Agents of Discord

by KittyrinnAiko

Chapter 74: Aftermath part 2

Back in Canterlot, we find one worn-out Twilight Sparkle finishing up a potion. “That’s it. I’m out. That’s the last batch I can make. There isn’t enough to make anymore.”

“What you’ve done has been a great help. But how’d you know what to make?”

“I took my own symptoms into account and reasoned out which ingredients would work the best. The first dose I gave myself was my test.”

“Oh dear.”

“Ya, the EFDA is going to have a fit. Maybe I should write it down…” Twilight looked around found a quill and some paper, sat down, and started writing out the ingredients of the potion. She’d just managed to get it all written out when exhaustion finally kicked in and dozed off right where she sat.

“Excuse me, is there a Miss Twilight Sparkle here?” Asked a gray roan pegasus. Over his withers, he’d saddle bags marked EPX for Equestrian Pony Express. He was a carrier from the Everfree compound and only now did he understand why there’d been a requirement for him to know so much about Equestrian society. In short, ponies were being very suspicious of everyone right now and prone to give each other the third degree at the drop of a hat. After all, how was anyone to tell if the pony by their side was a changeling? He’d even had to go so far as to explain that he was from a small fox grove, named Foxgrove, an agreed-upon cover name, and that lings couldn't duplicate spotted patterns like his. Too complex. And the English pegasi really did pass for fox ponies even though they had no kitsune ancestry.

“Right there,” offered an orderly. She was a sandy-colored mare, an earth pony, and looked like she was about ready to drop as well.

“Good god, she looks like she’s been cocooned.”

“Good god?”

“It’s a fox pony thing,” he offered quickly to cover his slip. “Why is she just sitting there?”

“Refused any pony’s help, and insisted on doing her part to help others. Why’d you need her?”

“I was dispatched to relay a message to let her know that Miss Aerie is alright. Miss Aerie came to Canterlot with the element bearers as an escort for Miss Sparkle. She’d been cocooned as well. The lings attempted to carry her off and is presently in Foxgrove.”

“Fox grove you say. Can’t as recall ever hearing about that place,” commented Sandra.

“And why would you? It’s a small isolated community on the border of the Everfree and White Tail woods. Not the sort of place you want to try to get to if you don’t know the way. Lose your way, run headlong into a big Manticore, get gobbled down whole.”

Sandra blanched at the idea of getting eaten by a Manticore.

“I was told to make sure I told her directly, so… I guess I’m stuck here until she wakes up. Names Bernard. It means bear strong.”

“Names Sandra. Means sand… something or another.”

“Long as I’m here, if you aren’t too busy, and well, you’ve any energy left, what say we get her cleaned up and into a bed? And then maybe I’ll see you to bed.”

“Oh, you’d like that, wouldn't you,” Sandra said sarcastically while giving him the stink eye.

“Sleep, I meant sleep. Honestly…” he looked at her and smiled. “Maybe after you’ve gotten some sleep. You look about as bedraggled as Miss Twilight here.”

Sandra looked at him, her mind clicked, and then laughed followed by getting what she needed to get Twilight cleaned up.

Luna glided into Ponyville, and as before few ponies were about. Ponyville had received fallout from the love explosion and when lings came crashing down it caused a panic. Luna of all ponies who’d taken charge and organized the militia while using the name Lulu. Aerie’s mom. Being some ponies mom just seemed to help calm ponies down for some reason. Lings that were alive were quickly rounded up, shackled through the holes in their chitin, muzzled, and locked up in the city lock up. Those that were dead had to be buried or burned before they stank up the place along with the potential for illness to spread caused by the bad air. And ponies that have been organized in productive tasks are less likely to mob… and there was a mob forming.

“Whoa now, slow down,” Luna said as she interjected herself into a heated argument.

“Lulu… wait, how do we know you are you?”

“Stop, just stop. There is far too much that needs being done. What exactly is going on?”

“Ponies started accusing other ponies of being changelings,” Flora informed her. And yes, she’d joined in on the cleanup. In truth, many of the ponies from Ponyville had gone up to Canterlot for the wedding and were starting to trickle back in. Mostly pegasi but a few earth ponies ran from Canterlot the moment the dome of the shield over the city had cracked and were now wandering into town one or two at a time. It would be a while before the mass exodus because the trains weren’t running.

“Look, for simplicity’s sake I propose a general amnesty for any ling that wasn’t part of the invasion. Their Queen is no more. Aerie took care of that. What’s left are scattered and without leadership.”

“You’d like an amnesty, wouldn't you?” Spoiled Rich accused as she got up in Luna’s face.

“Wasn’t Spoiled Rich doing time in Canterlot for attempting property theft?” Luna asked with a devilish smile.

“What? I’m out on bail…”

“Someone lock that ling up.” Luna requested.

“But I’m not a ling! I swear!”

“Then why were you causing all the fuss,” Lyra asked as they closed in on her.

