The Code of Harmony

by Lapis-Lazuli and Stitch

Chapter 13 - The Spark

Ditzy was scared, but not quite as much as she'd been a few minutes before. This was familiar now - she remembered, in a way that most of the ponies in this town did not, what had happened the day Discord had escaped. She had done the smart thing that day, once it became clear that things were rapidly spinning out of control. She had collected Dinky and as many other foals as she could, and gotten them all to safety. It had been the only thing she could think to do then, and right now she wished she could do the same.

But the appearance of the washed-out ponies, the weird colors, and that familiar and strange pony under the white robe gave Ditzy a way to process things. This was another, if much lesser, attack by the forces of Chaos. That meant it could be fought and it could be beaten. Of course, the fact that the ruckus was now attracting more attention from outside was probably going to make that a lot harder. What had started as a smallish crowd was quickly growing into a major incident, as dozens of ponies flocked to the sight of the colorful sounds and explosions.

The madpony and the Baron were still glaring at one another - though maybe the madpony wasn't so much glaring as she was giving him the lazy eye. "Pretty pretty ponies, dancing along the way..." She chanted, doing a little jig as she did so. "What do you think they'll all have to say? I think they'll see it my way, and the slaughter will be gay!" She giggled madly again, at which the Baron's face became far grimmer. "Aw, don't be a sourpuss, grumpy little pony..." The madpony began in a mothering, almost petulant tone...

When a blast of golden energy exploded against the white hooded robe she wore, sending the madpony screeching in panic. Ditzy whipped her head around to see... "Tia!" Her voice exclaimed in bright, happy excitement. The pink-maned unicorn had appeared in front of the gathering crowd, and as if she had fully become a citizen of Ponyville, Spike was riding proudly on her back. Ditzy's heart practically burst with happiness at the sight of her galloping over to her side, a remarkably happy grin on Tia's face. "Thank Harmony you're here!" Ditzy enthused, and Dinky did a little bounce of happiness.

Tia winked at Ditzy, though she did give a startled glance at the knot of changeling larvae behind her, she seemed more focused on the madpony. "Good to see you safe, Ditzy." Tia said in a gentle voice... one warm with concern and care. "Stay close. I'll protect you... my friend." her last word was but a whisper, but it was said with a fervency that surprised Ditzy. Tia... what is hurting you so badly? Ditzy thought, wishing that she could reach out to her but.... now was not the time.

The situation was quickly spiraling out of control - Spike had leapt down from Tia's back and was keeping the foals covered from the back and sides, but the crowd of angry ponies was growing progressively larger. Something was going to break soon. Ditzy could feel it. Dinky... be safe. She thought quietly, and flexed her wings. She was ready. Tia was here, and somehow... somehow Ditzy thought that together, they could win.

Tia watched as the Baron slowly backed up, standing beside her as the Chaos sorceress appeared to be trying to decide what to think about her. Tia didn't much care what she thought, so long as it bought her time to try and figure out what to do next. She's powerful. She's reeking with barely controlled Chaos energy, and I can't tell where it's all coming from... Tia's eyes narrowed as she ran through every spell she knew to contain that much Chaos... and unfortunately, it all required her to wield Harmony. Dammit! I don't... I can't...

Tia felt a crushing sense of despair wash over her. It would be only too like Discord to do this to her, if he truly was the beast behind this madness. But what other choice did she have? The madpony's eyes focused as little... and Tia could feel the gathering power, that sick clenching in her gut that told her of some other damnable spell. No other choice. She could not... she would not let Ditzy be hurt. She couldn't let anything bad happen to her... or any of these other good ponies. Tia clenched her eyes shut. Th..th...Dammit, Celestia! Just do it! Tia bit hard down on her lip... unaware, and uncaring if anypony saw her do so.

Th-Th-There is no despair... There is.. L-laugh.... But Tia could not complete the thought. She could not finish the trigger phrase. Her soul ached with pain, but she could not stand the thought of alienating herself from a friend, of having to explain the white light and power of harmony. She could not bear the thought of them looking upon her as anything but... Tia. Colors in maddening hues swarmed around the crazy unicorn's horn... and blasted towards the three of them. No choice, then. Tia then thought, shoving the Baron aside with a strong shoulder, she leapt in front of the blast and pushed all the magic she could stand through her horn, a massive shield of brilliant light extending out and around her...and behind her. I'll have to take it myself!

