The Edge Of Harmony

by Alazak

CH 17

Gallatais sat at the head of the Canterlot court he had achieved his goal, Equestria lay in a perpetual state of battle as the pony folk struggle against the once trapped residents of the Everfree Forest. He watched as cities fell to rubble, unable to defend themselves from the foreign threat. Without Celestia the monsters ran rampant and felt their freedom after the centuries of banishment, left to rot in the dark forest prison.
“Is it everything you hoped it would be father?” Gallatais cocked an eyebrow to his visitor. “My sister still puts up a resistance with the former element holders. Her merry band of miscreants have been hiding themselves well this last year.” Princess Luna stepped from the shadows, once again she donned the regalia of Nightmare Moon. No longer a slave to the darkness she once was Luna stepped up to her father and softly placed her head on his shoulder.
“Your sister is resourceful, she may no longer be the overwhelming force that carved 1000 years of peace. But she has her student and her friends.” Gallatais stroked his daughters flowing mane as they spoke.
“They are broken and of no concern any longer.” A brash voice broke the serene moment. “I have proven myself against that trollop Twilight, time and time again. Even now I have her mirror and it is only a matter of time before I, The Great And Powerful Trixie, learn its mysteries.” Trixie materialized in the center of the room, she held herself proud and gave off an aura that made the guards shutter a little.
“Ah, yes my greatest champion.” Gallatais stood and greeted Trixie. “Have you brought me good news?”
“On the outskirts of Apploosa reports came in of a white earth pony wielding a metal object and drove off a manticore invasion.” Trixie brushed her long silvery hair aside as she delivered her report. “Trixie doesn't understand why you are so worried in finding this pony. She rejected yo...” Trixie was cut off as she was flung through the air slamming hard into a nearby marble statue of the former ruler of Equestria.
“Know your place, Hatred! That PONY still holds the fate of Equestria in her hooves as long as she is alive! She is a threat to me and every thing I wish to accomplish!” Gallatais burned with rage his whole being flared like a supernova causing the court guards, Trixie and even Luna turn away from his rage. Trixie cowered and crawled away in shame from Gallatais as his rage subsided. “Go, find where they are hiding I have given you enough time to master that mirror.”

A little over a year had passed since Gallatais gathered the six Elements of Harmony. In the moment of his victory he went to snuff out Pearl as she defied him in front of all of Equestria. But Celestia satched away his victory and hid away, cloaked from his vision. But all was not well across the once peaceful lands of Equestria, with Celestia no longer the threat that held the Everfree denizens at bay, they flooded Equestria tearing away what little resistance the residents put up.
One by one they fell, the larger cities managed to hold out longer than most but that was until the larger monsters arrived to stomp out entire buildings in a single swipe. Even the great Pegasus Cloud Cities were no match for the hordes of ancient fliers that blackened out the skies, decimating the smaller cities until Cloudsdale was left as the only remaining bastion that the Pegasus had left.

****
“Commander, we have gotten reports of that white earth pony again.” Stormcaller stepped into a large command room.
“Where is she this time? And stop calling me that.” The orange pegasus stepped out from her desk and ruffled her wings.
“Manager just doesn't fit these days and before you ask no there haven’t been any sightings of the captain.” Storm stepped beside Scootaloo and put his hoof on her shoulder. “I can see it in your eyes that you miss her believe me i know how you feel, but at least she’s still out there.” Stormcaller turned away from her to hide his tears.
“Have we had any word from our spies in the court of the king?” Scootaloo looked to another one of her soldiers.
“Our last contact told us that Trixie has yet to figure out the mirror Twilight Sparkle created, but the king is putting pressure on finding this mysterious mare.” The female pegasus gave her report. “If I may be so bold Commander, its been over a year since we've had contact with the captain and with the increase in attacks across Equestria do you really think she could still be alive?”
“Its not hard to believe that Dash is still alive, what's hard to believe is that she’s laid this low for as long as she has.” Scootaloo gave a sly smile to the pegasus. “Dismissed everypony and for the millionth time stop calling me that.”

