The Special Ponies

by hollowsbest

Chapter 4 - Honey Hayfeather

I leant against a tree and caught my breath, "I should be flying, not walking." I think to myself before gasping on last breath before continuing onwards to find the pegasus who was spying on us. "You do realise it's gonna take ages before you find the right pegasus." I nod, but I won't give up. (If my secret goes out I'm screwed.)

I turn and head for Rainbow's house, how do I know where it is? Rainbow doesn't protect her memories very well, her mental shields are so weak a foal could break through. "So, how long can you disappear for?" I ask, wondering how long before I had to split us and leave. "I often disappear for days, so if we're hiding out the alarm won't be raised till a few days later." Rainbow replies, I nod and look around; realising that I was in front of a library.

"This is Twilight's library, why are we here?"

"No idea, must of gone into a trance talking to you or my legs were on autopilot. Is she who you go to if you need help or something?"

"Yeah, she is. Why?"

"Ah, I must of been tapping into your thoughts. Your body, or mind for that matter could be thinking that what's going on needs a remedy. So while I was focusing on something else they took me to the person who you think will help us most."

"I don't get it."

"While I was talking to you and not thinking about where I was going, my legs took me to a friend of yours who would help the most to split our consciousness."

"Oh, I get it now."

"Sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Okay, Twilight's the Alicorn right?"

"Yeah, she is. Why?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter."

"Heellooo?" I jump as a hear a voice penetrate my thoughts, I shake my head and look down. Spotting the dragon who was with Twilight earlier, the dragon in question looked at me strangely. "You okay? You've been standing there staring at nothing for a few minutes." "I have?" "Yeah, it was creepy." "Oh, sorry. I'm kinda on edge at the moment." "Why? Oh sorry, none of my business. Do you want some chamomile tea? It's calm you down, Twilight drinks it after she frazzles her nerves." "Some tea would be lovely thanks." I say without thinking and the dragon motions for me to come inside, I follow him in and look around the library and a mare looks up as I walk in. "Hayfeather! Lovely to see you, Spike could you get us some tea please?" The purple mare says, smiling at me. "That's what I was doing in the first place." He mutters and heads to a room I suppose is the kitchen.

I glanced at Twilight who had booked marked her book, it was Daring Do. "So, hows your time in Ponyville been?" She asks, still smiling. "It's been... Nice, I suppose. Everypony is friendly and meeting a Princess, wow. I guess I'm enjoying it here." I smile back at her, Spike comes in with the tea. I lift up my cup with my blue/green aura and Twilight in her pink/purple aura, I levitate it over to me and take a sip. "That's good." Twilight says, taking a sip of her own cup.

"Also, have you seen Rainbow Dash? The sky is cloudy and the weather's meant to be clear, I saw you talking to her at the party." Twilight says, I shake my head. "No I haven't seen her today, we said goodbye around 5 after staying up all night chatting about the Wonderbolts." I reply, Twilight nods. I finish my tea and turn to leave. "Thanks for the tea, if I see her I'll let her know." I say and leave, much calmer than before even though I had just talked to an Alicorn.

"Shall we fly?"

"Hell yeah!"

I smirk, Rinbow was so easy to distract. She was like a foal in some ways even though she was an adult mare. I smile and duck into an alley, casting a hide-me spell I cast another spell that changes my form to Rainbow's. I dispelled the hide-me spell and walked out of the alley and took off, not caring I nearly ran an orange earth pony over. "Rainbow!" I heard her call out behind me, I didn't stop and kept flapping.

"How do those disguises even work?"

"Advanced glamour magic, I can only do it if I familiar with the form. With your consciousness I could memorize your form and use the spell, but I cannot hide my horn so it's under a invisibility spell."

"Ah."

"Can you clear the sky? I don't have the experience."

"Yeah! Sure."

I close my eyes and suddenly get shifted into the mind room the large window was showing Rainbow doing tricks, I turned and sat down on the couch. Glancing at the mug of half-finished cider as I did so.

"Woah, this is AWESOME!" Rainbow yells as she loop-de-loops, I grin as the screen shows her doing so. It's what she can see is what it shows.

"Rainbow, just clear the sky. We can have a joyride later."