Tia braced her legs into the ground, and waited for the blow to come. It was a desperate, foolish, stupid act... with the state she was in, there was no telling what a blast of Chaos might do to her. But Tia did not care. A friend was in danger... and if she could not call upon Harmony, she could at the very least save her friend. No matter what it might cost herself. Tia clenched her eyes shut...and was nearly bowled over by a blast of howling winds in front of her.

Tia's eyes flew open to see the pink sparkles of magic slowly floating down around a seemingly towering form, resplendent in a cloak of white fire and a pointed and stiff wizard’s hat. Tia stared in stunned amazement, as deep cracks were dug into the ground around her hooves, forming geometric patterns that brimmed with white fire. A feminine and commanding voice spoke with firm conviction, the head of the pony not turning so much as an inch. "Bravely done, little filly. But this power cannot be opposed by magic alone." she said, and Tia's heart raced.

Tia knew that voice, knew it all too well. "Shield your friends. I shall deal with this foul creature." She continued, and then strode forward, leaving burned hoofprints in the dirt as she walked, geometries etching themselves into the ground before her. She's.... why is she here? Tia thought faintly, but did indeed continue to project the golden, shimmering shield around Ditzy, the foals and the Baron. Whatever reason it is... I must remember to thank her. A debt that she already owed grew heavier upon Tia's shoulders.

The caped mare strode boldly forward towards and into the crowd, and the light of Harmony followed after her.

Things were not proceeding according to the plan. What was the plan again anyway? Oh right, cause violence, create chaos. That had seemed so easy! All these stupid little ponies wandering around all the stupid little changelings, like they were all stepping on eggshells. Or maybe coconut shells. Screwball was never really sure which one it was. Maybe coconut egg shells. That was a good one, and made her giggle a little.

Then the big meanie headed vampony had gotten in her way - and now it looked like all she was going to be able to do was cause some chaos. Maybe not even that, if this stupid bitch decided to try and stop her. Screwball decided pretty quickly that the time for fooling around was probably over. Which was a shame, she had so many fun songs and rhymes to make and it didn't look like anypony wanted to hear them!

That was sad. Her rhymes and poems were the absolute bestest! Or so Daddy kept telling her. Oh well. If the stupid little ponies didn't want to play nice, then they'd have to play mean instead. Then she'd have to get the hay out of here, before one of the stupid and mean ponies decided to hurt her. Hurting wasn't any fun when it was you that was hurting! So first thing was first. "Looks like we got ourselves a party going here! Well, parties aren't any fun if everypony isn't playing!" She squealed out happily and let off a massive burst of Daddy's energy.

Just like it always did, the use of His energy made her want to dance and sing, and so she did! Why should she give a hoot what other ponies thought of her as she cavorted about madly, singing some kind of random song she'd heard once. Something about smiling. It made her feel good to sing, and it made her feel even better to know other ponies were going to join in her fun!

Sure enough, these poor stupid ponies started wising up - wild, angry grins forming on their faces. Party faces! Screwball grinned herself and wiggled her hooves spookily at the advancing mare in the cape. "Nyeh Nyeh! Guess you're just gonna hafta party without me!!" She cooed - the caped mare glaring at her in anger as the now truly epic sized mob began to advance in mindless anger. This ought to be enough violence to put this whole thing in the kibosh! Then Daddy could get back to his plans instead of having them get mucked up by these stupid little ponies.

So Screwball turned to move away... only to come face to face with another stupid pony in a stupid hat and a stupid cape...and then realized, about a second too late, that she was surrounded by stupid... stupid... Harmony. The voice of this new pony was smug, and that made Screwball angry... but she was scared too, because she knew that voice - and had reasons to be scared of it. "Trixie does not think it is time for you to leave the party yet." She growled out, as a shining cage of white light and power sprung up around the Madpony.

