//------------------------------// // Chapter 19: Discord and Harmony // Story: Project Sunflower: Harmony // by Hoopy McGee //------------------------------// ~~*Raka*~~ The warm air of Harmony washed over Raka’s skin in a humid wave as she stepped through the gateway. The smell of the new world came to her next, and she breathed deep the sharp, rich scent that brought to mind fields of mint and clover after a spring rain. The gateway led to the top of a large but gentle hill, which was covered by a dense mat of dark green, small-leaved plants. Some of the ponies sniffed at the plant life uncertainly before continuing on, following the tracks left across the ground by the heavy trucks. The sky was a rich cobalt blue, perfectly clear above them but with a dense field of white clouds off to the east, close to a nearby mountain range. Unfortunately, Raka couldn’t get a very good look at the surroundings, not with the security team busy arranging the trucks in a large circle around the crown of the hill. Instead of looking around, Raka knelt down to get a closer look at the plants underfoot. Rather than individual plants, she realized that she was looking at a mass of interwoven tendrils, criss-crossing across the earth in a broad net and occasionally putting down roots. Tiny round leaves sprouted along the length of the plants, thick and shiny. Pulling on a pair of disposable gloves, she plucked one of the leaves to get a closer look and was immediately hit by a stronger blast of that same minty scent from before. Was the smell some sort of defense mechanism? A toxin to discourage foragers, perhaps? Or was it just the way this particular plant happened to smell when it was damaged? She found it thrilling to think that she might be the first one to ever find out the answers to those questions. Raka straightened up, placing the leaf into a sample bag as she looked around what would be the research team’s new base of operations. Human and pony staff milled about uncertainly, most of them watching the trucks as the security team waved them into position. Each reinforced trailer would form part of a rough circle which, when complete, would create an enclosed and protected space. As each truck came to rest, two members of the security team on the outside of the circle lowered specially constructed steel skirts to the ground, designed to help keep out unwanted local fauna. With the trucks all parked nose-to-tail with one another, this formed a nearly unbroken ring of steel around the research site, with the Bunker serving as a wheeled gateway for whenever a team needed to explore outside. Watching as the skirt of steel closed around her, a terrible sense of restlessness started growing in Raka’s chest, dancing down her legs while her hands clenched tightly. A broad smile sprouted on her face as she looked around, taking it all in. After so many weeks of anticipation, actually being on the surface of Harmony felt almost unreal. She spun in a slow circle to take it all in, giddy with the realization that she was actually here, on an alien world. Back on Earth, there were those who shrugged off the discovery of Harmony, believing that the discovery of Equestria muted the value of finding a second habitable world. Raka couldn’t have disagreed more. Her heart jittered in her chest and she felt lightheaded and a little silly, and it was all she could do to keep from dancing on the uneven footing of the mat of greenery beneath her. Harmony’s day was just beginning, with its sun barely above the eastern mountain range. Though the air was warm and humid, the cool breeze from the east brought considerable relief. Raka smiled, satisfied in knowing that she couldn’t have asked for a more perfect start to the mission. “This place feels wrong,” Spectral Charm said as he walked up next to her. She glanced down, arching an eyebrow down at the unicorn. He was scowling thunderously as he looked around, his flicking ears and twitching tail a clear sign of his anxiety. “What do you mean?” she asked. “The magic of this place. It’s like a raging torrent all around me, but…” He trailed off and shook his head. A dim glow of magic lit up on his horn. “I’m putting all of my effort into casting a simple light spell. With this much magic around, I should be lit up like a lighthouse.” Raka frowned, glancing at the soft glow of his horn. “What do you think the problem is?” “I can’t say for certain. It’s almost as if most of the magic is on the other side of a glass wall. I can sense it, but all I can reach is this pathetically small amount.” He frowned pensively and chewed on his lip. “I’ve never come across anything like this before.” “Well, the pegasi seem to be doing alright,” Raka noted, pointing at one of the winged ponies, who had flown up to the top of one of the parked trailers and in order to look out across Harmony. “Hmm…” Spectral rubbed a hoof across his chin, studying the distant stallion. “That may be an avenue for investigation. For pegasi and earth ponies, gathering magical energy tends to be much more instinctual than it is with unicorns. If I want to cast a spell, I have to consciously collect the energy for it.” “Do you think the magic here is dangerous?” Spectral Charm considered this while Raka waited. “I may as well run some tests.” His horn pulsed for a while, then flickered rapidly while he stood stock still with a contemplative expression on his face. Finally, his horn dimmed as he let out a grunt. “I’ve just cast some simple cantrips; detection and protection charms and the like. It seems safe enough, just far weaker than it should be.” “Well, I trust you,” Raka said, patting the stallion on the shoulder. “If you say it’s safe, then I’m not going to argue. But what do you think the cause is?” “No idea,” Spectral said with a grin as his eyes lit up. “But I intend to find out!” Raka chuckled. “Ah, yes. The sheer joy of scientific discovery. Let me know if you figure out what’s going on.” “Will do,” he replied. Then he smirked and jerked his