****
“Soooo bored.” A older power blue mare lay on a small bed. “If I had known it was going to be this boring I would have stayed in Ponyville.” Rainbow Dash hopped out of the bed and rushed across the large underground room. “Common Princess I may not be a grand flier any more but I’m still Rainbow Dash, I'm an athlete through and through.” Rainbow Dash had been cooped up in the hidden lair for months and contributed little in the way of tactics for the resistance that the former ruler lead.
“I can understand your stress Rainbow Dash but now is not the time. Even if you were to go out you don’t exactly blend in with the populous and what if you get caught?” Celestia leaned in close to the pegasus and whispered, “I know one filly that would be very upset with me if I let anything happen to you.” dash blushed a bright shade of red contrasting heavily against her blue coat.
“She’s right sugarcube, I’ve got ponies that I wanna see myself, but it would put them in too much danger.” Applejack entered the room with a large stack of papers. “I still don’t understand it though princess. What in tarnation are we waitin fer? That Pearl seems to have yer daddies forces tied up and chasing their own tails searching fer her. Twilights been messing with that mirror throwing Trixie off and if it wasn’t fer Raritys vast fortune this little resistance would have never happened.”
“My father knows we intend to stop him and he knows the only way to do that is with the Elements of Harmony. But according to Twilight this dreamer holds the key and I don’t know what that means.”
“Your father now controls the elements, and we know Pearl is the Dreamer. and even if we can take them kindness is,” Applejack turned away thinking of her fallen friend. “Fluttershy is gone.” Even Dash shed a tear for their fallen friend. “Speaking of ponies going off and doing foolheaded things where’s Pinkie and Mike?”

A short distance away in the village of Bridlehoof a disguised pinkie and Mike Shetland sat in an open air cafe. “See silly I told you coming back to Ponyville with me would be exciting.”
“Even though we’ll have to talk about that definition of exciting at a later date, you know we aren't allowed to wander from the base what if we get caught?” Mike leaned in to whispered to Pinkie.
“I find it nice to get out once and awhile, besides with these fancy disguises nopony would recognize us.” Pinkie leaned back and stretched her flour covered coat making her look white and with a little magic barret her bouncy mane turned a bright blonde. “And we can gather intel on the current events. Look ,a news paper! Pinkie reached out and swiped a nearby stallions reading material.
“Hey!” he gave the thief a angry look as Mike returned the pilfered paper and apologise for Pinkies action.
“Dear, things have changed we have to be more careful.” Mike sighed, he had known Pinkie long enough to know talking since to her was fruitless.
“You’re darn tut’in we gotta be careful,” Pinkie had kept a small section of the paper and put in Mike’s face. “Have you seen the value of hay these days? Outrageous!” Mike just leaned back in his seat in defeat. Until he noticed a small article in the corner of the paper.

‘White mare strikes again!’ It read, Mike took the paper and began reading. ‘Sources have indicated that the mysterious white mare has struck at the very heart of Lord Gallatais forces near what was once the township of Ponyville. While details are limited, towns ponies are stating that she appeared seemingly out of nowhere. The white mare then defeated a standing guard of a dozen of the Lords forces and robbed an old library that once belonged to the recluse Twilight Sparkle. With the forces of the Alicorn Lord no longer in Ponyville the towns ponies have started to regain a small portion of their daily lives.’
Mike was bewildered by the article. He could remember meeting Pearl on more than one occasion since her arrival in Las Pegasus to pilfer Pinkies Element. After the princess rescued her from annihilation that day a year ago he could remember she was deeply depressed and distant from the others that joined Celestia's rebellion.Pinkie seemed to like her though, she would spend hours with the distraught pony attempting to cheer her up and look at the bright side of things. That was until one day out of the blue she just vanished from the base and started her one pony crusade to take back Equestria. Mike mulled over the article again. If she liberated Ponyville and took something from the old library she may be...
“Pin... Dear we have to go, it’s important.” Mike stood up from his lunch and grabbed Pinkie. “I think we're having a guest this evening.”
“Ohh a guest I love guests I'll have to set out something nice.”

The battle Pearl fought was a difficult uphill struggle for the last nine months, after coming to terms with her own failures. She focused hard and put into motion a plan that would right the wrongs she had created. She knew the only way to stop Gallatais was with the element of harmony but as long as Gallatais controlled them she had to come up with a new plan. So in her resolve she took up Gallatais’ old prison and set out into the battered Equestria and began to defeat the evils that took hold over the towns and villages she came across.

