//------------------------------// // CH 6 // Story: The Edge Of Harmony // by Alazak //------------------------------// “A trip? Oh no, no, no. I can’t,” Pearl protested to herself, “I have a store to run and ponies that need my help.” she hoped her pleading would sway her new friend. ‘No my little pony, our business is but a simple task. You take me to see an old friend and retrieve something that belongs to me and you will be free to live what little life you have.’ ‘Rude much,’ Pearl thought to herself as she approached her baby blue home. There was a pony standing out front looking in her store window. A tan mare with a silvered mane looked at a fine tea set that was on display. Pearl recognized her, it was the mayor. She turned as Pearl approached and gave a warm smile. “I hope you’re feeling better my dear,” Pearl nodded and returned the greeting. “I was hoping it wouldn’t be too much trouble, I’ve had my eye on this delightful set since you opened but could never find the time to stop by.” The mayor turned to the window and stared back to the six fine china tea cups and the large etched kettle that matched the set. “Are you open? I would very much like to purchase it.” Pearl stepped to the door to let the Mayor in so she could have the aged treasure, one less piece of junk the better. But as she opened the door the world sank into darkness and she was standing outside of her body. The Mayor was looking at Pearls body in shock and a quiet gasp stretched across her face. There was no sound and then she was snapped back into her body. The Mayor had tears in her eyes. “How could you say such a thing?” She turned away and ran off. Pearl was lost. What was going on? What had happened? ‘No, that was rude.’ And then it hit her. “What did you do,” she yelled to herself, “What did you say to her, she looked upset,” ‘Oh, just wanted to show you where you stood in our agreement.’ Gallitais’ voice had a hint of sadistic glee to it. ‘Now, inside. We have preparations to make.’ Pearl was worried. Gallitais was very pushy and it set Pearl on edge. She passed through her store and wondered if she would ever see her junk again. ‘Be a good pony and this will be over before you know it. Now upstairs, it waits for us.’ He wasn’t helping Pearl feel better about her situation. She reached her room; the single room had only the basic necessities of living; a chair, her dresser with a few outfits she brought with her, and her bed. The simple wooden bed was provided with the store, probably her father looking out for his little filly. And lying on the top of the bed sat a mass of metal. The object seemed alien to her, she has never seen anything like it. The massive object was as tall as Pearl, if she stood on her hind legs. It was shaped like a cross and came to a spade point. Strange etchings were written down the heft of the metal and the top was adorned with golden thread to make a handle of such. She stepped to the bed and inspected the strange thing that was in her room. It felt so familiar; she closed her eyes and tried to remember. Flashes of the object stirred in her memory, moments of earlier that day. The flicker of light that haunted her all morning, and even earlier when she saw it in the mirror behind Fluttershy, just before she had passed out a second time. And then as she strained to consternate an explosion of a memory that didn’t make sense. A crowd of ponies running from here to there in panic, as the city burned around them. Pearl began to sweat as more of the vision unfolded. A figure stepped into view, it was a tall silhouette, slender and arched. It raised its arms high and there she saw it, the shadowy form of the thing in her bed. She gasped as she came to. “What was that,” she spoke to no pony. She was breathing heavily and trying to calm her racing heart. “Nothing. And we finally meet face to face.” Pearl looked to the metal thing that lay in her bed, but it was now standing beside her bed. It was so tall, she thought to herself. She had figured it to be big, but this was somewhat overwhelming. And behind the thing sat a mass of smoke. It swirled around the thing and seemed to take a pseudo form as she watched it. “This is the sword of equestrian might. Crafted by the dragons centuries ago to fight the Alicorns. It is also my prison.” The smoke swirled around the blade and up to Pearl. It formed a face and stared Pearl in the eyes. “Take this and let us be off, we have a royal engagement to attend.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pearl was amazed at how light an object the size of the sword could be. She had to sneak out of Ponyville, she didn’t want to have to explain what she was carrying to any pony, especially Autumn, if she had bumped into her. Gallitais didn’t allow her much time, he was very pushy about leaving, so she was only able to pack a few bottles of water in her saddlebags and both her treasured book and the Fall of Friendship before he had her rushed out the door and into the open road. It had been about an hour out of Ponyville and she could still see Sweet Apple Acres orchards. It was so much bigger than she could comprehend. Not that comprehension was helping her right now. “Who or what are you anyway Gal?” Pearl rolled her eyes over to the massive blade strapped to her back. The simple strap of rope was all she could find to secure the blade for travel. “Are you some kind of ghost or something? And what did you mean by a royal engagement? Who are we going to see?” Pearl