A New Harmony

by Pascoite

Chapter 3 - When Animals Attack

A raucous yowling woke Fluttershy from a sound sleep just as the first rosy touches of dawn began to seep over the horizon. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and checked the clock. She was due to rise in fifteen minutes anyway.

Stepping timidly over to the window, she peered out into the yard to see what the noise was. A manticore lay in the yard, licking a trio of puncture wounds on its side. Fluttershy thought she might recognize it as the same one she had helped when Twilight Sparkle had first arrived in Ponyville.

“Angel, please wake up! I need your help!” The white rabbit stirred, and flashed a grumpy expression. “Angel, there’s an injured animal outside!” Finally convinced of the seriousness of his friend’s request, he rushed to grab a first-aid kit and join her in the yard.

“There, there, Mr. Manticore. It’s going to be okay.” Fluttershy dabbed on some disinfecting ointment, and applied a bandage. “How ever did you manage to get hurt, you poor thing?”

“Ah’ll tell ya how!” rang an angry voice from down the path. “That thing trampled all through one o’ mah cornfields last night, and busted a hole in the barn! He’s lucky that’s all Ah did to him!” Applejack strode purposefully into the yard, brandishing a pitchfork.

Fluttershy gasped. “Oh, no! He wouldn’t hurt anypony! Something scared him, and he’s just trying to get back home. He’s a gentle little guy.” It began to purr as she scratched a hoof under its massive chin.

Frustrated at the impasse, Applejack couldn’t think of anything else to do but return home. She called back over her shoulder, “Jes’ make sure he don’t come ‘round mah farm no more! Ah’ll be ready next time!”

“Oh, you didn’t mean any harm, did you?” Fluttershy asked the beast, tousling its mane. “Who’s a little sweetie?”

--------

“Good morning, Sweetie Belle!” said a translucent version of Discord. “You know, we’ve really got to come up with a better name for you. ‘Sweetie Belle’ just isn’t very intimidating. Behold, Sweetie Belle, Master of Demons! You see? It lacks something.”

Sweetie Belle sat up groggily, chagrined at the early hour. “Well, according to you, I’ve got a long time before I’ll need any titles.”

“Yes, but what do I call you in the meantime?”

“I don’t know. Belle? Her Majesty the Most High Empress of the Forest? I don’t really care. Why are you here so early?”

“You’ll hear soon enough. Suffice it to say the natives are restless. Something’s got the forest animals upset. Somepony who was able to keep them at bay would surely earn the gratitude of the Princesses…”

“Got it,” Sweetie Belle said, rolling out of bed and pulling on her cloak. As she dashed out Carousel Boutique’s front door, another figure emerged from the shadows and made its way up to the filly’s now-vacant bedroom.

The Great and Powerful Trixie picked carefully through Sweetie Belle’s dresser, looking for the item of great import that Discord said it would contain. Dresses. Capes. Socks. Socks? What pony in her right mind wore socks? She’d rarely seen any, except for the large discarded pile of them that the strange, apelike creatures left outside the Conversion Bureau.

Something glittered at the bottom of the drawer. “Oh, Celestia! The Crown of Magic! This must be worth a fortune!” She wondered if it might enhance her own magic, and tried it on. She didn’t feel anything. Testing a few spells she had lost the ability to cast, Trixie couldn’t detect a change. Oh, well. No teleporting out of here; she’d have to walk as usual. She deposited the crown in the vast storage portal of her hat, and followed Sweetie Belle toward the forest.

--------

Through her recent practice sessions, Sweetie Belle had found that the larger creatures were a little more difficult to control, but if she applied her horn magic as well, it became ridiculously easy. She didn’t have the nerve to summon an ursa major, but had chanced upon one in the forest one evening, and had successfully dominated its mind from the concealment of the bushes. Now, she sat by the forest’s edge, listening for the thoughts of its inhabitants.

Discord was right – there was a lot of unrest. Sweetie Belle put up a mental wall across the edge of the forest, and broadcast a message: “Stay back! Do not leave the forest!” She felt most of the activity drawing back deeper into the trees, but detected an atmosphere largely of confusion and fear, not malice. She decided she’d better remain here and try to keep things under control.

The Great and Powerful Trixie peered around a tree at Sweetie Belle. She could feel waves of magic energy emanating from the filly, but they were completely alien. She couldn’t surmise their purpose until a small five-tailed fox demon dashed from the woods. The magical aura intensified, and Sweetie Belle’s horn began to glow.

