Disharmony Saga

Twilight slowly regains consciousness as she looks around her and sees the aftermath of the crash. All around her trees lay on the ground broken into pieces, rocks lay overturned, and there is a large skid mark from where the caboose had rolled across the dirt. Behind Twilight the caboose, or what was left of it, was destroyed beyond recognition. Parts of it were scattered all across the area. Twilight could not remember what had happened initially but slowly as she collected her thoughts she remembered with horror what had just happened. She tries to get up but realizes that she does not have the strength to move and her body is in pain. She looks around for her friends but cannot see any of them. She calls into the night, “Girls!? Girls where are you?” Seconds pass and no response is heard.  She prepares to call again when Apple Jacks voice comes from behind her, “Twilight? I’m over here with Pinkie but I’m banged up pretty bad. Can hardly stand at the moment.” Twilight looks over at the direction of the voice and sees Apple Jack moving towards her leaning on Pinkie. Twilight again tries to stand and manages to get off the ground, she slowly moves towards Pinkie and Apple Jack. Pinkie looks at Twilight, “Don’t worry Twilight; me and Apple Jack are okay, just few bruises that’s all.” They meet half way both Twilight and Apple Jack seemingly about to collapse. Apple Jack gathers the strength to speak, “Where’s the rest of the girls? I woke up collapsed on a rock. Didn’t manage to get up till Pinkie began shaking me.” Pinkie looks at Apple Jack, “I woke up next to you and immediately tried to get you to wake up.” Twilight looks around a look of worry showing on her face, “It looks like we were thrown from the caboose before it stopped completely. We should hurry and look for the girls they might be in great pain or…” Twilight did not dare to finish the sentence. She looked towards Apple jack and Pinkie, all three nod in agreement, nothing more needed to be said. They move around the crash site looking for their friends. Apple jack leans on a tree for support when she notices a purple mane sticking out from around the tree. “Rarity! Twilight I found Rarity! She’s unconscious though.” Apple Jack bends over Rarity to try and wake her up. Apple Jack shakes her violently to get a response. Finally Rarity shows signs of life and begins to wake up, “Apple…Apple…Apple Jack? What happened to your mane, it’s all filthy.” At this Apple Jack smiles glad to see that her friend is okay, “My mane? You should look at yours first before you go and judge mine.” Rarity looks at her body and almost passes out again, she tries to stand but Apple Jack stops her, “Easy there Rarity, take it nice and slow now. Don’t want you to go and hurt yourself.” Twilight makes her way towards Apple Jack and Rarity but stops when she feels something thumping her on one of her hooves. She looks down and sees a small brown rabbit. As soon as the rabbit realizes it has her attention it runs off behind a fallen tree before stopping and thumping its foot furiously. This confuses Twilight at first but she soon realizes what the rabbit is trying to do. She moves towards the fallen tree and looks behind it. She sees Fluttershy on the ground with a group of small woodland creatures surrounding her. “Apple Jack! I found Fluttershy! She’s over here by this fallen tree.” At the sound of Twilights voice Fluttershy seems to begin to wake, she turns to face Twilight, “Twi…light? Is...that...you?” Twilight leans in to get a closer look, “Fluttershy are you in any pain? Can you stand?” Fluttershy takes a little time but with the help of some small woodland creatures manages to stand. “I don’t think I’m hurt that bad, just a few bruises on me.” Fluttershy looks around her remembering what had just happened and looks at Twilight and says in a weak voice, “Where are the other girls? Are they alright?” Twilight points her head towards the tree where Apple jack and Rarity are, “Apple Jack and Pinkie are fine and sounds like Rarity is too.” Her face changes to a look of concern, “We still haven’t found Rainbow Dash though.” Sadness creeps its way up Fluttershy’s face.  “Come on Fluttershy, I’m sure she’s okay. We just need to find her.” Fluttershy nods and they move towards Apple Jack and Rarity. They arrive to the tree where Apple Jack is helping Rarity stand. They hug briefly but then prepare to continue to look for Rainbow. Before they can even start though they hear a faint voice coming from inside of the destroyed train cart, “Help…help” The girls move towards the cart as quickly as they can. Apple Jack gathers enough strength to climb over a broken section of the carts wall and look inside, “Its Rainbow Dash! She seems pretty hurt too.” Apple Jack jumps into the caboose and sees her friend there barely awake. “Rainbow! Rainbow! Come on Rainbow speak to me!” Rainbow slowly opens her eyes and looks at Apple Jack. “Hey there Apple Jack. Crazy ride wasn’t it? Remind me to thank Twilight for all the fun tonight.” Apple Jack smiles at this but then regains her focus, Rainbow can you move?” Rainbow quickly stands up but immediately falls from pain. She looks at Apple Jack, “I think my right wing is broken. Can’t seem to move it.” Hearing this Apple jacks puts her back towards a broken wall of the caboose and begins to kick it trying to make it fall. After a few painful attempts the wall falls and Twilight enters the caboose. She looks at Rainbow Dash and helps to put the downed pony over her and Apple Jacks back to carry out.  They manage to get Rainbow out of the caboose but before any pony has a chance to say anything Twilight sees something out of the corner of her eye. Red mist begins to move from behind the trees. The red mist takes the form of Siren’s hooded accomplice Zartanis. Twilight turns to face him, “What do you want from us. Why have you been chasing me and my friends?” Zartanis does not answer and instead manipulates the red mist around him till it takes the shape of a serpent. The red mist suddenly lunges towards Twilight and her friends. Before any of them have a chance to react though a green mist shoots from behind them into the mouth of the red mist serpent making it fall to the ground and vanish. Zartanis is immediately caught off guard by this. A familiar voice comes from behind Twilight, “Attack my friends is what you intended to do. Unaware though that I was watching you.” From behind the girls Zecora emerges with a look of concern on her, “Are you all okay Twilight Sparkle?”  Twilight looks towards her and nods her head. Zecora refocuses her attention towards Zartanis, “Long time it has been. Since I have seen my fellow kin.” A look of confusion spreads across the girls faces. Zecora looks towards the direction of PonyVille, “Asleep I was in my hut till I heard a noise that no longer allowed me to keep my eyes shut.” Zecora looks back towards Zartanis, “Zartanis why do you attack my friends with no repent? Do you no longer remember what you used to represent?” Zartanis removes his hood and reveals black and white stripes with a zebra mane, “Zecora my old friend. I did not expect to see you in a place like this. I see from rhymes a priestess you have become. Too bad my banishment prevented me from attending the celebration.” Zecora winces at this and steps forward, “Spare me your lies of what you pretend. What is it that you intend?” Zartanis gathers his red mist around his body while preparing to speak, “I am saddened Zecora that you live in this land since it is I that is helping to spread Disharmony through it. I give you chance old friend. Join me and I guarantee your safety.” Zartanis extends his hoof to Zecora. Zecora turns away from him, “True it is that my friend you were. But you are not the one I remember.” Zartanis lowers his hoof, “Then perish with these ponies!” The red mist launches towards Zecora engulfing her body. What Zartanis hadn’t realized though was that Zecora’s green mist had moved across the ground wrapping itself around one of Zartanis’s hooves. In an instant the green mist explodes and Zartanis falls towards on the ground in pain. The red mist that had covered half of Zecora’s body also explodes; she falls to the ground with wounds covering half her body. Twilight and the rest rush over to her to help. Zartanis with an injured hoof decides not to continue on, “Another time ponies and I guarantee that my former friend will not save you next time.” Zartanis’s body turns into red mist before flowing into the forest. Twilight moves over Zecora, “Fluttershy, and Pinkie. Help carry her back towards PonyVille. She’s really hurt.” Pinkie and Fluttershy nod in agreement and lift Zecora on their backs. They begin to move in pain and agony towards PonyVille under a starless night.