Keepers of Harmony

Chapter 2: Meeting up

The world was filled with black shadows. Foggy creatures roamed the fields. Every pony was enslaved. A creature flew right at someone.

“GAH!” The red pony, named Shade, gasped, waking in his bed. He looked about his bedroom frantically eyes filled with fear when suddenly his mother rushed in.
“I heard screaming!”
Shade panted, Luna coming over to him. “I saw….creatures….world of darkness….”
“Why do you think I’m here? That was no nightmare my son but rather a vision of what’s to come if She isn’t stopped.”
“Mom you know I don’t like the pronoun game….” (Ding if you get the reference)
“Alright but I know what your vision was telling you Shade.” Luna said
“So, who is ‘she?’ How do we stop her?”
“Well she appears to be a female version of King Sombra…. Hmmmmm…….”
“So she’s planning on taking over the Crystal Empire and all of Equestria like her male counterpart?”
“It appears so.”
“Can’t you and Aunt Celestia use the Elements and turn her into shadow like you did to King Sombra?”
“Who told you we did that? You’ve been misinformed.”
“I had read about it in an old book. So if you and Aunt Celestia didn’t beat him that way then what did you do?” Shade asked.
“We did destroy his old body and used the crystal heart to make a barrier that kept him out. But he was already made of shadow sweety.”
“How do we beat this girl then?”
“By using the Elements Of Harmony. But since Twilight and her friends are no longer connected to the elements new bearers must be found, plus a way to get them out of the tree.”
Shade got out of bed, putting his cloak on.
“Then I’ll find them.”
“It won’t be that simple.”
“Then what do you suggest?” Luna sighed.
“It will not be simple. But that’s our only option right now. Very well go…” Shade smiled and hugged his mother before leaving Canterlot. She sighed sad to see her son go after he just came back to her life. She felt a wing draped over her. She didn’t need to look to know it was her sister.
“He’ll be fine. He is your son, after all.” Tia said.
“I know but I just wish he didn’t have to leave me so soon. He had just gotten back and he’s going off again.” Luna cried in her sister's shoulder. Tia hugged her sister. “He’ll be back.”

Later.

Terran was healed up, he looked around for the strange bat pony. “Hello?” he called, floating around the house. He heard snoring looking for where the source was. He soon found Ebony sleeping like a foal. He chuckled slightly at this, smiling to himself. He wrapped his wings around her to help her sleep. Then...it got dark. Terran began to close his eyes. Before laying down beside Ebony drifting off to sleep.
A shadow formed into a creature behind them. It approached them before Terran’s eyes shot open He growled at the shadow creature stripes and dragon parts turning red. It growled back at him, its eyes glowing threateningly. Terran jumped at it breathing a stream of fire as he grew in size. The shadow creature recoiled not wanting to touch the flames. Terran grew to about the size of the red bull dragon. His ears touching the ceiling of Ebony’s cottage which was beginning to break and crack. The creature ran off and he hurried to shrink back to normal before he broke the roof. Turning his stripes and dragon parts a dark blue he blasted water at the fire. Quickly snuffling it out as he heard a sleepy moan come from Ebony.
“What’s going on?” She asked the tiredness evident in her voice as she rubbed her eye with a hoof.
“You had an intruder I… Got a little carried away scaring it off.”
Ebony giggled before looking up at the cracked ceiling.
“It’s not too bad Terran. Thanks for getting rid of the intruder.” Ebony said with a smile.
“Not a problem.” Terran’s scales turned pink in his embarrassment as he went to go find some wood to repair the roof. Ebony trotting right behind him to help as they walked into the forest.

Later

Keesha floated with her brother to Everfree, their wings gently buzzing as they flew.
“Think we’re almost there?”
“I dunno.”
“This would be easier with a map…”
“Yeah.”
“Maybe we should go back to Ponyville and ask for directions…”
“Good idea.” The pair then turned back and began heading to Ponyville.

Ponyville, the City of Friendship

The siblings floated slowly into town. Ponyville, over the last millennia, had been turned from a village to a city. A city where creatures of all kinds could live together. And playful ponies played pranks every plentiful day. Pegasi and griffons flew about in the skies going about their day. Earth Ponies and Minotaurs were having hoof wrestles, Unicorns and Zebras were practicing magic, etc. There have even been couples between different species formed. Such as Horcks, (Horse/Yak, not a pretty fusion do not look up.) Anyways,
Keesha and her brother walked around the city, Suddenly they heard loud music and smelled cheese and bread. They went to the smell, only for it to come to them as a Yellow and pink pony dancing on a loaf of cheesy bread approached them. “Hey guys! Oh you’re changelings! How fun! I got this nice new cheese bread! Wanna try it?! CHEESE BREAD PARTY!!” Both siblings were surprised. The Pink and Yellow Stallion grabbed pieces of the cheesy bread loaf and threw it down to them. The siblings caught them and with one sniff, they started digging in. The yellow and pink stallion smiled widely.
“How are they?!”
“DELICIOUS!”
“YES!! My new Pepper Jack Bread is a success!”
“What’s your name?
“I’m Cheesy Bread! Current Owner of SugarCube Corner!”
“Oh! Cool.”
“So whatcha doing here?”
“We’re looking for directions to…” Keesha looked to her brother. “The Everfree Forest. Specifically the Harmony Tree”
“Whoa! Uhhhh Well you may need to talk to the Princess for that one. Or Granny Smith. Hard to tell who’s lived longer…”
“Okay Cheesy Bread. Oh and thanks again for the Pepper Jack bread too. See ya.” The siblings walked to the castle.