head towards his fellow unicorns from the Equestrian expedition, many of whom were wearing vexed expressions while scowling cross-eyed up at their horns. “I’d better go and get them organized. We’re going to need to solve this dilemma if we want to conduct any real magical research here.” Spectral trotted away, leaving Raka to her own devices. Deciding she had an intense need to get a better look at their surroundings, she clambered up on top of one of the parked trailers via the external ladder. Many of the team had the same idea, and soon the few trucks that were parked were crowded with humans, earth ponies and unicorns peering off into the distance and exclaiming over everything they saw. The few pegasi were flying in slow circuits, apparently unbothered by the magical discrepancy that Spectral had pointed out. Raka pulled her binoculars out of her bag and started taking in the sights. The expedition had landed on top of a hill, with grass-covered plains stretching to the west like a verdant ocean, dotted with occasional islands of shrubs or wildflowers. The terrain became hilly and rough to the east, ending in the mountain range that Raka had seen earlier. Here and there the hills were crowned with trees—or, at least, tree-like objects—that eventually resolved into a dense forest. To the south, a thin ribbon of river winked and twinkled its way from east to west, winding between smaller hills and undulating across the plains towards a grey smudge on the horizon that could possibly be a body of water. To the north there was an enormous grey plateau, bereft of greenery and nearly symmetrical. Not quite a mountain, it dwarfed the little foothills that surrounded it. Raka frowned at the sight of it. She was no geologist, but something looked very off with that hill. She sighed and lowered the binoculars. With any luck, she’d be able to convince the geological team to go and check it out sometime soon. Though, if she had to guess, it was at least fifty miles away through alien, quite possibly hostile, terrain. The strange plateau could wait, she decided. For now, she had a job to do. After putting her binoculars back in their case, she shimmied back down the ladder and joined the other scientists in setting up the research base. ~~*Caretaker*~~ The hallways of the Citadel lit up ahead of him as the Caretaker stalked down them. His heavy staff struck the floor sharply with every other step, the loud cracks echoing down the hall and back to him with the fury of a thunderstorm. He arrived at the Chamber of the Goddess and strode down the steps before slotting his staff into the hole at the center of the floor. At once, the milky-white chamber began glowing a pulsing red as the Eye of the Goddess formed on the wall in front of him. Forsaking custom, he didn’t bow as the Eye focused on him. Instead, he stood with all four of his arms folded across his chest as he took deep, ragged breaths. “Do you need something from me, my former Ardent?” the Goddess asked, sounding far too pleased with herself. “Our world is invaded,” the Caretaker said, his voice cold and the crest along his spine rising and falling in time with his pulse. “Intruders walk our soil, defile our air. How could you allow it?” “I thought you might like some company after all this time alone.” The Caretaker was about to snap out a reply when he realized that the hint of amusement in the Goddess’ voice was no doubt carefully designed to enrage him. A lifetime of training came back to him and, with an effort, he calmed himself. “I can’t help but notice that the information I gathered on these invaders is… not fully accurate.” He tilted his head, staring up at the Eye that stared down at him. “I take it you were involved?” “Oh, yes. Your Infiltrator told you exactly what I wished it to.” The humor drained away, and the Goddess’ next words were filled with an icy fury of their own. “You butchered that poor soul for nothing.” “On the contrary, I learned something quite valuable by observing what you tried to hide from me,” he replied. “I have learned that the invaders consist of multiple species and can use magic, and that this was something that you did not wish me to know.” With a bob of his head, he regarded the Eye of the Goddess calmly. “Was this your plan? To have your allies meddle with the Barrier and release you and your magic back onto our world? Has this world not suffered enough?” The Goddess’ answering howl of rage shook the entire chamber. The Caretaker could feel the vibration rattling his bones, nearly driving him to his knees. “What do you know of suffering? How long have I waited, denied my world, my home? How long have my children been cut off from their mother? How long have the Dreamers dreamed?” Far from upsetting him, the rage of the Goddess had a calming effect as it washed over the anger in his own heart, quenching it completely. His voice was steady as he replied. “You know why it was necessary.” “I know your rationale. I agreed with your goal of bringing peace, if you’ll recall. I never agreed to this misuse of my power.” The Caretaker’s agitation showed in the tightening of his fingers on his staff and the minute raising of his crest. “I… made a mistake,” he admitted. “And, though it was not my intention to enforce order in this way, I find myself contented with the result.” “Contented.” the Goddess repeated. “How can this be enough for you? The purpose of life is to grow, to change—” “To destroy, to fight, to end,” the Caretaker replied. “Our people may be Dreaming, but our world thrives like never before.” “Thrives? This order you’ve imposed is more akin to stagnation. What of significance has changed in the last several thousand millennia?” “Change is disorder. It is never gentle, and it always leads to destruction. I learned that lesson all too well, my Goddess.” The Caretaker sighed and shook his head. “There is no point in arguing this yet again. You shall never see this as I do. And now you’ve forced me to do what I wished to never do, in