//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - Smoke and Mirrors // Story: A New Harmony // by Pascoite //------------------------------// A badly repaired wagon sat beside the road from Fillydelphia, its wheels mired in thick mud. Driving rain pelted the aged boards and leaked through myriad cracks and holes, each new crash of thunder bringing stifled squeaks of fear from a pony shivering in the corner. The weathered and broken sign outside proclaimed the occupant to be “GRE T & POW RF L,” but in its current condition, failed to say to whom it referred. Even if it had, it would not have deterred the two stallions with dark, heavy cloaks that were approaching in the night. The pony inside, wearing a sodden, threadbare cape and pointed hat, heard their voices over the wind. “Do you think there might be anything valuable in here?” “Probably not. It looks pretty old. Must be cleaned out already. But we can check.” The door rattled. “It’s locked. Hold on.” A powerful kick struck the hasp and broke it free. Two hooded heads peered in. A flash of lightning momentarily illuminated something blue in the corner. The next flash revealed an impressive array of razor-sharp teeth advancing out the door. Stumbling backwards in horror, the stallions watched as a large dragon burst forth from the wagon, sending splintered wood flying in all directions. They turned and ran without looking back. Had they done so, they would have seen the wyvern shimmer and fade, and the wagon return to its original, if dilapidated, condition. The Great and Powerful (or Enraged and Unstable, as may have been more accurate at that moment) Trixie slammed a hoof against a half-buried wagon wheel in frustration. She realized that she had no practical shelter anymore, and should continue on to Ponyville. She was hoping to pass through without stopping in this of all places, but she no longer had a choice. After several miles’ trek, Trixie finally arrived in town. The few bits left in her coin purse wouldn’t make any headway toward securing a room for the night. She crawled under a picnic table near the town center, and collapsed from exhaustion. -------- Applejack knocked frantically on the library’s door. “Twi! Twi! Git out here, lickety split!” Twilight Sparkle ran from her desk to answer. “What is it? Is somepony hurt?” “Well, I dunno,” Applejack answered. “But she’s back! Trixie’s back! Passed out in the square, like Granny Smith after too much cider!” Twilight ran after Applejack to see, and by then a large crowd had gathered. Most showed genuine concern, but Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity wore scowls. Twilight pushed to the front, ran over to Trixie and lightly shook her. “Trixie? Can you hear me?” Nurse Redheart arrived and worked her way through the crowd. She checked Trixie over briefly and reported, “She’s dehydrated, and it doesn’t look like she’s had anything to eat in the last few days. Can somepony help me get her to the clinic? Applejack, you’re strong…” “No way, no how!” refused Applejack. “After what she did? Ah ain’t puttin’ mahself out fer her!” “Aww, AJ!” chastised Big Macintosh from behind her. “Don’t be like that! You gotta help a pony in need.” She remained unconvinced. “Consarn it!” he roared at her, and lay down so Twilight and Nurse Redheart could hoist Trixie onto his back. -------- When Trixie woke, she saw two ponies watching her: a nurse she didn’t recognize, and a purple unicorn she did. “Twilight!” she spat. “What did you do to me?” Twilight ignored this. “Are you okay, Trixie? You had us worried!” The only response was a glare that nearly took the paint off the wall. Twilight smiled and patted her on the shoulder. Recoiling abruptly, Trixie nearly fell out of bed. She managed an unsteady footing and headed for the door. Nurse Redheart called after her, “Ma’am, you shouldn’t be up!” but Trixie paid her no heed. Twilight caught up with her outside and put a hoof around her shoulder to steady her, saying, “Please, you’re weak. Come to the library and have lunch with me. I’d really like to talk to you.” Trixie gave her a look of sheer revulsion. “Please,” Twilight reiterated, “It would mean a lot to me.” Trixie stopped momentarily, gave a brief nod of assent, and allowed Twilight to lead her. -------- Trixie wolfed down everything Twilight could put in front of her. She was ravenous, and Twilight was happy to help. It was obvious she had fallen on hard times. She was exceedingly thin, had an unkempt mane, and dark circles were well-ingrained under her eyes. When Trixie seemed to be slowing down, Twilight sat down next to her and began to try engaging her in conversation. “I was hoping to get a chance to talk to you again sometime. You’re so good at illusion magic, and I haven’t spent much time on it. I’d love to learn from you!” she said. Trixie mumbled a noncommittal “okay” and took a long drink of water. She eyed Spike warily as he went about his chores, but he seemed disinterested in the whole affair. She drained the glass. “What have you been doing?” continued Twilight. “We hear comments from the occasional traveler about seeing impressive magic shows. It’s from a different city every time! You must be doing well to be so famous.” Her stare fixed on the table in front of her and her teeth clenched, Trixie grudgingly