had a lot of questions and Gallitais wasn’t a very talkative ghost sword thingy. “You talk too much pony. There is little for me to tell you that is of consequence. Know this much, your role will be no more than that the rest of your life has been nor will be, a mere messenger. Deliver me to my prize and speak to me no more.” Pearl stopped on the road and pulled the sword from her back stabbing it into the dirt road. The blade drove its way into the dirt with ease. “NO!” she yelled. “I may have agreed to take you on this little trip but you WILL NOT speak to me this way.” Pearl was breathing heavy as she stared at the sword. She saw her reflection in the polished surface as it stared back. The smoke coiled from the sword and surrounded her. “Very well, pony. Retrieve my prison and we shall speak,” Pearl was skeptical but did as she was told. “Tell me what you remember of the forest.” His voice was all around her but was a bit softer. Pearl traveled the lonely road as she made her way toward their destination. She managed to get the smoke to tell her a little about where they were going, Canterlot. Pearl was shocked at the sword, was he going there to hurt some pony? He did seem the type. He spoke of his long awaited retribution and how those that had forgotten would pay dearly. Dusk was upon them, they had traveled far that day, but Canterlot was still at least another day’s walk. “Do not stop, pony,” Gallitais demanded as Pearl found a nice soft spot aside the road. “We must keep going.” Pearl just ignored the badgering smoke cloud and laid down. “If I have to, I will make you keep going.” Pearl was just about to drift away to sleep when she shot up and took the swords handle in her mouth. With a great surge, she spun it around and cleaved it into a nearby tree. The blade sank into the dried withered tree. “NO, you may be some spectral vision from a past long ago, but I’m a living pony from the here and now. And the here and now is tired, stressed, and wants to go to sleep. We’ll go on your little journey of ‘revenge’ or whatever tomorrow.” With that she went back to the soft grassy portion of the road and went to sleep clutching her book. “Very well then. Sweet dreams, Pearl.” Gallitais retreated back to his metal prison with what could only be described as a smile. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pearl stood in a grand ball room, everything was bathed in a radiant white glow. Tapestries bearing an emblem she didn’t recognize hung from the walls and ceiling. There was no pony around, Pearl went to explore when she heard a voice from behind her. “You should not be here.” A majestic soothing voice echoed from behind her. “I’m sorry, father. It’s just I wanted to see the stars.” Pearl had turned to see who the voices belonged to but as she did the vision turned to a blazing inferno. Pearl recognized this. The flames, the destruction, so much sorrow. “And now, with this, my kind shall rule Equestria.” Pearl became paralyzed with fear. That voice, it shook Pearl to the very core. It was a sly deep voice, much different than the one she had heard in the ballroom. She slowly went to turn and see who the voice belonged to. And as she did, a tall, slender, darkened figure towered over her and before she could react it dropped its arms and she could feel the cutting of something slice through her. “AHHHHH!” Pearl shot up out of her dead sleep. She wiped a mass of sweat from her brow. “Good morning pony.” She stopped and her expression turned sour. “Oh, it’s you, Gal.” Pearl stood and shook herself free of the loose grass she had gathered while sleeping. “It felt so real, what was that,” she asked as she went to retrieve the sword from the wooden holder. “I already told you it is none of your concern.” The smoky cloud crept across the ground and around the struggling white pony. “Now retrieve my prison posthaste and let us be on our way, pony.” Pearl felt a quick burst of strength as she freed the sword. “Stop calling me pony. I have a name you know, and if we’re going to travel, you could at least use it,” Pearl huffed at her unsavory friend and sat on her flank with crossed arms. “Again, you speak to me with such tone and make demands.” Pearl flinched for a moment but stood her ground, Gallitais spun in a furious tornado around the stubborn pony. “Your persistence on this annoys me to no end. If it shall make you move, then stand Pearl, and let us continue to the capitol.” Pearl shook her head as Gallitais retreated back into his Prison. “See, that wasn't so hard, you silly puff of smoke,” Peal gave a chuckle and started back on the road. “Now that were friends again, tell me, why are we going to Canterlot?” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The road to Canterlot was long and boring. Pearl was getting nowhere with her shiny new sword. He had retreated to the featherweight weapon and refused to speak to her. She could see the city clearer than she had ever seen it before. Canterlot, the shining jewel of Equestria. From what Pearl could remember from her history class, it was built by the Unicorn tribe of old as a centerpiece to the rest of the Pony races and presented to Princess Celestia to watch over them. She had always wanted to visit someday, but now she’s being led by the nose by a smoky ghost in a silvery prison. Not exactly her idea of her first trip to the ivory capitol. The white marble towers reached to the heavens. Pearl had seen pictures of its grandeur, but even from this distance they did it no justice. She could only hope to even meet the Princess. 