The Ballad of Harmony

Act Two
Hope for Canterlot

That sight, at that time, has never left me. The sun had just risen, and there was a beautiful glow radiating from its towers. Magic, I thought, the magical towers of Canterlot, I was finally at an area with my own race. Not that having Cell around didn’t help the mood, but I’ve been searching for this city, for it was going to serve as a base to wherever these ‘elements of harmony’ were hiding. With a smile on my face I began to walk out of the brush and continued on my path down to the road that led into the underbelly of Canterlot. Cell walked up alongside me “So, there’s Canterlot, Pretty!” she giggled and began to bounce instead of walk. “Yes. ‘Pretty’ is right. This city was founded by some of the most famous unicorns thousands of years ago. It still stands with the architecture of the time, and ruled by the same.” I remarked in an informative pattern, the city was all that the unicorns talked about at the ministry… the ministry… its hard to believe all that had happened only a small amount of time ago. A fierce pain rushed into my side as I thought of this and I had to stop for a moment, Cell bounced on ahead, not realizing that I had frozen. I looked up and tried to call for her but I was silenced. A silence spell! I thought it had to have been a scout protecting the great city’s border. I attempted to turn around, but my feet were frozen as well, a simple scout would not use such magic on a unicorn like me, I posed no immediate threat, who could it be? My questions were answered in a half second; a laugh filled the air… a vile laugh, such that I wished I would never be able to hear again. I became very angry and I tried with all my might to move, “oh come now, my dear little friend, why do you act so angry?” the voice filled my mind, not just the air, “you’ve only made it THIS far? Haha! You might not pose a challenge to me after all…” the beast rose from the water behind me, and took his stance he sarcastically took a fighting pose, and then laughed again. “oh you look ready for fighting!” he then stopped and flew by my side, “you’re looking feisty. Look, all I did was come here to look in on your progress, and, quite frankly sir, I am disappointed. At this rate you will NEVER beat me. And like I said, what is there to a victory without a challenge? I tell you what, I’ll give you a little help!” he flew away again, his voice still floating in my head, help… the beast wants to give me his help? His HELP? This creature was more cunning than I thought. He wants a challenge? I laughed on the inside, and from that moment on I vowed to give the beast the largest challenge of all time. He reappeared, “now, as I said I’ll help you, but only for a pointer, a, um, riddle If you will. Find the answer to this and you will find the answer to where your next step lies.” Discord relaxed himself and flew over the water again:

Turning and burning atop a pike,

Fading ever more into the light,

Below this pike belongs a room,

To enter such you need a clue,

The clue as simple as light and day,

Twist it and move it, upside down

Within this room, the master looms….

hahahahahahaha….

And, with that laugh he disappeared and the silence spell lifted, I could move again. I quickly opened my satchel and wrote down the riddle that he had just said to me. I finished and put it away. I turned around and looked around. Cell was gone! Can I not have a companion follow me? Must I always be separated from those that make me happy? From those that fill me with joy? I don’t know, but it made me sadder as I thought of it, so I vowed not to think of it, not anymore.

I continued to walk on the path and I finally came upon the entrance to the underbelly, the sewers and such of Canterlot, one of the vilest places in Equestria, The only reason being because there is no constant care for the area by the up-tight unicorns that live in this magnificent city. I walked forward and began to trek through the mud and goo that covered the ground. It smelled vile, and I had to resist the urge to be sick while walking through it. I walked forwards and found a hole that looked as though it headed up. I began to walk into it when I heard behind me, “WAIT!!!!” I turned suddenly and I saw a glimpse of Cell, she had lunged forward and hit me dead on, we slid down the gook for a moment then a door opened downwards and we fell even more. Then we landed on a soft cushion. I felt good, but only for a moment before I realized we were sitting in a more concentrated form of the mud and goo, I tried to get up but it was effortless, I couldn’t move. I wiggled and wiggled until I was able to move to the left enough to flip around, I noticed Cell was really close to me, “C- Cell,” I struggled, “What was that for?” Cell giggled, “I dunno, I didn’t mean to make us fall, I actually wanted to warn you not to go over there so we wouldn’t fall!” Cell was laughing uncontrollably, and I sighed. “cmon Cell, we gotta get outta this mess…” and I resumed struggling. She laughed yet again, and in one swift motion she flipped out and freed herself from the goo, and again I sighed. She landed on the ground and turned around, “cmon slow-poke!” she giggled, “it’s just a wiggle n’ a twist!” As I moved myself again I grunted, “It’s hopeless!” I froze myself, in the mists of all this, I wanted to just give up, but Cell wasn’t going to have that happen. Cell jumped back up-top of the muddy goo and grabbed the back of my tail and pulled. We both flew out of the goo and crashed on the floor. Much better, I thought. “see? That wasn’t very hard now was it, Tray?” Cell stated, “you can’t just give up too easily or we won’t ever get to Canterlot!” these words snapped my brain, ‘never get to Canterlot”…… the thought of that made the hair on the back of my main stand up. “okay, you made your point.” I declared, “Let’s get moving then!” and with a smile we were off.