obliged. “I do alright. But the public always wants more. Once you’re already great and powerful, there’s nowhere to go but down.” She didn’t even believe that posturing herself. “Small crowds these days. Can’t afford to fix the wagon. Left it behind.” She paused to chew some more. “Can’t do much real magic anymore. Mostly illusions now. They don’t take as much confidence.” “Well, you can stay here with me!” Twilight offered. “And I’m really sorry about what happened last time you were here.” She failed to see the fire rising in Trixie’s eyes. “My friends took things a little too seriously, and I shouldn’t have let things get out of…” “DON’T YOU DARE PITY ME!” exploded Trixie. “I could handle them fine, but you… you baited me so you could…” She screamed in frustration, and her horn flared to life. The room suddenly filled with wave upon wave of snakes, ankle deep. Twilight shrieked and leapt for the stairs, as Spike peered down from the loft to see what had caused the commotion. Twilight noticed that the snakes were illusions that passed through the furniture, but even with that knowledge, she still couldn’t bring herself to come back down the stairs. As Trixie stomped toward the door, Twilight pleaded with her, “No, Trixie! Please don’t go! I really want to help!” “I don’t need your help!” Trixie retorted. “I don’t need you, I don’t need your friends, and I don’t need this stupid town!” She disappeared in a puff of smoke. Safely out of sight, she made her way to the knoll on the edge of town, where she could see all of Ponyville. She sat down, hidden behind some scrub, and looked out on the town with a loathing glare. “I must say, I share that sentiment,” came a voice from behind her. Trixie turned with a start to see a strange amalgam of creatures. “What are you?” she asked, her voice heavy with annoyance. “Discord,” he proclaimed proudly, striking a regal pose. Silence greeted him. “The dranconequus.” Still nothing. “Surely you’ve heard of me?” “Yes, I remember some talk about that,” she admitted, clearly unimpressed. “I know an illusion when I see one. Where are you really?” “Tucked safely away, alas,” he complained, “but I am not without resources. Believe me when I say I have no more love for this place than you do. And I find several of the residents just as irritating, too. I think we have something to gain from each other.” Trixie snorted her response. “I just want to leave here as soon as I can. Besides, what would I do to them? I can only make illusions.” “Well, what’s wrong with that?” Discord asked. “Why bother with the dog when the bark will do? You underestimate yourself. Most ponies can’t help but believe what they see before their eyes. Even when revealed as a mirage, it can remain surprisingly potent. But here is my gift to you: I can give you the secret ingredient. I know everypony’s weaknesses. And I can give you access to their dreams.” She stared at him, mouth agape. “What will that cost me? I don’t have anything to give…” “Oh, but you do!” he eagerly replied. “You have the means to make them all scurry about in misery. Seeing that would be payment enough.” Trixie waved at him dismissively. “Do it yourself. If you can enter dreams, you don’t need me.” “It’s not that simple,” Discord explained. “I can show them a real place, or an image they already have in mind. I can’t force them to see whatever I choose.” She began to understand. “So, you’ll open the door and tell me what button to push? Then I go in and rummage around in somepony’s head?” He nodded conspiratorially. She considered it, but in the end still hadn’t changed her mind. “You’d make this world bleak for me, too. I’m not ruining my chance to find what little happiness I still can.” “Among the rumors you’d heard about me,” he said, “must have been the little tidbit that I stayed in Ponyville, though I certainly could have gone anywhere I wished. I have no interest in the rest of Equestria. Ponyville is all I want. Go wherever else you please.” Leaving Ponyville and its inhabitants to Discord’s mercy had a nice ring to it. “Count me in,” she said. “Good,” said Discord smugly. “We’ll talk later.” His image slowly faded away. Trixie took some of what he had said to heart. Even knowing something was an illusion didn’t completely nullify its effectiveness. She cast an illusion to relieve her groaning belly and her fatigue. It helped a little. She lay down in the bushes and waited for nightfall. -------- Twilight Sparkle remembered having this dream before. She rarely enjoyed dreams, as she couldn’t help analyzing them and viewing them as scientific phenomena. But she always liked this one. She was in the library, making a checklist of every task for the rest of her life. Everything planned, no surprises, forever! Grocery shopping, three years, two months, and five days from now. Check! Clean the library on the first day of spring, in another twenty-seven years. Check! The list went on forever! No matter how many pages she turned, another always appeared. It was blissful! As she continued cataloging her future, something didn’t look right, though. She could see an image of each event occurring as the pages flipped past. But these weren’t what she had planned. Twilight walked away from town on her way back to school. Her friends all tearfully waved goodbye. She