Specter of Equis

Scorpion teleported into Ponyville, arriving in a fiery blaze. Upon his arrival, he saw everypony in a frenzy. The sky above was still split between day and night. Not to mention, it was filled with dark, spiked clouds. On the ground, all hell was breaking loose. Black roots, vines, and branches were spreading through the town. They were covering nearly every structure in sight. Some ponies were trying to fend off the weeds, while others ran for cover.

“By the Elder Gods…” Hanzo quickly set out to find his friends. As he moved through the town, the weeds continued to spontaneously sprout. Hanzo drew his blades and slashed at some of the vines, only to find they continued to grow. Sheathing his swords, he threw his Hellfire at some of the roots, but again, it seemed his efforts were in vain.

“I for one would appreciate an explanation!” a voice sounded out from the town square. Hanzo saw Rarity standing on the deck of the hall.

Rainbow Dash flew down above her shortly after. “All I know is the sky’s split in two, and these clouds moving sure aren’t from around here.”

“Neither are all these crazy plants,” Applejack added. She was on the ground just a few feet away from her friends. “They’re comin from the Everfree Forest. And try as we might, us Earth Ponies can’t do anythin to get rid of em.” A moment later, another root spread across the ground, which Pinkie Pie slid across to join her friends. She and Applejack approached the hall. “Don’t suppose you might know any magic that might stop em from spreadin?” AJ asked Rarity.

“Alas, this whole raging forest situation seems to have left my horn on the fritz,” she answered.

Fluttershy flew in to join her friends. “We have figure out something. I don’t know how much more of this Ponyville can take.” A weed sprouted up and latched on to her. She cried out, trying to get the plant off. Rainbow Dash flew in and kicked the branch off of her. “I don’t know how much more I can take!”

“The forest is expandin, y’all,” Applejack said. Beside her, Pinkie Pie was angrily hopping up and down on another branch, trying to suppress it. “And judgin by how fast it’s movin,” AJ continued, “it doesn’t seem content just takin over Ponyville. I reckon before long, it’ll cover half of Equestria!”

Scorpion stepped forward. “Not if I have anything to do about it.”

“Hanzo!” his friends all shouted in unison.

“I’m glad to see you are all unharmed,” he said, walking over to them.

“Likewise,” Applejack said. “We’re glad to see you here, Hanzo. Hopefully you can help us deal with all this mess.”

“I plan to. We should move inside somewhere, for now. I need time to figure out what exactly is going on, and how we can combat it,” Hanzo suggested.

“Maybe there’s something in one of the books in Twilight’s library that can help,” Fluttershy said.

“It’s a place to start. Let’s move.” Scorpion led the way, fending off weeds and branches with his swords and Hellfire. Rainbow Dash kept away any clouds that veered off towards the group. A few yards away from the library, the group was completely cut off, though.

“What do we do?” Pinkie asked.

“Get behind me. Leave this to me,” Hanzo said. The ponies grouped up behind him. He began gathering energy and building up his Hellfire. With a loud cry, Scorpion jumped in the air and unleashed an extraordinary blaze that incinerated all the vines in sight. He landed with a thud, breathing heavily. He seemed weary after the attack.

“Hanzo! Are you okay?!” Fluttershy asked. She and Rarity helped him to his feet.

“Yes, I’m fine. But I feel weak for some reason. That attack shouldn’t have left me so hindered,” he said.

“Maybe all this crud with the Everfree Forest is having some effect on you, too,” Rainbow Dash said.

“But how can that be? My Hellfire should be able to withstand whatever tainted magics are looming over us.”

“I wouldn’t be too surprised. It’s got Rarity’s magic in a tizzy,” Applejack noted.

“We’ll have to figure it out later. Let’s get inside, quick!” Rainbow Dash said. The group rushed into the library. Rarity shut the door behind them. Scorpion took a seat on the couch, while the rest of the group began perusing the shelves for something they could use.

Fluttershy sat down next to Hanzo. “You okay?”

“I will be fine. Thank you, Fluttershy. You should help the others,” he said.

“Nonsense. I’ll get you a glass of water,” she said. Hanzo nodded. She was in and out of the kitchen in a quick moment.

Scorpion removed his mask and took a sip. “Thank you.”

Fluttershy smiled at him. “Anything for a friend. You think we’ll get through this?” she asked.

