//------------------------------// // Chapter 147 - Voice // Story: Quest For Harmony // by destinedjagold //------------------------------// “Can you hear me!?” Jay blinked when a familiar voice reached his ears. Mentally apologizing for his brother, he tore his gaze from him and looked back at the portal, where the first thing he was the shining crystal heart being waved by a frantic purple baby dragon, who was standing on a white unicorn stallion. He held his breath when he noticed that Sombra also looked over his shoulder and was probably eyeing the heart as well. His guess was proven true when Spike and Shining Armor gasped and took a step back. “Not good,” he mumbled to himself as he quickly stood up. The crystal heart was suddenly surrounded by a black aura of magic, and started pulling itself towards the portal. Spike was pulled along, but stopped when he bumped behind Shining's neck. Grunting, he tightened his grip on the heart. “Oh no you don't!” Twilight lit up her horn and started pulling the heart back. Sweetie Belle and Shining Armor used their magic as well to pull the heart back. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo looked at each other when Cloud Strike and a few pegasi ponies flew towards the heart, grabbed it, and pulled along. “We need to distract him!” Scootaloo suggested, glaring at the grinning black equine on the other side of the portal. “An' how do ya propose on doin' that?” Apple Bloom asked. Scootaloo looked back at her. “It's a portal, right!?” She looked back at the portal and prepared to run. “So, like, we could just, run through it!” “I-I don't think that's a good idea,” Fluttershy voiced out from where she hid. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo looked back, and saw the pegasus mare's trembling form behind a large stalagmite. They ignored her and looked back at the portal, in time to see several black rays of magic flying through. Shining, out of instinct, immediately casted a protective spell around them, but his barrier wasn't fast enough to shield the few pegasi ponies above who were pulling the heart. The beam struck the pegasi stallions, and shrieked in pain as they fell on top of the unicorns. Losing their magical grasp, the heart floated towards the portal. “Oh no you don't!” Scootaloo shouted and jumped, biting on the heart just before it went through the portal, along with the pegasus. “Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom shouted, and was about to run towards the portal when she heard Fluttershy's shriek. Glancing back, she saw the struck pegasi ponies quickly turning into winged crystal ponies. “What the devil!?” Sombra hovered the heart in front of him, and arched an eyebrow at the nervously smiling pegasus mare. “You leave her alone!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she ran towards the dark equine. With an annoyed grunt, Sombra turned around, waving the heart along, and threw the orange mare towards the yelping cyan pegasus mare. “Oof!” Rainbow gasped as Scootaloo struck her, and pushing her back. “Gah!” Jay immediately leaped towards Sombra, and grabbed the heart with both his hands and started yanking it off of his magical grip. He pulled, and pulled and pulled, but the heart doesn't seem to budge. As he pulled, he glared at the grinning equine, his horn glowing darker and darker, yet it looked brighter and brighter. Suddenly, a loud bang erupted, and the dark equine gasped and winced. Xilfer exhaled, and dropped his hand on the ground. “Useless...and thoughtless...as ever...” he hissed and coughed. ‘At least, this time, I didn't lost count...’ Sombra shook, and knelt down in pain, his magical grip weakening. Finally, Jay pulled the heart, breaking Sombra's magical hold that sent a powerful wave of pain to his horn and head. Jay jumped back, and panted. He looked at Sombra, and then at the heart. ‘Okay...now what...?’ “Jay!” Spike shouted from the portal. He then looked back, and shivered from nervousness as he saw the pegasi and unicorn ponies fighting the crystal flying ponies. He then looked back at Jay. “Wh-what are you waiting for! Use the heart! Finish him off!” “I uh...” Jay looked at Spike, and he couldn't believe that the baby dragon still looked the same even through his human eyes. He kicked the thought away and looked back at Sombra, who was gritting his teeth as he tried to stand back up, and then he looked at the heart. Spike slapped a claw on his face. “You have no idea how to use it, huh?” “Whatever, he's weak!” Scootaloo said as she helped Rainbow Dash up. “We can kick his sorry flank by our own!” She licked her lips and glared at the dark equine, while ignoring the hoof that patted her head. Rainbow chuckled. “I can't believe I missed you, squirt.” She then prepared herself. “But let's save the reunion for later!” She the turned to Jay. “Jay! We'll hold him off! Figure out how to use that freakin' thing!” Rainbow and Scootaloo rushed towards Sombra, who surrounded himself with a barrier. Jay looked at the scene, where the two pegasi struck hoof and hoof at the invisible barrier, only shining and became visible temporarily at each hoof strike. He then looked at his brother, and noticed his shallow breaths. He then looked at Bug, who was busy wrestling with a crystal pony. He then looked at the heart, and simply had no idea how to use it. ‘What to do!?’ He clenched his eyes shut as he gritted his teeth in annoyance. ‘What to do!?’ he asked himself again and again, vaguely hearing Spike's shouts. He kept asking this question to himself while he ran through his thoughts of possible ways to use the heart, but reached nothing. Suddenly, he gasped and opened his eyes when noticed that everything became strangely quiet. He blinked a few times, and found himself in a weird world of stars. “L-Luna?” he called out, hopeful. His voice echoing through the sea of stars. He felt something behind him, and turned. There, a few feet in front of him sat the three alicorn princesses. Luna smiled. “It has been a while.” Jay felt really happy to see them. “Please, you've got to help me!” he pleaded. “I-I don't know how to use the heart!” “Gold Blitz,” Celestia spoke, her voice calm through her smiling lips. “What you hold there on your hooves...er...hands...is a magical artifact that resemb—” “Please!” Jay cut her off. He shook his head. “I...I don't have time for deep words or whatever!” He looked back at them with teary eyes. “Please tell me how to use the heart!” Cadence sighed. “The heart is a magical artifact that reflects the life and light, and more importantly, the will of one's heart.” “If you would just let me finish,” Celestia smiled, “to add what Cadence just said, the Crystal Heart is a symbol of uniting everypony's hearts, empowering it, and—” “Ack!” Jay shouted when Rainbow Dash was flung towards him and hit his face. He was thrown back, and landed dangerously close to the edge of the area. “Whaaa!” Rainbow shrieked as she fell off the edge, only to feel a sharp pain on her tail. Hissing, she looked over her shoulder, and saw Jay grabbed her by the tail. ‘Uniting everypony's hearts...’ Jay grunted as he pulled the pegasus back up. “Aaahhh!!!” Scootaloo shouted as she was helplessly levitated in the air. She couldn't believe how strong Sombra's magic was, that she wasn't able to break free from his grasp. “Leave her alone!” Spike shouted as he jumped out of the portal, wielding a green lance, and struck Sombra's back, but a barrier blocked his attack, and reflecting the force back. “Wah!” He shouted as he was tossed up in the air. Rainbow, after getting back on the flat surface, quickly growled and ran towards Sombra, only to be stopped by a baby dragon landing on her back, the two stumbled on the ground. Rainbow hissed painfully, her wounded wing was struck by the falling dragon.