My Little Pony: the Harmony of Friendship

by Godzilla313

Chapter 1

Author's Note:

My Little Pony: the Harmony of Friendship

Introduction (and quite a long one!)

People are interesting. As Einstein discovered that the universe is both limited and yet boundless, so human nature is so understandable and yet unfathomable. If human nature was that easy to understand, the science of psychology would be needless, truth be said. I guess I'm saying all this because there are just some people who love to major on the minors and make more out of things than is really there. For some, they are so dedicated to one thing or another that, if you diverge even one nanometer from what they think things ought to be, then, as they saying goes: Katie, bar the door, there's trouble coming!

When it comes to the fandom of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, they are as fierce in their love and dedication to it as any Trekkie, Whovian, or Star Wars fan would be. To the credit of us Bronies, (and I call myself one, though my affection goes only as far as enjoying the show and writing stories,) I believe us to be some of the most intelligent, intellectual, open, and generous people in the world of fandom that is out there, not to mention creative. So creative are we, that fan art/fiction/music/animation et all, (at least I think,) far outpaces any fandom out there. In fact, so attentive are those that create and work on the show to the fandom that, as the 100th episode of the show demonstrates, they do pay attention to us and have made cannon a lot of what was not yet, but well could have been when the fandom produced it. Yet, in saying that, it presents a problem I have encountered with some in the fandom, (and, believe me, this is a minority,) and that are those that look at the world of MLP as if it was some kind of holy scripture, and I shall explain what I mean by that.

When I say, "Holy Scripture," what I mean is how zealously some in the realm of religion—whichever one you want to put in this spot—who, when you start to mess around in it, the screams of "BLASPHEMY" thunder forth, and depending on the religion, could get anything from public ridicule to being stoned to death! I am sure this can happen in any fandom, but I have found that, if anyone comes up with ANYTHING they do not consider cannon, once again: Katie, bar the door! When I say, "What they consider cannon," what they mean is that, if it is something that the writers haven't come up with, it does not exist, period! For example, there is another story I am currently working on, and it deals with the sport of hoof racing. Why not? If there is horse racing in the human world, and Pegasus racing in Equestria, why would not there not be the sport of hoof racing, and something along the lines of what humans would call a track meet, pony style? Yet, in some online role play, (which I do sometimes to test a character concept,) when I tried to introduce this, I was ripped to shreds by some arrogant site manager who approved all role play and characters because I didn't quite fill out the character sheet perfectly, and worse, that I even DARED come up with something original that the writers didn't create, as if their word was as good as some deity, and if it was not from them, then, well, I guess I blasphemed. He made me feel three inches tall and, even though I would bet you he calls himself a brony, he certainly does not fit the archetype of a brony by any stretch. I guess he needs to learn just what "love and tolerate" really means. Geesh!

Anyway, I said all that to say this: that kind of attitude seems to run counter to the point of view of the writers of the show: if it's a good idea, why not use it? Once again, the 100th episode seems to bear this out. However, I do believe there are certain bounds in which one must stay. If one writes fan fiction, I have certain rules I try to follow:

First, you have to stay within the reality—however that is defined in the universe into which you wish to dive—of that universe. In other words, you can do, say, create, anything you want, and any character you want…BUT… If you do any of this, it has to be something that could logically exist within the parameters of that universe. For example, using my previous concept, a professional hoof racing circuit is not out of the realm of possibility. In that regard, the characters you could create could be very diverse, and the stories based in that world of MLP you created is limitless. However, if you suddenly turn Fluttershy into an aggressive mixed martial artist who cursed like a sailor, (unless you made it clear this was satire,) or did something that would be outside of the personalities of the cannon characters or having them do some things they would never do, NOW you have stepped out of line! (Of course, the realm of clopping, such things happen often, but thank God that is an area of fandom that is in the minority!)

Second, in creating original characters, they either need to be supporting characters, or, if in a lead role, and are a key to resolving the conflict of the tale, it has to be that they cannot succeed without the help and support of the cannon characters. It is okay to put some focus on original characters as long as it is to introduce the characters. Remember: if you include the cannon characters, people came to see them more than anything you are making.

