//------------------------------// // A (Un)desirable intervention // Story: Give me a speck of something that makes sense // by Commander Hot Stuff //------------------------------// The path to Ponyville had been quiet. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy talking about economics as Rarity and Applejack talked about Manehattan. Twilight was strangely quiet all the way. She still wondered how she, a simple unicorn, could have "the spark" needed to activate the elements. She had not, she failed the exam. Rainbow was just a product of her imagination thirsting for a little color. The other three mares were also part of that delusion. Fluttershy had tortured her so that she was imagining things. That was it, she was imagining, she would close her eyes and open them again and see herself in her miserable cell. She opened and closed her eyes only to find Dash's rainbow tail. "I guess I'm not imagining things. What is the way to the castle of two sisters?" The unicorn exasperated, looking at the landscape of hayfields. "We have to go through the Everfree Forest, will not be an easy road. But is necessary that we stay together, Equestria needs it." "Come on, I'll protect you from this evil forest". Fluttershy laughed derisively. "It's just a lot of trees and fog. Nothing scary." "Except for that break rocks, trees with faces, Manticore, sea serpents with fashion sense and broken bridges, this forest has NOTHING scary." Rainbow said calmly. "But you know that no pony entered here never come back, do not you?" Rainbow can not contain herself, was the same sense of dejavu, except for the part that now she knew what they were facing and the other depended on her for that. "It's just an old pony tail." Fluttershy followed Rainbow side-by-side as they entered the forest. "After all, how do you know what's there? You think you're an exception to the rule?" "Just follow me and trust me. We will be at the castle in no time." That seemed to be enough for the others. Fluttershy continued walking, though she had her doubts. Bullies, the association with Gilda, the employment of mercenary. That was her real life. Would be prismatic pegasus just an illusion of her weary head? Applejack and Rarity had stopped talking a long time. The blonde mare had always lived in Manehattan, surrounded by things that did not please her, just lies. How could she be the Element of Honesty? Rainbow would be just an illusion of his sick mind of life in Manehattan? Rarity watched the rainbow tail in front her. Years of loneliness searching for the home way had given her many "imaginary friends". She had never seen a pony with that color scheme, or even in Appleloosa in Ponyville, where she had lived when she was a filly. The other mares had simple color schemes: yellow, light pink, pink and navy blue with purple and pink stripes. But Rainbow, living up to her name, had the all rainbow. Pinkie was the last of the bunch. The pegasus appeared twice at her, and seemed not to care about death. How the shot crossed the pegasus the first time without piercing it? And how could she hug the pegasus then? Was she crazy? The six mares walked to a cliff. "Be careful. This is the rock who breaks that I told you." Rainbow walked with extreme care. "If it breaks, why is this still here? And why is not broke? Sounds like a lie to me." Applejack looked at the pegasus disappointed. "This type of rock does not break very easy." Pinkie Pie replied simply while ponies descended the gorge through the rope that Rarity had bring. Rainbow descended finally, using their own wings like Fluttershy. Why the rock was not broken? That was the test of honesty. But the only thing she heard of Applejack was that she was lying. "Okay, calm down Rainbow, the manticore will appear at any moment, and then Fluttershy will calm the beast with her ​​kindness. Or kicking ass." She looked at the crude and arrogant yellow pegasus. "Definitely kicking ass. Maybe if I did not warn them about the manticore, she will appear." "Now that disclaim the fact that the rocks that break, we will see if there manticoras here". Fluttershy continued walking beside at Rainbow, a wicked and cruel smile on her face. "Shit." Rainbow gulped, she should not have narrated all that she had passed until reaching to the elements. "I see no manticore here. Poor Rainbow, perhaps hunger has let you crazy." Fluttershy scoffed. "No rock breaking, no manticore. Fluttershy memorized everything I said about the forest. And if the trees did Pinkie teach us about the power of laughter at spooky is simple .." The girls went through a lot of trees, all of them "... normal trees." Rainbow finished her thought with a sigh. "Trees with scary faces. Nope." Pinkie Pie laughed derisively. "Are you sure you were not talking about the wrong forest, Rainbow