//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 // Story: Tales of Harmony // by Starwind Dood //------------------------------// Sometimes, that feeling would really get to her... It felt like we were being constantly lied to...   NEW GAME >CONTINUE OPTIONS EXTRA Twilight peered out of a window of the land-bound chariot as it drove through the frozen wasteland. It was just ice and snow as far as the eye could see. She had never heard that Caballus, considered by many the city of the unicorns, to be built in such on such cold and desolate land. "Is this really where you live, Meredy?" "Yes, my beloved warm and cozy land of Caballus. And my name is Rarity," she groaned. "Oh, sorry." Twilight turned back to the heart-chilling wonderland. "Hm, what is that?" "Chimera!" Rainbow Dash's voice erupted from the roof of the chariot. "Everypony, we've got three avian types approaching from the sky! Unicorns, get up here! Gecko, shoot high!" "I am not a gecko!" Spike huffed as he planted his feet into the roof of the chariot and took aim with his short bow. "I can't reach them from here! Twilight, get up here and shoot them with your magic!" "Are you crazy?" Twilight cried out. "I'll fly off." The piercing shrieks of the chimeras erupted as it flew down, four massive talons piercing the roof of the chariot and tearing it clean off, and taking Spike with it. "Spike!" Twilight yelled out as fire built up over her horn. "Let go of Spike! Flame Lance!" She jumped up, grabbing hold of the expanding fireball with her teeth as it reformed into a spear. She reeled back her head, and flung the spear forward as hard as she could. It broke through the roof of the chariot and struck the chimera in its chest, causing it to drop Spike. Rainbow Dash flew at him, catching him mid-flight on her back. "How's this for a vantage point, chameleon?" "Better, and let me tell you that I'm a dragon!" He breathed green fire on an arrow and nocked it against his bow. "Dragonfire Lotus!" He shot the arrow and it soared into the sky before exploding into a hail of burning green embers that pelted the chimeras. "Impressive, now hang on! Everypony else, cover me!" Rainbow Dash ordered and she shot up higher than her targets. "Hear you loud and clear, Dashie!" Pinkie Pie squealed as she knelt on her party cannon. "Taking aim aaaaaaaand...." "Where in Equestria did that come from?" Applejack commented. "Fire!" Pinkie Pie stomped the cannon and it exploded with confetti as the cannonball shot through the chariot and lodged itself in the side of one of the chimeras. It fell out of the sky, disappearing into the frozen horizons of the tundra. "Who's next!?" "Applejuice, take the wheel!" Rarity ordered as she magically placed her mirrors over the top of the chariot. "Well, hurry before we crash!" "You could at least say please, and it's Applejack!" Applejack grabbed hold of one of the levers with her forehooves and placed her back hooves on the pedals that controlled the speed of the chariot. "Alright, time to floor it!" she stomped the pedals, and the chariot took off at double speed, throwing everyone else off balance. "Imbecilic ruffian," Rarity groaned as she struggled back to her hooves. She saw one of the chimeras swooping down at them and took her chance. "Radiant Wall!" she cried out as the light of the mirrors focus into a barrier of light that the Chimera crashed into. "Now, shatter!" The wall exploded, blasting away the chimera, which was sent flying straight into the end of Rainbow Dash's sword. "Thanks," she replied as she spun and threw the chimera into the dirt, following the attack by throwing her sword at it. "Sangai!" The blade spun into the beast, grinding away at its back and forcing it further into the ground before popping upwards and returning to Rainbow Dash. "That's two!" "Bogey, five o'clock!" Spike cried out. "What the hail does that mean?" Rainbow Dash sighed, caught off guard as the talons of the last chimera grabbed her with its talons and threw her back at the chariot. She landed with a loud crash, busting up the vehicle even further. "Ow," she moaned, rubbing her head. "So, any bright ideas now?" "Hit it with everything we've got?" Rarity offered as she redoubled her efforts on the barrier. "Surely between all of us he have enough to singe a wing or something." "I don't know. Could we control that?" Twilight wondered until the chimera raked against the side of the chariot. "Okay, less talky, more blasty." "That's what I like to hear!" Spike nocked an arrow and waited for Rarity to lower her barrier. "Everypony ready?!" "Rarity, on the count of three, lower the shield," Rainbow Dash ordered, met with an understanding scoff. Rainbow Dash placed her hooves on the insignia on her chest-plate and felt the magic building in her armor. "One," the air around Twilight condensed and the head of Spike's arrow ignited, "two," Rarity's horn glowed brighter as Pinkie Pie readied another salvo of confetti, "three!" The barrier disappeared and Rainbow Dash let loose her hurricane of magic. "Gale Edge!" "Icicle Vault!" "Dragonfire Lotus!" "Ray!" "Party Cannon!" The chimera’s body was assaulted by a magical blade of wind before being assaulted with ice, fire, light, and streamers. Yet, despite the onslaught, is kept its breath long enough to barrel downwards toward the chariot in a last ditch attempt to finish its prey. "Applejack, do something!" Twilight cried. Applejack stared at the console board, a bead of sweat flowing down her forehead. Faced with few options, she did the one thing she found always worked when it came to machines. She turned around and bucked it, causing the chariot to swivel to the side, dodging the falling chimera as it collided with the ground and began tumbling. Both it and the chariot collided with the corpse of a much larger chimera that had been reduced to a pile of charred ash and bone. "Whoa nelly!" Applejack cried as she crashed into the windshield. "You have got to be kidding me," Rarity moaned as she dusted her robe. "Still, I guess we're alive." "That's a mighty fine way to say thanks," Applejack groaned as she slid to the floor. She took a single long breath and smiled to herself. "But, yeah, we're alive alright." "Thanks in no small part to your... unorthodox driving," Twilight mused as she examined the controls. They were broken beyond repair. "I don't think I can fix this." "In that case let me eat it," Spike piped in as he stared greedily at the fractured gem structures that made up the inside of the dash board. "Means more rations for everypony else, right?" "Unless somepony plans to cook