She nods and takes off, clearing the sky in around 8 and a half seconds. Pretty fast, though if she knew how to use magic she could go even faster. Rainbow Dash suddenly went for a steep dive and landed smoothly, if you call crashing into the apple farmer's cart a smooth landing.

"Oh, sorry Applejack." I heard her say, I groaned and facehoofed.
"It's fine, now where ya been? Ah've been lookin' for ya to ask if anythin's wrong, you didn't clear the sky first thing today so somethin's up and I plan ta find out what." The mare said, Rainbow stared at her friend. "I was just tired, Ho- Hayfeather and I were just up all night talking about the Wonderbolts." Rainbow answered, shuffling nervously.

"Give me control, you feed me lines I'll do the lying. Kay?"

"Yeah, okay."

I suddenly found myself staring at Applejack. "We both know, mosta that's not true. What's wrong Rainbow?" Applejack said, I hung my head and sighed. "Acting classes, GO!" I thought.

"Nothings wrong Aj. I'm probably slightly hungover, it's nothing."

"Nothing's wrong Aj, other than I'm probably slightly hungover." I say. "You know it's gonna take a miracle for me to believe that Rainbow." Applejack said. "Element of Honesty, remember?" I groaned and facewinged, and then looked at Aj. "Somthin's wrong and I plan ta find out what." She said, I nodded.

"AJ, it's fine. Nothing's wrong."

"Applejack, I just remembered; I found an injured animal and I want to go tell Fluttershy. Talk later bye!" I say and take off, and with Rainbow's help I shoot off in the direction of Fluttershy's.

"Well, that went well."

"Why'd ya just take off like that?."

I didn't answer.
Rainbow moped, I rolled my eyes and coasted downwards in a spiral and landed gently on Fluttershy's doorstep.

"Because."