This leads to point three, and this deals with the issue of Mary Sue/Gary Stu. This normally comes in the form of self-insert original characters, though under a different name, who wants to be Super Pony; Mr. Deus Ex Machina. This is not to say that authors don't put a bit of themselves into an original character in the form of the original character having certain skills and such, for it is easier to write about things you know about. Yet this is not what I am talking about. This is a character that is so powerful or out of place that they take over everything, and sadly, end up the mental fulfillment of some perverted sexual fantasy with some cannon character. Now, this is not to say that original character relationships with cannon are out of line, but there are certain criteria: 1) the cannon must be single; 2) the relationship must make sense; 3) the relationship should fit somewhere in the story's plot, or at least some kind of fun subplot that adds to the story and does not distract from the main plot. However, some MS/GS creations are almost godlike characters who become such a center and focus to the story that it becomes stupid and meaningless; hence my naming him or her Mr./Miss Deus Ex Machina, being able to resolve any issue or problem out of the blue. If the original character has no real point in being there, does not really contribute to the story, or becomes ridiculously overpowered, maybe its best not to go there.

This dovetails to point four, and that is do not suddenly have any characters, (cannon or otherwise,) have skills they don't have when the need calls for it, and in the case of original characters, were not mentioned before as existing as a skill, ability, or an object he or she was not carrying prior to the moment at hand. (See previous point of avoiding Deus Ex Machina; a sin in fan fiction I see committed by writers far too often.) If one stays in these guidelines, then one can write a fantastic story. Your imagination is your only limitation.

Now, I said all that to introduce this tale, and that what I am writing does make sense. What I am writing deals in a VERY touchy area of MLP that some feel should be left alone, and that is either humans in Equestria, or ponies on our Earth. Normally, this is done by having actual human beings be in the world of Equestria or ponies as we know them in our world. In that regard, I say to stay as far from this as possible because it would not make any sense unless you really, REALLY can defend this happening. I mean, I could not see the population of our world not freaking out if a purple alicorn suddenly appeared who can talk. They would capture her, experiment on her, have the military use her magic as some kind of secret weapon, locked up on Area 51, or just have the torch and pitchfork crowd scream, "KILL THE MONSTER!"

Yet, in some sense, the writers of the show attempted to resolve this somehow with the concept of Equestria Girls…

Whoa! Wait! Put down those rotten tomatoes and other debris and hear me out! I know, I know; not everyone sees that this should be anywhere near cannon. In fact, I am not sure, but I think the first Equestria Girls movie was a trial balloon for a spin-off series. I mean, let's face it: Hasbro is also looking for anyway to market new toys and toy concept to feed the corporate money machine. Yet, I think it was clear to the fandom what was being tried, and the creators of the show caught on quick. They realized that, as occasional movies to keep things interesting, it worked well, and became recognized as cannon save for a small few who just refused to accept it. However, they also realized that, if they had tried for a series, then all you really would have had was My Little Pony, and, well, My Little Pony! It would have meant being inundated with My Little Pony, causing burn out, and would have caused the whole thing to jump the shark and become a footnote in television history. However, there have been three movies, and, because if what it involves, it opens up the realm of possibilities.

The first thing the writers got right is that, if someone from Equestria went through the portal, then they would convert into humans. This makes for some fun things as you watch them try to adapt, as we watched Twilight do. Another thing they did was limit the ability to cross over, and that caused by their being only two portals in existence, both in limited access, and one only working occasionally. This prevents utter chaos breaking out in both worlds and limiting the amount of times such a mechanism be used, or such plot lines would be worn out too fast. However, because of the way it was written, this opens up an interesting prospect; if a pony can go one way, why not a human the other, transformed into a pony?