“I proposed a general amnesty so that we wouldn't end up accusing each other of being changelings. Which is what you all are doing right now. And to be true, any one of you might be a ling. They are in all our communities, living side by side with us, and all they ever wanted was a little love. Not their fault their queen went mad. Think about it, Changelings need love energy, something we all give away freely. Any one of you could be a Changeling. Changelings need that ambient energy we all give off. What good is an invasion going to do? Right now, right this instant, there is not a lot of love being spread about. Nothing but suspicion, fear, and even a little hatred if I’m not wrong.”

“Hang on, you said Aerie took care of the Changeling queen? That was definitely an alicorn,” Offered a nearby pegasus.

“Alright, fine, you are absolutely right,” Luna replied as she gave the pony a dirty look. And then she reached up and turned off the N-sid ring.

“Princess Luna?”

“There are two of us, that’s why I’m using Lulu. My counterpart is in Canterlot and considering the hours she sleeps she’s probably slept through the whole invasion. And yes, Aerie is an alicorn. We use an enchantment to hide the horn. Far too many ponies with strange ideas in their heads. And don’t tell Aerie I told you. She kind of likes to be able to move about without getting the royal treatment everywhere she goes and to be honest, I kind of like it too.”

“She’s not going to be too happy about ponies finding out,” Flora added.

“That was really her, that little ball of fluff?”

“Ya, it’s what she does,” Flora replied with a big smile. “She and two others captured a powerful wraith not too long ago.”

“Like a shadow pony. Right now she’s in another village recovering from that fight,” Luna added, reaching up and hiding her horn again. “She’s alright, but that fight came mighty close to being a draw. Why if she hadn’t found the hammer of the Master of the forge, she might have lost.”

“Wait, it’s real?” Cheerilee asked.

“Changelings made the mistake of hanging Aerie up in an ancient armory full of goodies,” Luna replied with an evil grin. “They hadn’t counted on her being able to wake herself up, and she was in a room full of weapons that she could summon to herself. With that camouflage ring on, they missed her horn.”

“Princess, you still want us to lock her up?” Asked a nearby guard as he gave a nod to Mrs Rich.

“Yes. That way she can’t cause trouble. Just don’t put her in with the lings. They might drain her. Best if we had some friendly lings, because I’m not entirely sure what we are going to do with the ones you’ve collected. I’m afraid that in their condition they might turn violent and try to force feed.”

“You know about Changelings?”

“The last time we had problems with them was over a thousand years ago.”

“I’ll admit that I’m at a bit of a loss as to what to do with you,” Nova Silverwood informed Amore. She’d joined her on the veranda, there was a small round table between them and they both had a glass of iced tea.

“Do I attempt to reintegrate into pony society, or stay here, you mean?”

“You heard what I said about not messing up my own timeline. I don’t remember you?”

“She can go into the human world,” Aerie offered from the doorway. “Ponies aren’t likely to accept or trust her right now.” Aerie stepped through the door and out onto the veranda coming to a stop where the sun shown onto the deck.

“I really have nowhere to go, and she’s probably right.”

“It’s entirely possible the reason you don’t remember her is because she leaves Equestria. And she just might have to. Sombra will be back. And there is no accounting for the sort of things your Discord will get up to when he gets free.”

“He means well, but his favors come with a high price,” Nova Silverwood grumbled. “Quite frankly I doubt he’ll ever be truly reformed.”

“He’ll be reformed when he’s no longer Discord.”

“I started out as human. Celestia did too,” Amore offered. “It was Grogar’s virus that transformed everyone into beasts. We were just teens at the time, Celestia and I, and I wouldn't mind being human again. I doubt I could ever look at another pony without feeling ashamed of myself ever again.”

“Well then, what say we take a trip through the portal,” Nova Silverwood offered. "And what happened wasn't your fault."

“By the way, where’s that cool armor I scored?” Aerie asked.

“It’s in the armory being cleaned. The hammer is right where you left it, and no, you aren’t going to need any of that on the other side of the portal.”

Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash, worn out and demoralized, made their way back to their rooms on the off chance they’d find Twilight.

“It’s all my fault,” Applejack lamented. “I knew. I knew deep in my heart that Twilight was tel'in the truth. She just knew that mare was not Cadance.”

“I’ve seen more than my fair share of bride-zilas,” Rarity offered quietly. Pinkie’s mane had gone all droopy from the stress.

“Has anyone seen Spike,” Fluttershy asked.

“No, we haven't,” Dash shot back.

“I’m sorry.” Fluttershy shrank back and hid in her hair the best she could.

“Maybe he found her,” Rarity offered up. “Maybe they are both fine. What say we go back to the Audience hall and check there?”

“As good a plan as any, I guess,” Pinkie confirmed. And then as one, the group made their way back.

They had to go through several checkpoints along the way.

“Miss Pie, was it? Shouldn't your mane be, you know, bigger?” Asked a guard outside the Audience hall.

“I’m tired, it’s been a really, really, really awful day, and we can’t find Twilight whom we desperately need to apologize to because she knew something was off, and not one of us would listen to her!” She’d gone from meek and timmed to getting in his face.

“Alright, alright, cheese… listen, before I let you go through you need to answer one question.”

“And what might that be?” Rarity asked.

“Who’s on first.”

