Chaotic Harmony: Do Over

by shirotora

Chapter 43: The Bitch Comes Back

Rainbow Dash hurried through her work. She wanted to spend a little time with her sister. Sure, she went to see her and her parents every weekend, but it was hard going out for a night on the town in a cloud city when only one of you had wings.

"Alright, furballs, come and get it!" she called as she opened the gate. Immediately, the animals stormed the 'mess hall' as Rainbow called it.

She stood watch, making sure the animals didn't fight or try to steal food from the others. It wasn't the kind of job she liked, but she promised Fluttershy she would do it while she was gone. Rainbow Dash just wished she would hurry up and come back. She was not an animal pony.

When the animals finished eating and Rainbow was herding them back out, one bird landed on her back with a piece of paper tied to its leg.

"Huh? Is that for me?"

---

Applejack lost herself in her work. Or, she would have if her mind weren't on current happenings within the family.

"Ah wonder what Midnight said," she thought out loud as she cleared a tree of its apples with a well placed kick. "She better have told him."

Like had happened many times in the past few weeks, her mind wandered to her baby sister. Except, she really wasn't a baby anymore, was she? She was all grown up, or near enough. She even almost looked grown up, nearly as tall as she was.

Not only that, but she was considering asking to date Applejack's husband. It was a rather common thing for a pony to date their sibling's spouse, but usually that sibling didn't practically raise them. A part of AJ thought of Applebloom as more of a daughter.

Of course, even that wasn't unheard of, dating a parent's spouse. It was still strange, and extremely rare, though.

She just wished they waited half a year until she was fourteen. Then Applejack wouldn't have had to fill out a bunch of consent forms.

"That filly better be grateful," she griped as she kicked the next tree.

As the apples fell, something caught her eye. Tied to the stem of one apple was a rolled up piece of paper.

"What the hay?"

---

Rarity was putting the finishing touches on her latest collection. It was a commemorative set in white with black stripes. The set was soft, yet fierce. It made you feel warm, loved, and protected.

This was how she mourned.

One could not always keep their loved ones with them, but she would keep something that would remind her of them.

Like the Redskins jersey or the pink polkadot dress in her closet.

This was the first time she made a whole collection, though. Not because he was more important than even her parents, but simply because she wasn't the only one mourning.

One piece she would keep for herself, while the others would go to his wife, son, girlfriend, and each of his closest friends.

She was both excited and saddened by their imminent completion. She couldn't wait to see the looks on their faces when she presented them with her works, but saddened that she'll have finished and will have finally, truly said goodbye to a dear friend.

She sighed, looking out the window. "Maybe I should visit Jynx. Surely she and Twilight will be finished... catching up by now."

As she pondered that, she noticed a little slip of paper in the collar of her mother's dress, just through the ajar closet door.

"Now, I know Sweetie Belle knows not to mess with these. She knows what they... Hm? A note?"

---

Pinkie Pie rushed around the kitchen, working on a half dozen different things. Not only did she need 'welcome back' cupcakes for Jynx and Midnight, but she needed 'everything's going to be fine' muffins for whatever scary thing was going to happen, as well as two 'welcome back and congratulations' cakes for whoever was coming back and whatever they needed congratulating for. Plus a couple other orders for customers.

She hummed happily as she placed the mixing bowl down and grabbed the flour. She did a little spin as she filled the measuring cup... And then froze as she watched a piece of paper fall into the cup from the bag.

All her excitement and joy fell away as she stared at it.

“Uh... Pinkie? What’s that?” Asked a certain crystal pegasus.

“Hey...” Pinkie said, quietly. “Can you tell the cakes I have to leave early? And can you get the muffins ready?”

He gave her a questioning look as she retreated out the back, but moved to do as she asked, though he grabbed the paper with a wing.

As he looked over the paper, he couldn’t help but become more and more confused.

“She’ll be fine," was all it said.

---

Another burst of light filled the library as the cult mare cast yet another spell.

"Wow, I gotta say, princess, you really are good," the pale mare said as her spell washed harmlessly over Twilight's shield. "But you know, defense can only get you so far. If you're just going to hide behind a shield spell, you're only delaying the inevitable."

Twilight snorted in anger, "I can keep this up for a week, easy."

"Yes, but if you do that, one of your friends will come looking for you," Blue Moon said. "When they do, I will be forced to kill them. Do you really want that?"

Jynx scoffed. "You assume you can. Our friends are a lot more dangerous than you seem to think."

Blue Moon grinned at her through the shield. "Oh? You seem to think I don't already know what they're capable-"

He was interrupted as the window shattered and a pink blur slammed into him.

The pale mare turned to the intruder, preparing a spell when several dozen needles shot inside, wrapping her in several yards of thread and disrupting her casting.

The front door was flung off its hinges as Applejack and Rainbow Dash rushed inside.

"C'mon," Applejack shouted to Twilight and Jynx as Rainbow Dash retrieved a dazed Pinkie Pie.

Twilight dropped her shield and the two unicorns followed their friends out the door while the two invaders were indisposed.

"How did you know we were in trouble?" Twilight asked as they ran.

Rarity levitated a slip of paper to her. Twilight scanned the note, confusion written all over her face. "'Twilight's in trouble. Act fast.'?" They skidded to a stop outside the library and turned to face the cultists. "Isn't that Fluttershy's wing writing? How did she know?"

