The Last Keeper of Harmony

by Rammy


Attack of the Changelings

"Run!!" Discord yelled.

"Yeah but where? We are totally exposed." Twilight exclaimed frantically looking for anyplace for them to escape.

"Head toward the mountain peak. There should be a raise stone platform hugging it." Discord threw a party bomb at the approaching swarm.

"An' how is that suppose to help?" Applejack pulled out her rope.

"Run now, questions later..." Discord snapped pulling the trigger for a party cannon.

As they ran they had to dodge changelings as they slammed into the ground around them with their green magic. It was getting tougher as they went as more and more changeling fell from the sky.

Their luck ran out as a group changeling ground slammed in front of them. They tried going around but more changelings cut them off. Soon they were surrounded. The changelings hissed and snapped at them as they moved towards the group tightening the noose. Suddenly every changeling went quiet. A few changelings moved to the side as a larger and very familiar changeling stepped forward.

"Queen Chrysalis." Twilight hissed angrily.

"Well well well if it isn't the Elements of Harmony, Discord and their pet dragon." Chrysalis sneered.Spike growled at the pet comment but stayed for the moment behind Twilight.

"Count again." A voice called out.

The queen narrowed her eyes then laughed out loud. "Hiding behind your subjects king? Well I never thought you'd be so dishonorable."

"Quit flattering yourself Chrissy." Harmony snickered.

"Grr," Chrysalis growled hoofing the ground. "When I find you I will tear out your vocal cords!"

"I believe the word you seek is if."

Pinkie whispered conspiratorially to Applejack. "Who is she talking to?"

Harmony laughed. Queen Chrysalis jaw dropped then facehoofed. She had fallen for his tricks again and in front of some of her worst hated enemies. She ground her teeth in anger before barking out. "Just attack them! Take no prisoners!"

"You leave them alone." Spike growled breaking from the group heading straight at the changeling queen.

"Spike!" Twilight called out trying to grab him but was stop by a wall of hissing drones.

"Why you little... Well don't just hover there get... ouch! Get them!" The Queen screamed trying to shake off the fury of dragon claws and fangs.

The girls backed further together readying various fighting poses with Pinkie Pie readying her party cannon. Just as the first changeling got to them the Elements of Harmony glowed in their respective colors blinding everyone for a moment. A rainbow shot down from the sky and swirled around them keeping the changelings back.

"Whah is going on?" Applejack yelled in shock.

"I have no idea!" Twilight yelled back.

"Really, Bearers, you must pay attention." Chuckled a familiar voice from the rainbow light.

"Harmony?" Twilight called out trying to see where he was.

"Of course, do you really think I would allow Spike to have all the fun?"

"What about me?" Discord pouted.

"A little..." Spike grunted as Chrysalis tried to squash him under her hoofs. "Help would be nice..."

"Twilight shield. Discord help the girls to the platform. I have a pesky bug to swat."

The rainbow shot out and hit the changeling queen square on the chin throwing her many feet. The rainbow light died out and in its place was an angry multicolored alicorn. He flared his wings in anger and galloped towards Chrysalis. Unfortunately for Harmony several changelings immediately flew in to protect their fallen queen. Harmony slammed full force into the nearest changeling shattering its chitin into many pieces. It slumped onto the ground in front a now stopped Harmony, dead.

"Must you always have grand entrances?" Discord quipped snapping his claw to dump an open paint bucket on a changeling that was about to hit Fluttershy.

"You must be rubbing off on me..."Harmony huffed as he bucked a nearby changeling whom tumbled for a bit taking down several changelings in a pile of hooves. Spike finally was able to get up and jumped on a changeling that was trying to attack Harmony from the rear.

"Do a look like an eraser to you?" Discord snapped back swinging an overly large pencil like a baseball bat.

Chrysalis finally managed to get up from the blow she just received. "Get them!" She screamed Harmony growled as the queen disappeared behind the whirring of drones.

Buck. He cursed inwardly. He was hoping to take out the queen once and for all. She had slipped into the shadows once again. A roar to his right brought him out of his musings.

"A little help..." Spike backed away from a group of changelings clutching his shoulder.

"Let them eatz ze cake!" Discord yelled wearing a very frilly dress. He snapped a triple double layered chocolate cake with a large lit firecracker on top into his lion paw. Taking aim with a thumb he launched it into the group of changelings that were about to pounce Spike. A large explosion rocked the night and a brilliant light blinded everyone for a second. As the light faded all that was left of the group of changelings was piles of chocolate frosting.

"Chocolate! Ouch, Discord." Harmony rammed into a random changeling goring him in the side. The changeling fell over a greenish-clear blood pouring from the wound. Shaking off the blood from his horn he called out to Discord. "I prefer butter-cream myself."

"Creamy, creamy frosting..." Pinkie dreamily drooled a bit failing at noticing anything around her.

If it wasn't for the fact that they were surrounded and that the three keepers where fighting off murderous changelings everypony would have groaned at Pinkie. They, of course, didn't realize that Pinkie being Pinkie was unnerving the changelings a bit. Harmony was hoping for just that.

He dodged another changeling who was swiftly bucked into Discord's randomness. Spike then climbed onto Harmony to get some height before leaping off at a nearby changeling shredded the chitin armor before the changeling could react.

We need a clear path... Harmony thought as he ducked under the magic attacks from three changelings hovering above him. He retaliated with blasts of his own missing them but scattering the swarm above for a second. He had an maneuver to do that but he only had the power for it once and giving the distance from the platform it wouldn't be enough.