order to repel these invaders. I hope you are well satisfied, my Goddess, as I must now wake a number of the Dreamers in order to purify my world. For a short while, at least, the Faith Guardians will once again walk in Paradise.” “Wait—” He pulled his staff from the hole in the chamber floor, cutting the Goddess off. The glow of the Eye faded as it returned to being a blank wall. ~~*~~ The Caretaker spent most of the day watching the invaders through the holographic array in his control chambers. Their militaristic tendencies were already on clear display as they created a walled fortress out of steel and soulless mechanical abominations. The life of his world was crushed, the earth violated, the silence broken and the air fouled. A hand tightened on his staff and his eyes narrowed. It would not stand. The Faith Guardians, bio-magical constructs formed by the deepest of arcane secrets and fueled by magic, had kept the Priesthood of the Goddess safe for centuries. Only a scant few of them still remained, stored in the tombs below the Citadel, but they would be more than sufficient to protect their world once again. Unfortunately, with nothing to pilot them, the Faith Guardians were inert, no more than useless statuary. In the past, those of the Priesthood nearing death could volunteer to become Inspiri, having their minds and souls bonded to the Guardians in order to continue serving after the passing of their mortal bodies. There were no priests left, now. Only the Caretaker remained. The Caretaker’s fingers danced along the holographic controls and the view changed, showing the Dreamers in their swarming multitudes. A growing number of them stopped to regard the invaders’ camp, crowding and swirling around the area so thickly that, had they a physical presence, they would have blocked out the sun and smothered the invaders where they stood. He hooked a finger into the display and pulled a wriggling Dreamer out of it, taking it over to the soul-font. At one time, he had considered the act of soul-sculpting on the unwilling to be the highest of crimes. That had been before he’d seen his fellow priests and priestesses butchered and burned, their temples reduced to ashes, their world on the brink of destruction. That was before he, in an act of desperation to stop the madness, had channeled the unimaginable power he’d stolen from the Goddess through the Citadel’s soul-font, causing a wave that rippled out from the Citadel to eventually blanket the world, creating twenty billion Dreamers along with twenty billion of his people’s corpses rotting in the streets. And that was before he, in the depths of frantic desperation, used soul-sculpting on his own mind to cut away the grief that had threatened to drive him to madness. But the end result had been a good one. Discarding the mantle of Ardent and taking the name Caretaker, he had cut away his doubt and reinforced his purpose, remolding himself into the ideal guardian of his world, his Paradise. One last war, he thought as he worked on the struggling mind in his grasp. One last battle, and then he’d find a way to deal with the Goddess for good. Once the invaders were gone, there would be all the time in the world to establish a perfect, eternal order. ~~*Erin*~~ Erin waited with her friends in a small field roughly three miles away from Ponyville. The sky was bright and clear, and a nice breeze rustled her mane, cooling her coat as it brought the scent of wildflowers to her nose. It would have been a perfect day if it hadn’t been for the statue of Discord that was sharing the field with them. He was a patchwork creature, just like Erin recalled from her brief visit to the Canterlot gardens all those months ago. Mismatched wings, horns and limbs, and a bearded face that looked a little like a cross between a goat and a pony. A look of sheer terror was still frozen into the spirit of chaos’ face, but Erin no longer felt any sympathy for him; by now, she had heard too many stories from her friends to feel sorry for him. A shudder ran down her spine at the sight of him, and a small corner of Erin’s mind wondered why she was even there. She had no magic, no Element of Harmony, and no way to help if things went badly. But any thought of leaving brought back a memory surfaced of her watching her six pony friends going through a portal to face off against Black Tide while she was forced to stay behind. Never again, Erin promised herself as she looked towards the others. Staying safe while her friends faced danger just didn’t sit right with her. She was determined to stick around, even if the only thing she could do was be a witness. Besides, even though she hated to admit it, a small part of her was intensely curious about what the spirit of chaos would be like. Twilight was currently holding a scroll before her in her magic, scowling down at it while muttering intently to herself. According to the unicorn, the scroll contained a list of all the measures, both magical and otherwise, that the Princesses had enacted to help keep Discord in check. Eventually, she gave a sharp nod and rolled up the scroll before sliding it back into her saddlebags. “Are we all set?” Twilight asked, sharp and stern. “As we’ll ever be,” Rainbow Dash replied, her voice grim. Her hooves were planted firmly in the grass as she glared a challenge at the frozen form of Discord. “Want me to go let Mayor Mare know we’re about to get started?” “If you wouldn’t mind,” Twilight replied. “Right.” Rainbow leapt into the air. “Don’t start without me!” she called as she shot off towards town. Erin looked around at the remaining five ponies and the single dragon who waited behind. Even though she’d never personally encountered a non-petrified Discord, it was hard not to feel tense with the way the others were acting. Applejack was sitting and looking towards Sweet Apple Acres, her back stiff and her jaw clenched. When spoken to, she would smile and reply normally enough, but eventually her gaze would drift back towards her