us some chimera wings," Rainbow Dash added, met with an awkward silence from the rest of her cohorts. "Do any of you have a sense of humor?" "How would you like it if somepony tried to gobble you up," Fluttershy hissed. "It's... not nice to joke like that." Rainbow Dash's ears twitched as she glared at Fluttershy. "How would I know? I don't know, maybe because I was up there! Trying not to get snatched out of the sky! You ever try fighting a chimera? You ever try doing anything but hide in a corner!" she roared, left breathless and seething. "Well, anypony agree?" "Dashie, you're out of line!" Pinkie Pie screamed. "Apologize to Fluttershy, now!" "I'm sorry you're useless." Rainbow Dash exhaled, put her forehooves behind her head, and laid back with her eyes closed as she ignored the fuming pink pony. "Dashie, now you're sounding like a meanie-pants," Pinkie Pie sighed, but Rainbow Dash ignored her. She turned to Fluttershy, opening her forelegs to hug and console her. "Dashie is just mad, Fluttershy. She didn't mean anything she said." Fluttershy huffed and turned away, leaving the chariot in silence. "Hey, Fluttershy, where are you going?" "Maybe she just wants to be alone, bandit," Applejack replied. "Quite frankly, some silence would probably do my head a world of good right now." "B-but, who would want to be alone?" Pinkie Pie asked sincerely. Around her, everyone chuckled silently to themselves, thinking about how they all just wanted to be in bed, alone, somewhere safe, without the weight of the world crashing down on them. SKIT: Anthem Applejack: … Rainbow Dash: What are you staring at? Applejack: You, frankly. Applejack: I always thought pegasi were close-knit, seems I was wrong. Rainbow Dash: That pony, a pegasus? She may be able to walk on clouds but she's no pegasus. Rainbow Dash: A pegasus is strong, loyal to her kingdom, and never lets another pony down! Applejack: Land sakes, did they make you repeat that in school a hundred times a day? Rainbow Dash: Standard morning drills back at the academy. Rainbow Dash: Either I was able to recite it from heart or I wouldn't get lunch! Applejack: Oh sweet apples... SKIT: End Outside, Fluttershy sat by the side of the chimera, barely hanging onto its life as its breathing came and went in terrible waves. Sometimes strong, sometimes weak. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow. Its beady eyes stared at her with an intense ferocity, but it had no strength to lunge out and attack her. "Please," she pleaded, "would you tell me why you attacked us?" The chimera gave no answer. "Please," she tried again. She reached out her hoof, letting it hover over its head as its eyes turned and affixed themselves on it. "I'm not going to hurt you," she said quietly as she lowered her hoof. This was the closest she had ever gotten to a chimera. "Just a little more," she whispered to herself, and her hoof touched the head of the chimera. It convulsed, its eyes nearly popping out of its head as it endured her touch. "There, it's going to be all right now," she cooed. The chimera took one last big breath, and died. Fluttershy removed her hoof from its body as she heard the pitter patter of steps behind her. "Hey, Fluttershy, are you alright?" Spike asked as he stared at the corpse. "Heh, I did a pretty good job protecting everyone today," he said, feeling proud of himself. "It's dead now," Fluttershy whispered, "and we still don't know why it attacked us." Spike didn't know how to respond at first. "Isn't chimeras attacking anything that moves just the way things are?" he asked. "I mean, that's how it's always been since I was hatched. Every day in Canterlot, we had to worry about attacks. It could get pretty scary sometimes." "And you never thought about why?" she responded. "Why are they like that?" Spike didn't respond and she wasn't expecting him to. She merely picked him up and placed him on her back. "Let’s get back to the chariot before we freeze." "Are you feeling better now?" "Maybe a little," she sighed as she walked past the larger burnt corpse to the broken down chariot. Inside Twilight was salvaging as much of the control system as she could as everyone else sat in their own corner of the chariot, twiddling their hooves. "Okay," Twilight finally said. "This thing is ruined and if we don't do something fast, we're going to freeze to death here." "Can't you make a magical campfire? Shoot, have the iguana do it." Applejack asked. "That won't get us anywhere, especially if Nightmare Moon is on her way to Caballus." The room grew silent as they all remembered the terrible events that took place just a few hours ago. Was the pegasus army still fighting them off, they wondered. Just what was happening at Heaven? "I can produce a flame to keep us warm, but we need to get moving, now. Rarity, how far are we from Caballus?" "Possibly a half-day's trot in this weather. We might die," Rarity answered her. "Might, but not will," Twilight tried to encourage everyone. "I'll keep us all warm. I've done it before, really. Plus, without the chariot we'll be smaller and quieter, meaning less likely to be attacked." "Not to mention out in the open," Rainbow Dash hissed. "This is a dumb idea." "Well, you fall apart fast," Applejack laughed. "Well, I'm with Twi'. We're just going to freeze our lil' butts off here, so we better get movin'." "Thank you, Applejack," Twilight replied warmly. "Rarity can take lead; I'll stay in the middle to keep us all warm. Applejack and Pinkie Pie on my side and Fluttershy behind me as Rainbow Dash takes a scouting position overhead—" "Why do I have to!" Rainbow Dash angrily flared up. "Because only you can. Fluttershy still hasn't recovered from her injuries," Twilight explained. "You're the only one who can do it. Please." "Well, I can't," Rainbow Dash groaned as she finally stood up and revealed her bent wings. "I can't exactly fly with these, so you better rethink your strategy." "We don't have much choice anyway," Twilight admitted as she moved past Fluttershy. "We have to get to Caballus, quickly before we freeze. Rarity, please lead." "Since when do I take orders from you," Rarity huffed back. "I'm asking you to order us around!" Twilight agonized. "Can we please get going before we freeze over? I don't want to become a pony-flavored popsicle!" "Well, if you put it like that." SKIT: Expectations Twilight: So, Rarity, can I ask you a question? Rarity: Well, I guess. Twilight: What's Caballus like? I've heard all sorts of rumors like its just flowing with magic and it's where all the greatest advancements in harmo-tech have