could tell from their expressions that they didn’t expect to see her again. She fought down any feelings of friendship she had for them. It would be easier if she kept her emotions under control, or never even had them in the first place. It involved less risk. It was the logical choice. Intense drought had destroyed most sources of livelihood in Ponyville. Anypony who plied an honest trade had relocated elsewhere in order to provide for her family. The town had fallen into disrepair and was known widely as a hub of criminal activity. Canterlot regarded it with an apprehensive toleration. After all, if somepony stepped too far out of line, at least the royal guard knew where to look. They had struck an uneasy truce, as too many powerful ponies in Canterlot owed favors. The whimsical village that provided Twilight’s happiest memories had become an eyesore and a disgrace. Celestia no longer had any time for her. She was too busy with her own duties, and didn’t even enjoy Twilight’s company anymore. They hadn’t spoken in years. After graduation, Twilight’s career could have led her anywhere, and she couldn’t risk maintaining a relationship that might be strained by distance. Spike grew past adolescence, and left to find a life of his own. As Twilight grew old, he saw her only sparingly in between his ten-year naps, and she hadn’t been welcoming. He woke from a hundred-year sleep to find her long since dead. He missed her terribly, and wondered if she would have felt the same. She had to admit she wouldn't. Twilight worked as an official city sorcerer in a far-flung corner of Equestria, a job for which she had lost all joy. Magic came too automatically now; it lacked any pleasure. Learning existed for its own sake. There was no satisfaction in acquiring it, or any feeling of accomplishment. She delighted in nothing anymore, living alone, and dying alone. She bequeathed her estate to her school, having no friends or family to name as beneficiary. Her funeral was attended only by a few city dignitaries who felt it to be the dutiful thing to do, or who just felt it proper to close out that chapter in local history. -------- Rarity could sense that something wasn’t right with Sweetie Belle. She couldn’t explain it, but her younger sister knew something that would destroy Rarity if it were publicly known. If she didn’t have her image, she was nothing. Sweetie Belle refused to listen to reason. She wouldn’t divulge what information she knew or how she had learned it. Rarity couldn’t take any preemptive action if she didn’t know which rumors to refute. She could feel all of those eyes on her whenever she went out in town. Everypony judging her, snickering behind her back. Why her? She knew all the right ponies, ran in all the right circles. Sweetie Belle had done this on purpose! She was jealous, of course. This was intolerable! She’d have to have a talk with her sister. Rarity found her sister in the Carousel Boutique. She confronted Sweetie Belle, who would admit nothing. Beginning to chase the younger filly around the shop, Rarity flew into a rage. Whenever she closed the distance, Rarity swiped at Sweetie Belle with her hooves, inflicting several superficial wounds. Rarity levitated whatever objects she could find and flung them. A large pair of fabric shears scored a direct hit on the filly’s shoulder, and opened a long gash, knocking her off of her hooves. Pouncing on the downed pony, Rarity connected with a hard kick to the ribs. Sweetie Belle regained her hooves and stumbled up the stairs, deflecting whatever blows she could. She backed into the washroom as Rarity’s horn began to glow. Rarity tore free the large ceramic basin with her magic, and brandished it over her head. The young filly cowered in fear and attempted to shield herself with her forelegs, as Rarity heaved the vessel downward. -------- Fluttershy heard voices coming from outside her cottage. The sound was too intense for a simple conversation. She noticed an unnatural light casting eerie shadows through her windows. Peering timidly over a windowsill, she saw a large mob outside, marked by bright points of unicorn horn-light and flickering torches that played through the trees, washing over wickedly gnarled branches. Most ponies wielded whatever makeshift weapons they could muster: hayforks, sickles, scythes, clubs… A frightened stampede of animals fled before the crowd. Most were creatures unique to the Everfree Forest, but some normal fauna had become entrained in the flow as well. The townsponies struck at them with every opportunity, leaving a trail of wounded and dying beasts along the roadside. Several managed to crawl to the sanctuary that was Fluttershy’s yard, followed by an arm of the mob that had diverted from the roadway to give chase. Fluttershy rushed from her house and protested as loudly as she could manage, but few heard, and none gave her words any consideration. She ran back to the doorway and waved the creatures inside, where their last remaining hope of safety lay. The stragglers were cut down mercilessly. Fluttershy slammed the door and barred it. Out the back window, she could see more and more animals fall victim to the maddened swarm, who were chanting excoriations and seeking retribution for lost crops and livestock. They lit the forest afire when they