//------------------------------// // Chapter Seven // Story: Guilt and Hate // by Mindblower //------------------------------// Chapter Seven ******* “Look, are you sure everything’s okay?” Dash asked, glancing around as if an Element of Discord might be hiding behind every bit of foliage. Celestia nodded. “Yes. We were just separated from you for a short time. We thought we heard something; that’s why we were so nervous.” “Um, okay,” Dash said, still slightly wary. “Anyway, I think it’s time to set up camp. Can you help me with that, Pinkie?” “Sure thing!” Pinkie chriped. She and the rest of the group trotted away, with Dash in the lead. However, Applejack stayed behind. “Ya’ll got another thing commin’ to ya if ya think Ah’ll believe that lie,” she said, unimpressed. Celestia smiled slightly. “To be honest, I’m not surprised.” “So what’s on yer minds that makes ya look so nervous?” Applejack asked. Twilight glanced around to make sure nopony was listening. “Deception is playing a mind game with us,” she began. She explained the situation to Applejack. “The worst part,” Twilight said near the end of her story, “is that Deception can possess anypony she wants without killing them.” Celestia looked at Twilight. “Wait, you really believed that?” “Huh?” Twilight asked. Celestia shook her head. “None of the Elements of Discord can fully possess somepony without killing them. My sister and I are exceptions because we’re immortal. Deception lied to our faces, and there’s no telling what other fibs she weaved into that little speech. Anyway, it’s not even a game, because there’s really no way we can win.” Applejack rubbed her forehead. “Ah’d be lyin’ if Ah didn’t say Ah was a might confused. So, what Ah’m gatherin’ from this is that we’re in it deep, huh?” Celestia nodded. “That’s the long and short of it. We can’t tell the others, though; I’m not sure how they’d react.” Twilight shook her head. I was pretty easily fooled there. I’m going to have to be careful. “How’s about we head on back ta camp, then?” Applejack asked. Twilight nodded, rubbing her eyes. “That’s probably a good idea. I’m too tired to think straight right now.” They trotted in the direction their friends had gone. ===================================================================== ******* Night was falling fast over the small base camp that the group had set up with their remaining supplies. Twilight passed out in her sleeping bag soon after arriving. Rarity was busy grooming herself while Applejack set up the tent poles, and Dash and Fluttershy started draping a tarp over their little area. “You’ve got to eat something, Centime,” Scootaloo murmured, offering Centime some freshly-picked blueberries and daisy petals. Centime had been gradually weakening yet refused any food the group offered him, despite their constant attempts. Centime was lying down on his sleeping bag, completely exhausted. “I’m not hungry,” he mumbled weakly. Scootaloo looked at the ground. She finally asked, “...What do I have to do to get you to eat?” Centime took a deep breath, and as he exhaled, he looked up at Scootaloo. “Sing... Sing for me, like mom would at bedtime.” Scootaloo bit her lip, a bit surprised. “Wouldn’t you like Sweetie Belle to sing for you instead?” Centime moved feebly; he was probably shaking his head. “If you don’t sing for me, I won’t eat.” Scootaloo sighed, trying to recall the only song she knew. It was the song she’d sung to Apple Bloom the day before she had found Dash and the others, and it was the song nearest and dearest to her heart. Instead of singing it full blast, though, like she usually did, she toned it down and sung as softly and clearly as she could. “Look, here are three little ponies, ready to sing for this crowd... Listen up, ‘cause here’s our story; I’m gonna sing it very loud... When you’re a younger pony, and your flank is very bare, it feels like the sun’ll never come when you’re cutie mark’s not there...” As she sang, the nearby Sweetie Belle silently cringed as she realized how awfully out-of-tune Scootaloo was. Some things never change, I guess. Even before Scootaloo got to the refrain, Centime said, “Okay, okay... I’ll eat; just stop singing!” Scootaloo’s cheeks flushed, and she said, “Told you Sweetie Belle should have sang.” “You’re just out of practice!” Sweetie Belle stated, trying to stifle laughter. “Yeah, yeah,” Scootaloo said, scratching the back of her neck. “Thanks, though...” Centime trailed off, yawning. He nibbled on the blueberries, but after he realized how hungry he was, he ate more than his fair share of fruits and vegetables, though this relieved the others more than bothered them. Olly was glad to give the foal most of his salad, simply glad that he was actually eating. Finally satisfied, Centime promptly fell asleep. Scootaloo stroked his black mane, watching him breath in and out. It’s hypnotic, she laughed to herself. I like the little colt. I hope I’ll be able to get him home. Meanwhile, Rarity was getting slightly frustrated while trying to make herself presentable. “I knew I should have packed that hairspray,” she muttered. This journey has gotten me in dirtier situations than every other test and trial combined. Why can’t adventures take place somewhere civilized? After setting up the camp, Dash went off into the wilderness to ‘take a breather.’ Applejack was slightly suspicious, but didn’t think very much of it until she realized Dash hadn’t returned after a couple of hours. It’s not like Dash to just go wandering off like that, she thought, so she must have something else on her mind. She walked over to Pinkie, who was trying to set up a fire. “Hey, Pinkie, ya gotta moment?” “Sure thing, Applejack. Whaddaya need?” Pinkie asked with a smile. “Do ya know where Dash went?” Applejack asked. “Nope,” Pinkie answered. She thought for a moment. “Well, she went off somewhere in that direction, um, I think,” Pinkie said, pointing down an old hiking path. “Thanks, partner,” Applejack said, adjusting her hat before trotting off along the path. She walked for about five minutes through the dim and rocky evergreen forest. The sun is going down, she observed. I’d better find Rainbow soon. Applejack heard grunts and splintering wood to her left. She walked toward the noise and found the Element of Loyalty beating away at a tree with her sharp, metal-tipped hooves. “Rainbow Dash? What’re ya doin’ to that defenseless tree?” Applejack asked scornfully. “I’m not in the mood, Applejack,” Dash said, continuing to pound away at the weakened plant. “Ah can see that,” Applejack said, walking over to Dash and gently pulling her away. “What’s on yer mind, sugarcube?” “Look, I just had this conversation with Olly, so you don’t need to repeat any, ‘Oh, you’re useful. Now that we’ve got our powers back, we’ll win for sure!’ talk. I’ve heard way too much of that already,” Dash muttered, rolling her eyes. “Well, there’s never a guarantee that we’ll win,” Applejack admitted. “But’cha know what? Havin’ a bad demeanor ‘bout what we can’t change ain’t gonna get us nowhere. Ah understand yer frustrated, Dash, Ah really do, but save yer energy for Guilt and Hate.” “You have no idea how frustrated I am right now!” Dash yelled, slamming both her hooves against the tree. “It’s like no matter what I do, I’m not worth two bits against Discord!” “Ya think yer useless?” Applejack laughed slightly. “Lookit me. If yer not worth two bits ‘gainst Discord, then Ah’m-” “Already heard it, Applejack,” Dash interrupted. “Olly’s gone over it already. Look, Applejack, I know you’re just as useless as I am. But you haven’t realized your Potential yet, and I have! I can’t get any more powerful than I am right now, and it just isn’t enough!” “Well, Ah can’t say Ah don’t agree,” Applejack admitted. “But why’re ya beatin’ down on yerself? It ain’t gonna git ya nowhere. Jus’ be a lil’ more careful, have a lil’ more patience, and pick fights ya know ya can win. If we work like a team, everythin’ll work out alright.” Dash sighed. “...Okay, Applejack. If you say so.” “Aww, how sweet,” a voice from above the duo taunted. ******* Applejack and Dash looked up to see a unicorn teen with a magenta coat and a white and purple mane. She was grinning smugly while laying in a tree and flipping through a magazine. She looked down upon the group with slitted eyes. “Who’re you?” Dash asked. “You don’t remember me?” the teen asked, disappointed. “I thought I was unforgettable, considering what I did to you and your friends.” “Ya look like one a Apple Bloom’s friends from school,” Applejack observed. “Well, I was Diamond Tiara. Or, at least my body was,” the teen smirked. “Sadly, the poor girl had to donate it to help our cause.” Dash’s blood boiled as she realized who she was talking to. Arrogance. “No particular reason, but thanks for asking,” Arrogance answered, rifling through her magazine. The two opposing sides were in gridlock for a moment or two before Dash finally asked, “Aren’t you going to do something?” “Nah, don’t feel like it,” Arrogance shrugged. “What, does my being here set you on edge? I’m not surprised. Anyway, do whatever you want; I’m just keeping tabs on you, is all. And it’s kinda fun watching you squirm.” Dash was indeed becoming antsy. She beat me to a pulp when she had Celestia’s body, but I’m not sure how powerful she is now. Arrogance smiled upon the increasingly frustrated Dash. “C’mon, Dashie. Make a move. Let’s see how well you stack up against somepony like me.” Dash pawed her front hoof on the ground, but she felt a hoof on her shoulder. “Don’t let this bully get the best a ya,” Applejack warned. She looked up at Arrogance. “Go on. Shoo.” “Hmph,” Arrogance smirked before returning to her reading. “Let’s go,” Applejack said, nudging Dash back along the path and departing the scene. They made it back to camp just as the sun set. “Why’re you back so late?” Scootaloo yawned. “Just straightenin’ things out,” Applejack said, stretching before falling over on her sleeping bag. I’m so sick of this, Dash complained to herself before burying herself in her sheets. When are we finally going to get some payback? ===================================================================== ******* Twilight flinched awake, though she quickly realized she was back in her own dream. The gray, watery