Harmony's Gambit
Chapter 16:
Harmony’s Gambit
A Few Hours Later-
“Just get a picture of what you’re trying to move in your head,” I said. “Concentrate on it, then imagine it moving in the direction you want it to go.”
“I know, I know,” Shmangie said tersely. Her eyes were drilled into a small pebble in front of her. “It’s right there! I can feel it!”
“Go on, then,” I said with a small smirk. “Make physics your bitch.”
“C’mon, Angie!” Apple Bloom said beside me. “You got this!”
Shmangie’s gaze remained fixed, locked in place and immune to the world. Her eyes became half-lidded as she took a deep breath. At first, there was nothing. But then...
Whumm!
Her horn sparked to life, her magic a swirling mix of brown and green. The pebble became enshrouded in her aura and lifted an inch off the ground.
I smiled. “Go, sis.”
The pebble stayed in place for a few more seconds, Shmangie’s aura remaining weak, yet steady. But eventually, her horn fizzled and the pebble dropped.
“Oof!” she gasped, falling to the ground. “Man, that’s hard!”
“You did great, though!” I said as I went over and helped her up. “You’re catching on to everything really fast.”
“Yeah! You’ll be liftin’ normal-sized things in no time!” Apple Bloom said.
Shmangie wiped the sweat off her brow. “I kinda have to, considering ‘no time’ is exactly what we have.”
The three of us were in a weed-ridden patch of dirt that used to be Carousel Boutique’s backyard. Around us was a flurry of activity—a team of earth ponies were digging a makeshift trench around the building with impressive speed. Above us, flocks of pegasi flew back and forth from the town with whatever they could salvage. Inside, the unicorns were with Twilight getting whatever pointers they could on spells. I’d been there, as well, but Twilight pretty much had it covered, so I decided to give Shmangie some private instruction.
I sighed and looked out towards the Everfree Forest, looming on the edge of town. “I hate this waiting. Wish we at least knew what Discord was gonna throw at us.”
Apple Bloom laughed. “Dunno if that’d help. He’s got more crazy magic than all of us ponies put together. Prolly more scary monsters and stuff, too.”
I gave her a sidelong glance. “Thank you, Little Miss Sunshine.”
“I’m just bein’ realistic!”
I rolled my eyes. “We’re magical colorful cartoon ponies standing in a post-apocalyptic hellscape. Realism is dead and buried.”
“Hmm.” Apple Bloom rubbed her chin. “Touche.”
Shmangie came up beside me and followed my gaze. “Do you think Discord'll try to stop us?”
I shrugged. “Hard to say. It’ll depend on how deep in the Elements are.”
“Let’s hope they’re not far, then,” Shmangie said dryly. “I don’t feel comfortable going in there without some clear direction… or a clear goal, for that matter. Daring didn’t sound all that confident when she said she got a bead on them.”
“We’ll figure out more once they get back from their little scouting mission.” I turned and headed back towards the Boutique. “This is Discord’s turf, so we’re probably gonna have to fight by his rules. We can’t really fight the Lord of Chaos with a well-thought out, logical plan. ”
“So we’re flyin’ by the seat of our pants?” Apple Bloom asked.
I snickered and wiggled my rear. “I know not of these ‘pants’ you speak of.”
“Wait, where are you going?” Shmangie called after me. “You gonna go help Twilight again?”
“Nah, she’s got things,” I said. I looked back at the two of them. “I’m gonna go see what Rarity’s up to. You guys stay here and wait for Daring and the others.”
“Fine, fine.” Shmangie turned back to her pebble. “Don’t be gone long, though. They should be back soon.”
I left the two of them behind and made my way back inside the Boutique. I first looked for Rarity in the kitchen, as that’s where I’d seen her last, but all I found was a sea of unfamiliar faces. Ponies of all colors, shapes and sizes were busy reinforcing windows, clearing out debris, checking the cupboards for salvageable supplies, or making their way through the cramped, cluttered space. It was easier for me to maneuver around thanks to my small size, but it still took a little while to get through.
I climbed on top of the kitchen table and asked if anypony had seen Rarity recently. The response was a chorus of no’s.
“Maybe Twilight knows where she is,” I muttered, squeezing my way out of the kitchen. I made my way down the cracked and dusty hallway to the showroom where I’d last seen her, ducking around adults and saying ‘excuse me’ every two seconds. It was strange seeing so many ponies in a place that was once my home, and a part of me was starting to get a little claustrophobic from being pushed and shoved all the time.
My skin prickled as I entered the showroom. It was filled with dozens of practicing unicorns, all attempting to use magic in some way, shape, or form. I could almost taste the energy in the air as a dull WHUM filled my ears.
I recalled that Twilight had been standing on a platform in the corner directing everypony’s efforts, but she wasn’t there now. I crawled up on a pile of debris to see if I could spot a pair of purple wings amongst the crowd, but no such luck.
I waved at a nearby stallion. “Hey, is Princess Twilight here?”
“Huh?” The stallion did a double-take at me. “Oh, hey! You’re Sweetie Belle!”
I nodded. “I know Twilight was here not too long ago. Know where she went?”
The stallion shook his head. “Sorry. Rainbow Dash stopped by and asked for her help with something about a half hour ago. Haven’t seen either of ‘em since.”
I chewed on my lip. That wasn’t that strange, as there were lots of things that Dash might need Twilight’s help for, but for some reason, I couldn’t help but get a weird feeling…
“Maybe you should go ask Shining Armor,” the stallion suggested. “He might know where they went. I think he’s up on the roof.”
Well, it was a place to start, I supposed. “Thanks,” I said, turning and walking back into the hallway.
It took a few minutes of navigating back through the crowded hallways to get back outside, but I managed it without causing too much of a stir. I did get the occasional curious glance and whisper, but otherwise, ponies didn’t pay me much heed. Once outside, I flagged down a passing pegasus and convinced her to give me a ride up to the roof.
“Try not to look up at the sky for too long,” she warned me as we took off. “You’ll get vertigo.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Looking up gives you vertigo?”
The pegasus grunted acknowledgement. “Not quite sure why. We think it has something to do with the clouds.”
We navigated through the crowded airspace and flew up to the top platform of the Boutique. I now saw that Shining was in the center of a flurry of activity, as he and a smattering of ponies pored over a large map of the surrounding area.
My arrival-by-pegasus didn’t go unnoticed. Upon seeing me, one of the ponies nudged Shining and pointed.
“Oh!” Shining said in a higher than normal voice. “H-hey there, Sweetie Belle! Good to see you! What brings you up here?”
I trotted over to him. “I’m looking for Rarity. Or Twilight. Or Dash. Any one of them, I suppose. I’ve asked around, but no one’s seen them. I thought they might be up here?”
Shining’s mouth twitched. “The girls? Uh… Haven’t seen them! Nope! Haven’t been up here! They’re probably all helping out with things down below.”
Something about him was off. His smile was strained, his tail was twitching like he was trying to swat a fly, and his eyes were avoiding mine.
I gave him a flat look. “Oh, really?”
Shining held up his hooves. “Really! I haven’t seen them in over an hour!”
“Hmm.” I studied him closely. “What were they doing when you last saw them?”
Shining gulped. “N-nothing life threatening! Yep! Definitely nothing life threatening at all. Just helping out with the preparations. Nothing that involves sneaking off to fight Discord!”
Oh, godammit.
“Shining,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. “Please tell me that—
And then all hell broke loose.
It began with a deafening chorus of shrieks, like jagged chips of rusty metal running across a marble floor. I instantly jammed my hooves in my ears, and everyone around me reacted much the same. Almost all the flying pegasi fell out of the air. Wincing, I looked all around to try and find the source of the noise, finally finding it in the sky above.
What I saw were nightmares. Horrifying abominations usually reserved for stories and myths. They were faceless, snakelike entities that looked like a mix between a fly and a squid. They were a stark, pallid white, were each several times the size of a pony, and were covered in barbs and tentacles.
Oh, and there were hundreds of them.
My hair stood on end. “No…”
“WE’RE UNDER ATTACK!” Shining bellowed. He dashed to the building’s edge and began issuing orders. “ALL PONIES, PREPARE TO FIGHT! THE ENEMIES ARE APPROACHING FROM THE AIR!”
Chaos erupted. Most ponies were still reeling from the initial shriek, but once they saw what was coming, they abandoned what they were doing and scrambled for cover and weapons. The majority of our force was centered around Carousel Boutique, but we’d managed to shore up a few of the surrounding buildings, too. Everyone was heading for either these or the Boutique as the swarm approached.
