Power of Love!

by Inactive Pone

Chapter 6: Attack Encore

“Gugu gugugu!”

“Yeah, Carby, I’m excited about this too!”

Arle was on the train with Fluttershy, along with her best friend Carby. They were heading to the Kirin Village.

“Fluttershy, I’ve heard you work with animals a lot. Do you know what Carby speaks too?”

“Oh, I don’t think so, sorry. Carby is a special animal friend. Although, he does look cute!”

“Gugu!”

Carby seemed to like that.

The train pulled into the bottom of the mountain concealing the secret tribe. They got off, and Fluttershy led the way, tracing back the steps she took when she came to the village the first time. They trek through the mountain and admire nature, as they walk through flowers and crossed rivers on large, smooth stones. It was almost too tempting for them to relax to their heart's content with the thoughts of Equestria’s future behind them. It must come first.

“So we are looking for a girl,” Fluttershy said, reading the report. “A girl that looks like an angel but isn’t...”

Arle let out a sigh. “Harpy? Is that who we’re looking for?”

“Y-Yeah, why?”

Arle looked at the picture of Harpy. She was a yellow-winged humanoid, wearing an elegant white dress like an angel. She has pink yet slightly magenta hair and a pair of emerald colored eyes. Oddly, she was barefoot in the picture.

“Well, it’s hard to explain,” Arle said sheepishly. “Harpy, well... She likes to sing. A lot. But the problem is she’s not very good at it exactly. I mean, she once ruined someone's voice, and it's a shame since that someone's voice was so good."

"Aw, don't pick on her like that..."

"I know, she is our friend, after all," Arle's expression brightened up. "I'm just worried that the locals would not like it. You said these 'Kirins' liked to sing a lot, too- Hopefully they keep an open mind about her."

"I hope so too."

"Gugugu..."

"Don't worry, you both, even if things don't go well, I might have a plan."

---

Soon they step into the village. Although the Kirins have dispelled their spell of silence, the place was still very much quiet and peaceful. Everycreature was out and about, feeling quite carefree in their well-hidden territory despite having to hear the towns around them in Equestria fall.

Yet, there was no sign of Harpy.

They were about to start a search when a familiar, cheery Kirin spotted them.

"Fluttershy!" She trotted over. "Good to see you! Why are you here out of all places?"

The mare insisted on shaking her hoof. "Nice to see you too, Autumn Blaze, it's been a while. Oh, and this is my friend Arle, with her buddy Carbuncle."

"Gugu!"

"He's just saying hi," Arle translated.

"Hmmm, you look like someone we recently stumbled upon!" Autumn said, "She also walked on two like you do, Arle. *sigh* I wonder where she ran off to...?"

Arle gasped. "What did you just say? Someone that's similar to me?"

"Yeah! Like us, she seems to possess great love for singing. We heard her from afar and..."

"That's got to be Harpy!"

"But..."

Fluttershy put on a quirked face. "But what?"

Autumn paced for a bit. “W-We have a problem.”

“Gugugu?”

“What is it?” Arle said, translating Carby’s words.

“We May or may not have told her off,” The kirin blushed, scratching the ground with a hoof. “Like, we are pretty good at singing, but I overheard naïve kirins criticizing the young one’s vocals. *sigh* Some just never learn.”

“Oh no!” Fluttershy gasped. “Arle, you called the bluff!”

“Totally,” Arle sighed, face-planting. “We’ve got to find her somehow. Autumn, you have any idea where she might be?”

“I can’t say for sure. Though, the closest safe place she might run off to is my temporary hideout, when I moved away from the village for a while. Changelings might be on the lookout and if she ran into any, probably that’s the most sensible place she’d hide in now that I don’t return there.”

“We have to start somewhere,” she said. “Come on, Fluttershy. Let’s track down the angel.”

“And before the changelings discover her, too.”

---

“Harpy!” Arle called throughout the forest, “Where are you?”

The two went onward to Autumn’s old hideout, just near the outskirts of the village. That didn’t stop them from trying to call for their friend. It’s probably been 5-10 minutes since they started the search when they finally picked up a sign.

”*singing* I’m so saaaaaaad...”

“*gasp* Huh?” Fluttershy was more sensitive to sound from her career, so she picked it up first. “What was that?”

”*singing* Why must people be so mean to me...?”

Arle picked up the signal too. “I think we’ve got her. Come on!”

They ran through and between the trees, straight out to an open clearing as the voice echoed and ringed throughout the Forest. There, on the ridge of the waterfall, sat a girl. A singing angel. However, to their surprise, her voice was not the terrible singing voice Arle had described. It sounded genuine- Sweet yet sad. They laid low for a little longer for her to finish her lamenting.

”*sigh* I just wanted to get along with music... Too much to ask?”

She cupped her face in her hands as she cried. Arle, unwilling to see her in that state, decided to emerge from the bushes she was hiding in, and cheer her up. And she knew just the trick.

“Wow... I have never heard you sing so well before!”

“*half-singing* Stop lying to me...”

“No, I’m serious, Harpy!”

Harpy stopped. “Eh? *gasp* Arle?”

“Hi! Didn’t expect me, huh?”

Harpy stood back up to embrace her. “*half-singing* Oooooh! Good to see you!”

“*chuckles* Haha, mind if you stop that sing-speak style for just a moment?”

Happy nodded, though a bit reluctantly. Arle motioned for Fluttershy to come out, now that the mood was brightened up and the target acquired had calmed down.

“This is my friend Fluttershy.”

She gave a wave.

