Harmony's Misfits

by Misty Meadow

Chapter 2

’Deep breaths, just deep breaths Starlight, like Twilight showed You.’ Starlight held a hoof to her chest. She just couldn’t wrap her head around what her eyes were telling her. “I honestly don’t know.” She looked at Sunset with tired eyes. “A situation like this never crossed anypony’s mind. We all thought it was a link with the Elements of Harmony.”

“Ahem.” Sunset coughed and looked away, a foreleg absentmindedly scratching the back of her neck. Her pupils were slightly dilated and she refused to meet anypony else’s gaze.

Noticing what Starlight hadn’t, Trixie stepped forwards to challenge the amber unicorn. “Sunset, what aren't you telling us?” She frowned before she rose a hoof and poked her companion in the chest none too gently.

“Ahem, it’s just…” Sunset gave a forced grin and began to back away, heading towards the door that they had come in through. Before she could get there though, a loud bang reverberated around the crystal chamber; when she looked back she found that Spike had slammed the doors shut and now stood blocking the way.

By now, she found herself surrounded. Sagging her shoulders in defeat she then sat down. “I… may have left a tiny little detail out when I told you about what happened at Camp Everfree.” Every eye was now focused firmly on her, almost boring into her soul for answers. “After we defeated her, the seven stones each came to one of us. Our best guess is they are shards of the elements, which would make me the seventh element, or at least a combination of the others.”

“Which would explain why you are on the map!” Spike finished for her, looking more than a little excited.

Trixie hummed to herself. After glowering a little at Sunset, she then said, “Given the details Trixie has just learned so far today, this is one of the more believable ones, at least. I think she’s right.”

Starlight facehoofed. “I did not sign up for this.”

Sunset walked over to the map, placing her forehooves on the table before she pulled herself into a standing bipedal position. “Ok, so Twilight has talked to me about this map a little bit before, but my mark floating there...” She pointed her hoof at the floating symbol and a frown grew on her face. “What could it mean?”

“It means, girls,” a ghostly voice said as it reverberated around the room, “that your mission, should you choose to accept it…”

“Discord, knock it off!” Starlight found her patience for the lord of chaos wearing thin.

“Fine, fine! Spoilsport.” There was a flash of light; she then found herself face to face with a put-out looking draconequus. “Simply put, the map senses a problem, picks the right pony for the task, and sends them out to fix it. Apparently, today that special pony is you, my rambunctious little firebrand, and it wants you to go… here, wherever that is.”

The other two mares and Spike quickly crowded the table, each trying to get a look at the destination. Suddenly, Starlight fell back on her haunches as she whispered, “Oh no, not there…” She trailed of, panic shining in her eyes.

Trixie fell back, concerned. “What’s the matter?”

From the table, Spike gulped audibly. “The map is saying there is a problem… in Our Town.”

Trixie’s face went pale, the story already known to her, but Sunset had no idea beyond that it must be somewhere important to this group. “‘Our Town’? I know Twilight technically owns the demesne of Ponyville, but you have another town?”

A quick chuckle escaped Spike before his serious expression returned. “No, we don’t own anything else. ‘Our Town’ is literally the name of the town.” He stared at her pointedly and shook his head quickly, glancing nervously at Starlight. “Just… don’t ask. And we, but Starlight more-so, have friends there.”

“Okay, so, we just head on over there and boom, solve the problem?” Sunset wore a confident grin—or, she did at first, at least until she saw the look on Spike’s face. The pair glanced at the other two, as Trixie tried to reassure Starlight that her friends were fine.

“No, it’s never been that simple; Twilight and the girls all found that out the hard way. Don’t worry though, Twilight planned for this.”

Sunset bawlked. “Twilight planned for me being added to the map and being sent on a mission?”

“Not in so many words, no. I meant that she has since started planning for every eventuality, and a mission being handed out while she is away was one of them. Come with me.”

“What about those two?” She jerked her head in Starlight’s direction, also realizing that Discord had disappeared at some point.

“They’ll be fine, Star’s a strong mare.” He walked through the doorway, Sunset trotting to keep up with him.

“Star?” She turned to him slightly, eyebrow raised.