Dash?" "Please, please, be here crazy sea serpent... With the cut mustache and making maximum drama possible." Rainbow wished in silence. But for pegasus misfortune, the river was so calm as possible. She tried her best not to listen to the harsh criticism of Fluttershy. The ponies crossed the river and then the bridge. Fluttershy was about to start mocking Rainbow again when Twilight used her magic to throw a stone in yellow pegasus. "Stop now! I'm sick of it! I know you are here for the house, nothing more. Maybe Rainbow has traversed the forest alone and was really dangerous when she did, then SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!" The purple unicorn snorted. "We are here because we want Equestria again be as it was before Nightmare Moon. Because we believe in Rainbow Dash and believe she has the key to solve this. At least I believe. If I knew a spell to close your mouth for a few hours, I'd use it now." "Well, we're here. And now?" Applejack looked at Rainbow. "The elements are inside the castle, we took them and try to break them so they become necklaces and crown. That's where your 'spark' comes, Twi. To activate the elements when we are face to face with Nightmare Moon." "That no making sense, darling. Even if these stones may become beautiful necklaces and crown, why break them if they are going to free Equestria from the tyrant princess?" Rainbow was about to respond when a loud and well-known laugh was heard. "It's just what I need now..." Rainbow snorted in anger. "Show yourself, Discord. I do not have time for that now." "Reluctant and impatient Rainbow Dash, these are ways to treat an old friend? Not introduce me to your new friends?" Discord chuckled in amusement. "You forgot to mention the weird guy there." Fluttershy smiled in amusement as well. "I'm Fluttershy, Mr.Discord. It's really nice to meet someone not pathetic here." "Ok, let's get back to business." Rainbow exasperated. "Stop being so grumpy, Rainy. I have not yet presented to the others. " "You know who they are, they know your name, end of story." "Fascinating story. But you skipped some parts. Starting with the fact that we gathered here five ponies so different for the others: a cellist, a scientist, an unemployed, a mercenary, a farmer and a great liar." "Wait, you counted six ponies. Applejack objected. I'm the cellist, Pinkie is the farmer, Fluttershy is the mercenary, Twilight is the scientist. So Rainbow is the big liar!" "So wise, Applejack. Tell Uncle Discord here, which was the first time you've seen this pony?" Discord pointed to Rainbow Dash. "She tried to steal one of my stones!" Pinkie Pie screamed in accusation. "I tried killed her with my .38, but the shot passed through without hurting her and then she came back with these four here." "She put this crazy pony to invade my apartment! In an armor!" "She appeared in Appleloosa saying she wanted to see me." "She comes from an Equestria where everything is perfect and bright, There are apple trees everywhere. Applejack is a very happy farmer, Pinkie Pie is a party planner extremely happy, Rarity is a happy and successful fashionista, Fluttershy cares for animals and is happy, sweet and shy. And then there's Twilight, an alicorn princess." Discord lay on the elements. "But Rainbow is a cranky pony. She does not like her friends to be happy and successful as she is a mere pony kicking clouds as a profession. So she decided to come to laugh at the misfortune of yours and become a great hero." "Something told me that I was actually imagining things." Fluttershy walked to the door of the castle. "Gilda must be wondering where I am, at least she's a good friend since we were for each other in flight school." "Not! Wait, Fluttershy." Rainbow yelled, but it was too late. Fluttershy already flew to the eternal night sky.   "I'm going back to Manehattan, at least I have a career there." Applejack came out soon after. "Waste of time trying to follow such a fanciful thing as a pony rainbow, I'll try to control this naive side of my mind the next time." Pinkamena left the room without looking back. "Hopefully there is somewhere for me in Ponyville. I can start my own business. Goodbye, darling Twilight. Goodbye, wise ruffians. And goodbye, big liar." Rarity left the castle. You are also free to go if you want, Twilight. I will try to defeat Nightmare Moon with my loyalty, though I know it will be useless. Rainbow sighed and flew to the elements." "I'"m with you, Rainbow. I will not leave you now. You trust me, I trust you. Let's defeat Nightmare Night together." Rainbow smiled and hugged Twilight. She knew that some part of her Twilight was there. The part that was ready to face any challenge, to fight for friendship, and the part that wanted to make Equestria a better place. "Let me just alert you, Miss Twilight, when