//------------------------------//
// 18. Pinkie Pie: Unto Conquest 
// Story: Rise of Ponietheus 
// by twitterdick 
//------------------------------//

	Pinkie Pie was elated. Her and her friends had regrouped and were walking back to Applejack's farm. She was smiling at them. They were all back - Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Spike… Discord and Protean Joy too, she was less excited about them. There was still some excitement at them, but significantly less than her friends with their grim and, in the case of Rainbow Dash especially, vague anger. Each had their respective Element of Harmony jewelry. Still, Pinkie Pie smiled and bounced. The storm was now small streams of cloud, save the concentration still rumbling in the south. The puddles were shrinking away. The townsponies were back, if confused and the sun gleamed in the sky. 
Structurally, Ponyville was pretty battered with various holes and cracks in the buildings, but Pinkie Pie didn't care much. Her friends were back. That's all that really matter.
She listened to them scoff and bewilder at the storm, the storm's vanishing, Harbinger, Princess Luna's reinforcements and all other kinds of negativity. Discord wasn't very vocal, surprisingly - he preferred mumbling to himself. Twilight was quiet as well. 
They soon reached the farm. Celestia and Luna were outside, alongside that Pluto character from before. A significant ways away, however, near the house but decidedly away from the rest, stood a large, crimson alicorn and a smaller, thinner but older deep orange one. The look of the two shook Pinkie Pie's euphoria. The red was stern with a furrowed brow and a stiff lip. The orange seemed annoyed or like he smelled something foul.
Princess Celestia was the first to notice them approaching and she beamed. "My little ponies!" she gasped, "It is good to see you all well again!"
Twilight Sparkle smiled uneasily. "Princess Celestia! Princess Luna! It's so good to see you again."
The two strange alicorns approached. The red one was sure to stay behind the orange one.
"Hello," the orange one said, "My name is Jupiter and my constituent here is named Saturn. You all must be Princess Celestia's specialists. Princess Luna spoke highly of you."
"Put that together yourself, eh?" Discord sneered.
Jupiter stared at Discord with contempt. He walked slowly up to Discord and stood before him. "Hmph. You fancy yourself a clever beast, don't you?"
Discord gave a snide smile. "I think I'm moderately clever, kingpin. That just so happens to put me head and shoulders above most ponies."
"Do you think your words intimidate me?" Jupiter said coldly.
Discord leaned closer to his face and clucked his words. "No, I think my dashing looks do that particular trick."
Jupiter did not budge. He lowered his head and pushed out his chest. "I do not know what possessed the reverent Princess Celestia to keep you, beast, but the leash she afforded you is not short enough. You're lucky you're her problem and not mine. I'd have tossed you into the nearest star without a second thought and be rid of your nonsense permanently."
Discord coiled and snarled.
"Discord..." Celestia said. He broke eye contact with Jupiter and looked at her. She blinked slowly and shook her head 'no.' Discord twisted his head in disbelief but was compelled to obey. He gave Jupiter one last glare then slunk away, muttering to himself.
Celestia stepped towards Jupiter then. "Discord is not your problem, my Lord, he is mine. And he is sworn to me."
"What compelled you to keep such a creature?" Jupiter asked, "I have never known you to be unwise in whom you associate yourself with. Such a creature serves himself first and his… allies second."
"Discord serves himself, yes, but it is in his best interest to keep faith with me."
"Discord is standing right here," Discord said.
"Quiet," Jupiter barked. He then eyed Twilight with a cold curiosity. He slowly approached her. "You are Twilight Sparkle, I take it," he said. He made sure to look down his nose at her while he scanned her. His mouth was hung openly slightly in his curiosity and he shifted his jaw back and forth. Twilight Sparkle matched matched his gaze but seemed uncomfortable and slowly pulled away. Pinkie Pie then noticed both Spike and Protean Joy tense up and move closer to her. Jupiter payed neither of them any attention, but his mouth slowly coiled to a stern frown and he lowered his head. "Do you speak?" he asked condescendingly.
Twilight Sparkle's mouth fell open and her eyes fell away. "Yes, I do," she said.
"Huh," Jupiter said dismissively. He turned his eyes towards Luna. "She's small," he said.
Pinkie Pie saw the reverent Princess Celestia shoot her sister a soft but vividly angry gaze. Simply witnessing it caused a bubble of dry fear to burst and spread through Pinkie Pie chest, and Luna herself seemed to feel and pull away from that particular heat.
Luna looked down then back up at Jupiter. "She's young."
Jupiter turned and walked to her. His face was twisted with paternal disappointment. "I do not doubt your intentions nor your word, my dear, but the threat you described to us is clearly gone if it ever was so intense. You have deliberately wasted my time. Your storm is gone and I don't think your Harbinger can withstand those Elements of Harmony if they are half as powerful as you believe them to be. I will lend to you Saturn as insurance, but my time will not be squandered further."
He pulled his head back then and relaxed. "Still, it is always nice to see you. Perhaps next time will be under more appropriate circumstances."