I backed away from Shining, who understandably now had bigger things to worry about. With utmost care, I went to the building’s edge and shimmied my way down, landing nimbly on the ground. I ran for where I’d left Shmangie and Apple Bloom as fast as my little legs could carry me.
It was bedlam. Ponies were clambering everywhere trying to find shelter, or form a defensive line. I only barely managed to get stepped on as I ducked and dodged through the insanity. A random stallion bumped into me from behind and sent tumbling to the ground, and just barely managed to avoid the stampede of hooves rumbling like an earthquake all around me.
Somehow I managed to retrace my steps. Upon rounding the corner to the backyard, I thanked what small bit of luck I still had. Daring, Babs, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Shmangie were all there.
“Sweetie!” Scootaloo said, running up to me. “We saw them! They’re—”
“MOVE!” I bolted past her and leapt over the unfinished trench, making a beeline for the Everfree Forest. “DARING!”
“Got it!” She spread her wings and took flight, quickly catching up to me and flying just ahead. “Follow me!”
“H-hey!” Apple Bloom called as she stood there, eyes wide. “Wait up!”
“You heard the girl!” Shmangie sprang into a nimble gallop. “Move your fuzzy rump!”
A chill wind blew past us as Daring led us all through the gutted remains of Ponyville. It was treacherous going, as Discord hadn’t had safety in mind when he’d had his way with the place. The streets were riddled with sinkholes that ranged from a few feet deep, to I-don’t-even-wanna know. Some of them were filled with various liquids, others were just a yawning abyss. Buildings everywhere were toppled, defamed, or defiled. The bowling alley was encased in a cube of jello. Sugarcube Corner was upside down and spinning like a top. Our schoolhouse had been replaced with a giant, fanged rubber ducky that squawked at us as we passed. The road to Sweet Apple Acres was lined with rusted metal gears that spun like buzzsaws.
I’m sure there were other anomalies, but I was more concerned with outrunning the gibbering hellspawn closing in on the town. I glanced back once to see that she and the others were a few dozen yards behind, but after that my gaze was locked on Daring.
A second bloodcurdling shriek reminded me of why I was sprinting in the first place. I grit my teeth and kept up my breakneck pace.
“They’re almost in town!” Babs said behind me. “We’re not gonna make it!”
“Save your breath!” Scootaloo snapped. “Keep moving!”
“I should’ve packed a damn gun!” Shmangie said as she ran through the rubble. Her movements were still clumsy, but adrenaline allowed her to keep up.
I chanced a glance up at the approaching airborne horde. The main force of it was headed for Carousel Boutique, but a few outliers had separated and looked like they were going to circle the town.
We’d avoided their ire so far. Our path forward was clear. All separated us from the Everfree was an open, barren field.
“Just… a little… farther!” I panted.
Unfortunately, that was when our luck ran out. Just in front of me, a multi-limbed aberration the size of a car fell out of the sky like a meteor. My blood ran cold as it reared up and brandished its scythe-like claws.
I froze in place. “Ah…”
“RAAAAGH!” Daring charged the thing from behind. She kicked it several times and zipped around it, trying to find a weak spot. “RUN, IDIOT! I’VE GOT BRIGHT EYES!”
The beast lost interest in me and turned to her, rearing and taking wide swipes at her. Daring nimbly dodged and continued to take potshots, hitting the thing with everything she had, but she wasn’t doing much.
“No...” I drew my sword and took careful aim. “Not because of me… Not because of me!”
Daring narrowly dodged a wicked slash and delivered a swift kick to the thing’s snout. “Damn, you’re ugly! What nasty-ass mother shat you out?!”
The creature sized Daring up. It took a few steps back, then barrelled straight into her with blinding speed. It reared back and raised its claws to for the kill—
THUNK
—only to go limp as my rapier became lodged in its skull.
“YAAAAAH!” And then Babs, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo caught up. They charged in from the side, and as one, they turned and bucked the thing away before it could fall on Daring. Then, in an impressively fluid motion, they dragged her up and continued across the field.
Shmangie brought up the rear, screaming at me as she whizzed past.
“COME ON!”
I chanced a look back. Two more of the monsters were approaching us from either side, their inhuman wails filling the air.
“Crap, crap, crap!” I yanked my sword free and ran after the others. Together, we all made a mad dash for the Everfree, the two beasts closing on us.
We were halfway there when I heard one of them make a noise—a flute-like warbling trill, almost like a pipe organ. I turned just in time to see that one of them was inhaling deeply with its mouth wide, wide open.
My eyes shrunk to pinpricks. “You gotta be kidding me!”
With a sound like a firehose, the monster fired a jet of a sickly-green liquid. I dove out of the way just in time as the projectile passed through where I’d been, continuing to travel and impacting against a withered tree on the forest’s edge. It dissolved into mush in seconds.
My left flank erupted in pain as I felt a single droplet drip onto my flank, and the stench of burned flesh filled the air.
That’s pretty much when I snapped.
“YOU SON OF A BITCH!” I screamed.
I skidded to a halt, whirled around, then ran straight at the bastard who’d just hit me. My rapier answered my summons, the blade slick with dark purple ichor. The burning pain dulled as my rage surged forth, and I leapt headlong at my foes, my anger combining with my magic and swordskill.
Shmangie saw my charge. “SHMAGE! NO!”
The two monstrosities rushed forward, eager to take their foolish prey.
Such anger in one so young...
The world slowed to a crawl. My steps became long strides that seemed to take an eternity. I was aware, but it was like I was moving through water. My heartbeat was like a gong in my ears. My toxic feelings were raging, and all I wanted to do was scream.
You are consumed by hate and doubt, the voices whispered around me. We have all suffered injustices at the Mad One’s hand, but the darkness you harbor will not bring about the retribution you desire. If you wish to help your friends and right these wrongs, you must let these emotions go...
The words reverberated within my very soul. It was exactly what I’d told myself over and over, but I didn’t want to listen. I’d locked that harsh truth away in a corner of my mind, telling myself over and over that I was doing the right thing.
But I wasn’t. I was poisoning myself with these feelings of self-doubt and mistrust, and I realized with a start that it was holding me back.
“I don’t know how!” I cried out, tears forming in my eyes. “I’m sorry! I DON’T KNOW HOW!”
But you do wish to change?
“YES!” I squeaked. “I know I’ve messed up! I never meant to shut anyone out! I just wanted everypony to be happy! That’s all!”
That will do for now, the voices said after a small pause. Your heart is tarnished, but the desire for redemption is true. Accept this power now, and do what you must in the name of harmony...
My anger was suddenly soothed by a wave of calm. The world resumed with a loud snap, and I was charging again at the tentacle monsters. I opened my mouth again in a defiant scream—but what came out was not a yell, but a song. It was a song of wrath and fury. It was a song of pain and loss. It was a song I knew not the words to, yet I sang them all the same.
Keeping in the rhythm, I ducked beneath the beast’s gnashing teeth and began my assault, ducking, twirling, diving, springing, tumbling, slashing. My horn shone like a beacon as I chanted, all the while keeping the measure of my attacks and dodges. Blood and gore fell like rain around me, but it was not mine.
I spun and whirled about, jumped and evaded, parried and riposted. As I did, I could feel all the pent up feelings—the anguish, the frustration, the helplessness—all of it melting away into a deep sense of calm. A storm of steel raged around me, but I was its eye, the focus point, the serene center.
And then just as quickly as it came, the feeling left me. I came to my senses at the edge of the plain, bloodsoaked and battered, standing before my dumbfounded sister and friends.
“Uh…” Shmangie took a hesitant step forward. “Kiddo?”
Well done… the voices spoke, fading away. Come to us, now. We are waiting...
A wave of dizziness hit me. I fell back on my haunches, lost in a sudden daze.
“Whoa…”
“That... was… AWESOME!” Scootaloo cheered. She dashed up and hugged me. “Holy horseapples, that was so sweet!”
“The hell, mate?!” Daring said, her hooves on her hips. “Woulda been nice if you’d told us you could do that sooner!”
“Do… what now?” I managed. I tried to shake off the fogginess, but no such luck.
“We need to keep moving,” Babs said tersely. “Crazy magic kung-fu or not, we can’t stay here!!”
“She’s right!” Apple Bloom said. “Come on! We gotta get into the forest!”
I was only dimly aware of someone picking me up and placing me on somepony’s back. I felt the sensation of air rushing past me, but my mind was trapped in molasses. The otherworldly screeches and the sounds of battle gradually faded from my ears, and as fast as phantoms, our little group fled from Ponyville and into the forest beyond.