I knocked and and door opened to reveal a person I was very familiar with. "Discord?" I say, half surprised half confused. "What is it Rainbow Dash? Why do you sound so surprised?" Discord asks, I facehoof. I had forgotten about looking like Rainbow, a few memories floated to the surface. All of them had Discord in them, he had helped me escape the Princess's wrath many times.
~~~

~Flashback 1~

I glanced around before darting behind another statue, I was in the Canterlot statue garden. Hiding from the guards that threatened at every turn, I had lost them in the maze and now was trying to leave.

"Fate hates me." I thought, staring at the mismatched creature before me. It had It's back turned, all I could see of it was what looked to be a dragon's tail, foot, a pony's leg, a pegasus wing and a batwing. It suddenly turned around to face me, I froze. It's front legs were a griffin's claw and a lion's paw. It's head was... I don't know what his was from, if it was from anything.

"If I might ask, who are you?" I said, taking a few tentative steps forward.
"I'm Discord! Lord of Chaos!" Discord said, a smirk on his face as he loomed over me.
"Honey Hayfeather, and never heard of ya." I replied, not impressed.
"Wh-what?!" He said, glaring at me. I ignored the glare.
"Never. Heard. Of. You." I said slowly.
"Would you like an apple?" He said suddenly, holding out a golden apple. I shook my head.
Discord suddenly shot forward and tapped me on the head with a paw, it looked like he expected somthing to happen, nothing did. "What are you doing?" I asked, glancing up at him.
"Huh?"

I tried to shake his paw off, it was stuck. "Can you remove your paw?" I asked, the mis-matched creature stared at me.
He tapped me on the head again, apart from a slight tingling I felt nothing. "Discord, what are you doing?"
"Trying to discord you, to annoy Celestia." Discord replied, starting to get annoyed.
"Why are you trying to annoy Su- Celestia?" I asked.
"Because she froze me in stone, and that's no joke."
"Seems like a good reason, it so happens I don't like Sunbutt either."
"You call her Sunbutt?" Discord broke into laughter.
"Yep, also she's trying to kill me. So please shut up before the guards come."
"Okay Honey." Discord said, smiling sweetly, a halo appearing above his head.

I nodded, then suddenly shot Discord in the chest with a bolt of powerful magic. He went flying into a statue smashing it to pieces, the LoC groaned. "What was that for?" He said, floating onto his feet- paws- hooves- whatevers. "To check if you were real, that was a spell to disarm glamours, revert a changeling back to it's original form, turn Sunbutt into a filly. Though not the last one." I explained, I had been double crossed enough times by changelings to not hit every new pony I met in the big city. "Ah, I see. Good plan, want to start plotting with me to take down Sunbutt?" He asked, he seemed a bit quick to trust but I nodded anyway.

I suddenly was in glasses and a tophat with a desk in front of me with Discord sitting behind it, he had the same gettup as me. "So, let's start brainstorming eh?" He said

~End Flashback 1~

And that was how I made friends with one of the most dangerous beings on the planet, and it was a very good choice as shown next on how he gets me out of this bind.

~Flashback 2~

I groaned and moped in my cell, Sunbutt had finally caught me. I had evaded her guards quite well, but then backup came and the rest was history.

I gave a half-hearted kick to the bars on the door, it rattled but nothing else. "Why, oh why did Fortuna suddenly start hating me?" I asked to thin air.

"Maybe because you didn't give her offerings." A voice said, I looked around.
"Who's there?" I asked, trying and failing to get the magic suppressor of my horn.
"A friend."
"I don't have friends."
"What?! Do you mean you don't count me as a friend?"

Discord appeared, floating in my cell. ""Sorry, I just say that incase Sunbutt sends her cronies after them. How'd ya get free by the way?" I asked, Discord grinned. "I was "reformed" but it doesn't mean I can't free a friend in need does it?" He replied, I grinned. Discord didn't count many ponies as his friends, I was lucky to be one of them.
"Oh please, they've left me to stew. I hate being down here, I now have something against Moonbutt because it was her guards that took me down. Let me out please Discord!" I said, giving Discord the puppy-dog look. He laughed and nodded, snapped his claws which turned the gate to ice-cream.

"Clever." I mumbled and stepped out into the hallway between the cells, Discord followed, floating behind me. "So, what's the plan chief?" Discord asked, I turned around and the draconequus was in military getup with warpaint. I'm lying if I said I didn't snort in poorly hidden laughter.

Discord laughed with me, eventually after a few minutes of laughing we headed to the large oak door which Discord turned to soap allowing me to break through. Two guards swung 'round but I just cracked their heads together, I stepped over them and Discord followed. "Hey, Discord did I ever tell you that I'm a Special?" I asked suddenly, having a crazy idea involving cotton candy clouds and my talent. "A Special? What's that?" Discord asked. "Ponies that are Special have abilities that allow them to do special magic, I know an earth pony who can use basic unicorn spells, and a pegasus who can use some earth pony magic. I can combine magics and consciousnesses, like mine and a pegasus's for example. I gain the wings and instincts, but the pony has to agree or I end up being trapped inside their head until I force them into line." I explain, Discord nods. "I have a plan in which we combine and create chaos while escaping. You won't get caught thanks to me being in control of the body and I'll be the culprit and you'll be home free." I say, Discord smirks. "Blast away, let's do this thing!" He says, I kinda expected him to add a snarky remark, but he didn't.

I fired the spell at him, I closed me eyes and felt my body changing, my tail lengthened, two wings sprouted; one with feathers, one without, my body grey taller and my sense of gravity adjusted and I stood on my hindhooves easily, my fronthooves shifted and changed into a paw and griffin's claw, my coat prickled and I presumed it was turning grey, my horn started prickling; then it started throbbing. I finished the spell with a gasp, Discord was gone but I didn't worry; I worried about my horn which felt it was going to explode. I groaned and held me head.

"Seems like my chaos magic is causing trouble." I heard Discord say
"You don't know the half of it."
"Gently push my magic, it'll stop the headache. Plus from your memories on the surface of your mind our magic should combine if you gently push it."

I nodded, and instead of forcing the magic as I had been doing to get it out of my horn and into the reserves, I gently pushed it and it flowed much smoother, after a few seconds I managed to stumble forward and land on a signature Discord cloud, cotton candy.

"Seems you got it down Darling!"

I nodded and got off the cloud and pushed it through a window, and outside. I flapped my new wings and sat down on the cloud, my wings acting as a power source as I sped out of Canterlot Castle. And then, out of Canterlot. Discord's wings were surprisingly good at flapping speedily even though it seemed like Discord never used them.

~End Flashback 2~

And that adventure was how I managed to get to Baltimare so easily. By Cotton candy cloud.

