Final Fantasy: Eidolons of Harmony

by Belligerent Bindlestiff

Pressing Matters

////Rarity////

Redheart trotted over to Twilight. “Are you okay?” the nurse asked, kneeling down and putting a hoof on the princess.

“Yeah, I just need to catch my breath. “Twilight said, muffled by her head facing the ground.

“So, these antlions live underneath Ponyville?” Rarity asked.

“Yes, they like to build colonies under towns.” Fluttershy said. “It might have to do with Earth pony magic.”

Twilight stood up and pulled a book from her saddlebags. “This book has an illustration of what they look like. I brought this bestiary from Fluttershy’s house.”

Fluttershy took the book and opened it to a page with an illustration.

“Goodness, what a ferocious looking creature!” Rarity said, looking at the depiction of an insect with large mandibles and intimidating eyes... “I certainly hope they never come above ground.”

“Oh, they’re not so bad,” Fluttershy said. “I’ve seen them on the surface from time to time. They’re so cute!” she smiled.

“You aren’t scared of them?” Twilight asked, shocked.

“Why would I be?” Fluttershy asked. “They’re no scarier than any other little bug.”

“So what you’re saying is that we need a sand pearl from a teeny tiny little insect?” Steven asked and turned to Twilight. “So, Miss ‘Magic’, do you think you can bring one up here?”

“Not exactly.” Twilight said. “I still have to know where one of these sand pearls are.”

“They’re deep underground where the queen lays her eggs.” Fluttershy said.

“Well, that helps a little bit.” Twilght said. “I can scan the earth beneath Ponyville in a few days to find their queen.”

“The only problem is that Matilda’s condition will only worsen with time.” Redheart said, as she looked over her patient.

“I’m sure I’ll be-“ Matilda started, but then coughed even more harshly than when Rarity first found her.

Redheart then gave her some water and tended to her.

“Let’s go outside, Twilight, Fluttershy.” Rarity said, opening the door.

When she closed the door behind them, Twilight broke the silence. “There’s got to be a faster way of finding that pearl.”

“If we went into the tunnel, I could ask the antlions to take us to the queen.” Fluttershy asked.

“Yes, well, there’s the little problem of us being much too big.” Rarity said. She stopped and smirked.

“Unless, of course, there were some alterations…” Rarity thought back to when she’d blundered a load of laundry, ruining the clothes, or at least turning her own wardrobe into a set fit for Sweetie Belle by accident. “I wonder.”

Her horn glowed with her white magic as she created an ethereal dress around each one of the mares.

“I’m not sure how a set of dresses are going to help us, Rarity.” Twilight said, but was cut off as the dresses’ aura intensified and the view around them grew much more imposing.

“Oh, that’s a good idea!” Flutterhsy said. “Now we can just ask them for their help!”

Twilight’s eyes grew wide as an ant walked by.

“Just leave it to me!” Fluttershy said.

Meanwhile, one confused sea serpent was searching about the entire area for the ponies. “Um, girls. Where did you all go?”

////

The party had gathered near Flutterhsy’s cottage, resized to normal and geared up for exploration.

“Nope, sorry. Ain’t happenin.” Applejack said.

“But we might need your help!” Rarity said.

“Ah’ve already been tiny before, and once was enough for me.” Applejack said, looking at the piece of ground they were planning to enter. “It felt wrong, havin to ride on somepony else to get around.”

“I know that must have been difficult for you, AJ.” Fluttershy said. “But we’ll all be small together.”

“Tell you what, girl,” Steven said. “I’ll even go down there with you.” He looked over to Rarity. “Besides, I’d like to see what kind of magical clothing she’d make for me.”

Applejack snorted. “Alraht, Ah’ll go with ya’ll.”

Rarity then closed her eyes and enveloped the party in her aura. As with any clothes the seamstress made, real or not, Rarity didn’t spare any creativity and adorned the party with elaborate dresses and a shirt and coat for Steven.

As the world around the party grew larger, the light of their magical clothing intensified. When they had all shrunk enough, Rarity released the spell. Their magical attire then faded from view, but not before briefly pulsing with a faint light.

“That was amazing, Rarity!” Twilight said. “You were able to shrink five beings at once!”

The white mage looked around to admire her work and noted Steven’s confusion. “Oh, I’m sorry dear, but I had to shrink you a bit further to explore with the rest of us.”

The sea serpent approached the ponies, noting that he didn’t tower over them as much as he would normally.

“I’d say you’ve brought him to scale that Discord is to us.” Twilight said. “This is really impressive Rarity. I don’t think I could have managed all of these effects all at once.”

“Anyways.” Applejack said. “We should probably get to findin that antlion queen.”

