//------------------------------//
// Chapter 26 
// Story: My Little Pony: the Harmony of Friendship 
// by Godzilla313 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 26

As the twins toured, they were gaining disciples slowly but surely.  They spent four months on tour, teaching where they could, and many of the known bands they met along the way had members who were of the ability to do as they, or had heritage back to the bards themselves.  They found both bards of music and storytelling, and indeed, they wanted to learn more.  Since Celestia knew that this could be a good thing for Equestria, she put forth the money to build a Bardic academy outside Ponyville to teach the art, and teach others to teach, and then to go out and reach more that would care to learn.  By the time they came back from tour, things were ready, and those that wanted to learn came to the school.  The strongest in the art were the first to come and learn, as they would be the instructors, for the twins could not even think to teach all of them.  By the time two more months had passed, they had about 20 other instructors, and a couple hundred students.  For the twins, their memory of the past world seemed only like a dream now, as they were so used to things here that they really gave no thought as from where they had come.  They were where they were supposed to be, and it seemed that even nature itself had aided in easing them in; things were the way they were supposed to be.

Yet, this was not the only thing that was growing with them.  In addition to preaching the cause of the bards, they had their message of love and tolerate, and the ways of pursuing peace and the peaceful life all of it brought.  Because the twins were not trying to make the world of the Bardics separate, but indeed, far more inclusive than the ancients would have cared for, an interesting subculture was emerging.  Many of them were artists and musicians themselves, and though they could not do the magic as the bards, they still spread their message, and wanted to do all they could for their fellow ponies in bettering their lives.  They were mellow, nonviolent, and oozing with love.  They took up the name of “Bardy”, meaning, “They who follow the teachings of the Bardics.”
The Bardies were even effected the look and clothes that the twins liked to wear, as if a uniform.  They were not trying to be separate themselves, but at the same time, it did make them stand out.  Some among the older crowd either turned up their noses at them, or just saw them as a passing phase that would mellow out in time.  Others were pretty indifferent to them, considering they caused no problems and sought peaceful solutions to things, while others cheered them on, though never took up the lifestyle themselves.  It was an interesting turn of events, and even some of the colts and fillies who were of an age to be out of elementary school but not quite adults living among the more affluent in Canterlot were indeed Bardies, much to the chagrin of their snooty and straight-laced parents.  Some even protested to Celestia and Luna that something be done about this before the youth were corrupted, but were stunned the day they finally came in a group to confront her, only to find both she and Luna decked out in dressed styled like Downy’s, affecting daisy chains and peace beads.  Though the two were not Bardies, they did it in support for them, and for the twins they had done so much to bring into this world. Celestia assured them, “They are not any danger, and your own children are embracing a message of doing good for others and showing others how to love.  With the vitriol I observe you express over this situation, I strongly suggest you listen to what they have to say and realize you could learn a thing or two from them.”
Confused, they went their ways, not certain what to think at this point, but not able to say much in return.  The princesses found this fashionable, so what could they say?  However, not everypony though this way.

In all this, Ponaeros had been busy.  He, with the general and his bully colts, were tightening control over Fillydelphia, as more and more of the Tri-Pony Party were winning control in certain governmental areas of Manehattan and Baltimare, and all of that in-between.  Stories had been afoot that Nero, (Ponaeros,) had been suspending civil liberties in the name of making the streets safe and giving each and every pony a fair shake, and that this “law and order” were being maintained with an iron hoof.  However, Ponaeros was able to have an effective propaganda machine in place to sell it to the rest of Equestria that nothing was amiss, and a bit of magic he cast to push it didn’t hurt either.  By this point, they themselves had started to become a political party of note, and started getting small pockets of support all over Equestria, and they were called the Tripe party as a quick way of saying, “Try-Pony Party,” and those who were a part were called “Tripes.”  In any case, there was one thing that Nero and the Tripes hated: the bards, and the Bardies that sprung from them.  Nero gave many speeches on how they were corrupting the youth into immoral and lawless living.  Moreover, if such were found in his areas of control, they were quickly found and forced out, (and the fact that they were beaten and robbed by the bully colts was conveniently overlooked by his propaganda machine and silenced from getting out as much as could be done.)  When he got word of what the princesses had done when protest was made about the Bardics and Bardies, he was ecstatic.  He could not have been handed a better opportunity than that!  Once he had heard, he started to thunder from the lecterns of how they were now corrupting their beloved monarchs and that something should be done.  As a result, the persecution of bards and Bardies increased, but now the actions could no longer be covered or ignored.  Celestia caught word of this and sent an envoy to Nero demanding answers.  He may have been freely elected, and it may be that that area of Equestria were going after his ways, but now he had to be reminded of just what side his bread was buttered on, and to know his place.  Because of this, Ponaeros now knew it was time for the next phase of his plan to fall into place.