home, whatever she was saying trailing off into silence. Fluttershy was lying in the grass with her legs folded underneath her. She had her eyes closed and her breathing was deep and steady, and only the flicking of her ears indicated that she hadn’t dozed off. Rarity was lying next to Fluttershy without so much as a single complaint about the grass stains that would inevitably mar her white coat. She wasn’t saying anything, simply pressing up against Fluttershy’s side, letting her know that she was there with her and would protect her even from Discord himself. Spike and Pinkie were playing yet another game of checkers, and once again Spike was winning. Judging by the way Pinkie kept losing focus and staring off at nothing, it was likely that her head wasn’t in the game. Twilight seemed to be dealing with the stress in her own way, by becoming crisply and rigidly efficient. Every movement was economical, every sentence was short and clipped, and her face wore no expression other than momentary scowls of concentration. “How are you doing?” Erin asked her as she moved up beside her. “I’m fine,” Twilight replied, her face set and her ears jutting forward as she watched the sky for Rainbow’s return. Erin hesitated, considering different options for what she could say and discarding them all one after the other. Saying that everything would be okay was trite and cliché, and also had a high probability of being wrong. Saying that she believed in her might just make Twilight feel even more pressured. Discussing something minor like the weather would most likely be a distraction, and Twilight didn’t look like she was in the mood to be distracted at the moment. Her eyes flicked over to Rarity, who seemed to be doing considerable good for Fluttershy just by being by her side. Erin moved closer to Twilight, not quite touching her, and sat down to study the sky with her. They sat like that for a almost a minute before Twilight spoke, her voice pitched low and tight. “What if everything goes horribly wrong? What if I can’t keep him under control and he ends up destroying everything?” Erin chewed on her lower lip for a few seconds before answering. “Well, it’s not down to just you. Your friends are with you, remember?” Twilight frowned as she considered that. After a few seconds, she gave a sharp nod, losing some of the rigidity of her posture as she answered. “Yeah. You’re right. We beat him the first time, and that was with no preparation. This time we’re ready for him, and we have the Elements with us from the start.” “I just wish there was something I could do to help,” Erin replied, her head drooping. “I think you’re helping plenty just by being here.” Twilight smiled and leaned over to bump her shoulder into Erin’s. “Thank you.” “Of course,” Erin replied with an answering smile of her own. Over the last few months, her friends had occasionally told her some of the stories of Discord’s first return. What they hadn’t said had shown in pinched faces and haunted eyes. From what Erin could piece together, the fight against Discord had been a horrible, mind-warping contest of wills and magic, and her friends had come out the other side with their friendship scarred but stronger than ever. It was something that Erin had no part of, a bond she didn’t share. And, as she had listened to Twilight relating Celestia’s plan and saw her friends’ reactions, she had felt more like an outsider than she had during her first days in Ponyville. Twilight’s smile and slightly relaxed posture made her glad she’d come. Whatever Discord was going to do, Erin resolved that she was going to do her best to support her friends and see them through it, magic or no. “So, how’s it going with your magic studies?” Twilight asked out of the blue, as if reading her mind. “I was away in Canterlot so long, and we haven’t had much of a chance to get caught up. Any progress?” Erin grimaced. As far as a change of subjects went, this particular topic left a little to be desired. “Not so much, no,” Erin replied sourly. “I can’t even get my horn to spark. I get a headache from just trying. Rainbow Dash has been taking me flying every few days in an assist harness, and I’m getting better at atmospheric alteration and cloud-walking, but I still can’t get my wings to work when I want them to.” “Hmm.” Twilight’s worried look was quickly masked by a smile. “Well, I’m sure you’ll get it eventually. What about earth pony magic?” Erin shrugged. “I can’t really say. I’ve been getting stronger and faster, but I’m not sure if that’s because of all the exercise I’m getting working at Sweet Apple Acres or because of earth pony magic.” “Well, I’m more than happy to work with you on your magic,” Twilight said. She grimaced and added, “Well, once things settle down, that is.” “Yeah. Thanks, Twilight.” Erin replied, shifting on her hooves. She’d tried everything exactly as the book said she should. Between the frustration and the headaches she got when trying to use magic, it almost didn’t seem worth trying. Even Rarity’s little sister could make her horn glow somewhat reliably, and Erin couldn’t even make hers spark. Twilight’s ears perked up. “Oh, I have an idea!” She shot a grin over at Erin. “Do you remember my old professor? Moonlight Glimmer?” Erin thought for a moment. “Uh, I think so? White unicorn, eclipsed moon for a cutie mark?” “Yes! She’s an expert in magical biology. If you want, I can write to her and ask if she can spare the time to work with you.” “Oh, uh…” She fidgeted with her forehooves for a moment. “I don’t want to inconvenience anypony.” “Are you kidding?” Twilight said flatly, rolling her eyes. “If I know Professor Glimmer at all, if I tell her she’s got a chance to examine a human-made alicorn, she’ll be on the next train to Ponyville.” Visions of being strapped into to strange pony testing equipment blundered their way through Erin’s imagination. “I’m sure that will be… fun,” she said lamely. A happier topic of conversation occurred to her. “By the way, Twilight. Now