Screwball needed to run. She hated being trapped, hated being shoved into cages, hated it hated it hated it hated it hated ithatedithatedithatedithatedithatedithatedithatedit hatedithatedithatedithatedithatedithatedit hatedithatedithatedithatedithatedithatedithatedithatedithatedithatedithatedithatedit!!!!!!!

Screwball screamed, and Chaos exploded out of her horn- uncontrolled and unhindered

Trixie's eyes went wide as her cage exploded in light, sound and impossible shapes. Her teeth gritted as the sheer force of power pushed her back several inches, her hooves digging into the dirt around her as the mob of ponies began to swarm in on whoever the buck was standing in the town square. Trixie didn't exactly have time to worry about that right now, as the power within her cage pressed up into the walls of it with a screeching of pain and terror that grated at Trixie's ears like claws across a chalkboard.

Trixie wasn't about to let a little temper tantrum break her control, however. This unicorn, whoever the buck she was, had answers Trixie wanted and Trixie was going to get them. Still, perhaps it might be wise to try and stop her before she burst the shield and detonated all of that power right into Trixie's poor, beautiful face. Cant release it in any direction, it'll start corrupting everything it touches! Harmony knows what it might do then... That left only one real solution - Trixie had to knock her out.

She's still a pony. That means she still needs to breathe something. But that wasn't going to be easy to stop...it was, however, her best choice given how much force her Harmony magic was getting in the teeth right now. Trixie hated this kind of villain, they were always making her work far harder than she'd intended to work that day! She snarled silently as he horn lit with the cerulean magic she wielded... funny, she'd never heard of a unicorn's magical aura changing before, but whatever. Details.

Trixie wove the shield as tightly as she could, focusing it around the cage of harmony and sealing it to the ground. She was an illusionist, dammit! Not a shield expert! She was still getting pretty good at the damn things, anyway. Necessity is the mother of all personal achievement, and when you'd had as many changeling energy bolts thrown at you as she had - not to mention the... other things they could wield... you learned how to build a pretty tight shield, pretty dang quickly.

Still, it was going to take time for that crazy mare to pass out. So Trixie pulled as much power as she could - the blazing white cloak of Harmony slowly settling over her shoulders and her teeth grinding against one another. You won't get away this time... I'm going to find out who hurt Shadow Song... and then... Then you and everypony like you will find out why I am the Great and Powerful Trixie!

It was all quickly falling into chaos, but the mare in the cape was used to that. She'd survived through more than most knew in her lifetime before Canterlot... and life in the big city had not been nearly as peaceful as her husband thought. The changeling attack had actually been rather refreshing - a chance, after so many years, to really cut loose. A chance she was being given today too, and it put a slow smile across her face. Chaos-touched ponies could not be reasoned with, and could not be dissuaded from their course without violence.

That would cause problems later, of course, but the mare in the cape figured that was a job for the politicians. She wasn't involved in that any longer. She had her own life, her own issues to sort out now... but that didn't mean she was going to let those young fillies get hurt. They just wanted to protect the foals, even if they were Changeling foals. It was admirable - pure, undiluted, and unquestioning Harmony. It flowed off the grey mailmare and the white unicorn with the baby dragon. It... connected them.

For a brief moment, the mare in the cape paused. There was a connection there, one that could... just maybe... end this whole situation. But it wasn't strong enough yet, and she knew neither of them well enough to try and bring it out. She shook her head sadly, even as the crazed looking ponies swarmed around her. There was no time for subtlety any longer, she would have to do this the hard way.

A single crazed looking earth pony swung his heavy hooves at her midsection, and found naught but air as the mare in the cape twisted around the blow like a ferret and let loose a powerful stun bolt right into his chest. The strike sent him sprawling unconscious into the streets, and then the brawl began in earnest. It was exhilarating to be back in combat like this - to dodge deadly blows and counter attack with pin-point precision. She whirled her body, lithe as an acrobat across this grim stage of blood and combat.

Luckily, she did not have to get lethal. This sorceress, whoever she was, was an amateur... or at the least, she was not so insane as to drive these poor ponies to the point where they utterly forgot themselves. The blows she dodged would be painful, but not lethal. But that blast of Chaos she was winding up might change that, if... whoever it was over there couldn't keep her locked down long enough for the mare to intervene.