Spike blushed slightly at the implication. “Hey, it’s nothing like that. No, it’s… she’s been living with us for a while she’s kinda gotten close. Never as close as Twilight, but I now think of her like a sister. So like Twilight becomes Twi, I was hoping ‘Star’ would help to make her feel welcome here. It’s probably quite tough for her.”

“That is… remarkably grown up.” She sounded impressed.

“And we’re here.” He punctuated his announcement with a little spin, coming to a stop and facing a closet. He pulled the door open, revealing rack upon rack of prepacked saddlebags. “Just give me a second.” He pulled a reference book off a stand and began mumbling to himself, turning the pages quickly with a claw before thrusting it into Sunset’s face.

43. The Cutie-Map sends Earth ponies to Cloudsdale.

44. The Cutie-Map calls upon Celestia; Luna gets jealous again, leading to a new Nightmare Moon incident.

45. The Cutie-Map activates somepony new while I am away.

“There, see? Scenario 45.”

Rolling her eyes, Sunset levitated down the two saddlebags on the shelf marked ‘45’. “Why is there two?”

“Oh, the map never sends anypony out on their own. Guess one of the other two can carry the second. Ah, here they are now.”

Starlight and Trixie rounded the corner, the two bodies pressed together. There were clear tear marks running down Starlight’s cheeks, staining her fur, but there were no more new tears. “So what’s the plan?” Trixie asked, eyeing the well packed saddlebags curiously.

“Simple,” Spike said as stepped forwards, “we all make a trip to Our Town and investigate the problem, kick some flank, and be back before Twilight even knows that we were gone.” His face was one big smile and his enthusiasm so infectious that the three mares couldn’t help but smile back.

The saddlebags on the floor became enveloped in a light blue hue before they floated up into the air. Spike soon became airborne with them, not even phased after having Twilight do it to him so much, and they were both lowered down. The bags landed on Trixie’s back, while Spike was seated onto Starlight’s. “I can’t think of anything else we need, can you?”

Receiving two shaking heads, she nodded resolutely. “Then let's get to the train station.”

---

Three mares and one dragon trudged back into the castle lobby, heads hanging low. “How was I supposed to know there weren’t going to be any Bits in the bags?” Starlight groused. “How does Twilight catch the trains—I’ve never seen her take saddlebags. Or Bits.”

Spike looked at her pointedly. “She’s a princess—she gets free travel.” Realisation dawned on the faces of his companions. “Besides, I think she even has royal carriages, though she doesn't like bothering the rail company to use them.” He walked over to one of the chest of drawers, pulled open draw, and lifted up a hidden panel. He pulled out a small drawstring bag and then closed everything up again. The bag jingled, heavy with coins, causing the mares to gawk. “What? I get a royal stipend you know.”

And with funds secured, they once again left for the train station.

Comments

[bronyp0ny]

LOVE THIS

[Misty Meadow]

7810221 Thanks :D

[Misty Meadow]

7810210 yoouuu never coould know :3

[Razzy]

They're off to a great start.

Scenario 99: apples gain sentience and attack all the apple farmers.

[DiscountDiscord]

7810237 Been done.
static5.comicvine.com/uploads/scale_large/6/67663/4699679-32.jpg

[RC2101_Copey]

7810237

Sunset surveyed the multitude of shelves. Each shelf had a number, and an assortment of supplies and equipment. Everything looked fairly standard until she reached a shelf marked 146, and she blanched at what she saw.

"Spike?"

"Yeah?" the young drake replied.

"Why is there a flamethrower on shelf 146?"

Quirking an eyebrow, Spike flipped through the guide book, reaching the relevant number, and his face drained of colour.

"Scenario 146: Quesadillas."

[Misty Meadow]

7810266 BWAHAHAHAHA oh hon you're hilarious

[Razzy]

7810254

7810266 Don't joke about that, a quesadilla got my friend. Poor bloke, so young,so full of life...

[Sunset_Shimmer83]

Okay yeah i got hooked after the first chapter and reeled in after chapter 2. Lookung forward to more.

[Sunset Awesomness17]

Do you mind if I take a spin on this idea of yours? I really like it. I’d like to see what I can do with it.