Let's face it. There was a major plot hole they threw up in the second movie. Because of the new portal Twilight made using a common mirror and the messaging book, the portal is open almost constantly. I mean, in The Friendship Games, Earth Twilight almost stumbled through the thing. Before, it was only open for short times. Now, it is almost constant. I guess what I am saying is we have a major plot hole here. I mean, what would prevent an accident happening here? Imagine, if you will… Sorry, Rod Sterling slipped in there. Anyway, imagine it's lunch period, some friends are near the statue, someone casually reaches back, to lean on what he thinks is solid granite, and then, *whoosh* he's gone, and that's if Twilight Sparkle accidentally left the portal switch on in her side of things!

This is not to say that this story is going to have that happen, nor does it mean that I am going to do an Equestria Girls story, or have a reverse version of it having a full-fledged human go through. If there is any crossing over of one to the other, it there should be a good reason why. What I am going to do is something I think would work better than both, because it would involve my two original characters not where they ought to be, as they ought to be, and being restored to what they should be to fulfill a destiny and a prophecy. I am going to do all I can to make it make logical sense and where such doings would have a point. It would make for a dull story if we just went, "Two humans went into the pony world, fumbled around learning to adjust, met some ponies, did some things, a good time was had by all, and they went back, the end!"

I am going to make an adventure out of this, and I am going to create some history for Equestria, considering that this is an area of cannon wide open for speculation and creation, and this is in order to create the engine by which the present-day plot can take place or even have a reason for existing. Believe me, I won't mess with what is known history, and I will try to have it make sense.

I know this was very lengthy, but because there are so many purists out there that would cry bloody murder for what I am about to create, I have to put forth this detailed disclaimer so people understand that I am an experienced writer and I do know what I am doing. With that, please enjoy the tale.

Chapter 1

It was a sad day in Canterlot Castle. A loyal unicorn mare, head of the servants in the castle and beloved by all, lay in her sick bed with an illness which neither medicine nor magic could cure, and it was terminal. She was not particularly old, and thus her death was untimely. She herself had been a widow of many years when her husband had passed to the Elysian Fields in a tragic accident many years before, and she afterwards threw her life into service to the princesses. Her matronly ways were seen by many as a replacement for her lack of children in her life, and it was seen as understandable that she would do so. She had also grown close to the princesses, and thus had become their friend and confidant in matters that only servants in such positions would have the privilege of knowing. Even Twilight Sparkle knew her well as she saw her in her service while a young filly under Celestia's tutelage. Now, it seemed like a part of their lives was now coming to an end.

Dusty Feathers is a unicorn mare with a nice green coat and aquamarine mane and tail she always seemed to keep in a bun under her maid's cap. Her cutie mark was usually under her maid's dress, but sometimes it became visible; a feather duster set inside an emblem known to musicians as the circle of fifths. It seemed an odd combination, but when you heard her singing her songs as she walked the castle, keeping the place always neat and orderly, you could see why she may have been marked as such. She had a great voice, singing great songs of the ancient days, and she seemed to have a calming effect as she sang. She was demanding and did not let any of the other servants slack off, but she was never a tyrant, as she never tolerated fighting and bickering, and was more of a mother hen than a boss. Now, her time had come, and the Elysian Fields lay waiting, her husband ready to greet her to her great reward for a life of loyal service and hard work.

In the room were a doctor and nurse, as well as the two sisters and Princess Twilight Sparkle, who had rushed right over when she heard the news. The doctor said her time was close, and now they wanted to be there, as did many of the servants that were faithful to Dusty. Yet, it had been deathly quiet in the room, with nothing but the sound of the monitoring equipment being heard, no one knowing what else to say except that they just needed to be there when her time came. Suddenly, Dusty's breath became a bit more labored, and the doctor looked at the princesses and gave a solemn nod, as if to say, "It is close."

Yet, before anyone could say anything, Dusty beckoned Celestia over with her right hoof, looking as if she had something to say. Celestia went right over and took Dusty's hoof into her own, anxious for Dusty. Dusty managed a quiet, "Come closer, please."

Celestia did, and Dusty raised up as much as she could, and seemed to be whispering something into Celestia's ear. Once she had, Celestia now looked like she was more anxious than before, and Dusty then said, "Please, it is very important. Two lives hang in the balance."