were unwilling to maintain their pursuit any deeper. The smaller group of raiders had Fluttershy’s cottage surrounded. They beat on the doors and windows, warning that she should surrender and let justice be dispensed. She quailed under the onslaught and curled up against the rear wall. The crush outside had lost what little patience remained, and ignited her home. Within minutes, the conflagration engulfed the entire structure. Tendrils of flame rained down from the rafters, and the cries of panicked animals came from all around Fluttershy. She was paralyzed with fear and could take no action to save herself or her friends. The last few creatures huddled against her as the inferno licked at her coat. She coughed, the smoke and scorching heat searing her lungs. With a loud crack, the roof beams failed, and began to collapse on top of her. -------- Twilight Sparkle awoke with a start. She had a feeling of utter despair, but it took her a moment to piece together the cause. She remembered her dream, that awful dream! As with most dreams, the details had already begun to fade, but it felt strangely poignant. She shuddered as she realized that it contained uncomfortable truths that she had never considered, or at least been able to deceive herself into disregarding. Of course she’d have to leave Ponyville eventually. Of course she’d finish school. Of course Spike… Oh Celestia, Spike! She ran upstairs and found him still snoring in the early dawn light. She bent over him and kissed him lightly on the forehead. “Oh, Spike!” Twilight said softly. “Why didn’t I see it? I should have considered…” She rested her cheek against his and tried to control her sobbing so she wouldn’t disturb him. He stirred lightly, but didn’t wake. She ran down to the kitchen, closed the door, and allowed herself an unrestrained release of sorrow. She curled up on the floor and shook as spasms of emotion wracked her body. Outside, Ditzy Doo was delivering the morning newspapers. She could hear the sounds of a pony in pain inside the library. Lifting a foreleg across her brow to cut the low sun’s glare, she peered in the kitchen window. She gasped and flew around to try the back door, finding it unlocked. Coming into the kitchen, she said gently, “Twilight? Are… are you okay?” Twilight looked up, startled, with red, swollen eyes. “Oh… Hi, Ditzy,” Twilight said, slightly embarrassed, as she walked over to the table and offered her guest a chair. The two ponies rarely had occasion to speak, and didn’t know each other very well. “No, I’m going to lose my best friend, and I should have seen it coming!” She began to cry anew. To herself, she silently added, “And the only way to protect myself would be to wall off my feelings, and cost me all of my other friends.” Ditzy let the minutes pass in silence and made some tea for both of them before taking her seat. Her eyes always crossed when she was deep in thought. Now they came back into focus to stare into her teacup. “You know, most ponies don’t think much of me. My mind wanders – I don’t stay in the moment, and I kind of turn into a klutz. I just find it works better for me if I consider a problem at length before acting on it, so I spend a lot of my time zoned out.” She had Twilight’s attention by now, and the purple pony had calmed down considerably while sipping her tea. “One thing I do know about is friends who aren’t supposed to be together. I love my daughter Dinky more than anything, but nopony thinks we belong as a family. They say we’re mismatched. We don’t care. We make our own rules. We make it work. It’s worth it.” She placed a comforting hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Thanks, Ditzy,” Twilight said. She leaned in and gave Ditzy a quick hug. “I shouldn’t keep you from your rounds, though.” Ditzy laughed derisively. “Oh, nopony will be surprised if I’m late. Are you sure you feel better?” “Yes,” lied Twilight. “But please take a muffin with you.” Ditzy’s eyes lit up. Twilight Sparkle had a newfound respect for the cross-eyed mailpony. As Ditzy flitted past the window, her eyes went out of focus again. Twilight did feel a little better about Spike. She needed to talk to him at some point, but she was afraid to hear his answer. -------- When dawn finally broke, Rarity emerged from a troubled and restless sleep. She sat on the edge of the bed and held her hooves in front of her face. How could she do that to Sweetie Belle? Worse yet, she hadn’t felt detached from the dream, as if watching somepony else, who happened to look like her, commit those acts. She had understood the rage, as if it had been her own. She was shaking as she walked down to Sweetie Belle’s room. She found Sweetie Belle already awake, and she flopped forward onto the bed to place her forelegs around her younger sister’s neck in a tight embrace. She seemed on the verge of tears. “Sweetie Belle, I promise I will never hurt you, I will never do anything to cause you pain!” Sweetie Belle didn’t know how to react. She hugged Rarity back, and squirmed a little under the sheet to reposition her flank, which threatened to become uncovered and expose her cutie mark. It had to remain a secret. Rarity sat up and looked her sister in the eye. “No matter what you or I do, we’re always sisters, and I will always love you. You must know that. We