that my home’s been all wired up, I’m finally starting to set up my magical research lab.” “Oooh!” Twilight’s ears perked right up as her eyes widened. “Tell me all about it!” “Well, like I said, I’m still setting it up, but…” Erin launched into a description of the gear she was in the process of unboxing. Twilight listened attentively, only stopping the description to ask for clarification when Erin used a term she was unfamiliar with, like “EMF meter.” The unicorn’s ears perked up when Erin mentioned her new electrocardiogram, and bringing up the portable electroencephalograph meter had led to a discussion about previous discoveries from pony scientists in regards to the electrical activity in a unicorn’s brain during spellcasting. Twilight had just agreed to be the subject of a few tests when Rainbow Dash returned, landing quietly nearby and listening in for a few seconds in order to find out what they were talking about. “Oh, egghead talk,” Rainbow said as she interrupted, shrugging her wings dismissively. “Whatever. The mayor says to wait for the bell to stop ringing, and then to go whenever we’re ready.” The tension, which had been pushed back by the brief conversation, came flooding back. Twilight’s back stiffened back up and Applejack’s eyes narrowed. Fluttershy came to her hooves, with Rarity standing up beside her. Pinkie folded up the game of checkers, eliciting a groan from Spike, and put the board back in her saddlebags. In the distance, Ponyville’s Town Hall bell began to ring. It continued on for roughly a full minute before stopping. “I guess this is it, then,” Twilight said, frowning down at her hooves. “I reckon so,” Applejack said, once again looking towards her home. Rarity nodded, standing tall and proud. “Begin when you’re ready, Twilight, and I’ll be with you.” “Same here,” said Pinkie, the usual bounce gone from her voice. “Fluttershy?” Twilight asked, looking over at the pegasus. There was a long moment of silence. Erin looked over to see Fluttershy chewing pensively on her lower lip while staring at nothing. “Fluttershy?” Twilight asked again, causing the mare to jump and let out a little squeak as she came back to the here-and-now. “Are you okay? We don’t have to do this now, if you’re not ready.” Fluttershy took a deep breath before shaking her head. “I’ll be fine. I… I wasn’t able to sleep much last night, which means that I had a long time to think about what I need to do. I may have an idea on how to handle this.” “Well, whatever you do, you won’t be doing it alone,” Rainbow Dash said, a sentiment that was echoed by the others. “He’ll learn to be nice even if I have to beat it into his thick head!” “Thank you, Rainbow,” Fluttershy said with a gentle head-shake. “But we can’t force him. That’s not the way.” Dash huffed and frowned. “Well, then, what is the way?” “We just have to teach him how to be friends,” Fluttershy replied, her voice soft but firm. “If we’re his friends, I’m sure he’ll be ours in return. Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Pfft, as if Discord knows anything about friendship.” “That’s why we have to teach him, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy insisted. “Besides, haven’t you ever thought about how lonely he must be without any friends?” Rainbow looked like she was about to reply, but then looked at Discord’s stoney face for a few seconds. She sighed and gave a reluctant nod. “Okay, I get it. I promise I’ll at least try.” “Alright,” Twilight said, determination rising in her voice. “If anypony has any last-minute objections, now would be the time to bring them up.” “I’ll just be cowering over here with Erin, if that’s okay,” Spike said, making no attempt to hide the fear in his voice. Erin let out an uncomfortable chuckle and patted him on the head. “Alright, then,” Twilight said. Her horn glowed lavender, and the gold-banded, light blue chest that Celestia had dropped off opened to reveal the Elements of Harmony. A shiver ran down Erin’s spine at the sight of them. They had a simple beauty to them, though they looked more like costume jewelry than anything else. But she couldn’t help but remember what it had been like to be caught up in the force of them, every sense overwhelmed as the warmth and the waves of color rolled over her. The Elements had saved her from the most horrible experience of her life, but they were still incredibly powerful magical artifacts, and worthy of the utmost respect. “Whee, my balloon necklace!” Pinkie cried, snatching up the Element of Laughter and cuddling it to her cheek. “Oh how I’ve missed you, ballooney-necklace-thing!” She snapped it on and adopted an intense and serious look. “I’ve come here to kick flank and eat cupcakes. And I’m all out of cupca— Oh, wait, here’s one!” Pinkie pulled a pink-frosted cupcake out of her mane and ate it in one bite. “Okay, now I’m out of cupcakes!” “Focus, Pinkie,” Twilight said as she settled the Element of Magic on her head, just behind her horn. To Erin, it didn’t look particularly comfortable, but it wasn’t like she’d ever have to wear it. “Let’s remember to keep these on at all times until further notice.” “Right!” the others chorused. Except for Pinkie, who chirped out, “Okie-dokie!” “Spike, Erin, you may want to stand back for this,” Twilight said. Erin was all too happy to oblige. She backed away while looking warily at Discord’s statue, barely even noticing as Spike pushed at her legs in order to get her moving faster. “Alright, girls, this is it,” Twilight said. “Let’s hope this releasing spell works!” Erin watched, her heart thudding in her chest as Twilight’s horn began to glow, dimly at first but with a rapidly-increasing brilliance. After a few seconds, light began to radiate from the other Elements, the symbols pulsing brightly. As one, each of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony began to rise into the air, lifted by some invisible force. Power buzzed and crackled in the air, making the hairs of Erin’s coat stand on edge. Spike was standing