“We always do. Besides, we’ve all been through worse. Odd magical impulses and creeping vines should hardly be a problem,” Hanzo said. There was confidence in his voice that cheered Fluttershy up.

After Hanzo regained his strength, he and Fluttershy joined the rest of the group in searching through the shelves for something to aid them in the endeavor of pushing back the invading forest. But nothing they could find seemed to be of any use. There were numerous texts on the Everfree Forest, but none spoke of invading plants or odd weather patterns or a sky split in two. It was all foreign magic, apparently.

“This is startin to feel like a lost cause,” Applejack stated.

“We can’t just give up,” Rainbow Dash replied.

“Just keep looking,” Hanzo said. “One of these books must have something that can help us.”

In a flash, a purple blur teleported into the library. The group quickly realized it was Twilight, who flew across the floor and slammed into a pile of books. Outside, Fluttershy saw Spike smack against a window. Twilight recovered from her crash landing. Everypony was relieved to see her.

“Oh, thank goodness,” Rarity said.

“Oh, I hope you know we wouldn’t normally go through your books without permission,” Fluttershy added.

Spike crawled in through the door a moment later. “Sweet ground!” he said, then kissed the floor. “Sweet, sweet, wonderful ground!”

“Okay, I get it, I need to work on my flying!” Twilight jeered.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the Everfree Forest is a teeny, tiny bit out of control,” Pinkie said. Her tail started twitching, and a second later, a massive branch shot into the library through an open window, which knocked Rarity to the floor.

“Guess it turned out you were missin somethin here in Ponyville after all,” Applejack said, cutting the branch in half by shutting the window.

Rarity hopped up, shaking her head to blow off the dizziness. “Well, perhaps you already know what’s going on with this calamity. Has Princess Celestia sent you to dispel it, post haste?”

“Not exactly,” Twilight started. “You see, Princess Celestia is… well, she and Luna are…”

“They’re missing!” Spike shouted out. The group gasped in unison.

“What does this mean, then?” Hanzo asked.

“I’m not sure. I don’t know who’s taken the Princesses, or what’s causing all of this, but I have a feeling we’ll need the Elements of Harmony to stop it,” Twilight said, fetching the Elements from the display case. She gave each pony their respective Element.

“Aw, yeah! Just like old times!” Rainbow Dash cheered.

“I told you we’d always be connected by the Elements,” AJ said to Twilight.

She smiled, then looked to Scorpion. “As for you, Hanzo, I believe you forgot this when you last visited me.” Twilight held up Scorpion’s ring with her magic.

Hanzo chuckled. “I thought I was forgetting something,” he said, holding out his right ring finger. Twilight slipped the ring on. Hanzo was immediately rejuvenated, thanks to the ring’s charm.

“Feeling any better, Hanzo?” Pinkie asked.

“Considerably,” he answered.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Was something wrong that you weren’t feeling well, Hanzo?”

“I had to dispel a great deal of these vines for us to enter the library. But, my attack left me greatly inhibited. It was odd; my Hellfire has never sapped my energy like it did then. I think it may have something to do with this event, as it is causing many untoward magical anomalies.”

Twilight scratched her chin. “I don’t think that would affect your Hellfire, though. Perhaps it’s the magic the Princesses imbued you with when you became Protector.”

Hanzo’s face lit up. “Of course, the magic meant to enhance my natural and demonic abilities.”

“Right. You can’t use magic like we can in Equestria, but I’m sure the magic the Princesses bestowed upon you is out of whack right now. Rather than enhance you, it’s impeding you. Lucky for us, you’re ring is a specific charm that should be immune to magical hindrances.”

“So long as I am able to help you all combat this threat,” Hanzo said, nodding to his friends. “What kind of Protector would I be if I could not?”

Twilight smiled, then stepped over to a window to look outside. “Half day, half night. Strange weather patterns. Out of control plants. I think I’m starting to get a pretty good idea of who we’re up against.”

“You believe this to be Discord’s work?” Scorpion questioned.

“I do.”

Hanzo scratched his chin. “I’m not so sure. Yes, this is all highly chaotic, but something about this doesn’t fit his MO. He’s never been able to cause magical disturbances. And splitting the sky in half seems a bit difficult for him. Yes, he’s been able to cause the sun and moon to erratically change positions, but keeping them both up like this seems a challenge even for him.”