“Stop!” she shouted, and to Trixie’s amazement, it obeyed. The fox calmly walked back toward the woods. It was then that Trixie noticed the strange red glow under Sweetie Belle’s cloak. As the glow intensified, so did the unsettling magical aura. Trixie got a sudden sensation of intense vertigo as the warped power swept over her. She doubled over and lay on the ground, stroking her temples with her hooves. By the time she recovered, Sweetie Belle had left.

“What was that?” Trixie said to nopony in particular. “Whatever else it is, it’s unnatural. I wouldn’t care to be near that again.” She rushed to track down Sweetie Belle, but kept her distance this time. Sweetie Belle was trying to divert a manticore this time, one with a bandaged wound on its side. Of course! This was the same beast that had attacked Sweet Apple Acres overnight. “Oh, this is perfect!”

Trixie began to weave her illusions, bending the light through labyrinthine paths. As Sweetie Belle herded the injured creature toward a vision of thick sylvan vegetation, it emerged from the forest heading directly for town. It wouldn’t do much harm, and Fluttershy could convince it to leave after it had a chance to give everypony a good scare.

When the frightened and confused animal stampeded down the main thoroughfare of Ponyville, ponies dove for cover behind wagons, sought refuge in houses, and took wing, if they were able. The few unicorns present tried to push it back with their magic, and multiple stallions swung improvised polearms – broomsticks, shovels, firewood – to drive it away. Beaten and pelted with stones, the beast ran to the only solace it knew: Fluttershy’s cottage.

Tending to her garden, the yellow pegasus was surprised to see the repeat visitor bounding over the low rise in the roadway, wailing in pain. “You poor dear, have you gotten into trouble again? Oh, it looks like it’s just some nicks and bruises. How do you keep losing your way?”

Fluttershy whirled at the sound of angry shouts in the distance. “There it is!” “Fluttershy’s helping it again!” The pink-maned mare shrunk away in apprehension.

“Of course I… it’s hurt and… I couldn’t just let it…”

“How can you treat that thing?” cried an earth pony mare that Fluttershy didn’t recognize. “It crashed through five market stalls, tore up Daisy’s flower beds, and broke the windows of Bon Bon’s shop! For all we know, you sent it on a rampage!”

Applejack pushed to the front of the crowd. “Now, y’all hang on a minute! Ah ain’t any happier ‘bout that beast than anypony else. Heck, it caused a ruckus on mah farm last night. But y’all can’t think Fluttershy had anything ta do with this. She’s got no wish ta hurt nopony. Right, sugarcube?”

The cowering pegasus could only nod nervously. It’s just like my dream!

“Okay, y’all jes’ head back ta town. Ah’ll take care o’ this.” Applejack waited for the mob to disperse, then quietly conferred with her friend.

“Sugarcube, ya gotta see how this looks! That manticore weren’t hurt bad. Ya shoulda jes’ shooed it on inta the forest.”

“I… I can’t hold back when an animal’s injured. Besides, he wasn’t trying to hurt anypony! He’s more scared than they are.”

“But why is he coming back? An’ it’s not jes’ him. There are lots o’ animals runnin’ amok in the woods lately. Ah think it’s best if ya jes’ keep yer distance from all this.”

--------

Over the next few nights, more and more demonic animals made moonlight forays into Ponyville. Most were harmless, but the already heightened tension in town threatened to become a barely-contained powder keg. Finally, much to Fluttershy’s horror, a squad of Royal Guardsponies was deployed to patrol against any further nighttime incursions.

The Great and Powerful Trixie was keeping her usual watch on Sweetie Belle, but didn’t need to follow her all the way through town to her predictable destination of Carousel Boutique. Voices carrying through an open window of the library caught Trixie’s attention, and she tiphoofed close to listen.

“Is this really necessary?” Spike remarked, watching the glint of torchlight off highly-polished armor, as the sentries paced their assigned routes. He sat by the upstairs window watching the town below, as five mares tried to keep up a languid conversation in the library.

“I could’ve just handled this myself,” Rainbow Dash bragged, “if Celestia had thought of asking.”

“I don’t mind so much. More ponies in town means bigger parties,” Pinkie Pie answered halfheartedly, her mane and coloration noticeably below their usual standards.

“Ah’m jes’ concerned ‘bout Fluttershy,” stated the blonde earth pony. “She’s betwixt a rock an’ a hard place on this, an’ Ah’m worried she might be in danger. Ah oughtta spend the night over there to make sure she don’t come to no harm. An’ what’s with these two?” Applejack added, pointing at Rarity and Twilight Sparkle.

Rarity broke her distant stare and met Applejack’s gaze briefly. “Oh, I suppose I’m not very good company right now. I’ve… got a lot on my mind. I’ve just been a little preoccupied about my sister.”