taken place! Rarity: Well, we do have lots of that kind of stuff lying around... but it's not all that great. Twilight: What? Rarity: Your place in Caballus is dictated by your level of magic. Rarity: If you have strong magic, then expect to live a cushy life where everything is waited on you horn and hoof. If not, then expect to do most of the waiting or beg for scraps. Twilight: Oh... that's not what I was expecting... Rarity: I'm glad I've shattered your expectations. SKIT: End The chill of the air bit at Twilight as she followed Rarity's lead through the bitter land. She kept a strong flame ignited on the tip of her horn, the warmth of which served to keep everyone around her from falling to the snow's cold malice. The slightest veil of snowflakes imposed itself against the backdrop, each flake melting to nothing against Twilight's body, but the strength of the cold was all too prevalent. "Is everyone okay?" Twilight asked routinely. "It's goin' to take more than ice to do this pony in," Applejack often answered. "I could go for a snow-cone! Anypony have some syrup?" Pinkie Pie would joke to lighten the mood. "Oh! How about a game? I spy with my little eyes something white!" Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash remained silent, shooting each other icy stares every other hour. Lastly, Spike would hum to himself, admiring Rarity from afar as she broke against the wind and the land, keeping them all going as their lives hung in the balance. They all understood that dangers of being stranded in the vicious tundra. "You sure this is the right way?" Rainbow Dash asked harshly. "Everything looks the same!" "Of course everything looks the same. It's all white!" Rarity spat back. "If you want, you can fly up and get a bird's eye view. You might even spot Caballus." "Oh, I would just love to, so I could leave you all behind," Rainbow Dash roughly replied. "So much for the noblesse of the pegasi," Rarity huffed. She anticipated Rainbow Dash's assault and prepared a magical barrier around herself for Rainbow Dash to crash head-first into. "Stupid unicorn tricks," Rainbow Dash grumbled as she rubbed her sore head. "In response to your predictable pegasi brutality," Rarity snidely remarked. "Did your manners fall with your city?" "What was that?" Rainbow Dash smashed her hoof against Rarity's barrier. "Say that to my face! Without this stupid barrier!" "Girls!" Twilight shouted as loud as she could, the flame on her horn erupting with a fireball. "If we start fighting now, we're goners. Can you please hold onto your stupid pride until we reach the city! Then you can beat each other up for all I care." Rainbow Dash and Rarity didn't answer. They fell back in formation and continued on their trek. "Rarity, how much longer?" "Oh, I think we're halfway there." "I bet," Rainbow Dash sourly spat. "Well, it's been terrible knowing you all." Fluttershy remained apathetic to everyone's arguing, keeping her eyes to the land for any signs of life. If there was any to be had, it was from the frozen remains of dead chimeras. "What?" she turned to the sky. Something had caught her eyes. "A bird? Look, everypony, in the sky!" She pointed to a tiny shadow casted by something over the moonlight, just a little ahead of them. "Are we going to follow it now?" Rainbow Dash groaned. "Well, the last time we followed a bird we found one of the elements," Applejack answered her. "I'm more inclined to follow that than Rarity over here." Rarity's eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to insinuate something as well?" "Does it matter? We've got to find some way out of this cold, and that bird might be our best shot and I trust Fluttershy's instincts a lot more than you." "You're going to follow a random bird to your deaths?" Rarity asked in disbelief. "How do you even know this bird is heading to Caballus?" "Well," Fluttershy interjected, "it stopped. So, I think it's waiting for us." "Whoa, she's right!" Pinkie Pie added, peering at the shadow through a pair of binoculars. "Stringy Forms! Superb hunters known for—" "That's it!" Twilight shouted out to shut everyone up. "It's not getting any warmer and I don't know how much longer I can keep this flame going! We need to make a decision now!" "I'm voting for the bird," Rainbow Dash snorted. "I think I'm goin' to cast my vote for the bird too," Applejack added. "Uh, well, I think it seems nice," Fluttershy squeaked. "Bird, bird, bird!" Pinkie Pie chanted jubilantly. "Majority rules, we're following the bird," Twilight sighed as she gazed up at its shadow in the sky. It hadn't moved an inch. They all started moving forward, and the bird flew forward a little, guiding them. "Your animal senses seem to extend beyond Everfree, Fluttershy." "T-thanks." Fluttershy blushed and turned away from everyone else. "It's nothing, really." "Don't be so modest!" Pinkie Pie giggled as she clamped onto Fluttershy's side. "Who knows how long we would be wandering around in the snow following Rarity?" Rarity remained vindictively silent. SKIT: Pegasi and Magic Part 3 Applejack: You know, I just thought of something. Twilight: What? Applejack: How is there all this snow here, but no pegasi? Twilight: Why, Applejack, I'm glad you asked that! Spike: Here we go... Twilight: While it's true that pegasi control most of the weather in Equestria, there are still documented phenomena of weather born in the natural world. Applejack: Hold it, so there's such a thing as natural weather? Twilight: Natural weather? Well, I guess you could look at it like that, but yeah. Twilight: These phenomena appear in areas with a high concentration of magic born from the natural world. Applejack: So, natural magic? Twilight: I-I guess it could be looked at that way as well. Applejack: So, where there's natural magic, natural weather shows up? Twilight: Precisely! The Everfree Forest is actually a good example of this. So many events happen there that are outside the scope of pony law that it’s a scientific wonder, a magical wonderland, and a mystery all rolled into one. Spike: Not to mention a graveyard. Applejack: I think I get it. So, could I catch one of these natural clouds and raise 'em at my farm? Applejack: Apple Acres would never have to pay for rainwater again! Twilight: Huh? Uh, no. A natural cloud is still a cloud. You can't raise them, let alone catch them. Rainbow Dash: You can if you're a pegasus. Applejack: Of course... Applejack: Well then, back to scraping the barrel and rationing water... SKIT: End They had followed the bird for many long hours. Twilight was growing desperate, fearful of