“Twilight we need to find a way of coordinating with Cloudsdale. It’s the largest base of resistance besides us. With their combined forces we could take back the larger cities crippling my fathers forces and strengthening our front.” Celestia paced the command room. Twilight sat across looking over a large map of Equestria. She had finally reconnected to her mentor after months of awkward moments and shy speeches.
“But how? If we leave the bubble I’ve put up to block out the vision of the mirror our little forces would be crushed.” Twilight lit up a small area on the map showing Celestia the reach of her protection.
“We set bait.”
Twilight turned to see where the new voice came from. The small room wasn’t brightly lit, but Twilight could tell right away from the silhouette. “Pearl, you know coming here dangerous.” She scowled as she spoke to Pearl.
“Dangerous! Twilight for the last year you have hid yourself away, again, while you send out meager little forces to deal with the problem at hoof. I know danger Twilight, I was there in Trottingham when the Ursa major leveled the city. I watched a foal get torn to shreds by a pack of timberwolves. Do not speak of danger to me!” Pearl stepped into the rooms light, Twilight choked back the sight of Pearls massive scar stretching from left of her lower jaw across her eye.
“Now my little ponies, please these are trying times we live in. We all have losses, but Pearl Twilight is right coming here is dangerous.” Celestia stepped between the feuding ponies.
“I went to Ponyville,” both Celestia and Twilight went silent. “It was a mess, it was rot with Gal’s forces but no longer.” Pearl gave a smile revealing a few broken teeth. “I went to the old library and found nothing. That mirror of yours was gone, along with everything went with it. Sweet Apple Acres still stands, a testament to its founders you can tell Applejack her sister and brother are safe. They defended the townsfolk for months, even after the initial flood of beasts devoured most of the township but it was only a matter of time until Trixie and her ilk came for the mirror.” Pearl stepped around the command room, giving dead glances to her hero.
“Pearl, what did you mean by bait?” Celestia cut between them again.
“Oh,” Pearl smiled again. “I’ve found the best way to catch your target is with something they want.” She chuckled and walked over to a closed door. “And I think you’ve been holding on to the one thing Cloudsdale wants more than anything in all of Equestria.” She opened the door and stepped aside to let the spying blue and multi-maned Rainbow Dash tumble into the room.
“Uh... hey Pearl when did you get back?” She rubbed her head and chuckled at the staring room.

****

The underground base had taken on a new life when Pearl arrived. Pinkie had thrown a large welcome back party in Pearls honor. The cold dark base was littered with bright streamers and an inexplicable amount of cake. Pearl walked the halls that honeycombed underneath Equestria. She thought back to the long months she had spent under Celestia's watch and care, it was hard to come to terms with what she had done. She reminisced about the the time she had gotten to spend with those she had hurt. She looked into the dark empty rooms with nothing more than a simple bed and a small chest for the few belongings the ponies had.
“Heya Pearl!” Pearl’s train of thought was derailed by an explosion of pink. “Glad to see you come back, me and Mike were so worried.” Pinkie danced around Pearl and placed a small cone party hat on her.
“Why would anypony be glad to see me? I’ve done nothing worth celebrating.” She slowly began to walk away and removed her hat letting to drop to the cold stone floor.
“Aww, so modest I see. No worries, look around you pearly what is it you see? Common tell ol’ Pink Smile.” Pinkie placed an arm around Pearl and pointed around the base.
“I see the slow decay of Equestria I brought on all of you. I see a group of ponies that hate me and I deserve it. No matter how hard I work to correct this I can never be forgiven.” She removed Pinkies arm and began to walk away. “And stop calling yourself that it's embarrassing.”
“Oh, is that all you see Pearly?” Pinkie bounced back in front of Pearl and spun her around. “Like I told you that last time I forgive you, and I see all my friends in one place. You managed to get all of them together working toward a common goal for the first time in over a decade.” Pearl stopped and saw what Pinkie was talking about. Twilight and Applejack sat at a table with the Princess and laughed about something she couldn’t hear. Rainbow Dash and Rarity were talking to Mike planning a strategy to get Dash back to Cloudsdale. “I can see smiles once again even the worst of us can smile once again thanks to you.” Pearl felt dizzy as Pinkie suddenly spun her back to face her. “What happened to the Pearl I meet in Las Pegasus?” she squinted thinking real hard. Then like a light bulb she reached into her hair and pulled out a wrapped circular object. “I know, you’re missing something Important.” She handed Pearl the package and dashed off to mingle with her reunited friends.
“Missing something hua?” Pearl rolled the strange gift around inspecting it. “That one has always made me feel off and at the same time just right.” Pearl laughed to herself and sat on one of the many empty beds scattered about the base. She cautiously tore away the bright pink and yellow patterned paper, ‘Where did she get such a thing these days?’ Pearl laughed to herself as she wondered about the paper itself. Pearl was caught off guard completely by the contents and nearly dropped the present as the words ‘The Adventures of Twilight Sparkle’ revealed themselves.
It was a copy of Twilight’s book. pearl held it tight and close to her heart. She had lost her copy a long time ago and finding one proved nearly impossible since Equestria fell. Trixie Had made it her Mission to destroy every copy she could find. Pearl was only momentarily concerned with the face Pinkie had hidden a rectangular book in a round package with no extra work. She sat in the dark and opened the book, she had read the stories so many times in her youth but after losing the book she felt an eptyness that it once filled. Pearl could feel her eyes water as she opened the book and saw an small photo inside the book. It was her family in Manehatten, they all smiled warmly and she could remember the day she left for Ponyville. All the tearful goodbyes and the message from her sister was still on the back in crayon
‘Big sister Pearl, through the darkest nights and the hottest days, may your dreams never let you forget that home is where the heart lies.’

Comments

[Deathpony]

the ending to this one made me sad looking towards the next chapter good chapter again