***
The Everfree had never exactly been hospitable. Even before Discord’s betrayal, it was home to poisonous plants, aggressive carnivores, treacherous chasms, labyrinthine paths... and those were just the lesser threats. We were always told to avoid the place like it was the plague, and as a result, only the uninformed, the brave, the stupid, or the suicidal entered it.
Or, on rare occasion, the combination of all four.
“Ugh,” Babs muttered, gagging. “I think I’m gonna be sick.”
“Keep your eyes to the ground,” Apple Bloom advised. “Less colors down there.”
She snorted in reply. “Only just.”
It was about ten minutes later that my head fully cleared. I came to to find that I was riding on Shmangie’s back, my face buried in her rust-red mane. Gingerly, I cleared my throat and and tapped her shoulder.
“Uh, I’m okay now,” I said. ”I can walk.”
“Hmph. If you say so.” She stopped to let me clamber off, then whirled around and gave me the dreaded Big Sister Stare of Doom. “Mind telling me what the hell that was all about?”
My ears drooped. I remembered that I’d heard voices…or… something. It was really fuzzy, and the trying to hold onto the memory was like grasping at cotton fluff.
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “One of the monsters hit me with whatever they shot out of their mouth, and… I got mad. I think I heard people saying things to me? Something about how I wasn’t beyond redemption, or something. The rest is a blur.”
“Yeah, well that blur was you turning into a bladed tornado!” Scootaloo said, nudging me. “Seriously, you were spinning all over the place and doing mad-crazy moves! Sweetie get angry! Sweetie get glowy eyes and sing creepy doom song! Sweetie drinks the blood of her enemies! Sweetie SMASH!”
I cocked my head. “Uh… what was that about glowy eyes?”
“Be serious, Dylan!” Shmangie said. “Whatever all that was could be dangerous!”
Scootaloo laughed. “No shit it was dangerous! Dangerous in all the right ways! Sweetie’s packing some serious firepower!”
“Did a right number on those varmints,” Apple Bloom agreed.
Shmangie narrowed her eyes. “I meant dangerous for her. I mean, for God’s sake, she just said she heard voices! This could be serious!”
“Probably, but I doubt it’s in the way you're thinking,” Daring said, blowing her mane out of her face. “Think about it. We get an actual bead on the Elements, we start making our way towards them, we run into some trouble, and suddenly mystical freaky shit starts happening? It’s not exactly hard to figure out what’s going on.”
You know, I think what the weirdest about that was how casually Daring had said it. She was completely nonchalant about it, as if we were simply discussing the weather.
Apple Bloom gave her a sidelong look. “You say that like this kinda thing’s happened to ya before.”
Daring stretched her wings. “Sort of. I have dreams about my old life all the time. This stuff’s pretty standard when it comes to doomsday relics, to be honest.”
Scootaloo sat on her haunches. “So you think we should just leave it be? What if Sweetie really is going full-on nutso?”
“Hey!”
Daring sighed. “You lot really aren’t very observant, are you? Come on, now. I’m a bloomin’ pegasus and I could feel the magic in the air back there. You’re telling me the rest of you didn’t feel anything?”
Shmangie pursed her lips. She rubbed her horn gingerly, her expression pensive. “Don’t look at me. I know next to nothing about magic, and even less about what kind of things are normal for unicorns to feel.”
Daring looked to the others. “Okay, how about you all?”
Apple Bloom tapped her chin. “I didn’t pay it no mind because we were runnin’, but now that you mention it…”
“...Yeah,” Babs said, nodding. “I felt it, too.”
“Made my wings go all tingly,” Scootaloo added.
“Bingo. That was it.” Daring adjusted her wings at her sides. “And trust me, if that’d been dark magic, you’d have been able to tell. You feel how twisted and wrong everything around us feels right now, don’t you? That’s dark magic at work. Whatever went on with Sweetie was like, the exact opposite.”
I wasn’t sure what to think. I mean, it was true that out of all of us, Daring had the most experience with this kind of thing, but that didn’t guarantee that she was right. As for me, I didn’t think that whatever had happened back there was bad. It certainly didn’t seem to have any negative side effects… well, aside from some slight fatigue, anyway.
Shmangie finally spoke. “Shmage, I just gotta know; has anything like that ever happened to you before?”
I shook my head. “I’ve had moments when I’ve felt things like that, but never that intense. It was kinda like when I get in the zone.”
Shmangie frowned. “In the zone?” .
I looked up at the forest canopy as I struggled to find the right words. “Like, I’ve been alone a few times and I’ve been focusing on something, then I’ve felt a really strong surge of emotion, like anger or frustration or… peace, a few times. It’s always given me a kind of clarity that made me focus better. Never made me do anything crazy, though. Has anything like that ever happened to the rest of you?”
“Not me,” Babs said. She looked to the rest of the group. “You girls?”
They all shook their heads.
I shuffled back and forth. Shmangie was still eyeing me with scrutiny, but the frown on her face wasn’t an angry one. The others’ expressions weren’t mad, either. Just… confused.
“I… really don’t know what to tell any of you,” I managed. “I’m… sorry?”
Scootaloo laughed. “You don’t need to apologize, girl! You saved our flanks!”
“And you might wind up saving them again,” Daring darkly, motioning to our surroundings. “We are literally not yet out of the woods.”
Shmangie sighed. “Okay, normally I’d grill you on this, but we don’t really have time right now, do we? We gotta get moving before more of those things decide to come after us. Daring?”
“Right. One sec.” She stopped and closed her eyes a moment, then stuck out her hoof a straight ahead and to her right. “That way. About three kilometers.”
“All right, then.” Shmangie took a deep, calming breath. “Lead the way.”
***
It was slow going through the wood. The air was thick and stifling, with spiked vines that hung overhead from foul-smelling trees. The underbrush was overgrown and wild, yet also was rotted and decaying. Snatches of the technicolor sky above could be seen through breaks in the trees, and there was a dull buzzing sound that pressed in on all our ears.
The wound on my leg stung something fierce. It wasn’t a large wound, or even a deep one, really, but just aggravating enough to let me know every time I brushed against something. Fortunately, Shmangie had brought some bandages with her, and the white wrap blended in nicely with my coat.
"Think it’s worth going in the air to get a better view?” Shmangie asked Daring after twenty minutes.
“I’d rather not,” Daring replied. She sidestepped a thorn bush and continued on. “Last thing we want is to draw attention to ourselves.”
“So, um…” Apple Bloom began, shuffling her hooves. “I dunno if this is the best time, but we’ve never talked actually talked about what we’re gonna do once we get the Elements. Any ideas?”
We all exchanged hesitant looks.
“Pfft! Isn’t it obvious? We use them on Discord!” Scootaloo reared and punched the air. “Give him the old rainbow zap! Pchooo!”
Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. “Who’s gonna use ‘em, genius?”
Scootaloo faltered. “Uhhh… oh yeah… heh, heh...”
“We’re gonna have a hard time finding Dash and the others,” Babs pointed out. “They might’ve split up for all we know.”
I frowned. “I really doubt that.”
She shrugged. “I’m just saying.”
“‘Just saying.’” I repeated, glancing back at Apple Bloom. “Must be a family motto.”
“I can find them all easily enough,” Daring cut in. “The issue’s just gonna be how far away they are. Well, that, and the time it’ll take to get to them.”
“We’re gonna have to avoid Ponyville, too,” Shmangie said. She stopped to help me climb up a slippery hillside. “This isn’t gonna be easy.”
“We can do it,” I insisted. I took her hoof and made it to the top, panting. “We... have to. The others don’t stand a chance against without the Elements.”
“So what’s your idea, then?” Apple Bloom asked me. “How are we gonna do it?”
I chewed on my lip. “I suppose that—”
There was a sudden rustling sound to our right.
“Shh!” We all whirled on the sound and backed up, limbs tensed and ready to flee. The rustling continued, getting neither closer nor farther away. None of us said a word, a we exchanged nervous glances as we stood still for near a full minute..
Babs took a tentative step forward. “I think—”
And then the voices returned.
It comes!
A long thorny vine erupted from the undergrowth. It snapped at the air like a whip, moving around with blinding speed. Before we could react, it wrapped around Babs’ leg and yanked her into the brush, her loud screams gradually growing dimmer as she was swiftly dragged off.
“NO!” Apple Bloom dashed after her. “BABS! HANG ON!”
“Dammit!” Daring turned and followed suit. “Come on!”
I drew my sword and charged into the foliage. We ran headlong through the cursed forest, dodging around exposed roots and jagged rocks. Babs’ panicked yells told us well enough where she was being taken, but we were just barely able to keep pace.