underneath her, clinging to her left foreleg and staring at his friends. The air hummed and shimmered until, finally, a rainbow of light began connecting the gemstones of each Element, arcing around until reaching the gem on Twilight’s crown. The gem focused the rainbow, shooting it directly at the statue of Discord, which began to crack and crumble under the onslaught. Harsh light poured from the cracks in the stone, flashing out in blinding rays. Erin flinched, pulling her head back and raising her right leg to cover her eyes. She wondered vaguely if ponies had sunglasses before a loud crack echoed over the hilltop. Discord rose from his frozen crouch with a booming roar, his voice echoing across the land like thunder. He stretched upwards with both forelimbs grasping towards the sky. The air seemed to vibrate with the bellowing fury of Discord’s voice, and Erin took several steps back, Spike still clamped to her leg like a scaly boot. “Yaaaargh!” Discord howled, clawing at the sky. “Euurgh! Waaaargh, augh, oh, wow, what time is it?” He blinked his heavy eyelids, smacking his lips and looking around blearily while he scratched his backside with his eagle’s talon. He reached into thin air and pulled out something that looked a little bit like an ancient Mayan stone calendar, regarding it with a thoughtful look and pursed lips. “Hrm… It seems you’ve woken me a little earlier than I expected,” he said, whinging the massive stone calendar away like a frisbee. It whistled through the air and exploded like fireworks. He groaned and started stretching his limbs one after another, pulling them like taffy to two or three times their original length before allowing them to snap back. “Not that I’m complaining, mind you! I just thought dear old Cessy-pants would keep me locked in stone for a while longer.” “We can put you right back, if you want.” Twilight’s voice was grim. She wasn’t smiling at Discord’s antics, and neither were her friends. “Oh, let’s not be so hasty,” the spirit of chaos incarnate said, resting his bearded chin in the palm of his lion’s paw and fluttering his eyelashes at Twilight. “I’m out, and that’s all that matters. Oh, and I understand you’re going to try and reform me.” He squealed and clapped his hands together. “Oooh, that is just so adorable!” Rainbow Dash took to the air, zipping forward with a thunderous scowl on her face. “How did you know about that, huh?!” Discord exploded into thousands of mini-Discords, which swarmed away from Rainbow Dash before reforming into his full-sized self. “Pfft,” he scoffed as he took shape, rolling his eyes as soon as he had them once again. “Like being locked in stone would keep me from hearing every little thing Celestia says.” He smiled a sad smile and intoned mournfully, “Oh, and I see that she’s decided to leave you all by your little lonesomes. Didn’t even hang around to say ‘hi’ to dear old Discord.” His smile turned knifelike, his single protruding tusk glinting in the afternoon sunlight. “I’m so incredibly hurt I could just die.” Rarity cleared her throat and spoke up. “She said didn’t want to antagonize you before we had a chance to win your trust.” Discord’s head spun to face her while the rest of his body kept facing Twilight, reminding Erin uncomfortably of The Exorcist. “Trust? Why, I’m already more trustworthy than the average bank! I’m just full of trust!” “Full of something, anyway,” Rainbow muttered, just loud enough for Erin to hear. Erin regretted her snort of laughter the moment Discord’s head snapped to look in her direction. She tensed up as the yellow and red eyes focused on her before widening in surprise. He took a hesitant step towards her, causing Spike to moan and shake as he clung to her leg. Erin stared at Discord, her ears laid back and her eyes wide as the spirit of chaos approached her. “Oh, my goodness…” Discord’s voice was awed and disbelieving, matching his slack-jawed features and slow, dreamlike steps. “What… I don’t... “ He stopped and stared at her before breaking out into raucous laughter. “Just what are you supposed to be?” “You’d better leave her alone, Discord,” Pinkie growled with surprising menace in her voice. “Oh, I wouldn’t harm a hair on her silly little head,” Discord said. He disappeared in a flash and popped back into existence right in front of Erin, who squeaked and flinched backwards. She heard Spike yelp as he let go of her leg and ran off. Discord’s eagle talon reached up and grabbed her by the chin, tilting her head this way and that while Discord peered intently at her, chuckling all the while. “Discord,” Twilight said from behind him, the warning clear in her voice. “Let her go. Now.” There was a flash of light, and Discord was suddenly wearing a white lab coat and an old-fashioned head-mirror on a band. He jammed the earpieces of a stethoscope into his ears, and Erin flinched as he placed the chill metal of the circular chestpiece of the scope onto the tip of her muzzle. “Hmm…” he said, then “Hmm... “ again as he moved the chestpiece to her forehead. He sighed and straightened up, removing the stethoscope and hanging it around his neck. “I have bad news, my dear,” he said sadly as he looked down at her. “It seems that your morphogenic field is in flux.” There was a pause while Erin just stared at him blankly. “In flux. Discombobulated, muddled, all askew. Is any of this sinking in?” “I don’t even know what that means,” Erin replied, rubbing a foreleg across her jaw where he had grabbed her. Discord leaned down to whisper conspiratorially into her ear. “Honestly, I don’t either. I probably made it all up. But it makes me wonder what would happen if I did this!” His lion’s paw zipped out and tapped her on the nose. “Boop!” Erin let out a startled shout as the ground shot away from her. For a split second she thought that Discord had launched her into the air, all while accompanied by the weirdest stretching sensation she’d ever felt. She staggered backwards before tripping over her own feet landing on her backside