atmosphere that characterized it was a relief to see, as was the bundle of runes floating down from above to greet her. “Hey, Twilight! Long time no see,” Verba laughed. “Jeez, Louise, I had a heck of a time getting to you. That Thaumic Incindia is a real pain in the flank.” Twilight smiled for a moment, before realizing something: Ponyville was gone. The entire illusion of the town, which she had dedicated weeks of sleep to creating, had simply vanished. “Wh-Where’s Ponyville?” Verba shook his head sadly, and a couple of runes splintered off from his magical shell. “After Guilt hit you with the antimagic, well, things kind of went screwy in this little world of yours. I figured I might as well get rid of it than have to see what happened to it later on.” “How screwy?” Twilight asked. “Well, at one point, Pinkie’s legs became detached from the rest of her body, but still functioned perfectly. At another, a pony was sitting upright on a bench, which is a little weird. For a couple of hours, everypony became crosseyed, and Ponyville almost blew up. And then there was this weird duck that kept appearing everywhere,” Verba explained. “Anyhoo, it got worse before it would have gotten better, so it’d probably be easier to start from scratch than to try and repair that catastrophe.” Twilight nodded sadly. All that work, just gone in an instant... Oh, well. It’s not like I have much to do in a dream world, anyway. “Hey, before I start, did you see my dream the other night? With all of the water?” Verba nodded gravely. “Yep. And it didn’t look too pretty. I was actually trying to fight my way through the dreamspace to get to you, but something was blocking me, and I’m not sure what. It might have just been the Thaumic Incindia, but it felt more like an Element of Discord. I dunno.” “Speaking of,” Twilight began, “how do you think we’re supposed to beat them? They just disable us and then take us down. What are we supposed to do about that?” Verba scratched the back of his neck, and a couple of green runes fell off it. “Jeez, Louise, Twilight, I don’t have all the answers. I would just suggest you and your friends make a more coordinated effort, s’all. That should probably work out.” “Oh... Okay,” Twilight mumbled. I was hoping for advice a little more specific, but I guess Verba isn’t a five-star general or anything like that. For the rest of her dream, Twilight was busy reconstructing a dream; the dream of having a Ponyville devoid of the tragedies the war had forced upon it. ===================================================================== ******* Later... The group stood at the base of the tallest mountain in Equestria, Mt. Nevercrest. There’s not even a guarantee that this is the right one, Twilight grumbled to herself, beginning the climb. But we might as well get started. I know it’s not a coincidence, though, that Discord dropped us off right at the goal he suggested. It was early in the morning, and thick fog draped over the mountaintop, preventing sight for more than about twenty meters. As the group journeyed upward, they were forced to ponder how they were going to defeat the forces of Discord. It’s inevitable that we’re going to fight, Celestia thought as she trudged up the mountain. When we do, though, I may need to pull out another one of my dangerous bets. I’ve been making too many of those lately. I wish we didn’t have to fight, but it looks like I’m going to have to dirty my hooves once more in Harmony’s name, Rarity thought, carefully scaling Mt. Nevercrest. Something occurred to her. “Princess?” “Celestia,” the sun goddess corrected. “C-Celestia,” Rarity said, “is it possible for the rest of us to realize our Potential a bit, um, sooner?” “Unfortunately, you can only realize your Potential and become true Elements of Harmony when Harmony’s under threat,” Celestia sighed. “It’s very difficult to force a realization without killing many innocent ponies. Even then, Potential is sometimes left unrealized. But that’s besides the point; without your necklaces, it’s impossible anyway.” “That’s rather inconvenient,” Rarity muttered. “Just who decided all this?” “An ancient little saying my mother told me was that without evil, there would be no good, and vice versa,” Celestia explained. “The Elements of Discord have limitations, too. The biggest one is that Vengeance can’t inhabit an unwilling host.” “What do you mean by, ‘unwilling?’” Twilight asked. “I’ve heard you say it before.” “A host that’s alive can fend off Vengeance easily, and Vengeance can’t possess a dead pony like all of the other Elements can,” Celestia continued. “However, Deception can still trick a pony into willingness.” “How?” Dash asked. “I can’t really say,” Celestia admitted. “It’s different each time. Deception is the most unpredictable of the Elements of Discord. I might even go as far as saying she’s more bizarre than Discord himself.” Dash pondered this. Hmm... It looks like we really have our work cut out for us if Deception is really as dangerous and unpredictable as Celestia’s saying. They continued. Centime was still too weak to walk the entire time, so he alternated between hopping along on hoof and taking naps on Scootaloo’s back. “Why do you like me so much, Centime?” Scootaloo asked Centime while the foal was snoozing between her wings. “Why not Fluttershy or Rarity?” Centime shrugged. “You... You remind me of...” he trailed off. Suddenly antsy, he hopped off of Scootaloo’s back. Huh? Scootaloo thought. “What’s wrong?” Centime bit his lip. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Scootaloo lowered her voice so that nopony else could hear and said to Centime, “We can’t afford to keep secrets on this adventure. Why are you so nervous all of a sudden?” “Promise you won’t laugh,” Centime said. “Promise,” Scootaloo assured. “Better make that a Pinkie Pie promise!” Pinkie chirped, bounding merrily past them to the front of the group. Scootaloo recited the oath Pinkie coined, carefully avoiding the part where Twilight almost poked an eye out. “Okay, so what’s up?” “You remind me of mom,” Centime mumbled sheepishly. “I don’t know much about her, b-but...” “Why did you think I would laugh at that?” Scootaloo asked. “I’m glad I could be as cool as your mom, Cent.” “But you haven’t met her, either. How do you know that she’s cool?” Centime inquired. “Well, you’re her son, right?” Scootaloo smiled, nudging Centime. They continued for a few minutes before Centime asked, “Have you ever lost a friend, Scootaloo?” A shadow darkened over Scootaloo’s eyes for a moment as she recalled her past adventures. The moments when she had lost somepony dear to her weren’t memories she liked to recall. “Yeah... twice. I-It’s not something I like to talk about.” “But I thought you said we shouldn’t keep secrets!” Centime protested, not seeing Scootaloo’s expression. “It’s not a secret. Ask anypony here; they all know,” Scootaloo sighed. “They were good ponies, both lost to stupid mistakes.” Noticing the edge in her tone, Centime quieted down, and the two settled into an uncomfortable silence which was interrupted as Pinkie once again approached from the back of the group. “I thought you went to the front of the group,” Centime said. “Uh-huh,” Pinkie chirped. “But you’re coming from the back of the group again, and I didn’t see you pass us.” Centime said. “Yep,” Pinkie said. “Then how...?” Centime trailed off. He shook his head. “Never mind...” Celestia stopped cold, as did the rest of the group. “What’s up, Celestia?” Dash asked, prodding the sun goddess. “He’s here,” Celestia muttered. She turned around, looking seriously at Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. “Take Centime and go. Now.” “But-” Scootlaoo began, but upon seeing Celestia’s intense expression, she scooped Centime onto her back and rushed off behind a rock with Sweetie Belle. “Am I really that smelly today?” a voice from nearby asked. ******* It was Discord. He was standing on the rocky ledge, using a fork to eat the thick fog as if it were solid. “Tastes like mashed potatoes,” he smirked. “And you’re right; it has been a few hours since I last took a shower. Have any tears to spare?” “I’m through with you, Discord!” Celestia yelled, lightning crackling out of her horn toward her adversary. “Oh, please,” Discord said, unimpressed. He bent the lightning in midair with a snap of his talons and sent it back into its creator, who shuddered as electricity fried her system. “Celestia!” Twilight yelled, rushing to the sun goddess’s side. “I learned that nifty trick on a TV show,” Discord sighed. “When will you ever learn?” “TV show?” Sweetie Belle asked, scratching her head. “Hmm?” Discord asked, summoning a little book and flipping through it. “Oops. My mistake; I wasn’t supposed to breach the fourth wall until Chapter Thirteen.” “Quit speaking nonsense!” Rarity commanded. “Where’s the fun in making sense?” Discord scoffed, turning the pocketbook into a graham cracker and eating it in one bite. “Anyway, now that I’m ahead of schedule, I do believe a little impairment is in order for you little kindergartners, minus Centime over there.” Twilight’s horn crackled with intense purple energy. “I’m warning you, Discord! Go away before I unleash my magic on you full force!” Discord raised an eyebrow in amusement and snapped his talons. A small yet powerful explosion combusted Twilight’s magic and sent her flying backward. “Magic is a highly flammable biofuel,” Discord said. Twilight shakily got up, her magic nearly spent. That was stupid. Now we’re at his mercy. But... as if we weren’t already. “Alright, onto the main attraction!” Discord said, clapping his hands three times. Dainty little snowflakes started to fall as the temperature dropped sharply. “What, so all you’ve done is drop the temperature a few degrees?” Olly asked. “Big deal!” Discord smirked and scratched his chin. “Hmm... I wonder what you’d taste like as a popsicle. You’d probably be rather tart.” He vanished. A cold wind started to blow as the snowflakes increased in size and number. ===================================================================== [Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.      This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.      Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.