“The hell was that thing?!” Shmangie yelled.
“Don’t know!” I skirted a patch of poison joke and lept over a creek bed. “But I doubt it’s—WHOA!”
A second spiked vine erupted from our left. It took a swipe at my legs, but I hopped away and brought my rapier down in a whistling arc. I thought I would easily lop the thing in two, but instead, all I managed to do was but a notch in it.
“Jeez!” I ducked as the vine attacked again. “These things are tough!”
“WAHH!”
I whirled around. A third vine had crept up behind us and was trying to ensnare Shmangie. She was dancing out of its grasp, but only just. Two more vines had also appeared on our right and were accosting Scootaloo and Daring. Apple Bloom was the only one who wasn’t being attacked, as she’d run ahead after Babs.
“No… you… don’t!” Shmangie eyes blazed with equal parts fear and fury, dodging for her life. She bucked the evil fauna away and ran for higher ground. “Shmage! Little help here!”
“Kinda busy!” I called back. We were all narrowly avoided the vines, dodging and ducking for our lives. They slowly crept around us and began pressing forward from all sides.
You will not defeat them on your own, the voices said all around me. Allow us to aid you...
A chorus of bells rang in my mind. I felt the soothing sensation wash over me again, and my vision became tinged with white. “Daring,” I said, my calm voice carrying over the sounds of battle. “Take Scootaloo. Get in the air.”
“What?!” she barked. She dodged circles around of trio of snaking vines that were trying to tie her up. “Hell, no! I’m not just gonna leave you!”
I whirled on her in a flash, my voice echoing with sudden power. “Do it.”
Daring’s expression did a complete one-eighty. She looked at me, and her wings flared as she sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. With a scowl and a vicious curse, she snatched Scootaloo up in her hooves, then flew up above the trees in a blur.
“Wait, what?!” Scootaloo yelped as they ascended. “No! Lemme go! LEMME GO!”
I turned back to the dark, devilish tendrils, slithering around my sister and me like serpents. Their spikes glinted in the dim forest light, inching in on us. Shmangie was trying to fight, to dodge and find an opening, but they’d already grabbed one of her legs. Bright red blood wept from a wound on calf where the cursed thing had cut her.
“Enough,” I growled. “This has gone… far… ENOUGH!”
And then it happened again. I opened my mouth to let out a yell, but instead, what flowed out of me was a song. I felt it the power this time, like a wellspring that surged up from within me. An astounding sense of clarity overtook me as the world turned black and white…
...save for a few select spots on the thorny vines surrounding us.
There… The spots glinted like bright stars on a winter night. Where they are weak...
I didn’t hesitate. With measured steps, I moved between the slow, cumbersome attacks and deftly struck, slicing through the vines like a hot knife through butter. I quickly got to Shmangie and freed her with three strokes, then, boldly, I moved past her and pressed my advantage. Attacking with measured blows, I sliced the plants to ribbons while singing my strange song, moving like a whirling dervish.
“Shmage…” I heard Shmangie whisper behind me.
I managed to clear a path for us. I began moving quickly towards the place where I’d heard Babs being taken. The vines became thicker and more numerous as I did, viciously striking at me, trying to block my path. None of them lasted long. They fell like wheat before a scythe, and before long, I was running at full tilt, my rapier whirling around me with elegant fury.
I found myself at in a decrepit clearing beside a deep canyon a few minutes later. The vines were whipping out from the jagged depths, more aggressive and ruthless than ever. I fended off their strikes and looked for a way down, finally spotting a set of crumbling stairs by the remains of a rotting bridge. I made for it in a flash, never ceasing my song or swift slashes.
You are close… the voices urged. Hurry...
I felt another surge of power as I approached the stairs. I didn’t know where it came from, but I didn’t question the serendipity. I felt stronger, faster, filled to the brim with electric power. Newly refreshed, I dashed down the stairs in a blur, maintaining my martial cadence as I danced about. The vines were getting thicker now, some of them bigger around than tree trunks. It was like I was in the eye of an evil tornado. They were everywhere around me, trying to swat me like I was an annoying fly.
I dipped and dodged about, nimbly climbing, sometimes running atop the vines, but never, ever stopping. I didn’t know where my energy was coming from, but at that moment it didn’t seem to matter. I got to the bottom of the chasm and saw that the foul plants were coming out of a nearby cave a few hundred yards away.
“Sweetie!”
I looked up. Hovering in the air above was Daring with Scootaloo on her back, staying just out of reach of the tendrils.
“The Elements are in there!” she yelled, pointing at the cave. “GO!”
I nodded and made a beeline for it. The vines got more frantic in their efforts to stop me as I did, but I kept moving. I spun over one and charged forward, my rapier and I singing together as we cut through air and vine.
The inside of the cave was dark, dank, and foul. Dead and rotted vegetation hung from the walls, and I could see that the bones of countless creatures were strewn all over the floor like a macabre carpet. A sickly-green glow permeated the place, and every bone in my body told me that something was inherently wrong.
There... the voices said. Beneath the tree...
The sight was as amazing as it was terrifying, and it almost took my breath away when I saw it. In the center of the cavern was a tree, tall and ancient, with five wizened branches like a giant, gnarled star. Ambient magic radiated out from it like a miniature sun, but there was a sickly taint to the magic that made me feel ill.
It was easy to see what was causing the taint. The tree was covered from trunk to crown in vines, and they were constricting the poor thing so tightly that bright blue sap bled from from its ancient bark.
But that wasn’t the worst of it. Beneath the tree was a crudely dug pit, and lurking within it was a nightmare. It was like a Venus Flytrap, but with teeth-like tendrils and and three dark, fleshy maws that dripped a clear, sticky sap. It was also giving off a thick, cloying gas that smelled sickly sweet, and it was making screeching sounds that made my blood run cold.
I found Babs and Apple Bloom a few hundred meters into the cave, tightly bound and desperately struggling to get free. Their eyes were wild as they met mine.
“SWEETIE!” Babs yelled. “GET OUT OF HERE!”
I ran for Babs first. But as I did, two whip-like tendrils attacked me from behind. They cut shallow lines across my back, and I let out a yelp. I whirled around, sliced them to thirds, then ran towards Babs as fast as I could. She was wrapped from head to hoof in a thick, spiky vine, and was fighting for her life as she was dragged towards one of the plant’s hungry mouths.
I took careful aim and slashed. The vine was thick and strong, and it took a few hacks to lop it off. Sickly yellow sap bled from its wound that gave off a smell like rotten eggs. I had to avoid being ensnared myself as I freed her, but my song gave me the clarity to do it.
“N-no…” Babs whispered, her voice shaky and faint. Her face was scratched and muddy, and one of the spikes was stabbed into her right shoulder. “Run...”
I ignored her and continued my efforts to get her out. As soon as I did, I bucked the vines away, tossed Babs over my back, then ran over to Apple Bloom.
The creature in the pit hissed as we moved. It withdrew its wounded limbs, seemingly surprised that its prey had put up such a fight. But its shock didn’t last long. Within seconds, more had erupted from the shadowy pit, intent on catching us. I spun around to fend them off.
“Ya damn idiot!” Apple Bloom yelled at me. “Kill the thing in the pit! Stop wastin’ time on me!”
“Oh, shut up,” Babs snapped. She squirmed off my back and limped over to her. She reared and brought her earth pony hooves down on a thin portion of the vine, crushing it flat with a CRUNCH. The whole of the tendril instantly shuddered, convulsed… and the portion past where she’d struck fell limp.
“Wah!” Apple Bloom fell to the ground. Babs began pulling her free, and she managed to wiggle out just as I finished off the vines.
Babs and Apple Bloom both got up and put their backs to mine, warily eyeing the flailing, writhing mass around us..
“Now what?” Apple Bloom muttered tersely.
“Retreat?” Babs suggested.
“Hay with that!” Apple Bloom picked up two pieces of the vine that’d held her. She forced her hooves through them with a disgusting squelch, and just like that, her forehooves were now fitted with up to the joint with makeshift spiked armor. “I’m gonna whoop some ass!”
Realizing a good idea when I saw one, I used my magic to fit her back legs in a similar fashion. I also did the same with Babs.
“Hey, wait!” Babs jumped in surprise. “Sweetie! Hold on a second!”
But there weren’t any seconds to be had. The vines attacked again from all sides, and we had no choice but to hold them off.
“YAAAAHH!” Suddenly, a yellow and orange blur swooped in like a bullet. Daring and Scootaloo began attacking from the air, making fly-by passes and bucking the larger vines. Half a dozen of the vines broke away from us to concentrate on this new threat, but still many more remained.