hypothermia and the death that would come with it. She wanted more than anything now to be back in her bed in Canterlot, back to before her life took such a sudden turn. Back to studying with a mug of hot cocoa with marshmallows. "What happened?" she sighed. "What happened to what?" Pinkie Pie inquired. "Are you okay, Twilight? Oh! We all need to huddle close together to conserve body heat! C'mon, girls!" "Over my dead and frosted body am I gonna touch you, bandit," Applejack replied over her chattering teeth. "I just need to make the flame bigger." Twilight shut her eyes and redoubled her concentration on her magical flame. It grew twice its size in an instant, but swayed more viciously as if trying to escape its magical confines. "How's that?" "It's not going to matter soon," Rainbow Dash answered her darkly. "Face it, we're freezing to death out here! We're done! Game over!" "We are not!" Rarity broke her silence, turning back to the others with a sly grin. Her mirrors magically floated out from behind her and she began to cast a powerful light over the horizon, revealing the city of Caballus. "Let's go!" They all gathered their strength, and started galloping forward as fast as they could, and as they got closer, the air grew warmer. Caballus: The Old City Twilight didn't know what to expect from Caballus. She had heard rumors that it was a shining utopia of magic and unicorn scholars. She had heard it was ahead of the rest of Equestria in technology by a hundred years. It was, in fact mostly ruins and collapsed buildings. "Not what I was expecting," she sighed regretfully, and as she turned to Rarity, she realized it wasn't what Rarity was expecting either. "What happened here?!" Rarity cried out as loud as she could before running into the splintered buildings and broken streets. "So, this isn't natural then... what could have happened here?" "It was a nasty earthquake!" an energetic voice from behind them answered. Twilight and the others turned to meet a pony as pure white as Rarity and dressed in the same purple robes. Her mane was a vibrant multi-hued blue and a white unicorn horn poked out from within its tangles. "Hi, the name's Vinyl Scratch," she bowed, staring at them through the purple lenses of her sunglasses. "Welcome to Caballus." "Thank you?" Twilight replied as she bowed back. "Is everything alright here? I can provide some healing magic for relief where it's needed." Vinyl Scratch stared back at Twilight, Twilight assumed, with her mouth agape. "You know healing magic?" she gasped. "Well what are you doing standing around here? Come with me!" She grabbed Twilight around a hoof and dragged her off into the city, leaving everyone else behind in a cloud of dust. "So, what do we do now?" Spike asked. "Well, it seems to me like someponies here are hurtin', so we should get to helpin', right?" Applejack answered him. "You help, I've got better things to do," Rainbow Dash apathetically shot back. "Only reason I'm here is to let the guy in charge know that some Princess is going to kick down what's left of this sadsack city. You all can do whatever, but we part here, got that?" She turned and galloped off. "Dashie," Pinkie Pie called out, "wait!" "Let her go, bandit. We've got our work cut out here." Applejack readjusted her hat and followed after Twilight and Vinyl Scratch into the ruined city. Twilight focused her magic over the wound of an old stallion whose back-leg had been twisted under the rubble of his collapsed home. She concentrated on moving the bones back into place and affixing them with magic, and around her both unicorns and a few earth-ponies alike gazed in wonder. "There, done," Twilight groaned as she wiped the sweat off her brow. "Feel better?" "Thank you, so much," the old stallion replied, bowing furiously. "Thank you, thank you!" "It's nothing," Twilight answered him, flushing with embarrassment. "There are much better healers than me. This is really novice-level stuff." "But you can do it, and nopony else here can!" Vinyl Scratch shouted as she patted Twilight hard on her back, almost shoving her to the ground. "You're really something miss!" She smacked Twilight on her back again, knocking her off her seat. "I have no idea where we would be if you didn't show." Twilight groaned and picked herself up. "I had heard, though, that Caballus was filled with powerful unicorns. Don't you have healers here?" "Oh, we do," Vinyl Scratch moaned, her mood switching in a heartbeat to a sullen demeanor, "but they're all busy tending to the more magical unicorns around here, which is actually kind of odd what with them being more powerful and all. You see, most of the unicorns around here would be lucky to open a jar of peanut butter, myself included," she joked, enticing an uneasy chuckle from those nearest to her. "So who's next for the magic touch!" she yelled out as loud as she could as all the ponies rounded up those who were hurt the most during the earthquake. "Well, I am happy to help," Twilight smiled nervously. "Vinyl!" Rarity screamed out frantically, "I need your help! Now, hurry! My parents are trapped!" "On my way, Rarity!" she cried back before turning to the audience. "Be back in a jiffy, folks." She waved and galloped off as fast as she could, but not many paid attention as more injured ponies were brought to Twilight. "W-wait," Twilight cried as she was surrounded on all sides. "Don't leave me alone here!" As the crowd converged on Twilight's natural instincts to run from attention started to kick in, but a familiar weight latching onto her back stopped her. "Spike?" "Did you miss me?" Spike asked. Behind him, Fluttershy surveyed the scene, shifting uncomfortably as hundreds of ponies encroached around them. Rarity banged her hooves against a massive rock and screamed as loud as she could. "Mom, dad! Don't worry! We'll have you out soon enough!" Behind her were three fillies: Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo. "Just stand as far away as you can!" She turned to Vinyl Scratch. "Ready?" Vinyl Scratch readjusted her sunglasses and both it and her horn gave off a hot light. "Ready when you are." "Okay then." Rarity aimed her mirrors at the debris and began to charge them with her magic. "Prism Shot!" "Optic Blast!" Rarity's mirrors and Vinyl Scratch's sunglasses exploded forward with light that vaporized the debris into pebbles and dust, and from that cloud of dust emerged a stout indigo unicorn mare and a broad white unicorn stallion. "Mom, dad!" Sweetie Belle cried as she ran up to hug them. "I was so scared." "It's all right, Sweetie, mommy's