Personas of Harmony

by EricStarstorm

Chapter 23: Chance Encounter

The next morning didn't come easily. For nearly every second of the night, Twilight was at war with her bed. She tossed and turned like waves on the ocean, jammed a pillow onto her head several times, and got up to tidy up the sheets every hour or so. Given that her previous bouts of late-night pacing always managed to wake Spike up, she wondered how he was still asleep now. Hoofsteps on a wooden floor weren't exactly quiet, but the creaking of her bed and her repeated groans were certainly louder than that could've possibly been. Eventually, Twilight gave up and decided to try reading the time away, hoping that she would just doze off when she was tired enough. An uncomfortable sleep would be better than no sleep at all. Just as she settled in with her favorite book on comets, however, she heard rustling from Spike's basket.

"...Twilight...?" Spike asked groggily as he turned towards her, his eyes barely open. "Is...everything all right?"

"Oh, NOW you wake up," Twilight replied, much more rudely than she had intended to. "Uh...sorry. I can't sleep."

Spike shook his head back and forth, and though there were still bags under his eyes, he looked much more alert. He stood up and hopped onto Twilight's bed, prompting her to scoot over a bit. When she was done with that, he sat down, leaning back against her. "Is it anything I can help with?"

"Not...really, no. Not right this second, at the very least."

"Well, I'm gonna try anyway. Tell me what's on your mind."

Twilight smiled sweetly at her assistant. "Yeah...okay." Despite Spike's comforting presence, she still hesitated before spitting it out. "Do you remember when I told you about the Velvet Room?"

Spike nodded. "You told me that two people live there named...Igor and Margaret, right?"

"I'm a little surprised that you remember."

"Hey, give me some credit. They're not exactly common names, y'know?"

"Fair enough. Anyway...I was summoned there earlier tonight." Twilight frowned as the events resurfaced in her mind. "Margaret told me to take everyone to the other world the day after tomorrow...where we would fight to the death."

Spike's eyes widened. He looked bewildered as he raised his hands, as if he wasn't sure what to do with them. "Wh...wha...WHY?!"

"To help me find what I need to fix, apparently. I didn't get it either...but I don't think she was going to take no for an answer."

Spike couldn't. He tried, but no matter how he tried to rationalize it, he just couldn't. "Okay, FIRST of all...Margaret can FIGHT?!"

"I haven't seen it firsthand, but apparently. She told us that if we held back, we would never be able to win."

"Second...to the DEATH? Against YOU? She's supposed to be HELPING you!"

"Odd as it sounds, I think that's why she's doing this."

That was the breaking point for poor Spike. His eyes twitched as his control over his body started to wane. He subconsciously grabbed onto his head and started pantomiming tearing out hair, wearing a blank expression the whole time. He was shaking as if he'd been thrown into the dryer.

"...Spike?"

Spike responded by letting a cascade of foam escape his maw. At this point, Twilight was at a loss for what to do, so she did the only thing she could think of: She slammed a pillow into Spike's face. He finally regained his composure and cleared his throat noisily.

"S-so, uh...how is that helping you, exactly?"

"She says that peril is one way to discover oneself. I can't really argue with that."

"...Hmm...yeah, that's true. So you're worried about having to fight her, is that it?"

"That's part of it, but I'm also worried about what will happen if I don't find what I'm looking for. She said we would fail in our task if I don't."

Spike thought about that for a moment. He could only begin to imagine what Twilight had experienced, but there was one thing he knew for sure--she was terrified. "Well...you just have to remember that you're not doing this alone. We'll help you, no matter what the dangers or the costs may be. That's what friends are for."

Twilight nodded. "Thanks, Spike...I just hope I can do the same for you and the others someday."

Rays of sunlight started peeking into the room. Twilight and Spike looked towards the window and saw that the sun had begun its daily journey across the sky. Though it was always a sight to behold, Twilight couldn't help but roll her eyes and sigh at the fact that she hadn't gotten any sleep.

"Well, no point in trying to sleep again now," Spike said. "You want some coffee?"

"Sure. If nothing else, I'll crash before we actually have to go."

