//------------------------------//
// Chapter 32 
// Story: My Little Pony: the Harmony of Friendship 
// by Godzilla313 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 32

A few days had passed, and the princesses were starting to make the maneuvers they needed to mount the counteroffensive and try to put this whole thing down.  The bards were reluctant to commit now, considering their leaders were gone with no idea just what their fates had been.  In fact they were seeking to go into hiding, trying to figure out what to do.  They had insisted that they needed the help of the Bardies to boost their magic, for they felt it was their only chance against such a powerful wizard.  Luna and Celestia assured them that they would deal with Ponaeros personally, considering how powerful he was.  Moreover, even Discord was offering his services, considering that even he, when he had once had ambitions for conquest, had never sought to see anypony harmed, but just wanted his silly and psychedelic world to be what it was.  This was different.  He had seen the face of wickedness, and it was horrible, even worse than Tirek had been.  Worse, if Ponaeros did start to realize his fullest potential, there just may be no stopping him at all unless every unicorn could be called upon to act at once, and maybe trying to get that Sunset Shimmer mare back over here just long enough to help.  Yet, Ponaeros halted his lines for a few days, and that bought the princesses time, but they were also unsure as to what Ponaeros’ next move might be, and that actually made them more nervous with the not knowing.


Another school week was ending in Canterlot High, and the girls were gathered at the statue for a little picnic after class to get their homework done so as they could have a full weekend to themselves for a sleepover at Pinkie’s place.  Sunset had the book out, hoping to give a weekly progress report on how things were going, and hoping for an update on the twins.  She was so glad to know they had assimilated so well and wanted to stay in the other world, and she was happy the investigation of them going missing didn’t amount to much here, the law having finally given up and listed them on the missing persons file, knowing that their disappearance would never be solved, and Sunset even wondered if it was possible that their disappearance would end up another great urban legend.  However, on this day, as she finished off her message, a response came back quicker than she expected.  The writing was a bit sloppy for Twilight, so that hinted that there was a problem right away.  As she read, her eyes widened, and now she looked horrified.  Without a word, she was up with the book and heading into the school and towards the office at high speed.  The girls just stared and looked stunned.  After about five minutes, they had their answer.  Sunset sprinted back out, tossed them the book, and said, “I’m going back to Equestria for a time!  It’s an emergency!”
They all muttered responses simultaneously and incoherently, all wanting the details, but Sunset said, “Look, I told Principal Celestia what was going on and showed her the book.  I don’t know how long I’ll be gone…if I’ll return at all.”
Now that shook them!  They all wanted to know why, but Sunset then said, “The answer is in Twilight’s most recent response.”
Realizing more what she had just told them, she sighed and then said, “Look, this is serious, and I want to say a proper good-bye, but there is no time right now for that.  It’s that dire over there.  I wish it wasn’t this way, but just keep hope alive.  If I never see you again, know it was great, and you were the best friend a unicorn could ever have!”
Without another word, and before the others could answer, she dove through the portal.  Just like that, and Sunset Shimmer may have just said, “Good-bye,” forever.  They were so stunned at the sudden and blunt turn of events that they all stared at the portal for a good five minutes before any of them could focus and look into the journal.  Once they did, however, they were even more in a daze as they realized now exactly what made her act this way, and now tears started to fill their eyes as they realized she had walked right into the teeth of danger, perhaps never to return, and maybe to meet a grizzly fate.  The sleepover now seemed more important than ever, because now they needed to be together to give each other strength.