here," the indigo mare replied before turning to Rarity. "Thanks, Rarity." "Yes, well, try not to get caught in crumbling building again," Rarity answered her flippantly. "Oh c'mon, Rarity, show some emotion!" Vinyl Scratch grabbed Rarity around her shoulders and practically shoved her into her mother's face. "It's a real heart-warming scene." "Vinyl, please," Rarity hissed as she dusted herself. "Well, switching to a different topic. Sweetie Belle, just how did you get here from Canterlot?" "It's a long story," Sweetie Belle answered her. "But, somepony named Lulamoon was able to guide us through the snowfields." "She was a huge grouch," Scootaloo groaned. "We couldn't say anything without her flipping out." "Well, at least you're all safe," Rarity sighed as she examined Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. "Your... friends, Sweetie Belle. I hope you know what you're doing with them as I'm not going to take care of them." "Relax, Rarity," Sweetie Belle replied with a sweet smile. "I was going to ask mom and dad, except I didn't know our house fell apart..." "Oh goodness!" Rarity exclaimed as she turned back to the pile of rubble and flung herself at it, digging at the cold stone with her hooves. "My things! They're all gone! My extra robes, my savings! It's all under these stupid rocks!" She pushed in vain against the nearest piece of debris before growing frustrated and blasting it with her mirrors. "It's alright," her father said certainly. "We're all fine, nopony is hurt. We'll be back on our hooves in no time." "No we will not!" Rarity barked back. "We can't afford another place to stay! We have nothing left! We have nothing, so don't you dare tell me we'll be fine when things are most certainly worse than ever!" She huffed, spun around, and galloped off, leaving her father stunned and silent. He knew she was right. "Mom, are we in trouble?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Well, no more trouble than before. Don't mind your sister, she's just taking it a little too hard." She stroked her youngest's mane and smiled reassuringly. "Bad luck hit us a long time ago, before you were born, and we still made it out just fine." "That's the spirit, Mrs. P." Vinyl Scratch whooped. "In times like this, we've all got to work together! Show Equestria that Caballus is one big happy family." "Speakin' of family," Apple Bloom interrupted them, "but if Rarity is here, does that mean Applejack is here too?" "Orange earth-pony with apples for a cutie mark?" "Yeah!" Vinyl Scratch grabbed Apple Bloom and set the filly on her back. "She's around here somewhere, so hang on!" she whinnied as she galloped back towards the crowd, doing her best to make Apple Bloom smile. "Well, at least someponies got their family back," Scootaloo sighed as she turned her head to the sky, towards where she believed the city of Heaven was. She was surprised when Sweetie Belle's mother picked her up and gave her a hug. "Don't worry, little one," she comforted. "Moms are tough. I'm sure she's just fine and can't wait to have you back in her life." Twilight finished healing another pony, and nearly passed out from the strain she was putting on herself. At her side, Spike dutifully fanned her with his jacket as she raised her head back to the growing crowd of ponies. "Can I... take a break?" she asked hesitantly. "I'm running low on energy, really." "You heard the mare, shows over!" Spike yelled at the crowd before turning back to Twilight. "Need a snack, Twilight? I think I still have some spare orange gels." "Thanks, Spike. That sounds good." "You look softer than an overripe banana, Twi'." Applejack appeared behind Twilight, carrying a bruised pink unicorn filly on her back. "I found her under some rubble. Think you can do a little somethin'?" Twilight felt drained already. "A ‘little something’ should be all I have left." She touched the heaving body of pink and surrounded it in her lavender aura. The filly's breathing returned to normal. "All better, I hope." "Thank you," the pink filly whispered as she helped herself down from Applejack's back. Applejack turned back to Twilight and spoke with worry. "I just don't get it; this place is worse off than Apple Acres. I thought a city full of unicorns would be like a paradise full of fancy magics." "Oh ye of little minds!" Vinyl Scratch hollered out as she kneeled on Applejack suddenly. "Where in tarnation did you come from?" Applejack hissed. "I'm a ninja." She turned back to the crowd while climbing on top of Applejack. "Applejack!" Apple Bloom squealed in joy as she clung to her sister's neck. "Applejack, Applejack! You won't believe what happened to me after you all left us back in Canterlot! There was fighting and I got to hear some stories and there was lightning and—" Applejack caught her sister by surprise and hugged her tightly against herself. "I missed you too," she chuckled. "You can tell me all about your adventures later." "Aw, sisterly love," Vinyl Scratch mock cried as she pretended to wipe snot off her snout. "That's hitting me right here, in the heart." "Cram it," Applejack shot back, "and get off ‘a me!" "Now, now, I mean it," she laughed. Vinyl Scratch paused, taking in the calm and at the same time chaotic moment of growing anxiety. "You know, Caballus is far from paradise. We're in the middle of our own winter wonderland, minus the wonder." She leaned on Applejack and gestured to the large structure in the center of town, the cathedral. "The closer you live to that thing, the better off you are. That's where Blueblood lives, along with the most magical ponies in Caballus, and possibly all of Equestria. Would make for a good tourist attraction if this place wasn't frosted year-round." "And the rest?" Twilight asked. "Look around you," Vinyl Scratch sighed as she gestured to all the poor-looking ponies. "I mean, it's not all bad here. We got a nice cold-barrier to keep us cozy, and the Lezerano Company and Fancypants work hard to try and bring in more food here since we can't really grow anything, but prices for any nations outside of the Cloud Kingdom are rising. So, things are only getting worse." "So why don't you move?" Applejack asked. "And go where? I'm not overflowing in bits." Vinyl Scratch climbed down from Applejack. "I was born here, and this is the only place I have to go, unless I want to risk my butt in the ice wastes and get wasted by a chimera." "Do you have any sense of personal space?" "What's that?" Vinyl Scratch leaned against Applejack again, sporting a catty smile. Applejack shifted away and Vinyl Scratch fell to the floor, still