Pinkie Pie stared at Princess Celestia incredulously. It was clear she loathed Jupiter by her stiff posture and the way see looked at him, but to see the princess look at another like that was simply unbecoming of her. If Jupiter had noticed Celestia's stare, he did not acknowledge it. He turned towards the door and looked at Saturn and Pluto. "Harbinger is your responsibility. I trust you can handle him. Stay a while to ensure that Luna and Celestia's kingdom is back in order and I will see you back to your posts momentarily."
Saturn's eyes were cold, but his neck, lower lip and nose tensed up slightly whenever Jupiter seemed to address him. "It shall be done," he said stoically.
Jupiter nodded and turned to Pluto. His head sunk down again and his tone receded back into that of vague disappointment. "I will permit you to stay and 'gather intelligence' or whatever it is you do so long as Saturn remains here. But you are to return to space as soon as this Harbinger business is done as I have other tasks for you. Is that understood?"
Pluto looked over at Celestia then back at Jupiter. "Er, yes," he said, "Clear as a crystal, as they say."
Jupiter grunted dismissively then turned and walked away from him. He was beside Pinkie Pie now, though her eyes were still on Celestia. He stopped and looked at her. She could see him out of the corner of her eye.
"You there, pink one," he said, "Remind me of your name."
Pinkie Pie turned and made casual eye contact with him. She gave a genuine smile. "It's Pinkie Pie," she said.
The left corner of Jupiter's mouth curled up but collapsed back into his resting frown fairly quickly, like it attempted a smile but just gave up halfway through. "Hmm. How appropriate," he said deeply. He tilted his head to the side and almost looked at her warmly. "I hear you were among the few to survive this storm relatively untainted."
Pinkie Pie mimicked his head tilt and smiled even wider. "I was the only one, actually. Well, other than Princess Luna."
Jupiter nodded his head. "Impressive," he said with an upward inflection, "And you are one of these Elements of Harmony, I take it."
Pinkie Pie nodded in a similar fashion. "Yep. I'm the Element of Laughter!"
Jupiter's head dropped slightly. "I see," he said. He looked at the others then back to her. "A pony of Earth capable wielding a magic trinket - that's not something one sees everyday. You seem a clever and capable sort. I trust I can leave this Harbinger situation in your hooves, correct?"
Pinkie Pie just smiled and nodded. Jupiter smiled slightly back. "Then I will leave you to it. I hope to speak to you again… Pinkie Pie, was it?"
Pinkie Pie nodded happily. "Yep, that's it!"
"Very good," he said. He bowed his head and looked outside. "By your leave, then."
Pinkie Pie watched him as he walked away, spread his wings and lifted himself into the sky. When she turned back, she noticed the entire building seemed to breathe out and relax.
She shrugged it off and smacked her lips. "I'm thirsty," she said.
"Where did you say Harbinger was again?" Celestia asked tempestuously. Saturn frowned. "He hovering around a field just south of here, near a foreboding wood."
Celestia forced a smile. "Well, let us take care of that, then. I have a kingdom to reassemble." She shot a cold look at Luna. "Come, sweet sister." Luna gulped but stared decisively back. She soon rescinded, however. Celestia made for the door. Twilight Sparkle looked at her worriedly. "Princess…" she began.
Celestia sighed but looked at her sweetly. "We shall speak later, dear Twilight Sparkle, once Harbinger has been repelled. Gather you friends. We'll end this soon enough."
Twilight Sparkle nodded wearily. The others all looked at each other grimly, but Pinkie Pie made sure to smile at each of them - even Protean Joy. Twilight Sparkle adjusted her tiara and took a deep breath. "Alright, girls. This is it." 

---

Saturn calmly lead them towards the long, grassy field that lay between the southern part of Ponyville and the Everfree forest. It was a solemn journey that's uncomfortable silent stuck it's finger in Pinkie Pie's ribs and nearly soured her good temper. What little remained of the storm hovered and waned indifferently above that field. Otherwise, it was lovely. The thick grass danced in a soft breeze. The air smelled vaguely of wet plant. Flowers bloomed and glistened in the sun. 
They gathered on a small hill that overlooked the field. Pinkie Pie swallowed and looked for Harbinger. Her Element of Harmony necklace felt tight on her neck.
There he was, throwing himself around like a dog at the smoke that seethed away from his back. His bandages were drifting away from his body in a near gentle manner. They slowly fell away and crumbled into ash and smoke. The once mighty storm that had swallowed all of Equestria was a small mist that just continuously floated away indifferently. Pinkie Pie was utterly shocked - that wastrel Harbinger with his looming demeanor was just panicking there on the field like a sad filly.
He was doing everything he could to throw the remaining bandages away. He frantically swiped at them with his front hooves and he bit at them, but they just continued to fade away regardless of what he did. And that sound he was making; Pinkie Pie could only describe it as a soft wail mixed with anguish.
It wasn't long before he noticed them all. He stopped and just stared at them with his mouth open. He breathed out and his eyes pulled away, and he then became very still. Then he breathed rapidly, like a whimper without the sound. Pinkie Pie knew it. He was done. His white coat was tarnished like it was covered in soot. The bags under his eyes were defined. His posture was down as if he bore such a weight. His eyes were bloodshot, like he hadn't been sleeping… or he'd been crying. Pinkie Pie had never seen anypony so defeated.
