The Disarray Trilogy Part 1: Of Harmony and Chaos

by Ink Blotch

Chapter 6: In Between A Roc and A Hard Place

        The Everfree forest was brightly lit by the summer sun but Twilight Sparkle was still nervous of her surroundings. Behind her her friends Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie followed closely. Fluttershy seemed to be on alert but often would marvel at the plant life they would pass. Applejack lead closely to Twilight with wings upright and conviction on her face, her wings shining in the sunlight. Pinkie Pie happily bounced along at her own pace continually trying to start conversation.

“So what do you guys think the Princess is doing right now? Ooh! I bet that’s she's at Discords super secret hideout right now! I would also bet a week’s worth of pie that she's got Discords list of spells to control Silver Lining and his brothers! I wonder what she will do to them afterwards? I bet that she will have them live in Ponyville with us but then they would need a place to stay and I don’t think that they would want to stay in that smelly cell. Where are they going to the bathroom? Ooh! I know they could stay with me! No that wouldn’t work Mr. and Mrs. Cake don’t have enough room for three more ponies since Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake arrived. Ok. Silver Lining can live with me and sleep on the ceiling, Monarch can live in Twilight’s basement and I don’t care where Mr. Poo Poo attitude lives. Well I suppose that isn’t very nice of me I guess I sho-”

“PINKIE!” Applejack and Twilight yelled in unison.

“Listen sugarcube it’s nice and all that you are so kind to those varmints Celestia knows somepony needs too. But can we jus focus on the goal on hoof?” Asked Applejack

Twilight nodded in agreement “I agree AJ and besides I doubt that Celestia would let those three run wild in Equestria. Especially not in my basement. She will probably banish them or lock them in a dungeon or something like that.”

“Oh well…” Fluttershy stammered. “You said that about me when I ‘borrowed’ Fillamina but the princess was forgiving.”

“True but you were actually innocent and were only trying to help, these ponies they are just…just…”

“Music!” Exclaimed Pinkie.

“Uhh… not exactly the words I would choose Pinkie Pie…”

“No silly listen.”

Twilight listened carefully and heard the soft sound of a song somewhere. “It must be Sweetie’s radio.”
The four ponies walked towards the music and steadily the volume grew and Twilight could hear nearby “…Everypony just have a good! And we gone make you lose your mind!”

When she recognized the song Pinkie happily said “Ooh, this is my jam!” and she hopped off to the source of the music.

When Pinkie was far enough away Applejack lowered her voice and asked Twilight “Why did you have her tag along? Not that I mind her but she can’t really help can she?”

Twilight sighed and replied “Well… I don’t trust her anywhere near Silver Lining. I don’t know what it is but she thinks that they are friends. She already let him out once I don’t want to let it happen again.”

Applejack thought back to Pinkie kissing Silver’s forehead and the look he had had afterwards. “What if Twilight and this is only hypothetical. But what if Silver Lining had… ‘Feelings’ fer Pinkie?”

Twilight squinted her eyes at Applejack “Applejack you are a horrible liar. I know this isn’t a hypothetical question but what makes you ask?”

Applejack thought quickly but found an excuse. “Well Rage told Silver that he knew how to pick ‘em when Pinkie yelled at him is all.”

Applejack’s eyes shifted from side to side as Twilight continued to stare at her sensing that her friend was still being dishonest. “I guess that both are going to have a difficult time leaving each other.”

Twilight trotted after Pinkie wondering what Applejack could possibly be hiding but had to push that thought aside when she came to a clearing where she found Pinkie dancing to the radio of Sweetie’s boom box and buckets and berries scattered on the ground. Twilight turned off the boom box despite Pinkie’s pleas and then she focused on the buckets. After inspection she found one with red hair matching Applebloom’s mane caught on it. “This is perfect” She thought to herself. Twilight focused on the hair not letting any thoughts pass by. Finally after a few moments her horn began to glow and like a compass pointed Twilights head in a direction deeper into the forest.