smiling up at her and Twilight. "Really, it's not so bad here. Really..." The crowd suddenly became active again and began to part, making way for a gray mare clad in a pristine black coat that covered her from shoulders to flank and trailed behind her with its outrageous coattails. Her mane was entirely black, and along her back was a large case. She did not have a horn, but many of the ponies in the crowd shied away from her. "Who is she?" Spike asked. "Octavia," Vinyl Scratch answered him, her tone becoming slightly aggressive. "The most magical earth-pony in all of Equestria, and maybe even the entire world." "Wait, a magical earth-pony?" Twilight's eyes brightened as she started to mentally note every little abstract oddity about the mare: from the way she walked to her stoic and emotionless expressions. "What's so magical about her? How does she cast spells?" "You'll probably see what I mean soon," Vinyl Scratch huffed. The gray mare Octavia, now in the center of the crowd, rose onto her backlegs, adopting a two-legged stance and allowing her large case to rest next to her. "Attention, everypony." She spoke with a low but deep and unshakable authority. "Blueblood and the council of unicorns are aware of the situation going on here. Please, be patient. They are working hard for all of us." "Blueblood working hard? What a load of pie!" one of the stallions in the crowd shouted out. "If you have any complaints take them up with somepony else," she hissed back at the stallion, eyeing him with a contemptible glare. "I repeat, Blueblood and the unicorn council are discussing how to handle the current situation. If everypony could just remain calm I'm sure this will come to pass soon." "Pass this!" the same stallion roared as he leaped at Octavia, his horn aglow and encasing a staff in his aura of magic. He aimed it at Octavia, ready to drive it through her. Octavia reached into her case and pulled out a broad-sword, gripped between her phalanges, and deflected the blow with ease and grace. The stallion lashed out at her again, and she cut the staff into pieces. "Stand down," she ordered. "What the hay has the unicorn council ever done for us!" the stallion yelled as loud as he could. "Everytime! It never ends! Nothing but secrets and lies! Why should we trust them now? We're at our worst and they're doing nothing!" The crowd began to stir with anxiety, taking in every true word of the stallion. Vinyl Scratch tapped Twilight's shoulder. "Here, take these ear plugs," she held out a couple of corks, and offered the same to Applejack, Apple Bloom and Fluttershy. "Put them on." "I will repeat myself. Stand down," Octavia ordered to the entire crowd but the only grew more restless. She reached back into her case and pulled out a beautifully chiseled cello. She placed her blade against its strings, like a bow. "We're not afraid of you!" the stallion roared. Octavia played a string of notes on her cello, a harsh and angry chord that blew the stallion of his hooves. She set her sword back against the cello. "Abyssal Solo." She began playing, a slow piece, like a lullaby but instead of warming its listeners, it left them cold and weak. Around her, the crowd of ponies began to fall, strewn along the floor in sleeps darker embrace of comfortless dreams. With nearly the whole crowd unconscious, Octavia stowed her cello and sword back in the large case and hauled it and herself back to the cathedral. Twilight was left paralyzed and bewitched by the sight. "I've never seen anything like that!" she finally gushed. "Sleep magic? What branch of magic was that? Darkness? Wind? She was able to cast it with music? How?" She turned back to Vinyl Scratch, giddy with anticipation. "You're an... odd one," Vinyl Scratch sighed. "Well, to sum everything up, I don't know." "You don't know?" "I don't know," Vinyl Scratch repeated again. "She was discovered all of a sudden to be able to cast magic by playing her music. Nopony knows how, or at least nopony I've met." She turned back the sleeping mass of ponies. The sight made her jaw tight. "All the magic in the world, and we get this." Twilight got up, magically hauling her sleeping Spike onto her back. "I need to go now," she said quickly. "Hey, wait! But, what about everypony here! Y-you're not done," Vinyl Scratch protested, grabbing the end of Twilight's tail and yanking her back. "C'mon, just a couple dozen more ponies. You can't just leave us in our hour of need here!" "I'm sorry, but this is really important." Twilight winked away in a flash of light, leaving Vinyl Scratch to fall over on her face. "Just great," Vinyl Scratch sighed as she picked up her broken sunglasses off the ground, examining them with her magenta eyes. "These are gonna cost me a ton to fix." Rainbow Dash stared up at the large walls of the cathedral. "Alright Rainbow, time to pony up." She turned back to her delicate wings and grimaced. "Remember, just like they taught you." She stretched her neck and bit down on the tip of one of her wings. She closed her eyes, paused, and yanked. A stomach-churning crunch erupted from her joints as she worked to pop her wings back in place. "I am never crashing again," she told herself as she admired her handiwork before chuckling at the notion. She steeled herself again and bit down on her other wing, repeating the revolting but necessary process. With both her wings back in place and functional, she beated the air a few times. "No pegasus should ever be stuck on the ground." She turned upwards to the highest window, and shot upwards, disappearing into the cathedral. Twilight breached back into the world, just a few feet in-front of its doors. Two large black-coated unicorns guarded the gate. "And you are?" the closest one asked her. "Y-yes, my name," Twilight stuttered before recomposing herself. "I am Twilight Sparkle. I am here for—" "Off with you!" the guard barked back. "The Twilights haven't been seen in Caballus in more than a decade. Who do you think you are trying to pass off as one of them?" The guard whipped out a spear, encased in a ghostly aura of magic, pointing it at her menacingly. "I should spear you for such gall." "W-what?" Twilight jumped back as she stared down the spear. "Listen, I don't know what mix-up has happened, but my name really is Twilight Sparkle. I'm not trying to impersonate anypony!" "Twilight Sparkle, daughter of Twilight Velvet? You're her?" "Yes!" Twilight beamed, glad that the mix-up was over, or so she thought. She narrowly dodged the spear as it flew past her head. "That's dangerous! W-what was that for?" "You know darn