You must finish this… the unknown voices spoke again. It is time… you must all awaken...
Another surge of power suffused me. I felt more alive than I ever had before, and the world slowed down even further. I became a storm of righteous fury, swinging my rapier harder, faster, and stronger than ever before. My song filled the cave as swaths of vines fell before me.
Apple Bloom and Babs’ eyes glinted. Their movements became more fluid, their dodges not as clumsy. Apple Bloom’s hooves were enshrouded in a soft, orange glow, while Babs’ were enveloped in green. They weaved in and out of the vines with ease, bashing, smashing, and bucking with a power I never knew they had. The ground shook with their strikes, their expressions hard as they calculated every move.
Daring’s wings were radiating bright red. She was now flying even faster and tighter in the cavern space, tying the attacking vines in knots as they tried in vain to catch her. She pumped her wings with such force that the wind began to pick up, which she used to her advantage by scattering her attackers all about.
But what was noticeable was Scootaloo. Her tiny wings were enveloped in blue magic, which lengthened out two shadowy, blade-like pinions. She had leapt off Daring’s back and had taken to the air, the phantom appendages effortlessly granting her full flight. She zipped about like a falcon, the magic slicing through anything and everything with ease. Vines fell around like rain, and between her and Daring, they cleared the air in seconds. Once done, the two of them flitted to and fro, daring anything to invade their territory.
It seemed like we had the creature on the ropes. As one, the five us slowly pressed in towards the pit beneath the strangled tree, not saying a word to each other. Our expressions were all blank as we got to the edge.
The creature in the pit bellowed. Most of its spiky limbs had been hacked off, but its main portion was still intact. It had no eyes to speak of, but its three mouths gibbered and drooled as it made meaningless noise at us.
"Foul creature," Apple Bloom said, her voice oddly flat.
"Your end is nigh," Babs said in the same tone.
"Torment us no longer," Scootaloo said.
"Release us and begone," said Daring.
I raised my blade. "Or share your master's fate."
The creature made a warbling sound. The gas from its pores thickened, but it had no effect on us. It sulked and nursed its severed stumps, and for a moment it seemed like the thing might do what we’d asked... but then, it lunged at us, its toothy maws open wide.
We all began to glow with colorful energy.
"So be it," we said as one.
Scootaloo and Daring hit it from the air with energy blasts of red and blue. Babs and Apple Bloom struck from below with waves of orange and green. I hit it dead-on, running it straight through with a burst of brilliant white. The creature screamed a mighty scream, and the air was filled with a terrible, acrid smell. We kept it up for a few seconds, and before our very eyes, the thing disintegrated into flecks of ash.
But it wasn’t over yet.
“What’s alllllllll this…” a sinister voice hissed.
ABOVE!
We were enveloped in a dark, sticky substance before any of us could react. My concentration was shattered, and I found myself thrown backward and sailing through the air. The feeling of power left me, and I regained my senses to become extremely panicked and confused.
“What’s going onnnnnn?!” I wailed.
The five of us slammed into the far cave wall and became stuck there. We all kicked and struggled to get free, but not very effectively. I felt even more drained than I had before, like I’d just run a marathon without sleeping for three days prior. My vision flickered in and out as I struggled to maintain consciousness.
“What in tarnation?” I heard Apple Bloom say. “The bloomin’ hay was that all about? Did ya’ll just hear some voices in your head and feel all tingly?”
“Nooooooooo,” Scootaloo snarked. “I’ve always been able to summon bladed wings of light! I just secretly liked all the chicken jokes.”
“Will you two focus?!” Babs said. “We’re kinda stuck here!”
“The hell is this stuff?” Daring said. I could feel the vibrations of her wiggling to my right. “Ugh! How am I gonna fly with this crap in my feathers?”
“That is the leeeeeast of your problems…”
I shivered. The evil voice was cruel, alien, and dripping with malice. I looked up, and in the darkness away from the cavern’s glow, the very ceiling shifted.
“No,” I whispered.
An enormous, jet black spider descended lazily down the wall. It was the size of a house, perhaps even larger, though I couldn’t clearly tell. Its horrid body was segmented into two parts, the bottom half being significantly larger than the top. The bottom half was a putrid, bloated abdomen, slick with oil and oozing with a dark, foul webbing. The top half hosted its terrifying head, where five dark, lifeless eyes regarded us with detachment. Its eight legs were covered in long, jutting hairs, and as the thing approached us, the cavern became filled with a horrible stench.
“Ponies in my lairrrrrr…” the spider said in a clicking voice, its mandibles waving back and forth. “Was it you who maaaaaade that delicious energy? I could uuuuuse a good meal... ”
My vision was fading in and out. I was trying not to pass out, although I wasn’t sure I wanted to stay awake. I lolled my head from side to side, my eyes suddenly focusing on the tree in the center of the cavern.
“No… we can’t…” I said
“And then there’s THIS asshole!” Daring shouted, spitting at the spider. “Y’know, just once, just bloody once I’d like to get an artifact without running smack-long into the guardian!”
The spider made an odd huffing sound, almost like laughter. “And rrrrrrrun smack-long you have. But no simple ‘guarrrrrrrdian’ am I—I am Ungol, Devourer of Kingdoms, Terrrrrrror of the Southern Deepwoods. All things in this world are miiiiiiine to feast on…”
Panicked adrenaline was restoring my senses. I could now see that the others were all ensnared to my right, Daring being the one closest to me. They were all trying their hardest to loosen the webbing, but to no avail.
“Ungol-shmnongol, loser!” Scootaloo jeered. “You don’t scare me! I’ve swatted bigger pests than you with a newspaper!”
“Yeah!” Apple Bloom said. “We whooped your plant-thing, and we’ll whoop you, too! Right, Babs?”
Babs merely whimpered.
Ungol hesitated. She glanced back at the pit below the tree, then narrowed her predatory eyes. “You slayed the Plunnnnndervine... Discord will not be pleeeeeeeased to hear that. Perhaps I should keeeeeeeep you alive so that he can deal with you…”
Daring rolled her eyes. “Shoulda figured something as ugly as you would be working for him. He’s gonna betray you the first chance he gets, he know.”
Ungol made the huffing sound again. “Work for that overgrown chimeraaaaaa? Surely you jessssst. We merely have an arrangemennnnnt—I watch over this tree for him, and in return, I feeeeed off it to my heart’s content.” She then gestured to her grotesque bulk. “As you can seeeeee, I have been quite busyyyyyyy...”
The webbing was starting to harden, constricting my chest and making it hard to breathe. The others’ sudden gasps told me that the same thing was happening to them. Dimly, I wondered what had happened to the voices that been in our heads, but they didn’t seem to be of much help at the moment.
“Let us go!” I panted. I tried to pull free my rapier, but it was as stuck as I was. “You don’t... know what... you’re doing!”
Ungol turned her attention to me. “Let such tasty morrrrrrrsels go?” She reached up with a clawed leg and caressed my face, her rough hairs feeling like sandpaper. “Such fresh meat, and all that succulent magic insiiiiiiiide you as well? No, no, no. I think you will be quiiiiiite tasty…”
I fought the urge to scream. Ungol was so big that she could swallow me whole if she wanted, but a terrible feeling told me that wasn’t what she intended. She climbed up onto the wall and beared down on me, her glistening fangs filling my vision.
“SWEETIE!” the others screamed.
“Urrrrgghh!” I poured everything I had into getting free, but it was no use. I closed my eyes and waited for the end.
“Mmmmm...” Ungol’s foul breath smelled like rotting meat. “Scream forrrrrr me, won’t you? It makes your blood all the sweeterrrrrr...”
"DEVOURER."
Ungol hesitated. The booming voice had come from the entrance of the cavern, so loud that it reverberated off the walls.
“Whooooo dares?!” The evil spider hissed. She whipped her head towards the speaker.
There at the entrance stood Shmangie. She was irate, seething, and more importantly, cloaked in violet light. Her mane and tail blew about in waves of magic emanating from her body, and her glittering eyes were narrowed in a murderous stare.
"RELEASE THEM."
Ungol let out a hungry screech. “Such powwwer!” She clambered off the wall and moved towards Shmangie. “Such delicious, succulent power! I shall diiiiiine on you first!”
The aura around Shmangie glowed brighter. The waves of magic picked up and swirled around her, the very ground cracking from the sudden flux. She grit her teeth and stood her ground, all the while furiously glaring at the unholy beast. Her horn became enveloped in a hazel aura that hurt to look at as a high-pitched humming sound filled the air.