Spike hopped off the bed and ran downstairs, and Twilight got up soon after. She sighed heavily, knowing that in spite of everything Spike had said, it was going to be a very long day.

---

After Twilight and Spike had breakfast, Twilight decided she needed to get some air. She walked through town, wondering what she should do to while away the hours. She didn't think she would be able to focus on reading or sleeping, but even the company of her friends wouldn't help calm her nerves. Nevertheless, Twilight knew she had to tell them about what had happened. She couldn't imagine what would've happened if she didn't.

"Heya, Princess!" a masculine voice shouted. "It's been a while!"

Twilight nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard that. She turned around sharply and saw Bright Side trotting towards her. "Oh, uh...hi!"

"It's good to see ya! Hey, have you heard?" Bright Side grinned like a colt. "Nobody got kidnapped the last time the rain passed us by. That's pretty great, huh?"

"Yeah...it sure takes a load off of my mind. So what brings you here?"

"Well, I was just passing through....Is it me, or do the other ponies seem anxious about something?"

Twilight looked around briefly. The other ponies weren't just anxious--they seemed to be wary of Bright Side. She hated to say it, but she saw where they were coming from. Bright Side was different, somehow.

"What's that all about?" Bright Side frowned slightly. "I mean, I'd be pretty relieved. This might mean that the murders are over, y'know? You won't have to go and rescue the kidnapped victims any more."

"Yeah, it's a bit...wait, what?" Twilight's eyes widened as she turned back towards Bright Side.

"What, did ya think nobody was gonna find out about what you were doing?" Bright Side's smile suddenly looked much more sinister. "You and your friends, all going to the forest the day someone gets kidnapped? And they just happen to be rescued later that day? Maybe others don't see what's happening, but you're all up to something."

"I...don't know what you're talking about."

"Look, there's no point in hiding it. If nobody else has figured it out, I won't spoil it for 'em. I'm no snitch." The stallion's smile returned to its previous state. "But you should really try to be a bit more subtle. Otherwise, your big secret might get out faster than you would think."

"Uhh...r-right. I'll try that."

"Hey, you seem a bit on edge. Something up?"

Twilight thought for a moment. After what Bright Side had just said, she wasn't sure if she should trust him with the time of day...but it was true that she and the others hadn't really thought of whether or not they were being conspicuous. He seemed to be rather observant, however. That was a sign of intelligence. "Well...yeah, there is something."

"What is it?"

"I...have this friend. She's been helping me for a while now, giving me advice on the case and making sure I'm on the right track...but now she wants me to confront her. She says it will help me, but...I don't know."

"Hmm...yeah, I've been there." Bright Side put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "'She says it'll help you.' Isn't that all you need? From there, you've just got to trust her."

"...I suppose."

"Don't worry so much! She wouldn't ask ya to do it if she didn't think you could. Have a little faith!"

Twilight stayed silent for a moment. "Yeah...yeah, you're right. Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Bright Side turned to the side. "I've gotta get going, but I have one last thing to say. Don't try to shoulder so many burdens yourself, all right? If ya try to help everybody, there's no way you can help yourself. That's why your friend is doing this in the first place, I bet. You're expecting too much of yourself." He smiled. "Let someone help you for a change."

With that, Bright Side walked away. Twilight was too absorbed in thought to offer him a goodbye, but Bright Side's words had sparked something in her mind. She needed her friends to help her now, and Bright Side was right--she had to let them.

"I'd better gather everypony at the barn," Twilight said to herself with newfound resolve. "If Margaret wants a fight, then a fight is what she'll get."

With a determined smile, Twilight turned towards home and left to get Spike.

---

Fluttershy walked pensively through one of the residential districts near her cottage. She mostly kept her head down, trying to avoid being noticed by the other ponies around. Ponyville was very active today, and although she would have normally stayed in as a result, she had to pick up some things for Angel and her other animals. That didn't mean she had to like it, though.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she accidentally bumped into a unicorn mare. The other pony turned around. "Oh, I'm sorry. Was I in your way?"

Fluttershy shook her head, trying as hard as she could to keep her wits. She reflexively waited for a snide remark or something along those lines.

The mare did nothing of the sort. She looked concerned. "Are you okay?"