~~~
I leaned in and whispered. "It's Honey, Discord, I melded with Rainbow." I say and he looks surprised then he drags me in. "Rainbow?" I hear Fluttershy ask, she walks around the corner. I wave and Discord drags me to another room, he then turns to me with a very stern face.

"Honey, you do realise who Rainbow Dash is right?"
I started to look worried, and then shift back into an Alicorn.

"I'm not sure what you're getting at." I murmur, staring at him.

"She's an Element of Harmony, Loyalty to be exact. That trait will force you to stay in or near Ponyville if Rainbow doesn't want to leave, you're stuck here while melded. She's daring and has bravery and daredevil, like you but she'll never leave her friends."

"Ponyfeathers."

"Ponyfeathers is right, might I recommend another pony?"

"Go ahead, I'll de-meld and-" I cut off the screen so Rainbow doesn't hear what's next. "-Wipe her memory, it won't do good if she remembers."

"Good idea, and I think Fluttershy would be a good choice. I like her and she's a great friend, plus it'll keep her safe while I'm being hunted by everything in the Everfree Forest."

"You're WHAT?! Also, Fluttershy is shy she's not a good candidate plus she's an Element!"

"I'm being hunted, Fluttershy is close to me and the creatures know it. They'll try to capture, kill or maim her. You'll be able to keep her safe, but while you're melded with her no silly stunts. Also, you owe me big time. So think of this as repaying a favour, or helping a friend."

I flicked through Rainbow's memories.
"What about her animals? And I don't do silly stunts."

"I'll look after her animals, and yes you do. Remember the falls? You went over them in a barrel, well we both did but that's not the point."

"Okay fine. Remember, be careful. You do know I missed your pranks right?"

"I will, and no I didn't."

"Ah, ponyfeathers, you're gonna prank me, and see you in a second."

After our conversation, I shifted back into Rainbow Dash and unmuted what Rainbow could hear. I then headed out to Fluttershy. "Hey, Fluttershy. What would you do if somepony gave you the ability to be able to use magic?" I asked. "Oh, I'd probably use it to help me carry the heavy items that I have around here, Discord helps but he's kinda careless." She replied, then smiled at me. I smiled back. "Talk to you later, bye!" I said before flying out the door, I headed towards the back of the house and flew into the Everfree.

I headed a few meters in before stopped and letting the spell fall, I stretched my wings and smiled.

"How'd you mute this?"

"I did it because my conversation with Discord was private."

"How do you know him anyway?"

"It's a long story, I'll tell you once were not melded."

"What'dya mean?"

I then cast the spell and closed my eyes, I opened them after the spell was finished and I heard a groan. Rainbow Dash was on the ground collapsed and unconscious, I shook my head and took a few wobbly steps to her then I cast a memory spell. I normally forget, but if she's an Element of Harmony it's a good idea. And they can only remember half of it, she wouldn't remember who cast the spell or what their name was, it would be like a dream. I levitated her up and then bolted, the forest was giving me the creeps.

Thankfully it wasn't far and I headed back to Fluttershy's, I first left Rainbow in a tree. She would fall out soon enough, and made sure she wouldn't be harmed this far from the forest then I headed to around to Fluttershy's front door. I knocked and it was opened by Discord who let me in, Fluttershy was sitting on the couch and the rabbit was gorging itself on a fancy salad.

"Uh, hi Fluttershy." I say, the mare in question stiffened and looked at me. "Hi..." She whispered.

"Fluttershy, this is an old friend of mine. Hayfeather." Discord said, trying to get Fluttershy be comfortable.

W-we, met at her w-welcome to P-ponyville pa-arty." The mare almost whispered.

"I won't bite, and I know what it's like being shy. You can't talk to anyone new and you're terrified of everyone."

Fluttershy nods, cowering while the rabbit looks up and glares at me. I gave a glare back, it was intense but I won the glare-off. I smirked then turned back to the timid pegasus.

"Y-yeah..."

"I stopped being shy once I realised that it wouldn't help me, it would only slow me down. I had wanted to travel Equestria, have done it. But I did it because I stopped being shy, I think you can try to not be afraid."

Fluttershy nods again, and opens her mouth.

"N-n-nice t-to meet y-ou." She said, her body relaxing slightly

"Same to you. Now I have an offer I'd like to make you..."