“I wonderrrrr how you will tasssste, hmmm?” Ungol said, moving back and forth on her eight, disjointed legs. “I cannn’t wait to—
"BECOME DUST."
Shmangie unloaded a violet beam of energy that illuminated the entire desecrated cavern with a sound like cannonfire. I cried out in surprise and closed my eyes, but the afterimage was still burned onto my retinas. Ungol was hit dead-on, her entire bulk engulfed with a sickening sizzle.
Ungol let out a long, pain-filled shriek. I thought I heard her yell something over the roar of magic, but couldn’t fully make it out. The walls of the cavern rumbled and shook as a refreshing gale of air rushed through the confined space, and the sheer power of the attack sent shivers down my spine. All of a sudden, I felt my bonds loosening, breaking off and flecking away, and within seconds I slid free and landed roughly on my rump.
“Oof!”
Seconds later, I heard four soft thumps to my right, one after the other.
“Ouch!” Apple Bloom said. “Geez, that hurt! What the hay is happening now?!”
“Apparently Angie is a really quick magic study!” Scootaloo yelled over the noise. “Either that or she’s got Saiyan blood in her!”
“I’m okay with either!” Babs shouted.
“No shit!” Daring said with a laugh. “Roast that spider!”
I felt Shmangie’s magic swirling around me, soothing my aches and rejuvenating me. Somehow I knew that I wasn’t in any danger, but that did nothing to quell my shock.
“Shmangie,” I whispered.
Ungol’s shrieks eventually died away, as did the blinding violet light. I dared open my eyes and looked all around, hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. I looked to where Shmangie had been, and my jaw fell to the floor.
“Whoa…”
Ungol was gone. Not a trace of the putrid spider remained; not a claw, not a web, not even a soot stain on the floor. Even her foul odor was gone. What’s more, all the bones and dead plants littering the ground had disappeared, and the place was left looking oddly clean. Beams of light now filtered in through cracks in the ceiling, and amethyst crystals embedded in the walls refracted the light into tiny specks.
But what was most surprising was the tree. It had been completely freed from the Plundervine, and its wounds had been healed without so much as a scratch. Odd, twinkling lights now hung from its branches like ivy, and at the tips of those branches were five jewels, each a different color, sparkling brilliantly and beautifully in the dim light.
My breath caught in my chest. “Are those…”
“Sun and stars,” Babs murmured.
“WOO-HOO!” Scootaloo cheered, leaping to her hooves. “We did it! WE DID IT! We found ‘em!”
"Welcome, mortals."
We all froze. The voice—or voices, I should say, had come from behind us. We all turned around, and there was Shmangie, still with the glowing aura and bright, glittering eyes. Her cutie mark was pulsating with all the colors of the rainbow, and she slowly walked towards us with a serene smile.
“Don’t be afraid,” she said, her voice echoing powerfully in a chorus of six. “This one sensed our presence and asked that we explain ourselves. We mean you no harm.”
Everything suddenly clicked into place. I took a hesitant step forward. “You’re…”
“We are the Elements of Harmony,” Shmangie said, nodding. “Embodiments of peace and protectors of Equestria. We were the ones who guided you here and granted you strength. We’ve been anticipating your arrival for some time.”
I bit my lip. “Is Shmangie…”
In an instant, the power left her voice. She kneeled down and ran a gentle hoof down my face.
“I’m here, kiddo,” she said, nuzzling me. “I just have some guests at the moment. I think we should probably listen to what they have to say.”
I looked up into her eyes, searching for some evidence of pain or deceit. I clicked my teeth a few times, but reluctantly, I decided to go with it. I nodded and took a step back to stand by the others.
“Nice to meet ya… er, Elements,” Apple Bloom said. “Didn’t know you could talk, but I suppose stranger things have happened. Thanks for the help with that overgrown weed back there.”
“And the spider,” Babs added with a shudder.
“It is we that should be thanking you,” the Elements said, standing back up. “We’ve not had compatible vessels to bond with since the Mad One’s betrayal. ‘Tis not been easy all this time, resisting the combined efforts of the Strangler and the Devourer.”
“Heh. I can imagine—wait.” Daring cocked her head. “What do you mean, ‘bond’?”
Shmangie went over to the Tree of Harmony, gesturing for us to follow. “Our purpose is to empower those who wish to spread harmony through the land. However, we may only channel ourselves through those who are strong in the virtues we embody.” She reached the base of the tree and hung her head. “Without proper Bearers, we are essentially helpless.”
Babs chewed on her lip. “So you’re saying that you haven’t been able to find anypony to use you all this time? For twenty-five whole years?”
“The Strangler and Devourer have been inhibiting us,” the Elements explained. “It was all we could do to defend ourselves from their combined assaults. We could only sense as far as the borders of the Everfree, and in that time, no pure creature has come near. You all are the first ones to arrive.”
I swallowed hard. “So you’re saying that we...” I trailed off, gesturing to all of us.
“You all are the new Bearers, yes.” Shmangie’s cutie mark shone even brighter. She touched the tree, which pulsed with a prismatic shimmer. Its branches began to wave and bend, and one by one, the jewels on the ends of the branches began to hum. They all rose up into the air of their own accord, floating down to hover around Shmangie’s head like an otherworldly halo.
“Your predecessors...” the Elements’ voice became tinged with regret. “They were cut off us when the Mad One banished them. We can sense them now in Equestria, but we can tell that they have become changed. They are no longer in tune with us. It would take time to undo what has been done—but that is time we do not currently have.”
I looked down at the ground. This was a lot to take in, but at the same time, it kinda made sense. Rarity and the others were all still good ponies, but something about them was… different.
Shmangie calmly looked at each of us in turn. “We also have looked into your minds. You have become changed as well, but not to the extent as the others. You are still pure. You can still wield our power...”
Shmangie’s eyes became wide and soulful. “...that is, if you are willing. A warning: there will be great danger in this path, and it is not for the faint of heart. If you accept us, you will shoulder the burden of restoring harmony to this land. Will you take up the charge and help bring the Mad One to justice?”
It was a strange feeling. All this time I’d thought that if I was offered this chance, I’d accept it without a second thought. My thoughts had been consumed by the desire for this opportunity to the point of obsession. But now that it was right here in front of me, with all of it laid on the line and all the risks brought to light, I found my resolve wavering.
I looked to the others. They were all mulling over the Elements words, their gazes wandering as they nervously shifted back and forth. I knew that they were going over the same decisions as me, but none of them seemed any closer to replying. Our silence dragged on for half a minute, but the Elements waited there, patiently, never moving an inch.
“I’ll do it.”
We all turned to Babs. She flinched slightly at the sudden attention, but kept her eyes on Shmangie and the tree.
“All this time, we’ve sat on the sidelines and had others fight for us,” she said. “Hay, our friends and family our fighting for their lives right now. To back out now would not only be an insult to them, but to all the other ponies that have helped us along the way. I came to Equestria because I wanted to help in any way I could, and I knew what the risks were when I stepped through that mirror. If this is the way that I can do something, then I’ll accept it no matter what.”
Shmangie smiled. The tree’s branches waved back and forth, and the cavern became ever-so-more brighter.
“Yeah! What’re we waiting on?” Scootaloo said, her wings buzzing. “We’ve come this far! Let’s finish the fight!”
Apple Bloom nodded. “I’m in.”
Daring cracked her neck and smirked. “Ditto.”
They all turned to me, but I didn’t reply. Instead, I cleared my throat looked to my sibling,
“How about you?”
The light left Shmangie’s eyes again. She giggled softly. “I think it’s pretty clear that I’ve already said yes. The only one left to decide is you.”
Well, that was pretty much the nail in the coffin. I wasn’t really sure why I was hesitating, but they were all willing to do this, I couldn’t very well let them do it by themselves. I think my reluctance was because I didn’t want to pressure them into this decision, and I felt that if I jumped at it, they’d feel obligated… to…
Oh, irony. How I’ve missed your agonizing sting.
“Okay,” I said. I widened my stance and stood up straight. “I’ll do my best.”
“That is all we ask,” the Elements said. Shmangie then closed her eyes, and the five gems orbiting her came to a halt. Each of them hummed in a different pitch, making my skin prickle. Then, after a moment, the green gem hovered away from Shmangie’s head, moving slowly and gracefully towards Babs.
“Babs Seed,” the Elements began. “You are considerate and thoughtful. Your intentions are sometimes misunderstood, but you deeply care about your friends. You always do everything you can to help others, and your plans are designed to keep others from harm. For this, you are worthy of the Element of Kindness."