"I think it might be time to roll out the party cannon." Harmony went into a sing-songy voice for the last part hoping Pinkie would get it. With lightning fast reflexes the party mare zipped out of the shield dragging a very large party cannon behind her.

"Pinkie how did you get out of the shield!?!" Twilight's jaw dropped almost losing her concentration for the shield.

"I walked out silly." Pinkie simply stated aiming her cannon. Twilight just shook her head reestablishing her concentration on her spell.

"Less talkie, more confetti." Discord grunted smacking a changeling behind him with a over-sized lollipop.

Over the next hour Harmony, Spike, and Discord fought to keep the changelings away from the shield and Pinkie as Pinkie cleared a path towards the icy peak of the mountain.

Twilight was sweating heavily as they where so close that that they could finally see the stone platform that hugged the side. It appeared to be obsidian raised a hoof above the ground around at least 600 hooves across and came out at least that much from the ice and rocks of the mountain that jutted into the ground. Sadly it was still a good 500 hooves away.

"I'm out of ammo." Pinkie stated as she put her cannon back into wherever she had pulled it from. She bounced happily back into the shield nearly shocking Twilight again.

"Then allow me to clear the remaining distance." Harmony jumped on top on the shield.

"What ever you are doing do it quick I can't hold the shield much longer." Twilight grunted at the sudden weight of Harmony on top of the shield.

Harmony flapped his wings and hovered slightly above the shield. His horn began to glow and his aura enveloped him completely.

Discord stop fighting snapped himself and Spike into the shield. "What are you doing?!?" He yelled squirming to get out of Discord's grasp.

"Shh!" Discord shush him holding out a tub a popcorn." Popcorn?" Spike just facepalmed but Pinkie Pie squealed stuffing her muzzle into the popcorn tub scattering popcorn around her.

Harmony started to spin horizontally. As he span faster and faster his aura brighten and whiten. After only a few seconds all they could see was a swirling vortex of white. A loud boom suddenly sounded shattering Twilight's shield and knocking everyone off their hooves. Discord's popcorn went flying in all directions. Multicolored light blinded them for a moment. They blinked their eyes to clear out the spots. Everyone then noticed that there was a clear path to the raised stone platform ahead.

Rainbow jaw dropped. "Did he just do a sonic rainboom from a standstill!?!"

Discord just chuckled as he grabbed her as the rest made a mad dash through the now clear path. The changelings just milled about in shock and didn't make a move as they rushed past. They fell into a pile as they step onto the stone platform.

"Where is Harmony?" Spike asked after catching his breath.

"Look." Discord pointed into the sky.

A cone of white light streaked across the sky knocking out masses of changelings that appeared to be in the middle of a chaotic retreat. A rainbow trail following close behind the cone. As everybody watched the cone turned towards them. As it got closer the white cone flickered out and they could see harmony's multicolor coat through the fading light. It was difficult but they could see that he was spinning less and less. Just as they thought he was going to slam into them he stopped spinning and lightly landed on the ground. He horn's glow faded as he fluttered his wings.

"That. Was. So. Awesome!" Rainbow yelled. She then shrunk back when she realized who she was gushing over. She still remembered the incident back in the Salt Flats and she wasn't sure if Harmony was still angry with her. She slunk back out of the group and went to the fire that Spike had just lit.

"What was that?" Twilight asked.

"The Bullet."

"Bullet?" Twilight didn't know what the word meant.

Harmony just waved a hoof dismissively. He stepped up on to the stone slab platform and turned around to gaze out at the retreating changelings. No one spoke as Harmony continued to watch. After a few minutes everyone left Harmony minus Twilight.

"I have never seen her so vicious and blood thirsty before." Twilight said trying to analyze everything that just happened.

"You have stopped all of her invasions into Equestria." Harmony mused.

"Normally she drains ponies of their love not kill. Dead food is worthless to changelings." Twilight countered.

"True, but given how much you have been a thorn in her side and that we are in the Untamed Wilds... " Harmony paused for a moment, "Well...Let's just say that she couldn't pass up the opportunity to do some 'weeding.'"

Twilight could sense that she would no more out of him so she reluctantly turned around and headed back to the center of the platform where the others were resting.

Harmony sighed heavily and stood waiting on the edge of the platform peering out for some unseen sign. His heart ached still for the ponies that he cared for and for the pain that was coming. Pain that he should have never allowed to happen but knew that it had to happen the way that it did. It was times like this that he hated being a Keeper.

"Uh Harmony..." Rainbow slowly walked up to Harmony.

"Yes, Bearer of Loyalty?" Harmony turned to face her. He could see that she was struggling back tears. He allowed his usual frown to soften a bit.

"I'm sorry." Rainbow quickly said before blushing and turning away to try and hide the tears now falling.

"No, it is I that should apologize. I have forgotten the very virtues that I'm supposed to be." Harmony looked back out into the darkness for a moment. "Now I must take my leave. The danger has passed."

"And just where do you think you're going?" Rainbow snapped into action and ran to cut off Harmony. Everyone looked up from what they were doing at the mare's outburst.

"Leaving." Harmony replied as he started walking around Rainbow.

"Oh no you don't. You aren't going..." A flash of light blinded Rainbow for a moment when it cleared she couldn't see Harmony. "...anywhere?!?" She finished, confused for a moment.

Spike facepalmed. Could have told you that would have happened Rainbow Dash.