Twilight was pacing the floor with the others of the Mane six sans Rainbow Dash when Sunset burst through the mirror and said, “I got here as fast as I could.  Tell me Dash is alright.”
“She’s recovering,” answered Twilight, “She has a couple of broken limbs and she had to have surgery on a collapsed lung, but she’s still got some fight in her.  She even wants to get back into the fight as soon as she can.”
“But, what about the bards?” asked Sunset, “Can’t they act?  I mean, I know the twins were their leaders, but they could still act.”
“They still are trying to achieve the levels of strength the twins have achieved,” answered Twilight, “And they won’t go in unless the Bardies are with them, but Celestia doesn’t want to get more civilians involved than she has to.”
“Down right stubborn, if y’ask me,” snuffed Applejack, “I know they hate war n’all, but everypony’s doin’ what they can.”
“You can’t force it,” said Fluttershy, “I can only imagine how scared they are.  I’m scared to death, and I’m not even having to go fight.  I can only think how much more they must be.”
Sunset pondered it, and she said, “This is a desperate time; why not retrieve the Elements of Harmony?  Considering the emergency, I think the Tree of Harmony could live without them for a short time.”
“Even if that were feasible,” responded Twilight, “We need all of us for that to work, and with Dash out of it right now, it would be impossible.”
Starlight Glimmer thought about it, and then she said, “Remember when you told me of that conversation you had with Celestia about what powered the elements and the tree?”
Twilight nodded and Starlight then said, “Celestia told you of some kind of binding power for all of them.”
Twilight looked a touch confused, and she said, “But, I thought that was magic; it’s the sixth element that springs from the five when they are all together and empowered.”
Sunset caught on to what Starlight might be getting at and she said, “Yet, even magic has to have a source that drives it.  After all, they are the Elements of Harmony, and magic is only a component of the harmony.”
Starlight and Twilight pondered it, and seemed to both say at the same time, “Music?”
“No, not music,” answered Sunset, “Because music is only an audio and physical manifestation of harmony; harmony is contained in music.  Think about it: music that you remember and sounds good has a certain rhythm and sound to it that syncs up with one’s heartbeat.  It focuses the mind and helps it flow if one allows it to.  I play music over in that other world, and I know what it is that the twins found so attractive about it besides instinct.  When you’re playing it, especially for others to enjoy, there is a peace and joy—an energy—that goes with it.  You’re as much a part of the experience as those who hear it, and more.   Since you are the center of the experience because you are the one singing and playing, you are getting the full energy of it.  When notes and chords are not in harmony, it creates a dissonance that runs right up the spine and actually makes you feel bad, and even shiver, because the discord makes you feel uncomfortable.  No, the Elements of Harmony have something to it that unifies them and empowers them.  It is something that the bards can tap into with their music.”
Rarity then said, “There is a joy to it,” to which Spike just nonchalantly added as an afterthought, “I think they get joy because they love it.”
“Yes,” said Fluttershy, “And wasn’t that their big song at Ponystock, and what they had as a message of love and tolerate: all you need is love?”
The sudden silence of everypony there was deafening.  It was one of those kinds of answers that was so simple that you wonder why you didn’t see it staring you right in the face the whole time.  “Spike, that’s why I love you so much,” said Twilight, and Rarity said, “Oh, Spike, you are a genius!”
She gave Spike a kiss on the cheek which caught him off guard so much that all he could do was mumble something incoherent and pass out on the floor.  At this, Twilight said, “Call it a hunch, but I think we might be able to find some kind of answer at the twin’s house.  If we scan through their Bardic books, maybe we can find a love tie-in and see if we can’t give that to the bards.  Wow, I’ve always heard that love conquers all, but I never thought it would be anything like this!”

While this was going on, there was an arrival of a small caravan at the central front where the most solid concentration of enemy troops sat.  Scouts from the ground reported that it was none other than Ponaeros and some kind of…musical band.  Celestia, rallied behind her soldiers, found that odd.  Well, it was odd…unless…  Before she could react, a white flag spell was cast over her with a message for her to talk directly to Ponaeros.  Instead of risking herself, she projected a hologram of her through which she channeled herself and appeared before Ponaeros in a very large image floating before the stage.  She said, (more hopefully than anything else,) “You wish to surrender?”
Ponaeros laughed and said, “Your candor has not been exaggerated, future concubine.  I think Sun Butt would be a more appropriate name for you.  Ah, but once I bed you, your wit and humor will be quite welcome.”
Celestia looked sternly at him, not in a mood for joking, and said, “I dare you to call me ‘Sun Butt’ to my face when you stand before me in defeat.  I wouldn’t let you touch me with a ten meter stick.”
He just smirked and said, “Once under my magic, you won’t care.  Besides, I asked you here because I wanted you to see Tri-Ponia’s newest musical sensation.  Would you two like to introduce yourselves?”
Out from the back of the stage came none other than Quill and Downy, except they didn’t look like themselves.  They were both wearing denim, black tee-shirts with black denim jackets, with spiked dog collars and wrist bands, ear studs and nose studs, and both had mohawks!  Both had angry looks on their faces, and electric guitars.  Celestia looked horrified and said in heat, “I am going to make you pay dearly for whatever spell you have them under…”
He laughed hard at this and said, “Oh, dearest Sun Butt, please don’t be so gauche.  They are like this because they want to be.  All I did was convince them of the better way of things.”
“You brainwashed them, you mean!” she snapped, but Ponaeros then said, “Whatever you like.  But, it is hard to help ponies that don’t want the help.  They are both willing participants.  Ask them yourself.”
He stepped to the side so she could see them better and she said, “Quill, Downy, please, whatever he offered you, it’s not worth it.  What you had is so much better…” but Quill cut her off with a vulgar gesture and said for her to go do something unsavory to herself and then added, “You should have left us where we were!  You never should have awakened our magic!”
“It would have happened anyway,” she tried to reason, “Once you met the human counterparts of your friends here, you would have…”
“Oh, give your clap trap a rest!” spurted Downy, “Besides, if you valued things like you said, leaving us in our world would have been best for all.  Now that Ponaeros knows about it, this world is not all he’s going to rule!”
Celestia now had a look of sheer horror on her face, now realizing that, if he bent them this way, they would then tell him of everything including the two portals!  Quill then said, “Once we get done with this world, the other shall lay at our feet.”
Ponaeros then added, “And, by that time, I will have learned more of what I can do with the power I gained in the Abyss of Tartarus, and wield magic there.  Nopony shall stop me.”
Ponaeros paced a bit, grinned, and then said, “You know, I should have thought about this use of bards centuries ago.  I was so afraid of the bards that I never thought that bending a few of the more powerful ones to my will might be helpful.  Yet, now that I have the two most powerful bards of this era, I can make this swift.  Thereafter, I will insure that there will be then only two bards in my world, because there is no need for competition.  Besides, once I grow to my fullest potential, I will be able to do as they, for all magic shall be open to me, and the two of them as my priest and priestess, all shall obey me willingly.  I shall be a god!”
“NEVER!” thundered Celestia, “I don’t know what it will take, but you shall be stopped!”
“Oh really?” said Ponaeros, “Have you forgotten that I was around in the time of the original bards?  I’ve seen them in action, and I know more about how they work than even the twins.  Sure, I haven’t master that kind of magic yet, but I do know about it enough to teach them how to be as powerful as they can be.  Let me demonstrate.”
While all this was going on, all along the lines the Tripes set up tall mobile towers with large speakers on them.  By the time Ponaeros was done, things were set up, and he nodded to the twins who had taken their place with that band and they started to play.  The music was in minor keys and harsh, and if someone from the human world had been there, that one then would have recognized the song “Enter Sandman.”  By this point, Celestia’s image had faded as she cut off the spell and could hear the haunting music from the distance starting to grow in volume as the troops started to advance.  The Equestrian army all along the front prepared to advance, but then things got really bad!