Celestia nodded as Dusty became weaker and weaker, and the monitors reflected this. She then lay back and looked up, smiling, saying, "My darling, I come to you at last. We shall have peace, and they shall be safe!"

She reached out her hoof, and then it slowly settled back to the bed as the monitors flat lined, and she had a slight grin on her face as she lay there, eyes wide open, but her spirit now walking the Elysian Fields. Luna and Twilight was in tears, and Celestia shed a tear as she gently reached up and closed Dusty's eyes. However, instead of lingering, she walked over to a picture on the wall as the doctor and nurse drew the sheet over Dusty and prepared to take care of the next steps. However, Celestia said, "Everyone but Princess Twilight and my sister must leave. Doctor, you may tend to her after we leave the room. This is important."

No one was willing to disobey, so they went out as the picture of Dusty and her husband was lifted off the wall to reveal a wall safe. The dial then glowed and began to turn this way and that. After a click could be heard, the door swung open, and inside was a metal lock box. She took it out and told the pair to follow her to her private chambers. Luna and Twilight looked at each other oddly, but did as they were bidden. As they went out, the doctor and nurse went into finish up, but Celestia was picking up her pace to her room. If this was happening in this kind of situation, something was indeed afoot.

Entering Celestia's chambers, she set the box on a table and opened it up. Inside was a letter and two other documents that looked far more aged than the letter that accompanied them. She then opened the letter, spent some minutes reading over the first page, and then floated the first page over to Luna. She read it, and she watched the different sets of emotions back and forth between the pair, and now Twilight was getting anxious, wanting to know just what the matter was. Finally. Luna handed off the page, and Twilight read the following:

"My dearest friend, and noble princess, I wish things didn't have to be as they have turned out. I was hoping that the time might come where I could resolve this on my own, but fate has reared her head and now I have to ask for help on a grave issue. In that box, along with this letter, are two birth certificates. You will find no record of them because, considering what kind of threat rested upon the foals, I had them stricken from the record and put somewhere safe…"

"Stricken from the record?" muttered Twilight, "And what threat? What could threaten foals that lived in this castle?"

Luna was just finishing the second page when she said, "Patience, dear Twilight, and the letter shall explain. Twilight then went back to reading, and she read, "In order for you to understand what is going on, I must explain my heritage. I am a direct descendant of a kind of magic using unicorn known as a Bardic."

"Bardic?" said Twilight again, "Why does that sound familiar?"

She went back to reading and read, "Because of the centuries, and because of our bloodlines intermixing with other unicorns, much of what we could do has been muddled and dampened. Much of our history and knowledge of our abilities, or reasons why we seemed to disappear has been lost to us, but we do know this much: in ancient days after the uniting of the tribes but before the rise of the princesses, the bards kept the peace through their magic. An evil pony arose and started to slay us in order he might take over. All we know is that there was a great war, he was beaten and banished to the deepest levels of the Abyss in Tartarus, what was left of us went into hiding and faded away, and this evil pony threatened a return one day. What we did not realize was that it could be possible for us to rise again, and somehow, with my husband and I, it happened. Because he was also a descendant of Bardics, and because of the way genetics work, things landed right, and the twins were born full blood Bardic unicorns, complete with being born with their cutie marks already on them, (which we found both amazing and odd,) and the right coat and manes. Because they were only two, and because the threat of this evil pony arising again, we feared he might get to them in their vulnerable state should he come back. I know it seems paranoid since it has been many centuries, but we could not take that chance. The fear of this stallion rests too strong to us, especially by what he did. Since I worked the castle, I knew of the portal. We took the chance and found out about the world on the other side. After some very awkward moments, we left them on the steps of a local foster home and came back. They have no idea what they are, but they must be made known and brought back. I only hope they choose to, because, if they can be with others with a Bardic heritage, they might come back, and add music to the harmony that the Tree of Harmony fosters, and bring a great new golden age to Equestria. Please, as my last request, find them and bring them back where they belong. All my love to you, Dusty Feathers. I hope to see you all walking the Elysian Felds one day."