Whoever that unicorn is, she's pretty good. Not very subtle, but she's got potential to spare. It was a pleasing thought to know that even in this age when a Dissonance Queen had seized the throne of the Moon, there were knights of Harmony who still rode forth to rout the foe. That the Queen in question was... well... her only made it worse. Do not think such thoughts. She considered idly, as she leveled another barrage of stun bolts and wondered how many bucking ponies she'd knocked out at this point. She is not gone forever... Shining Armor is with her. Hold hope fast in your heart.

For a moment, the attack slowed... and the mare in the cape felt her breathing heavy with exertion, but said nothing. She was not out of shape, per se... but she wasn't quite the lean and impossibly trained agent she'd been all those years ago. But this wasn't natural. Chaos-touched didn't show tactics or fear until they were all gone, but... The mare whirled, and realized her mistake. They were going for the foals, and while the young unicorn had a prodigious talent, there wasn't much you could do against two hundred hooves smashing up against your shield when they were laced with Chaos magic.

The mare galloped towards the mob, hoping against hope that she would not be too late...

Tia was crying.

The tears were running in rivulets down her cheeks as she felt her shield buckling and faltering under repeated, unceasing blows. There was only so much stress a given shield could take, and she was quickly reaching that upper limit. The Baron had bared his fangs and snarled - obviously ready to rip the crowd to shreds, but that was the absolute last thing Tia wanted. It had become painfully clear the purpose of this whole attack now... the Chaos mage sought to create an incident which might very well touch off a massive counter-revolution. Violence in the streets! Pony foal killed or injured in association with changelings!

It would be a nightmare the likes of which Tia had not dealt with since the first Crusade. There would be mobs in the streets on both sides of the conflict. Things would quickly grow completely out of hoof - Twilight herself would likely intervene... and with the incredible power she now wielded, it was not likely that Luna would be able to keep her from doing something very bad. At which point... well... the chaos involved would likely be so strong that even the most powerful wards would not be able to contain Discord any longer.

Ditzy was under her shoulder as Tia's strength began to buckle. She was going to fail Ditzy, she was going to fail Dinky, and she was going to fail every other pony that had come to trust her. Why? Why was she so weak that she could not even protect a handful of ponies? Her hooves began to give out on her, but she would not relinquish the shield. "Tia, please!" Ditzy plead in a desperate voice. "It's okay... You've done everything you could... Please don't hurt yourself like this." she continued in a sad, soft voice. No.. I have no done everything I could, Ditzy... Tia thought sadly. So now I must lose everything. Again. Tia sucked in a deep breath... There is no death... she whispered in her mind, and the faint spark of Harmony came to her...

Tia would later call the moment a miracle. There was no other word for what happened then, when Fate itself took pity on Celestia Solaris. Her shield buckled and broke, and for a brief moment it looked as though the Baron would shed the blood of countless innocents upon the streets of Ponyville... until his nose smacked headlong into a brand new shield of bright purple energy - one that pulsed and thumped with some kind of unheard rhythm. The shield seemed to mock the blows of the enraged ponies upon it. Tia started at it in disbelief wondering why she could faintly hear some kind of warbling and hard-pumping music, and then turned to see the pure-white coat of another unicorn... one who wore rather colorful shades.

"Vinyl."

Tia whispered softly, and felt a thrill soar through her heart - one that grew as a mint-green coated unicorn appeared on her other side, and a shield of shimmering golden power joined Vinyl's. "Lyra!" Tia heard Ditzy yell ecstatically, and the crazy green unicorn winked cheekily at them both. Tia craned her neck to look up - and saw Cloud Chaser carrying Bon Bon under her belly. A very pissed off, very aggressive looking Bon Bon who was chewing mightily on some kind of caramel.

Tia felt her other hoof give out... only to have her body propped up by Cheerilee, who turned and barked in a stentorian voice at Ditzy. "I'll take care of her!" Ditzy nodded firmly, and those bright golden eyes narrowed in anger at the crowd of maddened ponies around them. The shield rippled around the group of ponies and formed a small hole in the very top... which Ditzy soared up through to join Chaser. Tia stared up at the trio, as Cheerilee murmured into Tia's ear. "Stop. Don't try to cast any magic, your body is exhausted... Spike!" She commanded the young purple dragon, who looked like he was trying to decide what to do. "Take care of the foals!" Cheerilee finished, and Spike nodded quickly - obviously glad for the instruction.

