Slice of Velvet and Pear

by David Silver

42 - The Return of Harmony, Part 2

They had found each other, but some things felt... off...

Rarity was pushing an enormous boulder that she insisted belonged to her. "He's mine!"

Fluttershy was taking the chance to play tricks and be mean spirited whenever the opportunity arose.

The new kink was Moon Dancer. She had a big smile on her face, as fake as she felt. "You were all fantastic," she cried, not lying, directly, but trying so desperately to be the cool pony in the room, even if they weren't in a room. "Loving that." She waved at Rarity's boulder. "You always had such a good eye."

Twilight closed in on the side of Moon. "You look... cheerful."

"I'm feeling like a thousand bits!" It wasn't her place to feel bad. Nopony was terribly interested in that. She instead looked for how she could help them. "Twilight, you look frazzled, how can I help?"

Twilight grunted softly. "Elements of Harmony?"

"Oh right." She had forgotten that. She sagged with misery, called out on something else she didn't see, but she perked right up. Nopony cared about that! She had to be cool and focused. "Where do you think it's gone? How can I help?"

Twilight inclined her head. The others that had begun acting funny had become antisocial. Moon had become... disquietingly pro-social? "AJ?"

AJ hurried in on Twilight's other side. "Right here, sugarcube. Let's take this slow and think it out. Yer both real good at that."

Twilight considered a moment, pausing just for Fluttershy to thump into her back. "Sorry."

"Watch where you're going," spat Fluttershy with acid dripping from her tones.

"Girls, why are you acting like this?" She wheeled on her uncooperative friends. "This isn't like you."

Discord appeared, the hedges vanishing. "It's just too entertaining." he laughed, unable to even stand at the sight of their plight.

"Stop it, Discord. You're not playing fair." Twilight stomped at him with a glare.

Discord sprang upright. "I'm not playing fair? Perhaps we haven't met. I'm Discord, spirit of chaos and disharmony. Hello?" He waved over himself, chuckling softly.

"How are we supposed to find the Elements of Harmony when you took away the labyrinth before we could get to the end?" Twilight waved at the lack of a maze around them.

Discord guffawed, barely holding back harder laughter. "Oh, wait, did you...?" He failed to hold it back a moment longer, gales of laughter rippling from him. "How funny! You thought the Elements were in the labyrinth? I never said they were in the labyrinth."

Applejack took a defiant step forward, lowering her hat. "Now see here!"

"Keep trying," urged Discord, hands under his chin as he smirked at them all. He continued in a mocking tone, "Maybe the magic of friendship can help you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some chaos to wreak." He vanished with a pop.

With a clap of thunder, it began raining chocolate on the entire herd. Pinkie scowled. "Chocolate rain? I hate chocolate rain!"

Twilight grunted with frustration. "Think, Twilight, think! 'Find the Elements back where you began.' Back where you began."

Moon slid up to rub against her side. "This is taking a lot out of you. Maybe we should go home. I'll make you some tea."

"Don't touch my gem!" Rarity was embattled with the other discorded mares, cohesion entirely lost among them.

"Ugh. I just want to go home... Wait a minute... Home! 'Back where you began!'" She turned in place towards Ponyville. "The Elements must be in... Ponyville! Come on, girls. I'm certain this is what Discord's riddle really meant. If we get back to the library, I have a book that I just know can give us a clue." It took a bit more encouragement to get them all moving. At least Applejack and Moon were ready to go, one more than the other.

Moon's horn glowed as she rubbed at Twilight's shoulders. "Discord is being such a... an unpleasant creature. I'm sorry you have to deal with this, Twilight. I'm in your corner."

"Th-thank you..." Twilight side-eyed her girlfriend. "Are you alright? What did... What happened?" She turned past Moon to look at the others, but shook her head just as quickly. "We have to get the elements, they'll fix this!"

It was a slow trek back to town, down roads of soap and through a town ravaged by chaos. Moon looped around between Twilight and the library. "Twilight's been way too... burdened by the day. All of you, go home."

"Wait, what?! No, we have--"

Moon twitched faintly, realizing her error. "I mean you can't go home! I was just... joking..." She glanced at the others, scooting in close to Twilight. "Please don't be mad," she urgently whispered.

"This whole thing is... infuriating." Twilight sagged with a huff. "Everypony, inside!"

Fluttershy smirked viciously at Twilight. "I wouldn't want to upset your girlfriend."

"Why are you saying it like--"

Fluttershy didn't let Twilight finish, shoving her in a rude push. "Nerd."

"Nerds are the worst," angrily huffed Pinkie.

"Don't you talk about her that way." Moon got right in Fluttershy's face. "She is the best pony around!"

"Better than you deserve," taunted Fluttershy without a moment of delay.

Moon shrieked in horror, falling back in an uneven skidding of her hooves that ended in her falling over. "You take that back! I'm great at friendship." She glanced around nervously, setting her eyes on Twilight. "I'm going to treat you to your favorite tonight. It will be prepared properly, beyond your expectations."

Twilight blinked softly. "Thank you, but we are--" The fight did not stop for her words, her friends coming to blows over the right to use rock puns on 'Tom', which was his name. "But..." She groaned, teeth clenched. "Maybe we need a break. I'm going to check and see if I can't find that book. Moon?" Moon was already with her, eager to follow. "AJ?"

"Right here." She fluffed up, ready with a smile. "Discord tried to do his than' on me. Did he try it on you?"

"What thing?" Twilight led the two inside, winning a moment of reprieve from the more violently clashing others. "Alright... we need to find those elements."