must look out for each other.” She patted Sweetie Belle’s head, sniffled, and left for her washroom to begin her morning routine. Sweetie Belle had no idea what had caused that episode. “Of course we watch out for each other,” she thought. “Why would either of us hurt the other? She almost sounded guilty! What could I have done to make her feel...?” “Oh, Celestia! I thought I had kept it secret! Does she know?” -------- Nopony was around to hear Fluttershy’s muffled squeaks of distress. She went about her morning duties of seeing to her animals, but she was agitated about what she had dreamt. She couldn’t believe that anypony would really treat innocent animals that way. However, she had to admit it was a remote possibility. Monsters from the forest rarely left the protection and concealment of the trees, but sporadic incidents did occur. She couldn’t completely discount the eventuality that a random surge in this activity would invite the townsponies’ ire. All she knew for certain is that she would be caught in the middle. Could she really attend to the injuries of a beast that had hurt a friend, when it may have been acting merely in self-defense? Could she continue to respect a friend who sought revenge against a creature motivated only by fear and hunger? How could somepony weigh her life’s calling against all of the personal relationships she holds dear? Fluttershy was unsure how she would react in those circumstances. The animals wouldn’t understand what was happening. They would need an advocate, but the townsponies could understand reason; surely they would listen to her. She just hoped that would never become necessary. Of course it wouldn’t. There was nothing to worry about. -------- Feeling real mirth for the first time in over a year, Trixie looked down from her vantage point. She had ascended the clock tower on the town hall during the night. It afforded her an excellent view of almost every part of town. Furthermore, nopony ever came up here. She would be undisturbed. She could see Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Fluttershy going about their errands in town. None appeared to be fully engaged in her task. Any foal could see the characteristic signs of unusually heavy crying on Twilight. She stared at the ground, speaking to nopony. Rarity exhibited a thousand-yard stare and nearly stumbled into every possible obstacle. Fluttershy smiled at the small array of animals escorting her, but gave a wide berth to any ponies she encountered, looking concerned for her entourage. Trixie would have preferred to include Rainbow Dash and Applejack among her victims, but Discord had chosen her targets specifically. Perhaps another time. She returned her attention to the town below. She cast a new illusion that she had invented during her long travels. It formed a small rectangle in front of her face, and whatever she saw through it was greatly magnified. She focused it on Fluttershy’s face and imagined pelting her with some manner of projectile. BAM! Rarity. POW! Twilight. BANG! She laughed maniacally, but had to stifle herself with her hooves as a passerby below peered up at the sound. Discord had another mission for her as well, but so far all he would disclose is that she should cast some general illusions of misdirection around the town. It would be amusing to watch the effects, and they may come in useful later. She turned her attention to the market stalls and warped the light so that ponies saw in unexpected directions: around corners, backwards, slanted. They ended up in unintended destinations and unfamiliar surroundings. The shoppers wandered about aimlessly, their confusion growing by the minute, with Trixie taking great delight in guiding them around like puppets. She caught a glimpse of movement, and let her illusions dispel. A cloaked figure was sneaking out of the boutique, skirting the edge of town, and obviously trying to stay hidden. Recasting her magnifier, Trixie focused it on the furtive skulker and recognized her as the pony that Discord had her include in Rarity’s dream. It was Rarity’s younger sister, Sweetie Belle, and she had something to hide. All the better for Trixie; she just had to find out what that secret was. Little did she know how easy it was going to be. “Yes, interesting little filly, isn’t she,” said a smug voice from over Trixie’s shoulder. “Ah, I see,” responded Trixie. “If you think so, then she must be working for you.” “After a fashion,” Discord admitted. “More accurately, I’m working for her.” Trixie returned a blank look. “I don’t get it.” “All in good time. All I need from you now is one little favor. That filly’s stolen a little item of Twilight’s. I’d feel safer with it in your custody. You’ll find it in her dresser. You’ll know it when you see it.” “Okay… a little strange, but I can manage that. What should I do with it?” Trixie asked. “I really don’t care,” said Discord, beginning to fade away. “Just make sure Twilight never sees it again.” -------- Somepony standing in the royal sculpture garden at that moment may have heard faint laughter. “Just two moves left, Celestia, and I still have one piece yet to enter the game! You won’t even be able to put up a fight, and then how will you save your precious Ponyville? I’ll see you yet as a statue in my private collection!”