“And, um, he is reformed, remember?” Fluttershy added. The group looked to her; the ponies all gave her quizzical looks.

“I still say we summon him. We have to get to the bottom of this, one way or another, and Discord is the only suspect we’ve got as of now,” Twilight said. Everypony nodded.

After Scorpion put his mask back on, the group moved back outside. They found an empty space among the tattered, plant-filled streets to perform the summoning. The ponies circled up, with Hanzo and Spike standing close by. Twilight engaged her magic, activating the Elements. The ponies were lifted into the air; a rainbow bloomed from Rarity’s Element, connecting all of the others, until it reached the tip of Twilight’s crown. In a flurry of color, Discord magically appeared. He was in the middle of taking a shower

“Winter wrap up, winter wrap u- ooh! Ha ho! Now, Twilight, you know Princess Celestia said that you were to give me a heads up before you summon me, with that little spell she gave you,” Discord said, tapping at Twilight’s crown. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I was in the middle of a particularly invigorating shower,” he continued, shaking his towel-covered behind in Twilight’s face.

“Enough!” Twilight exclaimed, pushing him back. “Release Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and stop the Everfree Forest from invading!” she demanded.

“Why, whatever are you talking about?” he asked, wrapping himself around Twilight.

Hanzo stepped forward. “Look around, draconequus. Chaos is abundant, this day.”

Discord took in his surroundings with an elated grin on his face. “Oh hoho, my!” He teleported to a nearby rooftop. “Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love what you’ve done with the place!” he started, snapping a few pictures. “But I couldn’t possibly be responsible for this. I’m reformed, don’t you remember?” He nudged Fluttershy a few times.

“My friends are inclined to believe otherwise,” Hanzo said.

“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash said, swooping in on Discord. “This’s got your cloven hoofprints all over it!”

“I’ll have you know that I have only one cloven hoof,” Discord retorted, as said hoof trotted up his side. It then proceeded to kick Rainbow Dash in the flank. He teleported a few feet away from the group. “Such accusations. And I thought we were friends,” he joked, batting his eyes.

“Drop the act, buster! We’re on to you,” Pinkie said, pointing her hoof at him.

“Come now, gang, I’m innocent. Would I lie to you?”

“Yes!” five of the ponies and Spike cried in unison.

“Um, maybe…” Fluttershy added.

“Well then, it seems we’ve reached an impasse. I’m telling the truth, but you think I’m lying. What do friends like us do in a situation like this, Princess Twilight?” he continued to joke, tapping at her crown again. “Congratulations, by the way, on the promotion. You totally deserve it!” he said, stretching out Twilight’s mouth.

“I say we blast him back to stone!” Rainbow cried out.

“Works for me,” AJ agreed.

“Here, here!” Rarity added. The three attempted to activate their Elements, but Fluttershy intervened.

“Hey! We can’t do that. What he really is telling the truth,” she said.

Discord’s face lit up, and a glowing halo formed above his head for a short moment. “Well, finally! Somepony willing to give me the benefit of the doubt. The rest of you could learn a lot about friendship from my dear friend Shutterfly, here,” he said, grabbing Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy floated gently at his side. “Um, it’s Fluttershy.”

“Oh, right, whatever,” he said, throwing Rainbow Dash and grabbing onto Fluttershy.

“I am inclined to agree with Fluttershy,” Hanzo said.

“Well, this certainly is unexpected. Come now, girls, if even Scorpion here can see the light in me, why can’t all of you?” Discord said.

“Do not mistake me, Discord. You are as trustworthy as a roach, but I do not find your hand in all of this.”

“Come on, Hanzo,” Twilight interjected. “If he’s not behind this, then who is?”

“I’m not entirely sure. Perhaps there is a third party involved, or some unknown mystic disturbance at work. I just don’t think this is Discord’s doing. He is too proud to deny his own work. He gains nothing from lying about all of this. If this were his doing, we would know for certain. It all is undoubtedly chaotic, but something about it doesn’t fit Discord’s methods. It isn’t him.”

“Well, I wouldn’t call it pride, but beggars can’t be choosers, now can they?” Discord said, leaning on Scorpion’s shoulder. Hanzo took a step over, causing Discord to fall to the ground. He scoffed at the Protector. “Have you considered counseling, Scorpion? You’re a little rough, sometimes, around the edges,” he joked, propping himself back up.