"We can figure it out later," Rainbow Dash said. "Right now, we got bad guys to pummel. Come on out and face us like a mare!"

The pale mare looked out the door and smiled. "Why? I have everything I need in here. But my friend here can play."

When Blue Moon stepped outside, the mare levitated the door back into place behind him.

Rainbow snarled. "Fine. We'll mop the floor with you first, then break your boss's legs."

"You don't really think you can take us on all by your lonesome, do you?" Applejack asked.

Blue Moon smiled, almost kindly. "Not as I am now."

Rarity cocked an eyebrow. "Well, that's ominous."

The lycan reached into his pocket and pulled out a fist sized off-white stone.

Pinkie gasped at the sight of it. "That's a moon stone! Stop him!"

Even she wasn't fast enough, as the stone started to glow, shining with the light of its namesake.

In a flash, his body grew, his muscles bulged and his limbs lengthened. Even his sword grew, changing from a rapier to a broad sword.

As he flexed and stretched, he growled, "That feels good. Now, who dies first?"

"I'll be the one fighting you."

The girls all started at the new voice. They turned to look behind them and saw a sight they never thought they'd ever see.

Fluttershy, but not the usual timid pegasus. Her scales glistened under her fur. Her claws flexed, ready to strike. Her slitted eyes were focused and intense. Her large, draconic wings stood ready to fling herself at her prey.

"Fluttershy!" Twilight exclaimed, surprised to see her friend, much less like that. "Wh-what happened? Where have you been?"

Fluttershy never looked away from the lycan. "We'll talk later. Get in there and try to stop her from completing the ritual. I can handle this guy."

Rainbow quickly interjected. "No way. I'm not letting y-"

She froze at the intense look from her foalhood friend. It wasn't the Stare, but an explanation of a sort. That look communicated volumes.

"Okay. Let's go, girls. Shy's got this guy," Rainbow said, hesitantly.

Blue Moon chuckled, darkly. "What makes you think any of you are getting past me?"

Fluttershy returned her gaze to him. "What makes you think you have a say in this?"

Blue grinned, readying a retort when he noticed something strange. It was suddenly as if it was getting darker. He looked up at the still shining sun, confused.

He looked back down to see the supposedly shy one glowing in the dimming light. He had no time to contemplate that little fact before she was in his face, claw streaking for his face.

He barely got his arms up to defend himself before she slammed into him with all the force of a stampeding buffalo.

The others watched, slack jawed, as sweet, kind Fluttershy shot after him, drop kicking him further, directing him toward the edge of town, the dimness following after her.

"Wh-what the-"

Twilight was interrupted by Rainbow Dash. "You heard her. We can ask questions later. Let's get inside that library and kick some cultist ass!"

"Ah'm with you on that one," Applejack agreed. She looked around at the ponies that were starting to gather. "Everyone, get to the shelters. We got some nasty folks in town, and it'll probably get messy. Jynx, you go with them."

Jynx wanted to protest, but what could she do? She was a unicorn without a horn. With a reserved nod, she said. "Alright. You girls stay safe," and then ran off with the crowd.

Pinkie sounded the charge on her bugle horn. Rainbow Dash and Applejack lead the way, Twilight following close behind, horn alight as she wove spell after spell. Rarity and Pinkie brought up the rear, needles and musical instrument in tow.

Applejack spun around, legs cocked back, and unleashed all her considerable strength upon the door for the second time in a few minutes.

As soon as her hooves made contact, though, the door exploded outward along with half the library as red, swirling energy spewed out from within, pushing them back.

"What's going on?!" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I don't know!" Twilight said. She looked inside the remains of her home.

The pale mare was in the center of a magic circle.

"Stop this! You can't win!" Twilight shouted.

The pale mare laughed. "I already have. All I needed to shatter this anchor was a sacrifice, and the first seal will be shattered."

"Oh yeah?" Rainbow challenged as she tried to push through the hostile energy. "Well you aren't going to be sacrificing any of us, so you lost."

"Oh, no no no..." the mare laughed, a manic look in her eyes. "The sacrifice has to be willing. And I am oh, so willing."

The girls could only watch in horror as the pale mare plunged the dagger into her own throat and ripped it to the side.

Blood erupted from the wound as the spell sucked every last drop from her body, turning the red energy black as the void.

The mares were all flung away as what was left of the library was shredded by the maelstrom. All, except the floor, which glowed with soft green light.

The black energy clashed with the green until the green spell circle started to crack.finally, it shattered with a thunderous boom.

Then, all was silent for a time.

Slowly, the mares picked themselves up. They struggled to their hooves, ready to face whatever new danger would come from this madness.

As the smoke and dust cleared, they saw a lone silhouette. It stood on its hind legs, with strong arms and a long, thin tail.

"Sh... Shiro?" Rainbow asked, in hopeful awe.

"Shiro?" the voice said as it turned to face them, a look of disgust on its orange and black striped face as it looked down on them. "I am Verin, vanguard of the one true god, and your executioner."

Comments

[Dinokid11]

Excellent work keep it up

[Fireeaters]

sadge

[ShadowSpectrumSwordtails]

“Oh you almost had it. You got to be quicker then that.”
Yep, that phrase pretty much summed up the chapters ending, just when I thought Shiro had returned.