Before all of our eyes, the jewel began to change shape. It shifted into half of a sphere, narrowing slightly to form the indents of seeds. The top part pushed out to form a stem, a seconds later, it was in the shape of a bisected apple; a perfect copy of her cutie mark. A golden collar formed around the jewel, slowly descending to loop around Babs’ neck.
“Thank you,” she murmured in a thick voice.
The Elements then turned to the next of our group. “Scootaloo. You are mischievous and clever. You use your wit to bring joy to others, and while your personality is somewhat… colorful, your heart remains free of malice. You go out of your way to shield others from loneliness and pain, even when you are hurting yourself. Such character traits are quite rare, but they are what make you so special, for they make you perfect for the Element of Laughter.”
The blue gem moved towards Scootaloo. As it did, it morphed into the shape of an insect in flight with large, angular wings. The Element revolved once around her, leaving a sparkling, glittering trail before fastening itself around her neck.
“Laughter, eh?” She fiddled with the shining jewel. “Not gonna lie, was kinda hoping for Loyalty. But when you put it all that way… yeah, I think you’re right. This is a better fit.”
Shmangie continued on. “Apple Bloom. You are steadfast and honorable. You tend to think with your heart, but that often times leads you to see what others do not. Deceit rolls off of you like a wave, and you value truth and sincerity above all things. The Element of Honesty is yours.”
The orange gem hovered over to Apple Bloom, and as it did, its facets transformed into the wide petals of a blossom. It hovered before her for a few seconds, then formed into a necklace and rested on her neck for all the world to see.
“Hoo-wee!” Apple Bloom said with a happy squee. “Wait till Applejack sees this!”
“Daring Do,” the Elements said, turning to the newest member of our group. “You are persistent and devoted. You are also sometimes reckless and short-tempered, but never in a selfish manner. You have seen great evil in your travels, but in those times, you sought to protect those around you in any way you could. Your indomitable spirit can always be counted on in times of need, and for that, I give you the Element of Loyalty.”
The red gem went to her. Its inner parts changed into a perfect circle, and its cardinal points elongated and narrowed into fine points. Now turned into a compass rose, the Element spun rapidly before her eyes before coming to rest and fastening itself around her neck.
“Niiiiice,” Daring said, admiring the Element in the dim light. “I could get used to this!”
Shmangie then stared past us with unfocused eyes. “And now, Angelina. You are selfless and giving. You harbor a strong desire to succeed, but you would sacrifice anything you had to in order to help the ones you love. Your charitable nature has kept your spirit free of greed. Your stubbornness is your greatest fault, but when channelled properly, it is also your greatest strength. Take the Element of Generosity with our blessing, and know that the selflessness you’ve shown us here will not be forgotten.”
As she was talking, the violet gem descended from her head. The golden necklace formed swiftly, reforming into the shape of the Caduceus. The winged rod was finished by the time she was done speaking, more ornate and intricate than anything I’d ever seen.
Tears fell from Shmangie’s shining eyes. She said nothing in reply, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if there’d been some kind of mental exchange. I might’ve questioned it under different circumstances, but I was currently shocked over the realization of what Element was left.
“No,” I said flatly. “You can’t be serious.”
The Elements regarded me. “Why would we not be?”
“Because I’ve been a terrible friend!” I burst out. “I lied to my family! I’ve been a recluse! I’ve acted like an angsty teenager and cared only about myself! There’s no way I’m worthy of the Element of Magic!”
“You haven’t been a terrible friend, Sweetie,” Apple Bloom said, coming up beside me. “Yeah, you’ve screwed up a few times, maybe kept some things to yourself, but it’s not like you were doin’ it to hurt anypony.”
Babs smiled. “You always came back for our birthday bash, didn’t you? And you spent time with us on your holidays and breaks. If anything, we were the ones who were terrible friends for never coming to visit you.”
“And that ‘caring only about yourself’ line’s a load of horseapples,” Scootaloo said. She patted me on the back. “If that were true, you wouldn’t have stayed with us when this whole thing started. Oh, and the recluse thing? Don’t forget that Twilight started out as a loner, too.”
Daring spoke up. “You don’t seem like a bad sort, Sweetie. Maybe a bit melodramatic, a little on the high-strung side, but nothing to sweat over. I think you just expect too much from yourself, that’s all.”
“And you know that I’ve always believed in you,” Shmangie said with a playful wink. “Or at least, you should know. It kinda comes with the whole ‘unconditional love’ thing.”
I was incredulous. Was I really hearing all of this? Did they really think that I was up for this kind of responsibility? I tried thinking of something to say in response, but everything just sounded like an excuse.
“This is all so overwhelming,” I finally muttered.
“As it should be,” the Elements said. Shmangie’s horn touched the tree, and the star symbol in the center peeled back to reveal the final jewel. “The Element of Magic is the cornerstone, the force that binds the other five together. Its Bearer carries within them the soul of the group. They need not be the leader—anyone may claim that title—but without Magic… without Friendship…”
The Elements caught my gaze and held it there.
“...without you, Sweetie Belle, the others would not be united.”
My throat felt dry. It was hard to believe, but as I looked back through my memories, I realized that yeah, I kinda was the one who’d brought everyone together. I mean, sure, there would’ve been smaller connections, like Babs and Apple Bloom being together, but would all of us be together right now had things been different?
“Do you all agree with that?” I asked everyone.
They all exchanged looks, but after a few seconds, it seemed that they all did.
“It’s hard to explain,” Scootaloo said, scratching the back of her neck. “It’s like you fill in all the gaps.”
“You make stuff happen,” Babs said simply. “The rest of us never seem to have the drive.”
“Never felt right to do things when you’re not around,” Apple Bloom said with a shrug.
I exhaled out my nose. It was still was a little hard to believe, but I was kinda getting a unanimous response here. I couldn’t really see what they all apparently, but there wasn’t really a reason for me to be stubborn about it.
“I’m honored,” I said, bowing my head. “Really, I am.”
“Do not doubt yourself, Sweetie Belle.” The Element of Magic flew gently over to me, shimmering in the cavern’s light. “You are intelligent, resourceful, and motivated. Your love for your friends and family is evident in everything you do, and while you wrestle greatly with pride, for each mistake made, a new lesson is learned. Accept the Element of Magic now, and remember that the friendships you share with these five are the greatest strength you’ll ever have.”
Before my eyes, the pink jewel became a stylized heart set behind a bell. It didn’t form into a crown, thankfully, but rather a gold necklace like the other five had. It smoothly clasped itself around my neck, and as it did I was surprised to discover that the metal felt comfortable and warm.
A grin spread on my face. “Because friendship is magic, right?”
Everyone rolled their eyes and laughed.
“That it is, kiddo,” Shmangie said. “That it is.”
It was done. We had accomplished the impossible. We’d actually found and restored the Elements of Harmony. I’d hoped against hope that we might be able to somehow pull it off, but this was beyond even my wildest expectations. We had some actual power now, and we could use it to help out Rarity and the others! I could hardly wait!
“I reckon Discord’s gonna be mighty surprised about this,” Apple Bloom said, chuckling.
“No kidding!” Scootaloo said. “We gotta find Dash and the others now! We can help them!”
“It’s not gonna be easy getting to them,” Babs reminded us. She glanced down at her shiny new Element. “Keep in mind we gotta go back the way we came.”
“And it took a fair bit of time to get here,” Daring said, looking out at the cavern entrance. “Let’s hope we’re not too late.”
“We may be able to assist with that.”
We all turned around.
“Oh?” I said.
“Now that you are all bonded with us, we can take to you the castle of the Mad One.” The Elements’ voice grew grave. “We sense that your friends need help. We fear their fight goes ill.”
Ooooh, boy. That didn’t sound good.
“Seems like that’s our cue, girls,” Daring said. She adjusted her necklace and flared her wings. “It’s go time.”
Apple Bloom rolled her shoulders and bucked the air. “I know I’m ready.”
Scootaloo pawed at the ground. “Aw, yeah! Get your game faces on!”
Babs steadied herself and let out a long sigh. “Let’s do this.”
“I’m ready, too,” Shmangie said. “Just say the word.”
This was it. The confrontation I’d been waiting for. Finally, my chance to bring Discord to justice. For all the pain, all the suffering, all the hardship he’d made everypony endure. For breaking apart families and friends and scattering them in foreign lands. For all the atrocities he’d committed in Equestria, and for the imbalance he’d made in the natural order.
“Are you ready?” the Elements asked me.
I nodded. I braced myself and readied my rapier.