Nero told the envoy that he would speak to them again the next day, and he started to move.  Messengers were sent all through the territories that the new group he had been grooming up to this point move in and removed the bully colts.  They moved swiftly, capturing them all and imprisoning them very swiftly.  While this was going on, Nero/Ponaeros called in the general for a “talk”.  The general was all pleased, saying, “Ponaeros, your plan is working greatly!  The party is spreading, the military you have been building is getting stronger, and you are making those foolish princesses look like fools!  We’ll put them in their places and set things straight.”
“Oh, we shall do more than that,” answered Ponaeros to this diatribe, adding, “And it is sad you won’t be with me.”
The general reacted as if someone had hit him hard while putting something smelly under his nose.  “Without me!” he sputtered out, “What is that supposed to mean?”
Ponaeros was looking out of his window at the scene below, as the general’s bully colts were being chased down and captured, replaced by the thing he had created, not even looking at the general as he said, “It means that you have been very useful to get things going, but now your usefulness to me has passed.”
“What!” he snapped, “After all I’ve done for you?”
Ponaeros turned to look at him and said, “That’s exactly the reason why this is going the way it is.  I mean, did you really think for one instant that I would ever share power with you?”
“I deserve something!” he thundered now.
Ponaeros got an evil grin on his face, trotted up, and slapped him hard, seething, “I owe you nothing!  Moreover, it is precisely this attitude you show is the reason why this is going on.”
As he spoke, burly stallions in all white military looking uniforms and identical mane cuts came in and pounced on the general, giving him a good thrashing in the process.  Ponaeros looked at this scene unmoved by the actions, and when they stopped, he said, “You see, I already knew what you were all about the moment I freed you from that prison.  You had your own ambitions, which meant an independent mind.  Such a mind close to the center of power is dangerous, general.”
Ponaeros was now talking as if he were a professor in a class, giving the general a class in Tyranny 101.  “The fact that you were in there for the reasons you were made it clear that you could be a loose cannon from the start, and the fact that you could so easily betray princesses you had once obeyed in lockstep tightly shows your allegiances could shift to meet your personal needs.  Thus, what you wanted and what I want are two completely different things.  For one, what I intend goes far beyond what you foresee, and moreover, I can ill afford to have you and your useful idiots be involved.  I cannot afford to have anypony get cold feet and not obey my orders.  I envision the perfect world, reshaped into my vision, with ponykind reshaped into my image.  What you see standing here are the Purity Guard.  These ponies not only have sworn their whole being to me, would do whatever I would say without question.  Proper education and well-placed magic makes for proper worshippers, and will never defy my goals.”
Now the general was shocked and in disbelief.  “Just how powerful are you?”
“Close to 1,500 years clawing my way out of the Abyss has taught me much in magic, and made me exponentially more powerful than I could have ever dreamed of being in my youth.  I am practically a god, you fool, and I know that you are indeed not a worshipper of me.  Not only are you going away, but all those under your control, for you indeed would attract those of your way of thinking.  Once I remove the Bardic order, then I will remove the princesses.”
“That would mean war!” he said, now frightened at where all this was leading.”
“You really cannot be that stupid!” sputtered Ponaeros, “Why do you think I’ve been building up a secret military?  But now, that military will be led by the Purity Guard, with a battalion of elites made up of nothing but the Purity Guard.  With my magic, and their loyalty, willing to fight to the death as if fighting for a god, I shall be unstoppable.”
He motioned for him to be taken away and then said, “Get them all in the city stadium.  I have plans for them.”

Once at the stadium, there was a large crowd there, all uniformed in Purity Guard garb, holding torches and chanting, “Down with the traitors!”
Ponaeros then looked at the lot of them and announced through the PA, “Your usefulness has passed, and it is time to do away with you.”
The general tried one last chance at pleading their case and shouted, “You cutthroat!  I thought we were a team!  I thought you were my friend!”
“Friend?” shouted Ponaeros, “I have no friends!  Friendship gets in the way!  It makes you soft, and makes you hesitate when it is time to act.  I would rather be feared, worshipped, and obeyed!  Friendship, love, family?  I have no need for any of these emotions.  This world exists for one reason and for one reason only; to serve me!”
His horn began to glow as the area around these ponies began to glow as well as he announced, “You shall now know real terror as you shall now experience what I had to experience for centuries.  Farewell, and welcome to the Abyss.”
Below them, a portal opened, and they all screamed in terror as they all fell through, and the portal closed behind them.  It was done.  Ponaeros then said, “And now, let us take this world for our own, and reshape it to what it should be!”