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Spike could not see but he did not need to for what he had to do. He breathed deeply into his nose and breathed out his mouth a small jet of green flame. The gag over his mouth burnt and fell off of his face.
Tied in the same rope back to back to Spike Rarity spat out her half of the gag.

“Eww! What did they use as a gag? A fish?” Rarity spat a little more in an attempt to get the taste out of her mouth. “Well Spikey I am at a loss do you have any ideas on how we could get ourselves loose?”

Spike replied “Uhm… Couldn’t you just use magic?”

Rarity felt herself blush “Oh yes of course.” Rarity focused on her blindfold but nothing happened. Again she tried but only strained herself. It then dawned on her what must have happened. “Sorry Spikey but they got Twilights training belt on me. I can't use any magic if it was still set for Monarch’s level.”

“Does that mean we’re stuck here?”

“Well I think that it is safe to assume that Angel, Owloysius, Scootaloo and Sweetie are locked in the basement so I am afraid so until help arrives…”

“Aw man Twilight is going to be so mad when she comes back and finds out…”

“Lets not worry about the future Spike for now lets focus on the present and be thankful that nopony has been hurt... I hope.

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Before too long Twilight Sparkle and friends could see where the roc’s nest was. After walking in the direction of Twilights horn avoiding poison joke and beasts along the way they saw a large plateau that rose over the forest. Twilight had predicted that the plateau was roughly one hundred feet tall and fifty feet long. When they got to the base of the plateau Twilight and Applejack began to climb the mountain to retrieve Applebloom and Zecora They hoped the Roc would be preoccupied or asleep. Meanwhile at the bottom Pinkie and Fluttershy waited in case they were needed. Applejack flew most of the way up testing her new wings while Twilight teleported from ledge to ledge trying to conserve magic as she could. They remained quiet for most of the climb focusing on the mission. The only time they spoke to each other was near the top where they could hear the breaths of the roc. Applejack landed on a ledge next to Twilight. The ledge was about twenty feet from the top all it would take from the girls would be to climb up and get their friends. But if the roc saw them everything would be over.

“Applejack lets go over our plan one more time.” Twilight whispered. Applejack nodded her approval.
“Ok it’s nearly sundown so we don’t have much time. When we get up there the roc will most likely be watching her eggs but we will still need to be as quiet as possible to save Applebloom and Zecora. Once we get to them glide back down with Applebloom to Pinkie and Fluttershy. I will teleport as far as I can back down with Zecora but we will have to walk the rest of the way. Don’t wait for us get back to Ponyville we will make it back on our own. Ok are you ready?”

“As ready as ah ever will be.” Applejack said.

Both ponies began to climb over the final ledge and once they reached the top both saw the roc. She was as big as a house and her feathers were bigger than doors. Her body was a dark red and her head was black. She sat paying close attention to two large eggs the size of Big Macintosh. Behind her by her tail feathers was a hole in the ground that looked like it had been dug by talons. Twilight motioned to the hole and Applejack nodded in agreement. Both girls pulled themselves up over the ledge silently and slowly moved towards the roc staying in the shadows.

*SNAP*

Twilight inhaled sharply as she stepped on something. Applejack tensed and watched the roc. It had heard nothing. Twilight breathed out and looked down to avoid more sticks. She had to hold herself from vomiting. She had stepped on the femur bone of what had once been a pony. The bones were stripped free of meat but brown fur stained red littered the ground. From the bone she had stepped on marrow oozed out. These bones were fresh; they were what was left of Caramel. Twilight forced herself to look away holding her stomach. She continued onwards watching for more piles of bones.

 Almost there the sun was nearly down and the roc yawned but kept its watch on its eggs. Finally Twilight and Applejack made it to the hole. Both of them looked down into the hole and saw that ten feet below Zecora lay with Applebloom hiding her face in Zecora’s fur. Applejack began to weep with joy but remained silent. Tears rolled down her face and fell down into the hole and fell onto Zecora’s face. The Zebra looked up and her facial expression of fear and sorrow turned to one of joy and hope. She whispered something into Applebloom’s ear the small yellow filly looked up and saw her sister.