among the short green grass. The world seemed to tilt and sway underneath her as she looked down at herself, her brain completely locked in confusion, unable to piece together what she was seeing. For a long moment, everything just looked alien and wrong. Then it clicked. She was human again. Somehow Discord had changed her back, skipping the two weeks of Ascent therapy that it took to change her from one shape to another. And, short on the heels of that realization came another: Discord hadn’t bothered to give her any clothes. A lifetime of modesty reflexes kicked in, and Erin huddled up with an affronted squawk, covering as much of herself as she could with her arms. The grass was tickling her bare legs, and the sun was beating down on her unprotected skin. Her first confused thought was to wonder if ponies ever bothered with sunscreen. “What the hell?” Erin held up a hand in front of her face, unable to quite grasp what had happened. “How… what did you do? What the fu—” “Tsk!” Discord shook a talon at her. “Language! You’ll corrupt the pony folk!” “Erin!” Twilight shouted from behind Discord. “Are you alright?” “I’m not hurt!” Erin yelled back. She considered that for a moment, staring down at herself and feeling oddly disconnected from her own body. “He turned me back into a human!” Discord stepped aside with a flourish. “Ta-daa! See? She’s completely unharmed, and a lot less fuzzy!” Her friends gaped incredulously at her. Even little Spike, who had now latched on to one of Twilight’s forelegs. “You turn her back!” Pinkie shouted. “Sunflower is supposed to be a pony!” “How did you even know what she used to look like?” Twilight demanded. “I didn’t, of course,” Discord replied, buffing his claws against his furry chest. “She did. Or, rather, her fledgling magical field did. I just helped her remember, is all.” “Well, you can just change her right back, or it’s back to being a lawn ornament!” Rainbow shouted. Discord laughed. “Oh, you ponies really crack me up, did you know that?” he asked as he shattered into a thousands of pieces and fell to the ground in a heap. A floating broom and dustpan appeared and swept up the pieces, which were then dumped back onto the ground, the pieces coming together to form his original shape. He grinned at the six grim-faced mares staring at him. “Trust me, I was doing her a favor. Whoever put her together did a pretty bad job of it.” “You don’t get to make that call, Discord,” Twilight said. “Put her back the way she’s supposed to be, right now!” “The way she’s supposed to be?” Discord said, eying Erin out of the corner of his eye. “Well, if you’re sure…” As he started reaching a talon towards her, Erin was seized by a sudden panic. Discord had changed her once, and she seemed relatively okay. Risking him changing her again seemed like a bad idea, especially since he seemed a little annoyed. “Wait—!” “Boop!” Discord tapped her on the forehead, and once again the world jumped. Erin staggered sideways a few feet before stopping, splay-legged and trying to hold onto her balance. A quick glance down showed her that she was once again on four hooves, her coat that familiar shade of sandy brown. “Ugh, that felt so weird,” Erin muttered queasily. “Sunflower, are you okay?” Pinkie called over to her. Erin took a moment to consider. “Yeah, Pinkie. I think so. Do I look okay? Everything in the right place?” “You look great!” Pinkie called back. “What, you expected me to do a substandard job?” Discord pressed his lion’s paw to his chest. “Oh, I am wounded.” “Not yet, you’re not,” Rainbow Dash snapped, shaking a hoof at him, “but I can arrange it.” “Rainbow Dash, enough,” Fluttershy said as she stepped forward. “And, Discord? You should know better than to change somepony like that without their permission. It’s not nice.” Discord’s vexed expression morphed into a wide grin as he turned to Fluttershy. “Oh-ho-ho! And if it isn’t little-miss-reform-Discord herself!” He zipped over to her, still floating in the air. “It’s a real pleasure to meet you!” he said, taking her front hoof and shaking it rapidly. “I just know we’re going to have just oodles of fun, you and me! We’ll bake cookies and have tea parties and take long walks and talk about our favorite books and bring about eternal chaos and go to the spa together and—” “What was that about chaos?” Applejack interjected. “And let go of her!” Discord stopped pumping Fluttershy’s leg and pulled away, leaving her looking dazed and more than a little worried. “See?” he said as a little halo appeared above his head. “I’m doing just as you say! Why, I’m practically reformed already!” As Discord floated in the air while playing a little golden harp that appeared out of thin air, the others exchanged another in what was sure to be a long series of worried looks. Erin’s stomach was still roiling and her head was spinning, like she’d just gone on the world’s most extreme roller-coaster. It didn’t help her nausea at all that she didn’t believe for a moment that the spirit of chaos had her best interests in mind. “Are you alright?” Twilight asked softly as she stepped up next to her. She shot a glare at Discord, who was currently offering a bowl of oranges to Applejack, who looked less than amused at the offering. “Do you think he did anything strange to you?” “I honestly have no idea,” Erin replied as the world slowly stopped waltzing around her. “But I’m planning on heading to the doctor and getting a thorough examination the first chance I get.” “That seems reasonable,” Twilight replied with a grim chuckle. “If they find anything wrong, do you want me to have Discord fix it?” “Oh, hell no. That would just give him another chance to mess with me.” Erin shuddered, her skin crawling at the very idea. Twilight nodded. “Alright. That makes sense.” She gave Erin a hug across the withers. “I’m sorry we didn’t stop him from messing with you in the first place.” “Not your fault,” Erin replied with a shaky smile. “Besides, we knew this was going to be a bumpy ride when we