Hanzo sighed. “We must find answers elsewhere, my friends.” The ponies all looked befuddled.

“Why don’t you ask your zebra friend if she knows anything,” Discord said, knitting the dark branches into an arrow. The arrow pointed over to Zecora, who trudged into Ponyville, lugging behind her all of her belongings.

“Zecora!” Twilight exclaimed. The group all rushed over to her. The zebra fell to the ground under the weight of her things. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash removed the large sack from her back, while Pinkie Pie and Applejack pushed back her cart.

“From my home, I had to flee. The forest has grown too wild, even for me,” Zecora said. The group looked at more of the growing vines in the distance.

“Do you know what could be causing this, Zecora?” Hanzo asked.

“I am afraid it is a mystery to me as well. But, I may have something that if combined with a spell…” she said, walking over to her things. She rummaged through her oddities and pulled out a jar filled with a purple liquid. She placed it on the ground. “I do not dare to use it myself. The results would be tragic. It only responds to Alicorn magic,” she said, looking at Twilight. “Princess Twilight, you can turn the potion from purple to white. After a sip, you may see why the sky is day and night.”

Twilight engaged her dark magical abilities. Her horn pulsated with green, purple, and black energy. She blasted the vile, turning the contents from purple to white, as Zecora mentioned. She lifted it up with her magic. The zebra motioned for Twilight to drink, and she did. The group looked on in anticipation.

Hanzo stepped towards her. “Twilight?”

She shrugged. “Doesn’t seem to be worki-” Twilight dropped the potion. She froze in place. Her eyes shot open and turned white, shining brightly. Everything was fine, for a moment. But then, she started mumbling to herself. She briefly broke down in tears. After about two minutes had passed, she stood upright again. The magic wore off. She shut and rubbed her eyes, and the white glow disappeared. She looked to her friends, who were looking back with concern in their eyes.

“Uh, Twilight?” Spike spoke up.

“What? Why are you all looking at me like that?” she asked.

“It’s just,” Applejack started, “you were mumblin to yerself.”

“Oh, and don’t forget the uncontrollable sobbing,” Pinkie added.

“We were really worried about you,” Fluttershy said.

“I for one found it delightful!” Discord said, resting on a branch. “Sort of a one pony theatre piece, if you will. You should really consider taking it on the road.” He stood beside her, holding a piece of paper that showed Twilight crying.

“Enough, Discord,” Hanzo said. The draconequus rolled his eyes and stepped away. “Twilight, are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” she answered.

“Did you find out who’s rump we need to kick, and where we can find em?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I saw something from a really long time ago, but it didn’t explain what’s happening now.”

Zecora stepped forward with the potion in hoof. “Perhaps farther back still are the answers you seek. Another sip of the potion will give you a peek.” Spike and Hanzo stood beside Twilight as she held the potion up with her magic again.

“You sure about this?” Spike questioned.

Twilight looked to the rest of her friends, who all seemed anxious of what may come next. With little hesitance, Twilight took another sip from the vile. She gagged at the taste.

Discord popped up in front of the rest of the ponies in a film director’s uniform, with a camera in front of him. “Oh, I do hope she breaks into a song this time,” he said, looking down the lens of the camera.

Twilight’s eyes flashed white again. She mumbled only a few times. She seemed more intent and focused now on what she was seeing. The group could only wait and wonder what it was she was watching. When the magic wore off again, Twilight shook her head to bring herself back to reality.

“So, wutcha find out?” Spike asked eagerly.

“I still don’t know what’s happened to Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. But I think I know why the Everfree Forest is acting this way. Something’s happened to the Tree of Harmony.”

The group looked at her in confusion. “The Tree of what now?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Hanzo’s face lit up. “It’s where the Princesses first retrieved the Elements of Harmony to defeat Discord all those years ago,” Hanzo answered.

“Uh, yeah. How did you know that?” Twilight asked.

“When I first became Protector, they informed me of the importance of the Tree. I assumed the rest of you already knew about it, so I never say anything. I should have known that would be the source of the problem. It must be in danger,” he said.

“Well, alright then! Let’s go save a… tree,” Applejack said with a smile. “Uh, where is it exactly?”

“Unfortunately…” Hanzo started.

“It’s in there,” Twilight finished, pointing to the Everfree Forest. The group looked on in fear.

Discord laughed. “I’m going to need more popcorn!”