“APPLEJA-!” Zecora quickly covered Appleblooms face her hooves.

The roc’s head perked up to the sound that her prey had made. She turned her head and saw Twilight Sparkle and Applejack. For a moment the roc was stunned by confusion of the new arrivals but a moment was all Twilight needed and with her magic she levitated Zecora and Applebloom out of the hole. All four ponies ran towards the nearest ledge at full speed.

“Applejack GO!” Twilight yelled.

Applejack grabbed Applebloom and leaped off of the ledge.

“Zecora,” Twilight said “Hold onto me!”

The zebra obeyed as the roc screeching a bone rattling caw stamped towards them but by the time it got to them they were gone and teleported halfway down the cliff. From above the roc cawed in anger. Looking off the ledge Twilight saw Applejack with Applebloom in arm glide into the trees of the Everfree forest and disappear.
 Twilight stopped to catch her breath and Zecora put her hoof on her shoulder. “Thank you Twilight my friend. Another moment and I would have met the end.”

Twilight still gasping for breath replied “It *gasp* was no problem *gasp* we couldn’t just leave you two there.” She thought back to Caramels remains. “But we need a place to hide the roc is probably going to search the cliffs for us and I don’t have enough magic to teleport us the rest of the way down.”

“Very well, let's run like hell. When it will get down here I can’t tell.”

Flapping of wings could be heard from overhead and Twilight and Zecora continued to climb down the cliff. Next came the scraping of talons and the crashing of boulders rolling down the plateau. Both Twilight and Zecora were still exposed to the open. All was quiet Twilight continued the path. Still nothing Zecora followed right behind Twilight. Then salvation appeared; a small crack in the wall of the rock room enough for both of them to hide. When they arrived to it they took no haste to going within. Once in they waited and waited. Nothing happened.
“I think that it’s safe to go out now.” Said Twilight. She slowly exited the crack followed by Zecora.

Twilight looked all around but saw nothing. Then she heard something distant at first but soon thundered closer and closer. She looked up and saw a boulder that had been dropped by the roc coming towards her. Twilight shoved Zecora back into the crack but couldn’t make it herself. She had one option. Twilight Sparkle jumped off the cliff.

 The boulder smashed into the ledge where she had just been standing. Zecora was safe, Applejack was reunited with her sister and the princess was sure to hear of the roc and she would take care of it. “Good job Twilight.” She thought to herself.

Twilight closed her eyes and wept as she continued to fall. “I wonder what it will feel like.” She wondered. “Well time to find out”.

Twilight hit a surface. A fluffy, sticky, pink surface. She opened her eyes and looked at herself she was covered in cotton candy and she was floating in midair. “What? How I don’t even…” She thought out loud but was answered with an apologetic voice.

“Sorry it was the first thing I could think of.”

Twilight looked to the source of the voice and saw Silver Lining hovering beside her. Twilights expression of astonishment transformed into an angry one.

“You! What are you doing out here!?”

Silver looked hurt. He had apparently been expecting a thank you not a verbal assault. “I will explain later for now I need to go get your friend from up there. Wanna come?”

Twilight not sure how to react to Silver. She nodded but kept herself alert to anything funny. Silver hooked onto the cotton candy cloud with a hoof and took off for where Zecora was hiding. Once there the Zebra was waiting. “Sparkle you are alive! Who is this young one who helped you survive?”

Twilight was about to answer but was interrupted by Silver. “Silver Lining mam. Pleased to meet you.” The pegasus bowed out of politeness to the much more grateful pony.

Zecora stared at Silver for another moment and said. “You are a strange one indeed. Not a normal pony I plead.”
Both Unicorn and Pegasus gaped at Zecora.