“Oh!” Fluttershy said. “We just need to find one antlion and I’m sure they’d tell us where to find the queen.” And began moving towards the entrance.”

“Hold on a moment!” Twilight said. “I almost forgot!”

The party halted just as soon as they started. Twilight levitated some sticks for the group. “I brought some glowsticks for light down there.”

Applejack took one of the items and cracked it, creating a dim, green glow. “No offense Twi.” The fighter said. “But Ah’m not sure how good these will be down there.”

“Oh right!” Twilight exclaimed and brought out another glowstick. “I forgot that it only works for me.” She cracked an orange glowstick, creating a noticeable glow even in the daylight.

“I’m not entirely sure how it works, but being a scholar seems to let my understanding of an item increase its potency.” Twilight said.

“Beg pardon?” Applejack asked.

“If I use any sort of magical tool or item, they’re much stronger for me than for anypony else.” The scholar said, cracking a purple glowstick for Steven and a pink one for Fluttershy.

“Alright then, now let’s get goin.” Applejack said, taking the party’s first steps into the tunnels.

////

After spending the last half hour descending the antlion caves, the party had yet to encounter any creature.

“This place is so barren.” Rarity said. “Are you sure there are antlions down here, Fluttershy?”

The beastmaster floated downward, allowing her glowstick to illuminate a steep drop in one of the tunnels.

“That’s strange.” Fluttershy said. “I could have sworn I saw them just yesterday.” She returned to the group

Twilight, meanwhile, was busy turning through pages of the bestiary she’d borrowed. “I’m not sure what would cause them to leave so suddenly. There doesn’t seem to be anything about sudden disappearances in this book, Fluttershy.”

Twilight continued walking until she bumped into Rarity, who had also been engrossed in a book. “Rarity, you’re also researching antlions?” She asked.

“Oh no, dear.” The white mage said. “I’ve brought my own reading material down here.”

“Rarity, can ya just please pay more attention to what’s goin on!” Applejack said, with frustration. “Twi’s already got her muzzle in a book, we don’t need any more of us distracted.”

“Applejack, I’m doing some important reading here.” Rarity said, but was interrupted by a chunk of the tunnel breaking apart, revealing an insectoid appendage.

“EEK!” the fashionista yelled, and jumped backwards, colliding with Twilight.

“Oh, that must be an antlion now!” Fluttershy said in excitement. “Oh, excuse me!” Flutterhsy attempted to say.

The insect burrowed in one part of the tunnel and into another section in a blur, paying no heed to the party.

“Well, that was rude.” Steven said.

“It’s okay, we’ll just find another one who’s not so busy.” Fluttershy said.

“Uh-huh.” Applejack reluctantly said. “Sorry Flutters, but something about this don’t seem raht.”

The beastmaster stopped and landed in front of the fighter. “I know what you’re thinking.” She said with the smallest trace of malice in her voice.

Applejack, briefly caught off guard by Fluttershy’s aggressive notion reassumed her no-nonsense demeanor. “Ah didn’t mean it that way, Fluttershy.”

“Heavens, what are you two going on about?” Rarity asked.

“Yes, some of us don’t exactly get what’s going on.” Steven said. “Here I thought you all were good friends. Now you’re acting like ponies I don’t even recognize.”

Twilight landed between the pair on the verge of an argument. “Look, Applejack, its not fair to jump to any conclusions about the antlions. They haven’t done anything to us.”

The princess turned to Fluttershy. “But, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be cautious.”

Fluttershy, having lost her drive, sighte and continued flying forward. “You’re right.” She said in her soft voice. “I just hope we don’t need to fight them.”

Rarity and Steven blinked at each other and the unicorn spoke. “Did I miss something serious?”

The white mage pressed faster to catch up with Fluttershy, who had put some distance between herself and the rest of the party. “Fluttershy, you know you can tell me anything. What’s wrong?” she asked.

Fluttershy stayed quiet, looking on as her pink light merged with Rarity’s approaching blue horn light. “Its too much like the last time.” She reluctantly spoke.

“I’m sorry darling, but I don’t recall the last time we shrunk down and searched for an antlion queen.” Rarity said, catching up with the beastmaster at her side.

“Like when we were looking for the last eidolon.” Fluttershy said. “We were in a cave too, and the creatures in it were…” she stopped. “They were gone, their minds were gone, Rarity.”

“Heavens, Fluttershy.” Rarity said with a hoof to her chest. “I had no idea.” The realization dawned on her. “Fluttershy, is that why you were asking about everypony seeing you differently?”

“Yes.” The pegasus said, barely audible. “We had to…stop them.”

The same thing happened with some chimera on our way back as well.” Rarity said somberly.

The pair made their way down a more manageable tunnel, the rest of the party followed but kept their distance.

