I am called Baron Siegfried, brave one. Stay with the children - I shall handle these fools." His first words were soft - and his last as hard as stone, as he advanced menacingly upon the crowd, his bright red cape catching a non-existent breeze and seeming to take on a life of his own as he walked....