well what that was for!" The other guard came at Twilight from her side. "Eat my spear you cur!" Twilight ducked under the spear, and became enraged. "I-if you're going to attack me I will defend myself!" She whipped out her spear to deflect a blow from the other guard and then pointed it at the other guard. "Shooting Star!" A star shaped fireball erupted from the tip and knocked the guard-pony off his hooves. Twilight menacingly held her spear in front of her, suspended in her magic. Spike woke up, stretched and yawned. "Huh? Twilight? What's going on?" He stared at the two guards. The still-standing guard stared at her with his mouth agape. "I don't believe it... her mane and a dragon!" The fire of Twilight's mane reflected off his eyes. "Y-you really are a Twilight?" "That's what I've been trying to say!" Twilight yelled as a fireball from her mane shot into the sky. The two guards backed down and kneeled before her. It was a gesture Twilight wasn't used to. "We apologize, Miss Twilight." Twilight's mane returned to its natural two-stripe state. "W-well, in that case can I go through?" "Of course!" The two unicorns turned to the large doors of the cathedral and magically opened them. "W-welcome back!" "Er, thanks?" Twilight hesitantly cantered into the cathedral, never taking her eyes off the guards as she stepped into the large halls. Fully within, she starred in every direction. "I don't suppose I could get some directions?" She turned back to the opening, and found Octavia staring back at her apathetically. "Hi?" "I haven't seen you around here before," she said deliberately. "Yeah, well, I'm new here. I'm here to see... Blueblood. Can you show me the way?" Twilight asked. "In that case, you can follow me to him." She strode past Twilight, taking a path down one of the hundreds of hallways and corridors that made up the complex, barely acknowledging the other's presence. SKIT: As Cold as Ice Twilight: ... Spike: You okay? Twilight: Probably not. I just wasn't ready for all of this. Spike: Still hungry? Twilight: It's nothing food can fix. This place is just so... cold... Spike: Well, I guess with all the ice around, but there is a cold-shield around the place. Twilight: It's more than that. Since we've first walked into the city I just felt... heavy... Spike: Nothing some exercise can't— Twilight: Just listen! Twilight: It's this place, Spike. Something about this place is really cold, and it's not the ice. SKIT: End Octavia led Twilight to a grandiose pair of doors, emboldened with a caricature of a compass rose. "This is Blueblood's chamber." She didn't seem happy about her arrival, but she rapped her hoof against the door. "Come in," came a low but giddy voice as the doors magically opened to let in Octavia and Twilight. In the center of a large and messy room, with scrolls, tomes and maps scattered all over the room, stood a large and muscular white unicorn with a mane of pure gold. He stared right past Octavia with his sea-blue eyes and right into Twilight. "Well, what have we here?" "Blueblood," Octavia hissed. "I'm here to give my report. I told them exactly what you said, word-for-word, and they attacked me." "Oh gosh!" Blueblood shook in his chair. "I do hope you're all right!" Every word from his mouth was laced with sarcasm. "As you can see, I'm just fine," Octavia groaned. "I put them all to sleep with a spell. Am I dismissed?" "Oh, yes, go ahead. Grab some lunch. Grab me some scones while you're at it. Some honeydew green tea as well, I'm famished." He waved his hoof, and Octavia left, huffing over being ordered to grab him some lunch, leaving Twilight and Spike alone in his room. He stared at her, smiling idly. "You are Blueblood then?" Twilight asked as she instinctively placed Spike behind her. "The one and only," Blueblood responded as he flipped his mane. "Octavia did address me as such, after all." "I... heard you have an Element of Harmony." Twilight raised a hoof, expecting some kind of retaliation, but Blueblood's grin instead stretched into a toothy smile. "That dusty old thing," he mused. "Whatever could you want it for?" "Then you haven't heard of Nightmare Moon's return?" "What?" he mockingly shouted. "Nightmare Moon has escaped? Well, this is the first I've heard of this." "She appeared at Canterlot, and pretty much enslaved the entire town as her own personal army. They already attacked the Cloud Kingdom. She... was able to make the city sink." "Well then, whatever shall we do?" Blueblood got up, and Twilight drew further away from him. She did not like him. "Is my Element of Harmony some part of a grander scheme, my close and dear Twilight Sparkle?" "Close and dear?" Twilight echoed. "This is the first time we've met." "So, you don't remember," he flatly replied. "Well, I can't expect you to remember that far back. You were just a foal. I've changed your diapers before, you know. You used to live here, in Caballus, in these walls." "Care to elaborate? My parents have never mentioned anything like that." "Well, I guess you could say we all had a falling out, which is a shame," he sighed, but never dropped his smile. "Your mother, Twilight Velvet, used to rule this land here with me." "What!?" Twilight bleated. "What are you going on about?" "You know the story of Celestia and Nightmare Moon's battle, right?" "Yes, my mother used to tell me that story every night," Twilight retorted, and Blueblood turned sharply at her. "At the very end of the story, it talks about Celestia's last students. Do you know who they are?" Blueblood smirked as Twilight shook her head. "Well, one of them was my ancestor," he gestured to himself. "So your ancestor is the one that took one of the elements to found this pony-state?" Twilight asked. "Ooh, so you took a very special history lesson, well the second student was your ancestor." He pointed at her. "Twilight Dawn was her name I believe, and since then every first born daughter in your family has been named Twilight something." "That's... a lot to take in," Twilight answered him. "You're expecting me to believe all of this? Right out of nowhere?" "What reason would I have to lie about this? So you could embarrass yourself as you go about town praising your own name. Go ahead, tell them all your name is Twilight, and watch the reactions. The love, the hate, the confusion. Yes, expect a lot of confusion. Your family name has been gone for quite a while, after all. But, if you want more proof, I've got a few pictures lying around." "Maybe another time, I don't plan on staying long in Caballus anyway. So, the element?" she asked. Blueblood