Chapter 8: Seeking Harmony

~~~Three days later~~~

"Hey Twilly any leads on the elements?"

"Its the same as the last TEN times you've asked me Rainbow Dash they're ahead...to the north...thats the BEST I can do" she shot back "Ask me one more time, and you'll be the first Pegasus to see what's past the MOON!" she added glaring at her friend who swallowed and fell silent.

"Um...Twilight?" a quiet voice asked from her other side.

The poor alicorn nearly screamed "WHAT?!" she cried whirling on the culprit.

Fluttershy paled and squeaked ducking her head "N-nevermind..."

"I'm sorry Fluttershy just someponies been grinding my nerves all morning" she replied trying to reassure her friend as she shot another glare at Dashie who had the intelligence to give a dry chuckle and start flying on ahead.

The group walked on as it was a little while before much was said, and when it was, it was a rather innocent question.

"Hey Twilight,-" Spike started

"What? Going to ask where the elements are? Why I can't give a more exact location where they are?" she snapped whirling on the baby dragon "What sorta doubts are you all gonna heap on me now? Guess what I'm not bucking PERFECT!" she raged horn sparking faintly as she did.

the group at this point had drawn to a halt, eight sets of eyes staring aghast and confused at the shaking Alicorn. "Hm...pent up aggression, exploding at random points at those you call friends, being the first to fall asleep every night...Tell tale signs of an affair..."

This of course set the group off everypony whirling around to stare at the sight of an odd looking figure sitting in a chair a pair of glasses perched on his muzzle, Twilight's reaction was the loudest "Discord?! What the HAY are you talking about?!"

"Oh Twilly, haven't you learned anything about taking a Joke?" he asked glancing up smirking at the glare the Alicorn was giving him "You know you still aren't intimidating right?"

"Shut up, what the hay are you even doing here loser?" Rainbow Dash demanded

Soarin sighed "I'm betting Princess Celestia sent you to check up on us didn't she?" he asked

"Glad to see someone here's using their head" The Dragonequus replied smirking as he tapped on the note pad in his claw...paw thing. "That is indeed the 'official' reason I am out here in this chaos forsaken land to talk to all of you silly little ponies..."

"Just skip to the point Discord, we all know you're not just here for official reasons, you're never ANYWHERE for just official reasons!" Twilight cut in an air of a long standing argument audible in her voice.

"Oh Twilly, why would I simply handle the obvious business? Do you have any idea how boring life would be without mixing things up alittle? Then again I can think of a few other things that would get boring too wouldn't they Twilly?" he asked.

Twilight growled "Mixing things up, is THAT what you call switching all the books in the library around when I was trying to read up on my new powers? I can't begin to tell you how long it took me to find all the parts of 'A Study of Alicorn Magic' so I could finish reading it all."

"Three days, ten hours, twenty two minutes and fifteen point seven seconds exactly." the god of chaos replied idly examining a claw "But that wasn't what I was talking about and YOU know it Twilly"

She paused and frowned "You wouldn't..." she muttered cheeks flaring up pink.

"I think I would...it would be hilarious to see their reactions to this little number..."

"Discord I swear the first thing I'll do when we get back is seal you in your statue for a DECADE if you tell them." She shot back.

He smirked knowing he'd hit a nerve "and disappoint your dear mentor?" he chuckled as the violet alicorn grumbled faintly, "or maybe you're just ashamed of your newest...friend...she'd be so heartbroken to hear you so embarrassed about how she helped you out."

"How the hay do you even know anything? You've never been around when we've hung out!" she protested.

"Twi, what on earth are you two talkin' about?" Applejack asked only to be ignored.

Discord chuckled "I have my ways Twilly...now then I think its time for a little show and tell to...liven up this extended party you're hosting"

"Why do you hate me so much?" Twilight sighed giving in to the fact there was no stopping the Dragonequus.

"Twilight if I hated you, I wouldn't be doing this, I find you a fun pony to be around..." he smirked "Cause you're just so easy to mess with..." his hands glowed faintly as an image began to form like smoke in front of the group.

Twilight whimpered faintly and sat down head hung. The scene that formed was familiar to her "why me" she mumbled "why am I the one to suffer..."

"Cause you're awesome like that Twi" Dashie replied absently "Now hush I admit...I'm curious now"

~~~Projection, Royal Canterlot Observatory, one year earlier, late night/early morning~~~

Twlight sighed as she gazed out over the slumbering city, "the day went well...but...why do I still feel so off..." she sighed ears drooping "Because I'm still upset over what happened..."