“Discord, here we come.”
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Pay no attention to the years on the chapter time stamps.
To those of you who know why I was gone for so long, thank you for all your well-wishes and support. It's been a rough road, but I'm back. Let's hope I can stick around this time.
The next chapter will be the last one. I promise that it won't take 13 months to come out. Stay tuned.
-CS
6039079
Think of it that way, and it only took a month. I can live with that.
Great work on this one and I can hardly wait for the thrilling conclusion... even if we know a lot of what happened thanks to the main fic.
I think I know what took you so long. It wasn't your health issues, it was one by one colouring those letters; that must have been tedious...
When the rainbow voice first appeared, my mind started playing mass destruction from persona.
Do you think it fits?
6039130
It no doubt would've been if that was how I did it. I used a rainbow gradient in an html text converter to get the color effect. It still took a few hours to do, but I'm happy with the result.
Welcome back, Cyborg.
All right, first, the obligatory.
bookriotlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/alive.jpg
Can't go without it now, can we?
Good to see you back, and with such a nice chapter in tow.
You may want to make your pre-readers go through it a bit more, though, they've missed some fun.
6039220
I actually couldn't get any of my pre-readers, as ALL THREE OF THEM are currently at Everfree Northwest! I had to go over it as much as I could by myself, heh.
Yeah. This is now on my Reading List!
Also, it doesn't seem to clash canon...
Er... kinda?
Yeah! The story is back.
I thought Kindness was pink with Magic being a darker fuscia?
Dang it. This story updated in the most problematic time for me. I swear I'll read it later today
Well this is defiantly better then what I came up with for finding the elements. I just had Doctor Whooves take them back in time where they found them in a vault in Twilights basement.
Oh hey. Ungoliant, mother of Shelob, from The Silmarillion.
6039257 Oh, wow! This is really awesome! My OC Unicorn filly, Little Horn, is a friend of the CMC's and was made a member after the girls befriended her before discord attacked. She has yet to get her cutie mark, but I am planning for her to earn hers when she realizes her love of her cousin and others will awaken her latent magical talents.
Keep up the good work!
please tell me that the mane 6 and everyone involved in there little plan are going to get some seriously righteous fury thrown at them afterwards? that was downright backstabbery.
Loved the update, and I am happy to see you back and writing again. Hope all us well and we can see another update soon! Keep up the excellent work!
It's been a bit too long for me to remember what was going on, so I took the time to reread the previous chapter. Gonna hit the new one soon!
Back with propper commentary for this chapter:
Shining can't keep a secret. That's hilariously fitting.
Rainbow text. I've seen that somewhere before.
Discord grew another Plundervine? I figured that he'd come up with something different, unless the Tree prevents him from using a different mean to attack it. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it.
Glowing Color-Coded Magic Powers from the Elements? I swear I've seen that before.
I agree with Babs, big spiders are a big "nope" for me too.
A little bit of exposition, but it was needed, so no issue here.
In all, this is an excellent comeback. I am really happy to see you back, man. Keep up the amazing work.
Haven't had time to read the whole chapter yet...
But I've got a technical question: How did you do that rainbow gradient text?
Looked really neat, and I don't think I've seen it done before.
Welcome back, Cyborg. We missed you
hollilla.com/images/e/7/8/e780500c9dec28ad1f23eab5497d22bb_30708.JPEG
EDIT: Curse you Alkarasu! You beat me to it.
So did you have some program color the Element's voice or did you painstakingly color each individual character just the right shade by hand?
Nice to see this story's back. Hopefully we won't have to wait as long to see the finale. Maybe it was coloring all those letters that took so long.
Now if we could just get an update from Daring's storyline...
Nice touch with the rainbow text. This chapter was pretty awesome.
6041350 Use this link
(set output code to vbulletin.)
6039932 I was actually going to ask if she had a cousin who liked light-gems. I guess Discord reads Tolkien? Anyways, Ungol is best...giant spider...guardian...thing? Yeah, that.
Whee!!!! So awesome!
6042054
Wow, now there's a complicated bit of HTML. At least for 'just' a text option.
At least it's automated.
Still, thanks!
jus wow this chapter will go down in history, The Elements’ are bonded to a new group and I love who they are it is just so right.
yes the weighting was a bit long but o so worth it.
Harts Fire
6041893
mlpforums.com/uploads/post_images/img-2332219-1-136952059658.gif
What an interesting development. Surreal combat is always fun.:3
Hm, I think the ending might be different to the other story. It has been a while, but I'm still interested in seeing how it might differ.
Shout and sing
for this wonderful future,
for warmth and peace to prosper for coming
joy-filled days.
Purest hearts,
children of sun and moon,
bring hope and light with your song.
Shine bright,
and remember well;
the final battle is nigh.
Awaiting further releases.
Man, that rainbow text was difficult to read. I switched from the Light theme to the Medium Dark theme and I still had some trouble. If you do it again I might have to switch to the straight-up Dark theme!
Great chapter though. I love this story and will be sad to see it end, but I'm glad you're back.
well that was fun--
Oh. No more chapters.
Darn.
Hoooooolyyyyyyyyyy shit. Wow, what a way to make a comeback. This chapter was seriously amazing.
I have no idea when there'll be more.... but I really can't wait. It's gonna be quite epic!
Unless, because it was already depicted in the original Five Score, you'll just do the battle in shortened matter....... please don't. I want to experience the epic from a different perspective
Cutie Mark Crusaders Elements of Harmony, Yaaaaaaaay!
OHHHHHHH YEAH!
had to wait to finish reading this on my computer because my ds wouldn't load the page properly.
Gotta say, didn't see that coming. Did not see it.
Also, kudos to the whole rainbow words part. that must've been a bitch to get through.
PS: Since Babs' cutie mark has been revealed to be a pair of scissors, are you gonna change that to match in your story?
oh god, dat rainbow text, why
Best use of "And then there's THIS asshole" ever.
"Become dust." Okay, that's amazing.
That should be "It has", not "It is".
Also, the Elements keep saying "you all", which makes them sound Southern. :V Just FYI.
I'm honestly kind of surprised they're getting the Elements (thought it was Rainbow Power at first, god this story has been going on a long time!), because I'd have expected that of the main characters in the other story. But I have to agree with Babs, this story's downside has been having to take a back seat to everything. Just look at Sweetie running around trying to find everyone at the start of this chapter; you have to sideline what they're doing for the sake of Five Score. :B So now hopefully that can change?
What's with all the blank space at the end? :O
I forget who Shmangie is.
Sweetie is the only unicorn to ever disrupt Discord's curse, and she's surprised to be the bearer of Magic?
Huh. This...actually does a pretty good job of tying it all together. Color me impressed, and it's good to have this story back!
Looking forward to the thrilling conclusion. Again.
6138215 the point stands. If you saw someone with purple eyes, you'd say, "Hey, that guy's got purple eyes". You wouldn't say "Hey, that guy's got mostly purple eyes".
Rapiers are thrust weapons, and not meant for slicing. Most don't even have an edge.
CyborgSamurai, I officially hate you. I am losing hours of sleep for this. IT IS 2:43 IN THE MORNING AND I AM STILL READING THIS
...I'm getting off.
Good night.
6177304
HAHA LOSER! IT'S 6:37 ON MY END! I SHOULD HAVE GONE TO SLEEP AND WOKEN UP A HALF AN HOUR AGO! HA!
Ha ha...
Haaaaa...
Awwwww nuts...
3am here, this is what happens when I read a good fic
"We get an actual bead on the Elements" Did you mean to say "an actual lead"?
"mulling over the Elements words" should be "mulling over the Elements' words".
"I give you the Element of Loyalty" Shouldn't that be "we"? Since the Elements are a plural noun?
Great chapter! The rainbow voice of the Elements looked great in the dark theme. And I loved that Angie is getting to help her sister in such a profound way.
I liked the interpretation of the Elements to make them fit the CMC gang here, but it still felt like a stretch. Then again maybe after 25 years of Discord ruling, they had to pick the first decent match to enter the Ever free. Beggars can't be choosers!
There is no emotion. There is peace.
There is no ignorance. There is knowledge.
There is no chaos. There is harmony.
There is no death. There is the Force.
I kid you not, that is the verbatim mantra of the Jedi Code, and that's all that was going through my head during this chapter. You've done well, Cyborg.
Now... let's finish this fight.
- Headwind
i can just imagine...
img01.deviantart.net/c082/i/2013/052/4/3/cutie_mark_crusaders_power_rangers_by_browns12m1-d5vrtus.png
* puts on epic music*