“What?” Dash asked.

“Second base,” Pinkie replied. “Who’s on first.”

“I don’t know,” Dash shot back.

“I Don’t Know is on third. He said Who is on first.”

“I’m confused, What’s the question?” Applejack asked.

“No, What is the second base pony,” Pinkie countered. “He said Who’s on first.”

“Why?”

“Left field.”

“Left field?”

“Maybe we could come back tomorrow?” Fluttershy timidly suggested.

“Pitcher,” Pinkie stated.

“OK, OK, I think I get it, it’s a baseball thing, and we have to get the right answer. How does this work?”

OK, work with me here. The pitcher throws the ball to first base and…”

“Well, who gets it?”

“Naturally.”

“Who?”

“Yes.”

“The pitcher throws the ball to who?”

“Naturally.”

“Ah, I think I see. So the pitcher throws the ball to Naturally…”

“No, he throws it to who.”

“That’s what I’m asking! The pitcher throws the ball to who?”

“Naturally.”

“I said the pitcher throws the ball to naturally.”

“No, the ball is thrown to Who.”

“OK, humored me here. Let’s say I’m the pitcher…”

“Tomorrow.”

“Fine then, Tomorrow throws the ball to first base, whoever it is drops the ball, so the guy runs to second. Who picks up the ball and throws it to What. What throws it to I Don't Know. I Don't Know throws it back to Tomorrow—a triple play.”

“Yup, could be.”

“Another guy gets up and it's a long fly ball to Because. Why? I don't know. He's on third and I don't give a darn!”

“Shortstop.”

“What?

“Second base.”

“Oh, don’t you dare? Don’t you go and start in all over again.”

“You can enter,” Offered the guard with a smirk on his face.

“Well it’s about dang time,” Applejack stated, turned, and walked through the door with the others following.

They found a disheartened Princess Celestia. With her were several officers of the Guard, Nobles, and Civic leaders.

“Princess Celestia, Who’s on first?” Rarity asked.

“What, I Don’t Know, Why, Because, Tomorrow, Today, and I don’t give a damn,” Celestia said without even bothering to look up from the reports.

“We were wondering if you’ve seen Twilight or Spike. If that’s OK,” Fluttershy asked timidly.

“And Miss Aerie,” Dash put in.

“Miss Aerie?” Celestia repeated. This time she did look up.

“Miss Aerie had tagged along. Said she’d been assigned to look after Twilight. We haven't seen either all day.”

“Ma’am, there’s no one on the rotation by that name and so far as I’m aware there were no guards assigned to Miss Sparkle,” one of the officers informed Princess Celestia. “I fear she may have been abducted.”

“Miss Aerie…” Celestia said softly as she turned to face the hole in the wall where a window used to be. She’d been given a brief account of the events, the nightmare creature who on exposure to the daylight regained herself and transformed into an alicorn both beautiful and fearful to behold. Names had been left out and they had yet to get a full account of who all was in that specific party. “Is the one who broke that window.”

“What?” Applejack asked.

“Second base,” Celestia replied. Applejack looked even more confused.

“Are you saying that she took on Queen Chrysalis?” Dash asked. “That is so awesome!”

“I made the mistake of holding back. I hesitated and held back. She didn’t.” Celestia turned back on hearing the unmistakable sound of Spike’s claws on the tiled floor.

“Spike?”

“I went to her parent’s house,” Spike announced. “They are alright, but Twilight never got there.”

“Excuse me, Ma’am,” Offered one of the ponies who’d been convalescing in the room. One of the guards who’d been cocooned and now sported a very fine sword at his side. “Miss Sparkle had been with our group when we broke out. It was she who escorted Princess Cadance to this very room. Once the lings were driven out she retired from the room, but I couldn't say where she went.” He had to think for a moment. “We were all suffering from the effects of having been cocooned. Perhaps she went to seek help from the clinic?”

“On it!” Spike announced and started trotting for the exit.

“Not without us,” Dash declared, chased after him, and was in turn followed by Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie, and Fluttershy.

Their exuberance died down when they arrived. Every bed was full. Every hallway lined with cots. Every conceivable place a pony could lie down filled.

“Twilight Sparkle? I’m terribly sorry, she was taken out of here some time ago.”

“Taken out of here?!” Applejack asked in horror.

“Indeed, there was no room, and the poor thing was slumped over a chair.”

“Slumped over…” Rarity said softly, her legs giving out.

“Yes, that’s right. She’d been working all afternoon on making curative for every pony who’d been cocooned. She was exhausted. She has a private apartment here in the castle, they probably took her there.”

“Then she’s alive?” Dash demanded.

“Of course she is. What did you think I meant? Honestly...” Her last word trailed off as Spike and the others raced off through the castle once more.

Comments

[badninja]

That was a great old bit, Who’s on First is a classic.

[RyRy]

I almost can't believe you manage to marehandle in who's on first as a passphrase.

[ToMahkAros]

Ah yes, the Abbot and Castello bit. Loved it!!!

[harts fire]

now this brings back memory's of my youth back when my parents only had a radio

a awesome chapter .