The next day, the envoy was met by Ponaeros/Nero as he said, “I know of your concerns, and I assure everypony, it is all under control.  In fact, the security forces I had been using have proven that, not only had they been plotting against me, but their own leader was a traitor.  Last night, all that was settled.  They’ve all been arrested and dealt with.  I guarantee you, this lawlessness is put to an end.  You may go back and tell our dear princesses that all is in order.”
“What about the testimony of the bards and Bardies that have fled from your borders,” said one, “I mean, your speeches have been quite negative against them, you know.”
He sighed and said, “While I have been less than agreeable with them, I admit, but I assure you, their interpretation of what I spoke was quite extreme, and was just one of many reasons why they were dealt with.  Things will be better from this point on, I assure you.”
Not certain they were getting the whole thing, they went with that, figuring they would be back with better instructions from Celestia and Luna as to how to deal with this.  In the meantime, Ponaeros knew that he had just bought himself some time.  Indeed, he well knew that Celestia would catch on in time, but by then, things would be set.  He’d have a plan in place to deal with the Bardics, and all would be his in time.

However, this was not unobserved, as Discord all this time had been watching and taking notes.  Yet, he had not spoken to Celestia all this time because he knew things had to be in just the right place to act.  Too soon, and Ponaeros would have gone deeper underground and been even more crafty in attempting what he was now trying to do.  That he would do this was inevitable, but acting too soon would have made him far more careful and even harder to stop once he had the strength to act.  He even would have waited until he had overwhelming strength before he emerged.  Waiting too long, and he would have been unstoppable anyway.  No, things had to be done in the right order and at the right time, and it seemed it was soon time.  With that, he headed back towards Canterlot, but not before taking some time with Fluttershy as a break from all this work.

In the meantime, things were going well for the twins.  In fact, because of the way things had shaped out, a discovery had been made.  Even though some may not be bards proper, when they played along with bards, the bards fed off what they were doing and it actually enhanced what they were doing.  This proved clearly that the ancients were wrong for isolating themselves somewhat from the world.  If they had known this, not only would they have been stronger and abler to keep peace, but Ponaeros would never had had the chance to go to the levels that he did.  As a side effect, there was now a revolution going on in the pop music world.  There was now a plethora of styles that were popular and hitting the charts, even dominating them.  Each kind had their cliques, but none of them were entirely hated by the others.  Certainly, a real sense of peace and harmony was overtaking almost all of Equestria.  The record stores and radio were flooded with this musical revolution, and everypony could not get enough of it.  Before long, the twins were approached with having some kind of a festival to celebrate this new vision of peace, and after some thought, they felt it was time.  With that, they approached Celestia and Luna, as well as Twilight, considering that where they wanted to do this would be near Ponyville.  They proposed a three-day free festival of music called Ponystock, open to all who want to come and be a part, and involving any and all acts that would care to be a part.  Their pay would be the fact that they could spread the messages of peace, love, and tolerate.  At the same time, they would raise money by donations of the crowd for the orphans and foster kids of Equestria as they normally did.  The princesses agreed, provided they were welcome to be a part of the crowd.  In fact, Celestia was geeking out about it a bit, wanting to let her mane down for once and just being one of the crowd for the first time in a long time, only taking care of raising and lowering the sun and nothing else for a few days.  Luna would be a part, hoping to learn how to do this “letting down of the mane” thing Celestia spoke of, hoping to be more a part of the ponies she now helped to rule.  After they got permission for this, they approached the Apples about use of their orchard for this purpose.  Applejack stated they did have a large area near the lake that was not planted they owned and not using, so that would be perfect.  Granny Smith, however, was a bit more reluctant, not certain that the crowd would stay out of the orchards and not eat up all their profits.  Applejack compromised and said that she would make sure there were plenty of apples for sale as much as might possibly be eaten so that they would not lose out on the profit, and still give something to the charity.  That way, they would not go off and pilfer from the orchards.  The twins could not wait.

The word was spread and it almost seemed that every act in Equestria wanted a part of this.  The Apples threw themselves into making a temporary stage for the show while volunteers in town helped to set up as many shelters for as many ponies as might come, though it was understood that many would be bringing camping gear with them.  It was asked by the twins that all those who were coming remember the philosophy they all now claimed to have and to have respect for Sweet Apple Acres, sticking to the parts of the property that they were allowed to use.  The town ponies, however, could not wait, as they knew there would be many who would come into town to buy this or that.  It was a winning situation all around.

They had no clue what kind of response was coming.