“I’m not myself either these days,” admitted Twilight. “Something’s just got me in a funk.”

“What’s happened to us? Nopony’s willing to talk about what’s bothering her, and Fluttershy isn’t even here.” complained Spike.

Not now, Spike, thought Twilight. Don’t press me on this now.

“We’re fine,” Rainbow reassured him. “It’s just a rough patch, that’s all.”

“Yeah, Spike, ya fret too much. We’re friends forever. In fact, Ah best be gettin’ ta another friend now. Ah need ta make sure Fluttershy’s gonna be alright.”

Outside, Trixie was disgusted at how emotional she had become. I’m supposed to be stronger than this! I don’t need any ponies like them! But… it wasn’t always that way. I remember when I used to have friends. Oh, Trixie, what have you gotten yourself into?

The ponies in the library said their good nights and set out for their homes. Twilight stayed on the doorstep for a moment to take down the “Open” sign hanging in the window and douse the outside light. As she headed back inside, she caught a glimpse of blue in the bushes. “Hello? Is somepony there?” She craned her neck forward and squinted into the evening gloom. “Trixie? Is that you?” A silver-maned head eventually rose above the shrub.

“Yes, Twilight, it’s Trixie.”

“What are you doing out here?”

“Just… uh… looking for a place to sleep.” And definitely not peeping through the window.

“Please, come in out of the cold. I’ve got a spare bed.”

After a moment of indecision, Trixie decided to accept the invitation. Twilight invited her to sit and enjoy a glass of milk while she leafed through some light bedtime reading. Feeling awkward for sitting there in silence, Trixie tried making some small talk. “What are you reading?”

“I’ve been doing more research on the Elements of Harmony. The last time we tried to use them, I attempted to substitute Spike for Rainbow Dash, since he is loyal. This book suggests that it could have worked, if Spike were a pony. It may be possible for anypony who is a good enough example of an element to use it.”

“What about… the crown? What does it do?”

“The secret to using it is friendship. It does require a magic user to wield it, but it’s activated by feeling the spark of friendship. Once that happens, it powers the other elements. I’ve got it upstairs – would you like to see it?”

“No! No, that’s okay, but… why would you keep it here? That hardly seems safe.”

“Well, locking them up in the palace didn’t keep Discord from getting them. We just thought that if there wasn’t a sure way to keep them secure, we’d at least have quick access if we needed them.”

Trixie reverted to silence for a while as Twilight returned to her tome. “Twilight, why are you so nice to me? I haven’t done anything to deserve it.”

Recovering from being momentarily stunned, Twilight answered, “Why wouldn’t I? You haven’t done anything to me.”

“But… I have done things I’m not proud of.”

“That ursa minor wasn’t your fault. Besides, I guess it’s just in my nature to trust that there’s a potential friend in every pony.”

“It must be nice. I must be too cynical to believe that attitude could exist. Look at me, talking with you about friendship when I stormed out of here in anger just the other day.”

“Trixie, are you okay? You seem really down on yourself. You used to be so confident.”

“I just got tired of life beating me down, and then I was jealous of what you had, with your friends and your magic. Just seeing you sit around with everypony earlier made me see what I’d been missing. And why I’m not worth it.”

“No, Trixie, you can’t believe that!”

“Twilight, you of all ponies would never forgive me…” Trixie stopped, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. “I should just get to bed.” I’ll tell you in the morning, Twilight. Then we’ll see what the limits of your friendship are.

--------

As Applejack was nearing Fluttershy’s house, several monsters that she couldn’t identify in the darkness streaked past her on their way back to the Everfree Forest. One was bleeding profusely, and separated from its brethren to mewl at the yellow pony’s window. From behind her, Applejack could hear a large mob giving chase.

The farm pony ran to the cottage and found the door ajar. She poked her head in and looked for her friend. “Fluttershy? Ya here?” Receiving no reply, she tried again. “Angel? How ’bout you?” she called, not really wanting to endure his sarcasm, but the home was deserted. Checking Angel’s bed to be sure, she found a note tucked under the blanket.

I’ve gone to where I can treat the poor animals in peace. I hope this note finds a friend, as I believe only somepony close to me would think to look here. Please find a way to convince everypony that the creatures aren’t at fault. Something else is stirring up trouble in the forest.

Applejack stepped back out into the yard to confront the crowd. “Y’all have driven her off! Ah hope everypony is satisfied! Y’all took the gentlest pony that ever lived, and made her feel unwelcome! And she’s jes’ the kind to forgive ya fer it, too!”