'Oh, what if Gallitais wants to see her? It would make sense, who else would be old enough for Gallitais to know.' “Gal, tell me, have you ever met the princess," Pearl asked in a scared whisper. The blade dimmed in the dying sunlight. Gallitais didn’t respond, only a small trail of smoke feathered from behind Pearl; she never noticed it as they traveled. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Exhausted and more tired than she had been in her entire life. The road had turned from a dirty affair to a magnificent, straight, flat road that sort of made Pearl's hooves feel comfort like miles of her trip melting away. The cities walls stretched out in front of Pearl, the city behind them dazzled in the evening sky. Pearl was awestruck, so many times had she envisioned this moment in her dreams. The gates would open in front of her and the guards would escort her to the palace to see the princess. She would hold a grand ball in her honor after she would defend Equestria from some great threat. Twilight would be there at Celestia's side with her head held high as she gave Pearl a medal for her valor in the name of Equestria. “Hold there, stranger.” Pearl was snapped out of her fantasy only to see her reality of closed gates and an angry guard blocking her process. “I asked, who are you and what’s your business in Canterlot?” The golden armored unicorn stood between Pearl and the gates that would lead her to her freedom from this accursed sword. Pearl looked over her shoulder to attempt an excuse to tell the guard about Gallitais’ metal prison. But it wasn’t there, with the weapon being so light she had forgotten it was even there. “I’m here to see an old friend.” A sly smile crept in to Pearl’s face. ‘Damn it, Gal! How dare you take control of my body!?’ Pearl was once again standing outside her body, but she was surprised to be able to hear the conversation this time. The possessed Pearl and the guard exchanged a few words; the guard seemed to just glaze over as she/he, Gallitais, spoke to him. As Pearl watched the guard open the gate for Gallitais, he looked to Pearl and gave her a smile that froze her to her ethereal core. “Thank you my dear. I’m sure my friend will be more than pleased to see me after all, we’ve been apart for so long.” Gallitais stroked the guard under his chin as they passed through the gates door and into the gilded city. “I can’t believe you just flirted like that, and what was with that guards face?” Pearl trotted through the glistening gate door yelling at her possessed self when she noticed she was no longer standing or yelling next to herself, but to a confused crowd of onlookers. Pearl quickly turned red and hurried past the crowd. “You did it to me again,” Pearl whispered angrily at Gallitais. After passing into the Equestrian capitol, Pearl had been overwhelmed by the many wondrous sights of the city. Her home city of Manehatten was built by the earth ponies, its rigid structures stood strong and tall. While Ponyville was also built by earth ponies, but it showed more of an olden styled town like its founders. But this was Canterlot, one of the very few unicorn cities ever built and one of the oldest cities in Equestria. Home to a large majority of high class, proper, socialite ponies and the court of Canterlot. Everything about the grand city cried out sophistication, from the smooth streets to the massive towers that pierced the very heavens. “We have no time for your gawking, Pearl. Our destination lies toward the center of the city. I can feel her presence. She is close, but something seems off.” A trail of smoke formed a mouth next to Pearl's ear as he spoke to her. As much as she wanted to see the city, she had a mission to accomplish. But something put her in an off sense of security. “Gal, I have a small question. Why hasn’t any pony stopped me and asked about your sword? It’s not something the average pony would just casually trot around with,” Pearl asked Gallitais as she slightly picked up her pace. “Because I chose for them not to see it. Now, no more of your exhausting curiosity. We have arrived.” Without even realizing it she had traveled far into Canterlot and arrived in front of the grand palace of Celestia. The pristine white walls stretched out in front of her, even the marble stairway was given the finest of detail. Its grandeur made Pearl feel so insignificant as she realized this was the home to the most famous and powerful pony in Equestria, Celestia. The mentor to her hero and on numerous occasions, the savior of pony kind. Celestia had been the feature of many pony tales; her most famous was the defeat of her fallen sister who threatened all of Equestria with the curse of eternal night. But many more legends and pony tales told of her astonishing power that she used to keep the inhabitants of the Everfree at bay. But just being in front of this bejeweled structure meant only one thing, Gallitais was here to see the Princess. “Before we go to see your ‘friend’, tell me now. Is it the princess?” Pearl dreaded the answer she already knew. “Something like that Pearl. Be happy, your journey is almost at its end. I will have something that is mine back and I will be released from this prison.” The sword began to vibrate as Gallitais spoke. The tone of his voice was borderline maniacal, even his laugh was unsettling and scared Pearl. “Now Pearl, lets go say hello to my Daughter.”