"Something troubling you Twilight Sparkle?" a soft voice asked behind her as she spun around stiffening at the sight of the Princess of the Night.

Immediately she started to bow "Oh ah...sorry Princess Lu-"

"Please Twilight Sparkle, there is no need to bow to me, we are friends are we not?" she asked slightly waving the display of reverence off.

Straightening Twilight blushed softly "Y-yes we are..." she smiled slightly "So...um...if you were coming up here to do something I-I can leave..."

"what if I were to tell you you're the reason I'm up here?" the other mare replied with a small smile.

Twilight blinked "You are?" she asked honestly confused "But...why...how did you even know i was up here?"

"One of my guards saw you coming up, I was surprised to learn you were still awake after all thats happened today." she replied approaching slowly as the Unicorn turned away.

"I just...needed to think...about everything that had gone on..." she replied quietly "Today... the way everypony reacted..."

"it hurt didn't it?" Luna asked quietly glancing down at her friend.

She nodded "I thought...they would believe me, that after Discord we could stick together through anything, but they so easily turned their backs on me...Even Princess Celestia..." a soft sniff came as she looked down.

"Losing the trust of those you care about hurts, be it for a few hours or a millenia..." Luna muttered quietly "But you will never recover if you continue to dwell on it...I know all to well..." she frowned slightly.

"I'm sorry...I bet t-this is the last thing you want to hear..." twilight mumbled glancing away.