“How did you know?” Asked Twilight

“His aura I do see. It is similar as well as his chi to you and your friends. I also sense something more a presence of ancient lore. Discord and yourself too both exists in this life that is new. But I sense somepony else that I have never known. But for now I would prefer to leave this alone. ”

Twilight continued to gape. Zecora never ceased to amaze her but she must have made a mistake. Who else’s essence could exist in Silver? Celestia and Discord had confirmed that only her and her friends had been used for his experiment. That would mean that the other Disarray brothers would also have a mystery trace of somepony but that didn’t make any sense. It didn’t matter for now all that mattered was their getting out of that place before the roc returned.

Zecora hopped onto the cloud and Silver slowly took them down. Once on the ground both Twilight and Zecora attempted to shake off as much cotton candy as they could to little avail while Silver waited. He had somehow not gotten any cotton candy on himself. After they got most of the candy off Twilight searched the skies but did not see the roc.

“Don’t worry.”Said Silver getting her attention. “Monarch is taking care of the situation.”

Before Twilight could ask an ear piercing screech was heard from above in the roc’s nest and the next moment the roc was flying through the sky with both of its eggs in its talons. Twilight was dumbstruck but even more so when in a flash of orange light both Monarch and rage appeared before her.

“Ok” Said Monarch “we are done here.” And he and his brothers began to walk towards Ponyville.

“Hold on what just happened here!” Twilight exclaimed.

Monarch turned his head back and said “I’ll explain on the way.” and they trotted off again this time followed by Zecora.

Twilight galloped to catch up with them and when she did she angrily asked. “Ok what is it that just happened and why are helping us?”

Monarch gave a slight sneer but his it in his indifferent face.“Pushy Sparkle but I will explain. You see while you were running from the roc it gave me the perfect opportunity to get an upper hoof on things. I teleported Rage and myself up to the top of the plateau and left Silver behind to watch for you and catch you if need be which it was.” Monarch looked to his pegasus brother. “Good work on that by the way.”

Silver smiled “I'm helpful.” trying his best to imitate one of Fluttershy’s smiles.
 
“But anyway we went up there and when the roc returned she found us with her eggs and she was not happy to say the least. But we explained the situation going on in Ponyville about the disappearances of ponies and we asked her to leave and go to Mt. Feathercrest. At first she did not take us seriously but with a little motivation from Rage nudging her eggs closer to the edge of the cliff she saw things our way and is now heading for Mt. Feather Crest as we speak.”

Twilight glared at Monarch “Let me get this straight. You blackmailed a monster into leaving its nest and it understood you? Not only that but it agreed to your terms as well?”

“Twilight you act as if the roc was unintelligent. You should know better than anypony else that it is capable of outsmarting ponies. The blackmail part is true but I don’t believe it would have taken us seriously if we hadn’t and it just would have eaten us.”

Twilight could not argue with the last part of Monarchs logic but was still hasty to lock them up again.

“So come on Twilight.” Said Rage. “Can you at least trust us a little now? I mean all we did was save the asses of you, your friends and everypony else in Ponyville!”

Twilight ignored Rage’s request and instead pressed for more information. “Still how did you get out and past Spike and Rarity?”

“Well we had some help…” Monarch began to explain but was interrupted by three small blurs jumping from the bushes followed by Pinkie, Fluttershy and Applejack.

“There they are Applebloom!”

“Yeah those are the guys we got to come help and rescue you!”

“Wow they are really cool but not as cool as mah sister with wings!”

Twilight understood then how the disarray brothers got out but she still did not understand why they had helped or why they had saved her. The three Cutie Mark Crusaders jabbered on about the disarray brothers and how they had tied up Rarity and Spike so that the brothers could come out and help. They also talked about how Rage was to become the newest honorary cutie mark crusader as soon as he passed an initiation. Twilight kept listening to them talk about the amazing rescue and their new friends as they walked through the forest.

Twilight once again asked herself “But why help us?”

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“This is it?” Celestia asked flipping through the notebook in her hooves.

“I am certain little miss executioner.” Discord responded with every ounce of sarcasm and hatred he could muster.

“Good we will rest here for the night and head back to Canterlot tomorrow morning.” Said Celestia as she poured over the notebook scanning the index until she found what she was looking for.

Self Termination: Page. 15