Fluttershy nodded and began to walk away, carefully stepping around the unicorn. She could feel the unicorn's eyes on her as she left, causing her to walk faster. She only slowed down when she had turned the corner, stopping to sigh deeply. "I can't keep acting like this," she said to herself. "How am I ever going to be brave in combat if I can't even be brave around other ponies?"

Just then, Fluttershy heard a door open, followed by someone calling her name. She looked towards the source of the sound. Time Turner was on his porch, looking down at her from his apartment on the second floor. She waved back at him, and he descended the stairs to join her.

"Is everything all right, Fluttershy?" Time Turner asked. "You seem flustered...almost as much as you did during our battle."

"Don't talk about that around here," Fluttershy replied in a whisper. "There are ponies listening."

"Ah...right, of course. But my question stands. It doesn't take a genius to see that you're very troubled."

Fluttershy thought about it for a moment. This seemed like a great opportunity for her to fix her problem, but she didn't exactly trust Time Turner fully yet. She wanted to, but it wasn't exactly easy to get along with someone who had tried to kill you less than a week ago. She decided to play along for the sake of common courtesy. "It's not that important. I was just going to the market...will you come with me, so we can talk?"

"Ah, an escort is what you desire, is it? Very well, then." Time Turner started walking in the same direction that Fluttershy had been, and she followed soon after. They walked side by side. "What would you like to talk about?"

"Well, um...nothing in particular, really....What about you?"

"Hmm...well, if you're willing to lend your attention, I'd be glad to tell you about a new project I'm working on. How about it?"

Fluttershy nodded. "That sounds interesting. What is it?"

"Well, every clock in Equestria currently utilizes a hand system. This is all well and good, but some young ponies have a difficult time understanding it. In fact, I'm pretty sure Lyra and Derpy still can't read a hand clock--and they probably aren't the only ones. What I'm working on is a clock that shows the time solely in numbers, with a distinction between hours and minutes just like on a hand clock. It will hopefully take up less space as well, so it can be put on a desk or a table instead of being hung on the wall."

"That would be very convenient! Have you made any headway?"

"Quite a bit, actually! I had to change the shape quite a bit, but it shows the numbers just like I hoped it would." Time Turner smiled. "I hope to be able to get them manufactured en masse by the end of the year. There are still a few kinks to work out, but once those are done with, there won't be much left to stand in the way."

Time Turner went on like this for quite a while. Fluttershy listened intently to every word he had to say, and it felt that with every sentence, she knew a little bit more about him. Time seemed to fly as the two kept walking, with Time Turner going on about his projects and Fluttershy listening. Soon enough, walking turned into something that just happened on its own, and the scenery around Fluttershy seemed blurry and inconsequential. Ironically, she was so intent on listening that time had no meaning.

"Well, here we are," Time Turner said suddenly, snapping Fluttershy back to reality. She looked around frantically for a few seconds in confusion. "Is...something the matter?"

"No! Nothing at all," Fluttershy said a bit too quickly. "Um...thank you. I appreciate this. Really."

Time Turner looked concerned, but he didn't press the matter. "Very well, then. I hope we meet again soon." He turned to leave, but stopped himself after a second. "Oh, and...I apologize for monopolizing the conversation. Next time, I'd love to hear about what you do for a living."

Having heard that, Fluttershy managed to calm down and give Time Turner a smile. "I'll be looking forward to that! There's so much to say about it." She waved and started walking into the market. "See you later!"

Once she was on her own, Fluttershy began to think about the encounter. Despite forming an alliance with one another, she and Time Turner were barely even acquainted. She hadn't been sure what to make of him, other than that he seemed to be rather intelligent. But as they talked, he had shown himself to be a kind pony with an admirable work ethic and a natural air of leadership. Fluttershy's skepticism had melted away by the minute.

"If I can warm up so quickly to somepony I don't even trust...maybe the ponies in this town aren't bad after all," she said to herself. "I...suppose the only way I would ever trust him is to actually talk to him, and I see no reason not to trust him now."