"The elements of harmony?" asked Spike, jogging into the room. "Also, welcome back! Why's the town still all... crazy?"

Moon rushed at Spike. "Spike! I missed you so much. What comic are you reading?"

Spike blinked at the assault. "Captain Heavyhoof and the Righteous Six?"

"I love that one." Moon had no idea what that comic was. Still, social people would know, right? She went with that option. "Especially when he strikes that pose."

Spike's eyes twinkled. "Yeah! That was one of the best parts." He struck the pose that Moon had no idea of. "Stop right there! Oh, uh, sorry." He turned back to Twilight. "What's going on?"

Applejack threw her head back towards the door. "We ran into this fella called Discord, really messed wit' their heads awful."

Twilight flopped to her haunches with a grunt. "There has to be a way to save them, and defeat Discord..."

Spike pointed off to a shelf. "You put the book about that over there."

Twilight perked, a moment of delight. "Spike, thank you!" She hugged him briefly and dashed off in a trotting hurry, her horn glowing as she plucked out several books. A small glance was all it took to seperate out the one she wanted. "Here we are."

"I'll help." Moon snatched the book with her magic. "You've had a huge day. Sit, relax, and trust me to do this tedious research for you."

Spike watched her canter off to do that. "What's up with her?"

Applejack tapped at the side of her head. "Discord was playin' dirty tricks. He tried to get in mah head, but ah threw him right out." She threw her hoof to make that clear. "Reckon the other girls weren't so lucky." She smiled at Twilight. "'Twas your fault, by the way."

"Mine?!" Twilight recoiled. "What'd I do?"

"He tried to make me think mah own sister would turn on me." Applejack rolled her eyes. "As if. Yer an Apple. We Apples stick together."

Twilight smiled gently, feeling some of the weight of that trying day being lifted off her shoulders. "Aw... Thanks, AJ."

"Don't be mad..." There was Moon, looking quite sheepish. "But somepony clearly made a mistake in the manufacture of this tome."

Twilight quirked up an ear. "What do you--Oh!" She started at the vision of the open book, all the elements safely nestled within. "Well, we did start at the library... I suppose that makes sense." She closed on Moon Dancer. "Good job bringing this to me." Oh the almost hysterically pleased smile on that unicorn's face. "I'm sure you were tempted to hide this problem."

Moon took a step back. "N-no, of course not!" That she had been considering just that was clear on her face. "I'm glad this doesn't bother you."

Applejack kicked the book upwards with a forehoof, sending the elements flying. She hopped up to catch hers around her neck with a whistle. "Bother? We were jus' lookin' for these. Now, can we beat up Discord and fix our friends?"

Twilight grabbed the others in her magic, bringing her half tiara down on her head and moving the other to rest on Moon's head to complete that set. "We'll have to fetch them. The elements only work all together, as far as I'm aware."

Moon raised her hooves, touching her half-tiara from both sides. "You always know the right way, Twilight. How can I help?"

Spike whistled softly. "Moon..." Moon turned quickly towards him. "This isn't like you."

Moon inclined her head at her small brother. "I apologize for my past behavior. I'm better now! I will pay attention, finally, to what the ponies around me need." She tapped herself on the chest. "That includes you."

"That's... good..." Spike hurried over to Twilight and AJ instead. "Please fix her. This is really kinda strange."

Applejack hooked one arm around him in a brief hug. "Hang in there. We wanna fix all the girls."

"I hate seeing her like this... The others are more outwardly destructive, but she may be doing the most damage." The other two peered at her with confusion. "They will wrestle and argue to little longterm effect. She's fighting herself, and she knows where to kick and punch to make it count. She knows her opponent quite well."

"Did I do something wrong?" Moon leaned left and right, trying to see what the others were doing. "Sorry... How can I help?" She mumbled some self-depracating thoughts to herself. A normal pony would have already understood what was needed! Why was she so blind?

Twilight left them, though Applejack went on her own hooves to follow. "It's alright," Twilight assured. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Phew." Moon let out the air she had been holding. "If you need anything at all, let me know. I'm here for you! Want me to hunt Discord down?"

"Not by yourself. This is an all of us thing." She wobbled the floating elements. "Let's get these to the girls."

Moon snatched Fluttershy's element suddenly. "I have confidence I can reason with her. We are two ponies of similar temperment."

Twilight blinked, but a smile broke free and radiant. "That's a great idea. I'll try Rarity first." She floated Rarity's element away from the others.

Applejack reached up and snatched Pinkie's. "Ah'll try to talk some sense inta that grouchy party mare. Let's meet back here after we talk to 'em."

Twilight turned on Moon. "Sounds good. Come back whether or not you succeed. I won't be mad, promise. It just means we have to reconsider our approach."

Spike hopped up, but couldn't get high enough. "Let me try Rainbow. I wanna help!"

Applejack inclined her head. "We don't know where she ran off to..." Applejack instead grabbed the floating Rainbow Dash necklace. "Let's keep a hold of that fer now."

Author's Note:

And off the rails we go. This group has to deal with the problem their own way.

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Comments

[Booster Spice]

Theres already been one total alternate branching pf the realities story, hopefully Discord will see what one of the next majour branches implies and change his mind, just a little?

I mean, I really expect him not to really want things to Go East, again.

[TheGJ90]

Oh dear... poor Moon Dancer's gone all self-destructive on us!

Thankfully, not everypony was turned into the monochromatic opposite of themselves, so there's hope!

[redmar]

I wonder if they will try Spike as Rainbow Dash here as well. I doubt Twilight is going to give up while Applejack is still herself.

[redandready45]

Poor Moondancer.