Twilight was racked with emotions. She wanted to cry, be joyous because something good might come out of it, confused by the enigmatic way this came out, anxious to put her research skills to good use, and when she set down the letter, the sisters were carefully opening up the old papers, and it revealed the birth certificates of fraternal twin foals—a brother and a sister. The boy was named Quill, the girl was named Downy, and both were absolutely adorable, with olive green coats and light green manes, almost white, like a lime cream. Twilight then said, "But, we moved that portal to the Crystal Empire for safe keeping. Even if she wanted to, she would have to go all the way there."

"But, did you not make a permanent one, Princess Twilight?" asked Luna, "If she had been able to ask us, we would have sent her your way."

Celestia then added, "Yet, telling us or not, we have quite a problem on our hands. They are really ponies, but have been living as those human creatures you've spoken of, and that is not going to be easy for them."

"If they even want to come back," added Luna, "And that is also if you could convince them of this universe."

Twilight pondered it, and then she said, "I'm going to need some help, and I need access to some of the oldest writings the library here has. I am sure I can find out the history to things! The more we know, the better prepared we can be to finish this mission. I only hope they are still in the local area. It would make finding them that much harder!"

"Then do not delay, Princess Twilight," Luna said firmly, "Lives, and even the future of Equestria could ride on this!"

"And when you let Sunset Shimmer know why you are coming, send her my love," added Celestia, "I want her to know I am so happy to hear that she has changed her ways, and she is welcome to visit any time."

"Right away," she said, and headed out the door to begin her quest.

Twilight headed to her old room, spotted Spike, and said, to him, "Hop on! We're on a mission!"

He got all excited and said, "Awesome… Um, are we going to get the others?"

"Not this time," she answered, "This takes research, and there's only one pony I know that can help."

"What about me?" pouted Spike, thinking he might get left out.

"Hey, we're going to need you," he said, "We'll need you to fetch books, papers, quills, ink, coffee and doughnuts, and maybe some runs to the Hay Burger if it comes to it."

"Wow!" he said, "I haven't seen you study this much since your quadratic equations final!"

"It's far more important than that," answered Twilight, "Though, proper execution on the variables of such math is somewhat important, this is far weightier."

Spike just shrugged, not having a clue on how to respond to the math reference, but he said, "What is it we are studying?"

"Ancient Equestria history," she answered, "And race of unicorns known as the Bardics."

He shrugged again, not sure how to answer that as well, and just decided to wait until she briefs her study partner on the mission.

Moon Dancer was hip deep in a chemistry experiment, measuring the levels of exothermic reactions of Cesium and Potassium in water. She had the Cesium heated in a tube and able to be dripped out in a semi-liquid state in various amounts so it would not react with the air too quickly and taint the data. She had a goodly amount in the dropper, and she was being very careful as she was dripping out the next amount. Just then, the door slammed open and said, "Moon Dancer, I need your help!"

That caught her by surprise and she jumped at the sudden intrusion, knocking the whole beaker into the tub of water. Shocked, she teleported right in front of Twilight and pounced on top of the pair, pushing them out and closing the door behind them, screaming, "Fire in the hole!"

A massive explosion followed, sending water and glass everywhere. The bang echoed through that wing of the castle as Moon Dancer yelled, "What were you thinking!"

"What was that!" Twilight shouted back in shock.

"Ugh!" groaned Moon Dancer, going back into the room, into the lab section, and now stamping out a small fire that had started, "I was working with Cesium and water! You startled me and made me knock the whole thing into the water!"

Twilight could only manage a sheepish, "Sorry," as they went in. The lab was a mess, shards of glass stuck all over the lab, but luckily, the books were spared. "Come on, Spike," sighed Twilight, "Let's help her clean up and we can fill her in on why we're here."

After fixing the disaster, they were walking to the castle library, and Moon Dancer said, "So, let me get this straight: we're doing research on some kind of Bardic ponies? I always knew them as legends and even fairy tales."