Fluttershy looked around as she walked. Before she can continue down her line of thought, she stopped suddenly as Scootaloo blasted across her path. She, too, screeched to a halt and turned around. "Sorry, Fluttershy!" she said sheepishly. She got off of her scooter and walked towards her, towing it along with her front hooves. "I didn't bump into you, did I? I tend to do that to ponies a lot more than I mean to. Which...is not at all, of course. Heh heh..."

"Thank you for your concern, Scootaloo. I'm fine." Fluttershy wondered about her situation for a moment. "Umm...do you mind if I ask you something before you go?"

"Sure! Ask anything." Scootaloo's smile brightened considerably as she let go of her handlebars and put her hooves on the ground.

"How...how have you been getting along with Diamond Tiara lately?"

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. "That's...a weird question."

"It's kind of important right now."

Scootaloo shrugged. "Well, she's been a lot nicer lately. In fact, she and Silver Spoon play with us at recess now sometimes. I think she said that she didn't want to be a bully any more, so her dad wouldn't be disappointed if he could see her. Not sure about Silver Spoon, though."

Fluttershy grinned. "That's wonderful."

"To be honest, it's taking some getting used to. It's been a while since she stopped doing it, but I still can't help but think she's going to call us blank-flanks every time she sees us." Scootaloo shrugged. "Anyway, I should get going. I have to get back to the clubhouse ASAP! Sweetie Belle is expecting a full scouting report!"

"A...scouting report?"

"Bye, Fluttershy!"

Just like that, Scootaloo had mounted her scooter again and ridden off as fast as a bullet.

Fluttershy took a moment to think. If Scootaloo could make friends with both Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, then that just proved the theory she was garnering. She nearly smacked herself in the face. "Why did it take me this long to learn not to assume things about other ponies? Of course you can't know what someone is thinking before you talk to them...that's just impossible."

Something shattered above Fluttershy's head. She looked up to see Naravirala in the air, sitting down like always. She was consumed with blue light. With a forceful spread of her wings, Naravirala dispersed the light to reveal that she was Naravirala no more. She now had a face like a pony, larger wings--not unlike Twilight's or Cadence's--with blazing feathers, a more ornate headdress, and a tuft of white fur on her torso that looked almost like shoulderpads. She turned into a Priestess card and faded into the air, leaving Fluttershy feeling extremely invigorated. Naravirala had become Sekhmet.

After Fluttershy got over the initial shock, she realized that her Persona had just appeared--and transformed--in front of dozens of other ponies. She looked around in a panic, but no one was looking towards her, whether in awe or fear. Her fear was replaced with bafflement and relief at the same time.

"There you are, Fluttershy!" a voice called. Fluttershy turned to the left and saw Pinkie running up to her. "I've been shaking the bushes for you!"

"Hello, Pinkie Pie. Is everything okay?" Fluttershy asked.

"Uhh...sorta? Yyyyyyyyyyes...? Yes. Yeah, I don't think anything is particularly wrong." She cleared her throat. "But, uh, Twilight's calling for us all to meet at the barn. She says it's urgent--oh, wait...I guess that means not everything is okay. Dang it."

"Tell her I'll be there as soon as I can be. I need to buy some things here before they get sold out."

"Gotcha!" Pinkie jumped into the air and backflipped until she was somehow facing the other direction, then sprinted off in a puff of smoke.

Fluttershy turned back towards the market stalls. "Okay...time to get this done before I get interrupted by something else."

---

The meeting began at noon, after everyone had arrived. Twilight wasn't really sure how to phrase her request, so the first few minutes were spent making small talk on Applejack's reassurance that she'd get to the point when she was ready. She knew that what she was going to ask would be ridiculous--she was pretty much asking her friends to risk their lives for her sake alone. She knew that they would probably be okay with it, but it was still an issue she would much rather leave buried. The last thing she wanted was to seem selfish. However, she knew that nothing would change if she didn't say anything. She stood up and cleared her throat, gathering everyone's attention.

"Everypony, thank you for coming today. The--"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Rainbow Dash looked rather perplexed. "Why are you being so formal? Did you forget who you're talking to or something?"

Applejack lightly bopped Rainbow on the back of the head. "We're listenin', Twi."