The fire sapped from their anger, the mob milled about uncertainly, as Applejack charged past them on her way back to the library, Fluttershy’s note clutched in her teeth.

Inside the house, a malevolent voice chuckled. “All the pieces are on the board, Celestia! Checkmate.”

--------

Sweetie Belle had tried for several hours to get some badly needed sleep after her impossibly busy day. The sheer volume of forest animals she’d had to turn back had left her exhausted, but she was still restless. The constant agitation of the supernatural fauna drowned out her own thoughts, and made slumber impossible.

She rose from her bed and donned her cloak again, determined to keep the beasts at bay long enough to afford her some rest. She dashed out of the boutique and galloped around the edge of town toward the woods. In her hurry, she crashed headlong into another pony coming the opposite way.

In the inky blackness, Applejack hadn’t seen whatever had knocked her flat on her back. She rubbed her head, blinking, and slowly became aware of a roseate glow illuminating the area. Rising to her hooves, she saw that it originated from another pony, stunned and breathing heavily on the ground. The light shone from the pony’s side, where a strange symbol phosphoresced under the canopy of trees.

“What the hay is that?” she exclaimed, creeping forward for a closer look. “Is that thing a cutie mark? Ah never seen nothin’ like it!” The other pony gave a low groan and staggered to her hooves, the hood of her cloak slipping down her neck. “SWEETIE BELLE!?” A look of sheer terror crossed the filly’s face as she backed away and turned to run. “Sweetie Belle, what’s goin’ on here?”

Applejack jumped to tackle her, but the mark on Sweetie Belle’s flank flared to a sanguine brightness, joined by the white glow of her horn. Time seemed to slow as a large wolf-like creature intercepted Applejack in midair and pinned her to the ground. She managed to wedge a rear hoof between them, and launched the beast skyward, resuming pursuit of her quarry. As she caught up, she anticipated the attack this time, diving low to the earth, and somersaulting under the leaping beast. Rolling out of her landing, Applejack pounced and got a firm mouth hold on the filly’s tail, dragging her to a halt. She tugged a rope out of her saddle bag and quickly hog-tied the young pony, but immediately realized the futility of trying to handle the situation herself, as the pentacle and horn blazed in the night, inciting myriad foreboding noises from far off among the trees.

Hoping she was near enough to town, Applejack cried out. “Twilight! Pinkie! Dash! Rarity! Somepony come help me!”

Twilight Sparkle was about to mark her place and put her book down for the night when she heard the shouting. She ran toward the commotion, adding her own voice in calling for Rarity as she passed the boutique. An ivory head poked out of an upstairs window. “What is it, dear?”

“Go get Pinkie and follow me! Sompeony’s in trouble!” she called over her shoulder.

Twilight arrived on the scene to find Applejack holding a bound Sweetie Belle down. As she approached, she noticed the strange symbol on the filly’s side, and first felt the waves of warped magical energy. A wall of nausea swept over the purple unicorn, and she sank to her knees, swaying unsteadily.

“Twilight! What’s wrong?” Applejack’s friend couldn’t answer, her head swimming. Pinkie and Rarity finally arrived to see Twilight collapsed on the ground, and Applejack fighting to restrain a struggling Sweetie Belle, with a pack of dire wolves slowly advancing out of the trees. Rarity began to wobble as well, feeling the same effects as Twilight.

Pinkie ran to Applejack’s side, not sure what she could do to assist. “Go help Twilight!” directed the blonde mare. “Somethin’ funny’s goin’ on with the magic. She might be able ta stop it!”

Pinkie draped Twilight’s leg over her shoulder and walked her close to Sweetie Belle. She could see the purple coat taking on more of a green tint the closer she got. “Twilight! You’ve got to stop Sweetie Belle somehow!”

Her horn beginning to emit a purple light, Twilight fought against the vertigo and tried the only strategy that had entered her mind. She projected her horn’s glow toward the captured filly, who felt a sudden juggernaut of somnolence, and soon lost consciousness. With her captive safely asleep, Applejack could finally do something about the lupine assault. She began bucking around wildly and shouting; without Sweetie Belle’s beacon summoning them, she was able to intimidate them into running away.

Finally, Applejack and Twilight Sparkle, who had regained her equilibrium, were able to examine the filly’s cutie mark. It luminesced softly in the darkness, having reverted to a dormant state, but Twilight could still sense a faint queasiness from it.

“What the hay is that, Twilight?” Applejack asked.

“I don’t know.” She leaned forward slowly and touched her horn to the pentacle. She could feel a force repelling her, and when she made contact, the mark gave off red sparks that jolted her, making her back off. “Pinkie, go tell Spike what’s happened. We need him to send a letter to Celestia right away! He should still be awake, but try not to disturb Trixie.”