things get horrible for you, this pony will fly with these beautiful babies." Discord turned the globe into a crystal ball. "I do not trust you, Discord." Twilight looked at the crystal ball. "I'll give you a reason to trust." Discord activated the crystal ball, showing a labyrinth. "You see, I made a little game in her world with her and the happy version of you. When it got worse, when all that remained for Twilight from that world was you what did you do, Rainbow Dash?" "Discord, we will not bring it up now. We have to go, Twilight." "She is afraid to bring it up. Twilight Sparkle, you can imagine why?" Discord slid the claw through crystal ball, the image of the other hopeful Twilight losing all hope to see Rainbow fly out of the labyrinth shocked her. "Y-you did it? You just flew by and left her there? You abandoned her? I thought I was with someone loyal. What the hell element of loyalty you say you are, huh?" Twilight turned and trotted to the door of the castle, leaving without looking back. "Your ... you! You saw what you did? I was so close." Rainbow glared at the draconequus. "No more jokes, Rainbow Dash, this is not your place. Here is the Equestria that you never existed. Luna thought maybe you'd feel better saving the country, but I personally think this has gone too far." "I hate you." "I know you do." "What did you do with Luna?" "I asked to take the reins of your crazy and weird dream. Tell me, since when you have this obsession for being the star of the show? Did you still not understand what is your part?" "You do not see that I was going to help them?" "They were not your friends, Rainbow Dash. Your friends are now waking up from a terrible nightmare in which they were the exact opposite of what they are." "You sent my dream for them?" "No, Luna did, I simply just cut the connection and now they are waking up." "What do you mean, those were not my friends?" "You see, the universe is full of fragments, or small universes. Luna just brought you to the hopeless Equestria. Here the ponies live night after night, or better, survive. Many do not know what living is. When you managed to make you real here, you did it for one reason: you want to be the hope of this land. But here there is no hope." "Hope?" "Yes, this is your true element. Elements of Harmony are not Laughter, Kindness, Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty, and Magic. Were just names that were Celestia and Luna invented for them." "Really?" "Well, think with me, since when these elements bring harmony really talking about? The true elements really bring harmony to Equestria and keeps in harmony every day. You, my dear Rainbow, is the Hope. Fluttershy represents Love, Pinkie Pie is Innocence, Applejack is Strength, Rarity is Tolerance and Twilight is Logic." "It makes much more sense ..." "In the labyrinth, I do not invert loyalty, honesty, generosity, kindness and laughter. I drew strength from Applejack so she clung on lies. I took the innocence of Pinkie Pie and she saw how the world is not pink. I took the love of Fluttershy and then she saw no sense to be the doormat that she had always been. I took the tolerance of Rarity and then she grabbed the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, and would not tolerate anyone near him. Intolerance and jealousy walk together, you know?" "You did not say about me or Twilight." "True, I could not take the Hope from you. It simply was not possible because your hope it was not to yourself, but for others. That's why they put you as a leader so easily. Not that I'm saying that you have no skill, you have. But look at you, your mane and tail are different from any other pony. They are rainbow and rainbow represents hope and happiness, it comes after the rain. So I had to resort to fake element and it worked. When you flew out of the labyrinth, you take with you all the hope, you was no longer hope of Twilight, and was so frustrated that she finally got tired of fighting the lack of logic and adhered my chaos." "What about the other small universes?" "This does not concern you. It's time to wake up, Element of Hope." Discord disappeared and Rainbow Dash opened her eyes. She was no longer the strange Equestria of her dreams. She was at home. Was she... surrounded? Big hugs involved her, she could feel the smell of cotton candy from Pinkie's mane, the soft silk of Rarity's pajama, the smell of parchment and ink coming from Twilight, Applejack's strong hooves almost crushed her and finally that sweet smell. That smell she always felt after being involved in a fight with Dumbbell and Hoops. Fluttershy smell. She never knew define what that smelled is exactly, but smelled like Fluttershy. She had no other definition. Just as she did not have another home or other friends. She had the perfect life, nothing else mattered.