trotted to the back of his messy room. "I see your one element, and raise you two." He pulled out two spherical stones. Two Elements of Harmony. "Generosity and laughter. Because I'm so generous, and I love a good joke." He magically placed them on the desk. "You need them, right, to stop Nightmare Moon?" "I-I don't believe it!" Twilight shouted. "Where did you find the second?" "I have my sources," Blueblood pridefully commented. "Generosity was the element our ancestors took to for Caballus, and laughter was the element used to found the collective-pony state. Which leaves you to find honesty of the earth pony states." He paused and grinned again. "Thank you," Twilight answered him as she gazed at the magical stones that symbolized Equestria's hope. "That's four elements. Well, Blueblood, thank you," she bowed, "but before I leave, I have to ask, why did you give the order for Spike's dragonnapping." She turned to make sure Spike was still behind her. He was, and was staring angrily at Blueblood." "I don't remember doing that," he replied sarcastically. "Nope, don't recall a thing." Twilight's dislike for Blueblood deepened. "I see, and, lastly, out of sheer curiosity what was the name of the third student." Blueblood brought his hoof to his chin. "What was his name... oh yes: Starswirl." "Starswirl!" Twilight chirped. "As in Starswirl the Bearded, the father of the amniomorphic spells? My ancestor studied magic next to him?" "What happened to not believing me?" She blinked. "Uh, well, I still need to confirm everything. Just, something to think about. For now, I think I'll leave." Twilight took the two elements and stuffed them in her saddlebags. She turned, Spike keeping close to her side, magically closing the doors behind her. Just before she finished closing the doors, Blueblood called out to her. "Be sure to visit again." The doors slammed shut. Twilight shivered as she shook out the last words Blueblood said from her ears. "That was weird," she groaned to Spike, "but now we have four of the elements, so I guess it was worth it." "Let's go find the others and tell them the good news," Spike suggested as he jumped back on Twilight's back. "We got what we came here for, right?" "Right," Twilight sighed as she moved carelessly through the hallways. "Which way was it out of here?" "Down the hall and to the left," a haughty voice answered her. "Oh, thank you." Twilight turned, and was face to face with a blue unicorn mare. "Trixie!?" "Twilight Sparkle!" Trixie reared back and threw a card directly at Twilight's face. She ducked under it, nicking a few strands of her mane. "I have been waiting a long time for this," she hissed as she reached into her cape. "W-what are you doing here?" Twilight babbled as she defensively wielded her spear in front of her. "Isn't this a dangerous place to fight?" "Still a fourth-rate I see. Wheel of Fortune!" She threw ten cards at once, but Twilight ducked under them. Twilight growled as she pointed her spear at Trixie. "If you keep attacking me like this I'll remind you why I was able to win our last duel!" She readied her spear, but an explosion of stone from behind her knocked her onto her stomach. On the floor, she turned back and saw a ghostly glyph inscribed in the air where there was once a wall, bordered by ten cards. "Okay, that's new." "I wasn't serious in our first duel," Trixie taunted as she reached back into her cape. "This time I'm going to bury you in the ground and prove my superiority!" Spike jumped off Twilight and aimed his bow at Trixie. "Make a move, I dare you." Trixie blinked, and threw Spike down the hallways with her magic. "I despise interruptions." "Then you will hate this," came a new voice. A magenta unicorn appeared between the two, brandishing a scythe that was bladed at both ends. She held one end against both Trixie and Twilight. "Fighting within the cathedral is not permitted. Trixie, I expected better from you than this." Trixie laughed as she brushed away the blade of the scythe. "And what are you going to do? You're even weaker than her!" "Stand down, Trixie. If you want to fight than at least take it into the city. Or do you want me to report you to Fleur de Lis?" Trixie grimaced and turned, her cape hitting Amethyst Star. "This is just a delay till the inevitable, Twilight Sparkle. We're going to fight, and I'm going to come out on top." She left sorely, stomping the floor with each hoof-fall. "Unruly mare," the magenta unicorn cursed as she turned away. "Can I get some help," Twilight groaned, still lying on the floor. The magenta unicorn turned back to Twilight. Her eyes narrowed into slits. "I guess you don't remember me, so I'll reintroduce myself. I am Amethyst Star, the leader of Blueblood's personal squadron of unicorns, the group that dragon-napped your little assistant over there." Twilight sprung to her hooves, calling out Spike's name. "Spike! Spike! Get back here, Spike!" She turned and glared at Amethyst Star, smoke seeped out of her mane. "What have you done with Spike? If you've hurt him I'll—" "Stand down, I've done nothing to it." Amethyst Star pointed her scythe down the hallway as Spike emerged from its darkness, holding his stomach. "You'd think that being grabbed by you all the time would prepare me for this stuff," Spike groaned as his face turned a shade of green. "I was wrong." "Spike! Thank goodness you're safe again!" Twilight cried as she squeezed him against herself. She turned back to Amethyst Star. "Do I need to worry about you trying to take Spike again?" "You probably do," Amethyst Star shot back, keeping a double-headed scythe at the ready behind her. "It's not against the rules to engage in self-defense. Attack me, and I will be forced to take defensive measures, and you don't have any 'friends' to surprise me this time." Twilight gritted her teeth as her anger at Amethyst Star threatened to take over herself. "The moment I see you reaching for Spike I'm going to fill throw so much fire—" "Keep your metaphors, I get the idea," Amethyst Star interrupted her venomously. "If you're done antagonizing me I'll be off." She left for Blueblood's room, leaving Twilight in the dark. "Good riddance," Twilight barked. "So, what now, Twilight?" Spike asked as he jumped onto her back. "Head back to town?" "Soon, first," Twilight turned back to the complex of hallways and corridors, "I want to look into what Blueblood said." "You actually believed that load?" "I bet not all of it is true, but the way the guards acted earlier, I don't know. Something is just nagging me, I guess..." Would you like to save your game?