started.” Whatever Twilight was going to say in reply was cut off by a loud shout from Applejack, who was currently chasing her hat across the field. It had grown hundreds of stumpy little legs and was fleeing from her while Discord hovered in mid-air, laughing and clutching at his sides. “A bumpy ride is an understatement,” Twilight growled as she stalked forward. Erin gave herself another quick visual once-over. Everything seemed to be in its proper place, at least as far as she could tell. As far as first contact with a mischievous spirit of chaos went, she supposed that things could have gone much worse. Immediately upon having that last thought, Erin grimaced and wondered what sort of ironic hell she’d just called down upon herself. ~~*Raka*~~ The sun was setting on their first day on the world of Harmony. Most of the set-up work was done, with Raka supervising the setup of the biology lab. Early awkwardness between the humans and ponies was starting to fade away as the two species became more familiar with one another, culminating in their very first community meal. Raka had introduced some of the braver pony scientists to her spicy vegetarian curry, and the ponies had dipped into their reserves of baked goods, sharing out delicious muffins and cookies. Raka’s muffin had apple slices baked into it, with a crackling cinnamon and sugar crust across the top. She ate it slowly as she sat on top of the shipping container that held the biology lab, watching as the sun set over the grass-covered plains to the west. “What are you doing up there?” called Spectral Charm from below. “The sun is about to set,” Raka said. She pointed a finger, indicating the little flying reptiles flitting through the air. “You know what happens then, right?” “Oh!” There was the sound of hooves scrabbling against metal as Spectral clambered his way up a ladder designed for humans. “You’re right, I wouldn’t want to miss this.” “Miss what?” Raka looked up to see a pegasus stallion in the air next to them. His coat was a faded teal, his mane a dusty black. His wings were flapping away as he hovered next to the shipping container that Raka was seated on. “Mind if I land?” the pegasus asked breathlessly. “Flying’s a lot harder than it should be, for some reason!” “I don’t mind at all,” Raka said. Spectral just grunted in reply, focused more on the horizon than the pegasus. “Oof!” the pegasus grunted as he landed heavily next to them. “Haven’t had that much trouble taking wing since I was a colt. Name’s Windbreaker, by the way,” he said by way of introduction, holding out a hoof. “Please don’t joke about it.” Raka managed not to laugh when she realized what the pegasus meant. Instead, she gave the hoof a couple of shakes. “Nice to meet you, Windbreaker. My name is Raka.” “Spectral Charm,” her unicorn friend said. He frowned, glancing sidelong at Windbreaker. “Why would we joke about your name?” The pegasus arched an eyebrow at him. “Seriously?” When Spectral just stared back at him blankly, he let out a low chuckle. “Well, don’t expect me to tell you. Anyway, what’s about to happen? Does it involve those flying lizards?” “Yup,” Raka said. She brought her knees up and hugged them to her chest. “Didn’t you have a chance to watch the video we recovered from our exploratory drones?” “Some of it, but I was more interested in going over the weather data,” Windbreaker said with a shrug. “So, what’s going to happen?” “Just watch,” Raka replied with a smug grin. “It won’t be much longer.” The few flying reptiles, looking like tiny dragons as they flashed and whirled in the dying sunlight, were soon joined by others. They rose from the grasses and from amongst the trees, forming huge, rainbow-colored clouds that undulated through the sky. Next to her, Windbreaker swore softly to himself, eyes wide at the sight of them all. As the sun set, so did the little dragons. They settled back into the grass and in the trees, bending the branches down with the weight of them all. Only the research station was clear of the little beasts, which gave the humans, ponies, and their machines a wide berth. As the sun finally slipped below the horizon, the singing began. First in fits and starts, then finally in a full-voiced chorus that swept in from the east. It was a sound that, to Raka, contained an incredible longing, as if the tiny dragons were wishing that the sun would stay up longer. But there was an undercurrent of joy, even as the last of the sunlight vanished and the largest of Harmony’s three moons began to appear in the sky. All activity in the camp came to an abrupt halt as human and pony alike stopped to listen. Raka snuck a glance, curious what their reaction would be. For the most part, every human and pony was standing stock still, the looks on their faces ranging from awe to fascination to outright fear. A few scrambled up the ladders in order to get a better look at the tiny dragons as they sang. As for the song, it was a presence in and of itself, rippling through the air and causing the container truck to vibrate underneath her. Raka found that she was holding her breath, unwilling to let even the small sound of her breath obscure the singing, even for a single moment. Minutes flew by as the night air of Harmony resonated with the joyful, melancholy chorus before, finally, silence began to fall. It swept in once again from the east as the last of the light died out. In the aftermath of the song, the quiet seemed delicate, almost sacred. After a few minutes, the sound of insects started up once again, dispelling the last of the magical feeling that had lingered in Raka’s heart. “Wow,” Windbreaker said after a moment. “That was sure… wow.” “You said it,” Raka said quietly. The three of them sat for a few more minutes in companionable silence. “Oh!” Spectral Charm said suddenly. “Windbreaker as in ‘breaking wind’. I just got it!” The pegasus put a hoof to his forehead and groaned. Raka chuckled and punched the unicorn in the shoulder. “You are such a nerd, Specs.”