As Pinkie dashed off, Applejack looked at the unicorn incredulously. “Trixie? Are you serious?”

“Applejack, I had a long talk with her tonight. Something’s different about her. Please, give her a chance.”

“If ya say so, Twilight, but Ah dunno.”

Rarity hadn’t been able to approach her sister, even now that the nausea had faded. She had been an emotional wreck over the filly lately, and she couldn’t bear to see Sweetie Belle in the midst of a very grave situation.

Just then, a brilliant flash of light announced Celestia’s arrival. “What’s happened here, my little ponies?”

“I don’t know how that got there,” Twilight said, indicating Sweetie Belle’s cutie mark. “It feels kind of like the time Apple Bloom tried to get me to give her a cutie mark with my magic, but it’s warped.”

“I can see that,” Celestia remarked, feeling the slight ripples upsetting her balance. “We need to find out what caused it before I can decide what to do about it.”

“Oh, I can save you the trouble,” came a voice from the trees. A ghostly apparition of Discord stepped out. “I gave that to her. Isn’t it delightful? One of my better ideas. ‘Demon Master Sweetie Belle!’ I know, I know. I tried to do something about the name, but we didn’t get that far yet.”

“Discord!” Celestia hissed. “What are you up to?”

“Oh, nothing much. Just this.” He waved his paw, and the purple cocoon of light around Sweetie Belle dissipated, her eyes fluttering open.

When she saw Celestia looming over her, Sweetie Belle screamed in terror. Her horn and pentacles surged to life again, and Celestia’s knees buckled under the sweeping disorientation, the two unicorns crumpling as well. Her teeth gritted, the filly summoned a cockatrice out of the forest, turning it against the incapacitated alicorn. Celestia felt the petrification taking hold of her hooves as she withered under the beast’s gaze. Her horn radiating a blinding light, the Princess fought the creeping stone, slowing its progress, but it had already encased her legs.

“Ha! See how you like it, Celestia!” taunted Discord.

Applejack lunged at the cockatrice from behind, knocking it aside. With its eye contact broken, Celestia could finally wrest her gaze from it and began to reverse its encroaching spell. Sweetie Belle knew she’d be unlikely to trick the Princess again, so she sent the cockatrice after Applejack, the only currently mobile pony.

“Don’t look at it!” Celestia warned, and Applejack was careful to keep her back toward it, tracking its position by the shadow it cast in the glow of the alicorn’s horn, and kicking at it.

Rarity struggled through the waves of distortion and crawled toward her sister. “Sweetie Belle, what are you doing? Stop this, please!”

“I can’t!” the filly shouted between her sobs. “She’ll kill me!”

“No, surely not, dear! Where did you get that idea?” The ivory unicorn tried to hold her sister’s hoof in a gesture of reassurance, but Sweetie Belle avoided her grasp.

“No, don’t stop me! If you keep me here, you’ll be killing me too!”

Rarity jerked her hoof back as if she’d just touched molten iron. My dream! Sweetie Belle, I would never hurt you! She watched her sister run off, powerless to do anything about it. The phantasmic form of Discord raced after her, an expression of rage on its face.

Without the filly’s dominating aura controlling it, the cockatrice broke off its attack and retreated for the forest. Rid of the debilitating nausea, Twilight immediately rose and ran after Sweetie Belle, calling back to her friends. “AJ, round up the others! I’m afraid we’re going to need them!”

“Be careful, Twilight!” Celestia shouted, the rocky encrustation now down to her knees. “He’s dangerous!”

“But Twilight!” answered Applejack, but her friend was already out of earshot. She continued anyway, quietly. “Fluttershy’s… gone…”

Comments

[mbpony 512]

Now this is an engagning storyline.

I mean just Wow. A lot happen within one chapter that make things go from bad to even more bad as Discord finally reveals himself and his plans in action.

Various ponies lives are in danger if the Elements don't gather themselves together.

Please do keep up the good work upon such a great working storyline.

[Meta Knight]

interesting

[canonkiller]

Dun dun dunnn~

I like this chapter, but it feels a bit rushed. Things just happen too fast with almost no build up between each scene.

[DrSparkles]

I quite liked this~

[Trumpetturtle]

This is awesome! Keep it up!

[Fernin]

MUAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA 8 D

Competent but not overconfident Discord, best Discord.

[Shikeh]

I think this is fantastic. Unfortunately, there hasn't been an update in a month and that makes me

[TheLast7Eevees]

Im really looking foward to more chapters of this!