“So, Harpy...” Fluttershy asked, “What happened between you and the kirins?”

“I-Is that what they are called?”

“Mhmm.”

“*sigh* Oh, I feel hurt by their words,” Harpy said gloomily, breaking into sing-speak mode again.. “Is my singing really that terrible? I just like to sing wherever I go...”

She sat at the edge of the waterfall. Arle pondered for a bit, finding the right words to say without hurting anyone’s feelings.

“But I heard you singing while we tried to look for you, and I have never heard you sing like that before!”

“Oh?”

Arle and Fluttershy smiled as they sat next to her.

“Your voice can be amazing if you really put your heart into it,” Fluttershy said, “I used to sing for a group too, and when I found myself devoted into the performance, I sang even better than when I used to!”

Arle nodded. “Harpy, your love for singing is immense. I know you like singing all the time, just not necessarily good, no offense. But that’s what makes you so unique! You have a style of expression none of us in the Puyo World do. You sounded so brilliant just now, and I’m betting it’s because you put your emotion into it, huh?”

“I-I... I was feeling sad, so...” Harpy blushed.

“Don’t be,” Fluttershy said kindly, “Everypony has to start somewhere.”

Harpy finally regained a smile.

“There’s the Harpy I’m looking for,” Arle chuckled.

Harpy began to laugh too. “Thanks, girls! *singing* Ahhh I’m so happy now! Someone appreciates my singing~!”

The angel proceeded to stand up, start twirling in a circle in pure joy. The two shrugged.

“By the way, Arle...”

“Hmm?”

“Why are you here anyway?”

“Oh! I almost forgot,” She facepalmed and giggled. “We’re bringing the Puyo crew together to go on another Puyo adventure again. Long story short, we are in a kingdom that is currently being invaded by this hostile race called the changelings and we have to fight back."

Fluttershy looked at the time. “We should get going, the train may come soon.”

“Can I join you both~?”

Harpy cupped her hands together and begged.

“Of course! You’re why we’re here, we came to find you!” Arle tucked her into a hug.

“Oooooh, this would be fun~ Where to?”

“Well, all we have to do is climb back down this mountain to the train station,” Fluttershy replied. “Shouldn’t be hard to-“

The echoes of hissing were heard in the distance.

“*gasp* Changelings!” She cut herself off.

“And from the direction of the village!”

Harpy gasped as they made a move. “Heeeeeeey~ Wait for me! I wanna help too!” She called, following.

---

At first, it looked like a false alarm. No changelings were in sight. And frankly, no one was actually there.

"Huh?" Arle said, scratching her head. "That's weird..."

Harpy suddenly had an idea. "Maybe there's no one because they were waiting for me! Oh, how wonderful of them to change their mind~ Here I go!"

"Harpy, no!"

Before Arle can slap her mouth shut, Harpy already put her vocal cords into action. Her booming, yet irritating off-key voice drowned everyone's ears. Carby, Fluttershy, and Arle all cupped their ears shut due to how loud she was. The little sidekick even dropped to the floor.

But then, in an astounding miracle, they hear irritated and annoyed hisses all around. Kirins here and there crawled out of their cover, covering their ears. In seconds they de-transformed. Those weren't Kirins- Those were changelings!

"It's working!" Fluttershy yelled over the noise, "They are being lured out! I'll go and make sure everycreature is safe!"

She flew off as Arle gave her approval, taking Carby with her. "Harpy, keep going!"

"*singing* Lalalalala! I can sing however I want! I'm so happy to see you all coming to watch me!"

As Harpy was still in her own world, Arle gritted her teeth to set up her attacks as the horde was stunned in place by the angel.

"Ugh..." She said, trying to bear the noise. "Judgement!"

She sends out a blast of magic beams towards the enemy. It knocked them far back, and because Harpy's voice was still ringing in their ears they didn't have the focus to fly back into battle.

Meanwhile, the angel continued her "Performance". As the wave came close, she had a trick up her sleeve.

"*singing* Arle~!" Harpy called, "A little help with magic?"

"Sure th-thing!" Arle chuckled.

Arle built a large chain of ten and sent her friend the power.

"Have an Encore!"

Amazingly, she swooped her arm across the air, sending a shockwave of musical notes against her opponents, knocking them straight out of existence.

"Oh no..." She pouted, "Now they're all gone..."

Arle was going to comfort her before the angel let out a gigantic, harmonious laugh.

"I'm kidding! I was fighting them for you, after all!"

"*laughing* Nice thinking, they are not going to mess with you for a good while."

---

“So it was a Changeling!”

Harpy was chatting with Autumn Blaze as the group left.

“The other kirins told me they had said nothing, or they didn’t even see you. I wouldn’t criticize anypony soooo I’m pretty sure whoever trash-talked about you must’ve been a Changeling.”

“So that means they have found this place already before we came! You all could’ve been ambushed!” Arle said, disconnecting the walkie talkie Twilight had given her.

“Gugugu!”

“We know, and we are really thankful you all came.”

Fluttershy smiled. “You’re so welcome. This is what we do from time to time.”

They got back down to the bottom of the mountain, right near the train station. The crew had to make their exit. They all gave a wave before entering the train.

“Harpy?” Autumn asked.

“Mhmm?”

“When you all are done saving Equestria, would you... Kindly perform for us? I heard from Fluttershy, you can sometimes sing well.”

The angel’s eyes sparkled in delight. “Really!?? I’ll be practicing till then!”

Arle was peeking out the door and giggled. ”Looks like we might be staying here for a bit longer before we return...”

Puyo Celebrity Harpy has joined the Party