“I won’t lie to you, Fluttershy, it was one of the worst things to think about. That something is happening to Equestria, something that’s forcing us to make these sorts of choices.”

“I just don’t want it to keep happening, not to the antlions, not to any creature.” Fluttershy said.

A part of the tunnel crumbled fro the ceiling, causing the mares to look up. Another antlion was making its way through the system. Unlike the other that sped by, this one stared at the ponies before it. The reddish-purple insect flexed its mandibles, looking on with its two large eyes.

Now Rarity, stay calm just let Fluttershy talk to the antlion. There’s no reason to scream at the top of your lungs, Not yet at least. Grace under fire.

It took the white mage all of her poise and training to appear calm

“Excuse me.” Fluttershy said, causing the creature to shift its attention to her. “We’re trying to find help for a friend of ours, and we need your queen’s help.”

The antlion tilted its head as if curious. Rarity could only look on in admiration of her friend’s way with animals. But it was short lived she she saw the antlion flex and leap towards her friend.

Time seemed to slow down, and Rarity could only jump to push her friend out of the way. Perhaps the worst sight had been Fluttershy herself. Rarity saw the look of disappointment in the mare’s face when the antlion lunged.

Everything returned to normal and both Rarity and Fluttershy tumbled through the tunnel. The white mage got to her hooves and brandished her staff, but noticed the insect was attempting to bite something else where they had been.

Rarity glanced back to the rest of the party, Steven, Twilight and Applejack were still fine, if not surprised by the antlion’s attack.

“Wait, what is the antlion doing?” Rarity asked aloud.

The creature heaved what appeared to be a bloated looking caterpillar with a small razor-toothed mouth. The antlion’s prey gurgled a roar as it tried to wriggle free only for the antlion to close its pincers and puncture the creature, causing it to pop and splash what looked to be water everywhere.

“They’re defending their colony from invaders.” Fluttershy said, after hazily getting back to her hooves. “He wasn’t trying to hurt me.”

The antlion turned to the beast master and chittered in what could only be described in a happy way. But before Fluttershy could properly thank the insect, two more mounds of earth shifted, revealing more of the large caterpillars.

They each spat out liquid orbs at the antlion, knocking it over before rushing the other insect with speed that belied their girth.

“Leave him alone!” Fluttershy yelled, and lashed her whip at the worms. The weapon glanced off, only causing the bulk of the other insects’ bodies to wiggle.

That however, was enough to draw the creatures’ attention towards the party.

On the opposite end of the tunnel, Applejack charged back at one of the worms with her axe ablaze. With one swipe, the creature exploded in a sizzling water puddle.

Rarity winced at the rather disgusting end to that creature. Meanwhile she noticed that the other worm was now barreling towards her.

Drats, I don’t have anything to pierce the beast with. She thought and then looked at her staff. Well.

The caterpillar leapt above the white mage in attempt to pin her. Rarity rolled away from the monster’s mouth and pointed her staff strait up. She felt the weight of the creature come down on her, pushing the staff back into her.

It’s not enough. She could barely concentrate as the massive creature’s weight shifted onto her. Now you’ve gone and done it. She was on the verge of blacking out from the pain of her own weapon digging into her. Wait.

The tip of her staff began to glow and then the creature burst the same way the other had, enveloping the white mage in the water, viscera of the caterpillar.

For once, Rarity wasn’t concerned with the sheer amount of disgusting matter all over her, as even then she was struggling to cough out the vile liquids. There was a sharp presence of pain at her side. She could only hear a panicked Twilight Sparkle galloping towards her and speaking in a rushed tone.

“She’s hurt!”

“But she’s --- one – h--ls us!”

“Yo—g-ing – b- -ine, R---!”

Comments

[cosmic flash]

Noice!. I look forward to the next chapter. Poor Fluttershy must be most distressed by all of the violence.

[HB_DS2013]

This reminds me of the one quest in Grimoire Rift.

[Belligerent Bindlestiff]

9253079
I played through FFTA, but not the second one. Care to explain with spoiler censored text?

[HB_DS2013]

9253116 Luso and Adelle get a pearl in the Galleria Deep. This quest happens after Cid is ambushed in Grazton. You'll know it when you see it.

[prism heart]

Ouch, WHITE MAGE DOWN!!!!!!

[Timuri]

Healer in the middle of the party! Always stay in combat formation outside of confirmed safe places, and even there an ambush can always be lying in wait.

Methinks another caterpillar, or an antlion that has been infested, got her while they were busy with the quick skirmish.

[Belligerent Bindlestiff]

9253597

9254432
Yeah, not a great situation to be in. For clarity, it was Rarity's own staff that crushed into her.

Her being in the front with Fluttershy didn't help matters either.