Giving a half smile the taller mare shook her head "Nay, I'm here to try and help you Twilight..." her wing stretched out to wrap around her younger friend's shoulders pulling her in closer "Just...let it out Twilight" she murmured softly "however you wish, I've got you my friend, I promise" her voice grew softer as Twilight sniffled one last time before giving in turning and nuzzling her muzzle against Luna's shoulder breaking down, tears streaming down her cheeks as the Princess' grasp tightened slightly silence reigning under the watchful gaze of the moon above....

~~~Present Day, midday, Changeling Lands, End Vision~~~

Twilight curled up "Can I die now....why did you HAVE to show them THAT?!" she demanded glaring darkly at the smirking Discord.

"Oh Twilly I told you I'd enjoy their reactions..." he retorted "And I am..." with that a flash of smoke erupted as he was now seated in a plush chair a cup in one arm and a bag of popcorn in his claw.

"Ugh..." she groaned covering her head in her wings face bright red in embarrassment.

"Twi..." Spike muttered glancing at his friend.

"I...I had no idea we'd hurt yah so much sugarcube."

"I'm fine, that was awhile ago." Twilight replied brushing it off "I got over it eventually, I came to terms with it and moved on"

"But still, you had a point, we'd been through enough together we should have at least given you the benefit of the doubt..." Rainbow Dash replied.

"yes Darling, I guess...we just got so wrapped up in preparing for the wedding we didn't want to accept that it was fake..." Rarity added laying a hoof on Twilight's shoulder.

"I get it girls, like I said...it was awhile ago, I'm not mad anymore...I could never stay mad at you all for long." She replied sitting up slightly. "So please...just...don't go reading too much into this okay?"

"A-alright Twilight" Fluttershy mumbled quietly.

Discord sighed "You know i was hoping for a bit more humor from that" he muttered "Well I do have other things to attend to...so I really MUST be going" he smirked "just remember what I said Twilly...chow." with a puff of smoke the creature vanished.

Twilight sighed faintly and stood up "Lets just get moving" she commented starting forward at a steady trot only to yelp as a pink blur tackled her knocking her back into a roll as she landed wrapped in a tight hug from a certain hyper party pony

"Oh Twilly I'msorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorry!" she whined rapidly "I didn't mean to make you cry like that! I just had never gotten to throw a party like that before I was so super mega excited I didn't stop to think how you'd feel." she stated all in one breath as she squeezed her friend tightly "Please forgive me Twilly, pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!"

"Ugh...ah...Pinkie...I can't..." She muttered squirming a bit only to yelp as soon the rest of her friends joined in the group hug "g-girls...I-I told you I was fine" she muttered faintly a smile crossing her muzzle all the same.

"Still its long overdue for us to apologize Twilight...i-if you don't mind" Fluttershy mumbled

"Its fine Fluttershy...I appreciate this really girls" She smiled softly managing to pat the yellow pegasus on the shoulder awkwardly "But really...we should get going the elements and Cadance won't rescue themselves ya know" she noted as the group hug slowly split up Twilight shaking herself out a bit and grimacing as her wings still appeared ruffled as she fluttered them faintly to shake them back out. "Hang on...somethings...." she frowned and closed her eyes her horn glowing faintly as it sparkled faintly the ring glowing faintly, at the same time a light tingling came from the necks of Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie all at the same time "I'm...the trace on the Elements has shifted...They're...they're not just straight ahead anymore..."

"Where are they now?" Rainbow asked eagerly.

Twilight frowned "they're...that way" she muttered "no...that way..." she shook her head glancing around "They're...this is bad..."

"Whats wrong sugarcube?" Applejack asked a bit worriedly as her friend spun around in a circle

With a large sigh Twilight concentrated six simple images forming from the light on her horn imitating the shape of her friend's cutie marks spreading out in several different directions "Loyalty's to the northwest, laughter to the southwest, kindness to the east, generosity to the south as best I can tell, Honesty's to the north east, and Magic's straight ahead to the north." She explained "We're gonna have to split up to find them all."

"You sure thats a good idea?" Spitfire asked "WE have no idea how well guarded they are we might need all the strength we can get."

"But we can't let the changelings know we've found them, we split up and hit all six as quickly as possible, so they have little time to figure out we're retrieving the elements." Rainbow Dash replied.

"But...who goes with who?" Pinkie pie asked curiously "I mean...ya know who would make the best teams?"

Rarity smiled faintly "I was thinking about that and might have a few ideas..." She stated glancing around the group "I was thinking we send Fluttershy and Big McIntosh out to retrieve the Element of Kindness, Dashie and Soarin go to try and find Loyalty, Applejack and Spitfire to find Honesty, Twilight, you and Spikey can track down magic, and I and pinkie will go after our own elements ourselves."

"That sounds like a plan to me" AJ replied smiling slightly.

The rest of the group nodded and gave various assents but for Twilight "I don't think its a good idea for anyone to accompany me" she replied simply.

"why not Twi?" Rainbow asked

"Simple, to use the Elements which I'm betting they're planning they'd have to immitate us and to copy us that'd mean there'd be an alicorn changeling running around with as much power as i have. Now I can defend myself fairly well, but I can't fight them and keep an eye on somepony else at the same time. So I want to go alone so I can take down whoever has their grubby hooves on my Element and show them what they get for messing with Equestria. So Spike I want you to accompany Rarity to go find the Element of Generosity."

"Hey I have a question...why is it nopony's wondering about sending Pinkie off alone?" Soarin asked quietly.

Rainbow snorted "Simple, she knows everything and has her Pinkie Sense she'll be fine, there isn't ANYTHING! Those changeling losers can come up with that she won't see comin'."

Pinkie grinned dementedly as she reached behind her whipping out a fair sized cannon "And I have my Party Cannon!"

"See? Just fine" spike commented waving a claw in dismissal. With that decision the group gathered up their things and started off in their individual directions

~~~Ponyville~~~

Screams filled the streets as a little blue bug floated over to an apple stand

"The Horror, the Horror!" Lily yelled as she ran inside.

"Zecora...is that?" Scootaloo asked.

"A parasprite." Zecora responded, "A little sprite that has an appeitite to destroy our home. In short, we're doomed."

Author's Note

~~~Author's Note~~~

Spark: Okay can I say it THIS time Twi?
Twilight: Yes, you may say it.
Spark: YES! *clears throat* DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN!!!!
Twilight: Now that he's gotten that out of the way, please review.
Spark: Seriously! this is where the story starts to really pick up everypony we want the comments~