As the Tripes advanced, some of the most monstrous images started to appear, and real enough that those on the ground did not want to chance that what they saw might be fake.  In addition, the sky grew dark and filled with sickly purple and black storm clouds, and it seemed that the Tripe army had grown to seven times the number they had just previously been.  So horrifying were the sights that the soldiers of Equestria were just screaming and throwing down their arms as they fled for their lives.  So fast was it happening and so confusing was the chaos that Celestia could not rally the troops or counter the magic no matter what she tried.  It was then she realized why the band was there, and remembered how the Bardies helped enhance what the bards did by playing their music, and also why the twins had their own band by this point.  Because Ponaeros had taught the twins the most ancient techniques, coupled with the band, they were dominating every aspect of the situation.  They were also channeling their magic through the speakers so that no matter where anypony was, even if they were not in direct earshot of the live action, it was affecting any and all who heard.  This could not have been a worse situation.  Although nopony was being killed, which was the only upshot, Equestria could not put up a resistance.  It would only take a matter of a week, if that, and the government would have to flee to the west and try to reestablish a new front from there, because Canterlot will have fallen without a fight.  She would then try to rally the bards with their Bardies comrades, but she then wondered just what they could do then, considering that they just might have grown powerful enough to where nothing could stop them.  The song cut out as the retreat was taking place, but not the imagery, as the twins kicked into “Paint It Black”, and it went from terrifying to Hell on Earth just as fast.  In fact, the troops screamed of the flames around them and fire demons that tormented them.  There was no way to win.  For those to paralyzed with fear to flee, they became quick prisoners.  For those who could, they needed no orders to flee back to their bases or Canterlot proper.  Even Celestia, though able to see past the magic and not fear this, was afraid more that it was all over.  She would go back to Canterlot and speak with the princesses.  The first thing would be to shatter the portal in the Crystal Empire, and then have Twilight destroy her portal and the book.  Without the book, a new one could not be constructed.  At least the human world could be spared.  She would then discuss capitulation, because even the reinforcements on the way would be powerless to stop any of this.  Or, barring that, they may just have to send as many through the portals as they could feasibly save, and then try to shut the door behind them and spare the human world of the horror of Ponaeros while trying to give as many ponies as she could a chance at living free.  If she could stuff everypony in, she would have, but considering the swiftness of the advance, this would not be possible.  She hated to admit it, but it just might be all over, and they were soon to be plunged into a horrible dark age, and one that might never end.

At the twins house, they were combing the whole house, and when it seemed that there was nothing really they could find and were about to give up, Starlight Glimmer stumbled across something on Downy’s desk stuffed away in a small draw.  She levitated it out and opened the scroll that was in there with the title, “Strength Through Peace.”  It was a Bardic-style spell subtitled, “The Ultimate Failsafe War Stopper.”  She looked it over and analyzed it to see how it worked and she realized that this was an attempt at trying to create a spell, but it was incomplete.  Yet, under the basic instructions of employing it, which were also incomplete, there was also an incomplete score complete with lyrics.  On the desk was the Bardic Tome opened up to spell creation, and after having found that there were no other attempts of trying to create magic around the house, it was clear this was her first attempt at this.  However, looking at the tome and the spell, she realized that, at the least, the framework of the spell was sound enough, and it was then she had an epiphany.  “Eureka!” she shouted, and everypony involved with the search came in.  They were all panting from the hard sprint with anxious look on their faces, all wondering what was happening.  Starlight Glimmer then said with a sly look on her face, “We may just have found our Deus Ex Musica!”