"Truth is, I thought the same thing," answered Twilight, "But remember, in every legend, there is an element of truth. If there is anything to this, we have to get the history."

"You still haven't told me why yet," answered Moon Dancer.

At that, Twilight filled her in, and now she was stunned. "Wait," she said, "All my theories and hypotheses on parallel universes has been correct?"

"Seems so," answered Twilight, "Oh, and I loved that article on it in Scientific Equestria. It sure hair lipped the 'the universe is closed' crowd. How could they not understand the concept of the 11 dimensions is beyond me."

"Well, string theory is quite clear to me," pondered Moon Dancer, "Plus, with the properties of matter, light, and magic, how could you claim a closed system…especially with magic in the equation?"

"Well, considering what I might have to do, knowledge like this is going to come in handy."

"Well, what shocks me is that different universes have different beings be dominant. I cannot imagine a world without open magic, and where there is only one sentient species."

"In the multiverse, anything is possible."

They were in the library now, and Celestia met her there. Moon Dancer immediately bowed as Celestia said, "Please, you do not have to stand on ceremony for me right now. I am also grateful for the help of one of the school of magic's top graduates."

Moon Dancer blushed and noticed they were now standing in front of a barred gate, inside which were some very ancient books and scrolls with reading tables and magnifying glasses for some of the small print on some of the pages. Moon Dancer's eyes nearly fell out of her head. "You…you mean we get to go in there?" sputtered Moon Dancer, "I would have given my front teeth just to spend five minutes in there!"

Celestia chuckled and said, "Well, now you'll get more than five minutes. You two will have all the time you need. Happy hunting."

Celestia let the guard there know that the pair, along with Spike, were allowed free entry in and out as needed, for the research they were doing was going to be extremely important. The guard looked at them firmly and said, "Take no more than a few books at a time and be extremely careful with them. Some could crumble with the wrong touch, so use your magic to handle them. Use spill proof containers for drinks and no food inside. If you must eat, eat outside the room. Some of those codices and scrolls are originals, only copies, and are irreplaceable."

Nodding, they then started to get to work.

The first thing they had to establish was what they knew about the legends. They knew that it was a time where there was a power vacuum after the uniting of the three tribes and before the two sisters. This, of course, was a large chunk of time, but the best thing to do was to find writings and histories closest to each end of those times and work either direction. Twilight started at the uniting of the tribes and Moon Dancer went backwards from the two sisters. All the while, Spike was playing pony Friday and tending to all the matters they needed. It took 12 hours, but Twilight finally came across a book mentioned in a scroll called "The Bardic Tome."

At that, she knew that would be a great reference and searched all over until she came across a codex marked in an ancient tongue. The tongue was an ancient unicorn language, and she did recognize a little here and there to realize the tongue they spoke, (as she learned in class,) was a blend of the tongues of the three tribes, and new terms that came about once that blending was nearly complete. It took her a bit, but she remembered her translation spell and cast it on the book, and sure enough, it was that for which she looked. Moon dancer came across a reference to something called "The Great Equestrian Civil War." Looking at the dates, she went to the histories around those dates and started scanning for the books. She pulled it out, and it seemed to be an older version of the tongue they spoke, but not quite standardized, as it was about the middle time of the blending of the tongues of the three tribes. It could be followed, but it would take some work. She also employed the translation spell, and in her case, it did not take as much effort. Yet, they saw the clock and realized they should take a break and rest. They both let the guard know that they would come back in the morning and went up to Twilight's old room to sleep. It was certain they would have an incredible day when they awoke.

Comments

[Luckyfanisaac]

Luna was just finishing the second page when she said, "Patience, dear Twilight, and the letter shall explain.”(—— Twilight then went back to reading, and she read, "In order for you to understand what is going on, I must explain my heritage. I am a direct descendant of a kind of magic using unicorn known as a Bardic."

"Hey, we're going to need you," she said, "We'll need you to fetch books, papers, quills, ink, coffee and doughnuts, and maybe some runs to the Hay Burger if it comes to it."