Bon Bon's eyes had discolored, and for just a moment Tia feared she had been Chaos touched too... until Chaser grinned and yelled joyfully into the air. "Hey, you punks!" As one, the chaos-touched ponies looked up in confusion... "Have some CANDY!" Chaser screamed and threw Bon Bon at the crowd at top speed. Bon Bon gave off a mighty battle cry and crashed into the crowd with all the subtlety of a boulder. Followed immediately by the blurry forms of two pegasi who exploded through the crowd of ponies like waves upon the shores.

Tia's mind could only partially process what she was seeing. The even tempered confectioner Bon Bon had become a rock upon which a wave of pony violence dashed itself. Blows rained upon her, and she ignored them as though they were not there - her hooves lashing out in a strange pattern of punches and kicks, some kind of martial art that seemed to combine a remarkable elegance with total, brute strength.

Chaser hit-and-ran and hit again, dodging into and out of the fray with massive beats of her wings. She flowed through the battle like water, and not a single hoof could find purchase upon her. She beat her wings powerfully, and pegasus magic sent gusts of wind, grit and dust into the faces of her foes. The sting of the dirt and gravel into their eyes even gave pause to the chaos-touched ponies...

This was precisely what Ditzy had been waiting for. Her wings were flared and frazzled, as though she had been struck by lightning... and sure enough, she swung the wings around and discharged the static energy of lightning through them. She whirled like a twister - never stopping for longer than a moment or two... and Tia began to see how Ditzy had turned a weakness into strength. She was klutzy, she was un-coordinated... and that made her utterly unpredictable as she moved. There was no telling how she would bob or weave next, her walleyed look providing no hint to her enemies.

Tia stared in frank disbelief as the three ponies laid into the crowd with hoof and wing, followed closely by the mare in the cape. But Tia's eyes could not help but trace to the five ponies that had already so drastically changed her life. Ponies she had known not at all a mere day or two ago, and yet... there they were. Fighting for her. Protecting her. Supporting her. Each to their talents, each to their abilities. They had not questioned the situation, they had not hesitated. They had only seen Tia in danger, and they had acted.

Cheerilee. Vinyl. Chaser. Ditzy. Bon Bon. Lyra.

Though she was only half aware of it - the ground around them was suffusing with Harmonic power... little by little, a haze of white drifted up from the ground around the six ponies. Power surged from one to the other to the other, granting them strength. Sweet Harmony, what is happening? Tia thought faintly, as she felt control slowly slipping from her... Cheerilee had been right, the shield and all of that teleporting she'd been doing had exhausted her power and control. She gripped onto Cheerilee's hooves as her head bowed to the ground. No... I cannot... I cannot lose it... not now. Not when I have gained so much... Dammit! I... Will... HOLD!

Tia's eyes clenched shut, and when she opened them - they glowed with a vibrant white light, with a power that was no longer entirely hers to control. "Cheerilee..." Tia gasped out, desperately trying to rope in the Harmonic power... "I don't..." She whispered softly, desperately clawing at her control over the force - but Harmony was beyond her control now. Something was happening that needed to happen, that was supposed to happen. Fated to happen. "Help!" Tia squeaked out, even as the power grew and grew inside of her.... Surely, Cheerilee would run. Surely, she would hate and fear her. Surely.

But she did not. Cheerilee simply wrapped her hooves harder around Tia' shoulder and neck, and whispered just a few words... the most glorious words Tia had ever heard in all of her life. "I've got you, Tia. No matter what, I've got you..." Something pulsed then, deep inside of Tia's chest. A feeling she'd not felt in centuries beyond counting. A feeling that sifted and flowed until a single word echoed endlessly inside of her mind, a word she wished to crow joyfully up into the heavens. A word that suffused her with hope and joy and light that began to fill up that hollow space inside of her where once the Sun had lived. A word that she never, ever, ever wished to live without, ever again.

Friends.

And a tiny spark of magic lit in her eye.