"Umm...thank you. Anyway, the reason I've asked you all to come here is...because I need your help." Twilight found herself unable to make eye contact with her friends and nervously pawed at the floor. "See...there's someone waiting on us tomorrow in the other world."

"Really, now?" Rarity asked. "How do you know that? It doesn't rain again for at least a few days, if memory serves."

"I know because she told me. Her name is Margaret...and she's a human."

Naturally, this made Twilight's audience curious, with the exception of Spike. "A human...?" Fluttershy asked.

"It's a long story...the point is, she's challenging us to a duel. She says that I need to find my inner demons and face them, and that this is the way to do it."

"Well, rock on!" Rainbow exclaimed, jumping out of her seat and hovering above it. "I hope she isn't too mad when we pound her into dust!"

Twilight was surprised at this. She looked up at Rainbow. "What...what are you talking about?"

"Uhh...isn't it obvious? I'm in! I'm helping you." Rainbow landed next to the table and looked towards the others. "We all are. Aren't we?"

"Of course," Rarity said. "Twilight, you're our dear friend...and you've done so much for all of us. How could we possibly turn you away?"

"B-but...I'm asking you all to put yourselves in danger...just for my sake!" Twilight replied. "Aren't you at least a little bit hesitant?"

"Should we be?" Pinkie asked. "Because I can TOTALLY do that!"

Spike turned towards Pinkie. "I don't think she--"

Pinkie was suddenly sitting with her back hooves propped up on the table, wearing Applejack's stetson and holding a stalk of wheat in her mouth. "What's in it for me?" she asked, lifting the brim of Applejack's hat to look at Twilight with disinterested eyes.

"Gimme that!" Applejack exclaimed as she snatched her hat from Pinkie's head and put it back on. "Yer not makin' her feel any better about this, y'know."

"Aww, I was just trying to lighten the mood!" Pinkie spat out the wheat and pouted. "I'll help, though."

"Anyway...don't y'all worry about it none, sugar cube." Applejack smiled. "We've got yer back, no matter what. You should really know that by now."

"I...I'm a bit scared at the prospect...but I couldn't abandon you if I wanted to," Fluttershy said. "Besides...if I didn't come with you, who would heal you when you get hurt?"

"...Thank you. Thank you all so much," Twilight said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I wish I could repay you somehow for all of this."

"Hey, you helped us face our Shadows," Spike pointed out. "It's only natural that we repay the favor!"

Twilight smiled, and her eyes burned like the sun. "All right, then. Tomorrow...we're going to fight our hardest! Be ready for it!"

Rainbow cheered and pumped her hoof as she launched herself in the air. Everyone looked at her strangely. She stayed like this for almost a minute before she noticed that she was alone in doing so. "Umm...what, nothing?"

"We're a group of friends, not a hoofball team," Spike said.

Rainbow landed back on the floor and rolled her eyes. "You guys are no fun."

With nothing more to be said, everyone left the barn. Twilight planned on spending the rest of the day preparing as best as she could. For the first time, it felt certain to her that it was do or die.

Author's Note:

I know you guys were waiting for Margaret...but I've made Fluttershy wait long enough, wouldn't you say?

Sorry for the long wait again. This time, it wasn't writer's block or anything (though being excited about Margaret was probably part of it), it was Mario Kart and Pokemon. I'm not a good multitasker.

---

Sekhmet
Weak to Ice, absorbs Fire, resists Wind.
-Agidyne
-Mediarahan
-Amrita
-Matarunda
-Maragidyne
-Aromatherapy - Fully heals all party members and removes status. Revives unconscious party members with 50% HP.

Comments

[TSLsmokey]

Yeah they're gonna need all the help they can get.. I had to use about.. 6 revives on Margaret when I was fighting her on Easy(the ones that revive you fully in the actual battle when you fall in P4G) and the last hit was at the skin of my teeth for number 7. Her strategy is quite predictable but that doesn't mean shit when her strategy can still kick your butt extremely quickly!

[shinigamisparda]

Yeah, it's looking pretty hard not to suspect Bright Eyes right now. I wouldn't be surprised with a twist though.

[SoulboundAlchemist]

Ack! Get on with the Margret battle already, I'm dying here!!!