He looked at the element bearers and the princesses and just nodded lethargically. "Okay," he whimpered. His mouth coiled up and his eyes winced winced and filled with tears. "Okay," he said again.
Celestia took to foreground. "Harbinger," she shouted bitterly, "I trust you know my name."
Harbinger stumbled and he tried to move closer. "Yeah," he said in his raspy, tired voice.	Celestia stared at him in disbelief. Black ash still poured from his tattered body and took to the wind. What little black cloud was left from Harbinger's devastating storm was slowly sinking towards the Earth and scattering to the wind. Harbinger himself was just a boy in the field with placid eyes and a withered body. He just stared back at her and relaxed, like he was just waiting for it. He then caught eyes with Saturn of all ponies, and that resignation crumbled away into anguish. His knees buckled and he fell backwards, just staring at staring at Saturn. He began weeping as he stared. 
Pinkie Pie turned at looked at Saturn and saw such a look of twisted horror in his face. The mighty warrior backed up and stared at the blithering mess of an enemy before like he was a ghost.
"It can't be," he whispered. "It can't be…" 
Pinkie Pie knew exactly what all had happened then. It all clicked inside her head, although she didn't have the words for it. She knew then who Harbinger was, what had brought him to this place and how broken he must be. She turned and looked at Saturn again, then at Celestia and her friends, who each held a face of bewilderment and disgust. Nopony said anything.
Pinkie Pie felt like she might cry too. She looked at the ground, then to Harbinger. He was just sitting there, hunched over with his head down, crying. He wasn't loud, or even that noticeable. He was a crumpled piece of paper tossed on the floor. 
Pinkie Pie stepped forward after a while. She sighed and pulled her Element of Laughter pendant off her neck with her mouth and tossed it gently into the green grass beside her. She turned and looked at Twilight Sparkle, who was standing there with her mouth open and her eyebrows pulled back. Pinkie Pie shook her head. "Not like this..." she said quietly.
She walked over to Harbinger in the stillness of that afternoon. She looked at him and he hung his head low and cried quietly in the grass. The Everfree Forest beckoned behind him, and the nearby flowers fluttered in the breeze. Birds began chirping again, and the wind carried a sweet smell. Pinkie Pie then simply hugged Harbinger tightly around the back of the neck. He tensed up, but relaxed again. He wasn't comforted, just weary.
"It's okay," she said to him, "It's over now."
He started trembling and gently buried his eyes in her neck as she hugged him.
"You're Ponietheus from the storybook, aren't you?" she asked.
He slowly pulled away from her. She sat down in the grass in front of him and forced a small smile. He stared at her while blinking slowly. His mouth dropped open and he slowly drooped his head. His eyes moved away towards the ground. "…Yeah," he said.
Pinkie Pie looked down too, then turned and looked back at her friends and the princesses. Most of them just watched her. Rainbow Dash seemed furious, but Twilight had positioned herself near her as if to discourage action. Spike and Applejack just seemed confused. Rarity was tired. Discord was uninterested. Protean Joy just watched. Saturn was horrified. Luna looked sick. Celestia simply stared at Harbinger - Ponietheus - stoically, like she was measuring him. Pinkie Pie's eyes then focused on Ponyville's battered silhouette. She frowned. Then she locked eyes with Fluttershy. Fluttershy smiled at her sweetly then encouraged her with a small nod.
She looked back at Ponietheus and breathed out slowly. "You messed up," she said.
He was still looking down and shaking. He nodded wearily. "I know," he said. He coughed and whimpered a little. His face twisted up. Then he looked at her with his worn eyes and his weak demeanor. He was panting slightly. "…I'm the villain," he said, "…I'm the bad guy…"
"You were wrong to do this," Pinkie Pie said softly, "But you know that already." She looked down. "You don't have to keep being the bad guy. This doesn't have to end with us fighting."
She leaned closer.
"I read your story. It was in a brown book. I thought is was fake. …I'm sorry that you were left alone." 
Ponietheus started crying again, but he didn't make any noise. Pinkie Pie hugged him again.
"I'm afraid of being forgotten about, just like you. I'm afraid of being left all alone, just like you."
"…But, I…"
"It isn't about you anymore," Pinkie Pie said, "This is about all of us. I don't want this story to end with us fighting you, so I'll make you a deal… if you turn yourself in - if you give yourself up peacefully, then I'll remember you. I will. I remember everything about everypony." 
Ponietheus hugged her back. They both just sat there in the field together with the wind softly beating against the sky. They had lingered a while when Ponietheus started nodding. "Okay," he said softly. 
He stood up and looked around at the other ponies there. Then he looked down at the soft grass below. "I give up," he said. He looked at Princess Celestia. "I give up…peacefully." 
Pinkie Pie smiled and stared hopefully at Princess Celestia. Her hope was soured though, for the princess's gaze was strangely cold. She stared at Ponietheus as he looked away meekly. "Very well," she said.
All of Harbinger's storm and black ash drifted away in the wind.