They made it over to the Castle of Friendship. Which had gotten a lot bigger. They went up to the doors and knocked at the same time. The doors opened on their own. Revealing a tall purple and green dragon. “Oh, you must be Mr. Spike! I’m Keesha, and this is my brother Sorys and um… Uhhhhh Ummmmm… Wow you’re tall.”
Spike chuckled. “Yeah, I get that a lot. It’s nice to have finally grown.”
“So uh, is Princess Twilight here?”
“Oh yeah she’s in the map room.” Spike said opening the door a bit more so the changeling siblings could enter the castle.
“Follow me.” They follow behind Spike. Whoa… Both the siblings thought as they walked inside the castle. So incredible… Keesha thought. Never seen it on the inside.. Sorys thought. Soon they made it to the map room, a large violet mare stood next to a pastel pink one.
“Oh! Spike Rarity wants you, Now.” The pastel pink unicorn said with a smirk.
“Right Starlight. See you guys later.” Spike said with a quick wave as he ran out of the Map Room.
Starlight? How is she still alive? Keesha thought. “So, you were looking for Twilight? Well here she is!” The Pastel pink pony dramatically motioned at the tall violet alicorn next to her.
“Hello there.” Both of the siblings’ eyes widened at the sight of the tall alicorn princess, her mane and tail looked to be filled with swirling galaxies, the dark purple and and bright pink stripe still visible, her cutie mark was now in the middle of a deep bluish sea that covered her flank and she wore a silver crown atop her head along with a silver necklace like Celestia’s, her silver shoes covered the bottom of her hooves that now began taking the colors of her mane and tail. She smiled sweetly at them.
“What do you need children?”
“Well, we uh, need directions to Everfree Forest! Specifically the location of the Tree of harmony.”
“Oh? Why would you need to know that?”
“Just a hypothesis I wanna check.”
“Alright. Well the Tree of Harmony is located at the edge of the Everfree Forest beside the castle of the two sisters.”
“Alrighty! Thanks!”
“Sis Everfree is a maze we need more than that.” Sorys said. Keesha blushed as Twilight flew over a paper map.
“This should help.” The alicorn said levitating the map to the changeling siblings. “Thanks! Be seeing you!!!” Twilight smiled watching them run off. “Ya sure they’re two of the six?” Starlight asked Twilight, to which the latter nodded. “I am.”
“Sunset’s not gonna be happy you gave away the only copy of the everfree map.”
“I’ll be able to smooth things over with her Starlight.” They laughed.

Meanwhile

Shade went to the Tree of Harmony, landing in front of it. How am I gonna be able to find the new bearers? He thought. He groaned sitting under the tree. Am I supposed to spy on everyone to see who’s the most generous, kind, etc? That’d be stupid! He thought. Well it’s not like they’re gonna fall into my lap. It was then that the stallion heard two new voices heading his way. He got up looking around he saw two changelings? They look like changelings but… different? The first being a young stallion with a dark grey coat, a dark green mane and tail, and dark purple eyes.
The other was a mare with beige-ish coat, brightening up to a honey yellow on her hooves and lower neck. Her mane and tail were a light blue before shifting to a lighter shade of green. Shade cast a camouflage spell on himself before they saw him. The changeling siblings made their way down the steps that were carved into the cliff and to the tree.
“Here it is bro.” Shade watched and listened in.
“Yeah though the Tree has seen better days.”
“Yeah.” Sorys looked at the branches as they sagged.
“It’s almost like a fruit tree about to drop the ripened harvest…..”
“Well, what to do now? It seems that the tree won’t hold up for much longer.”
“We need to find element bearers. I don’t know what this tree is holding back. But I don’t want to caught unprepared when it gets out.”
They heard a voice. “I think I can help.” They turned to see a red unicorn with a cloak on.
“Hello! How can you help!”
“I’ve been searching for Element bearers too. My name is Shade.”
“Nice to meet ya! I’m Keesha,” She giggled at her rhyme. “And this is my older bro Sorys.” Sorys narrowed his eyes at Shade, but said nothing.

Later

The Dra siblings floated through Everfree, looking around.
“Weird place”
“Yeah.”
“Hmmm” They searched around looking for any area that would listen to their magic. Hrm. this place is especially resistant today… They looked around stumbling over a large root. They looked and saw black shrivelled vines. “Whoa.. NOT GOOD!” They ran off the vines grew giving chase.

Later

The wolf/dragon took down decaying and old trees to get wood to repair the roof. Little did he know something was there, He broke down another tree, noticing something. A…. A child? Errr I guess they’re called Foals? He thought. He picked up the small colt. It was asleep soundly as he held it. What do I do? WHAT DO I DO!! WHO LEAVES A CHILD IN A TREE!! His thoughts raced, stripes and scales turning the bright yellow of fear. “Whatcha holding?” Ebony’s voice came in. He jumped, a field of electricity making a dome around him. “Whoa!”
“S-sorry….” The field dropped. “What’s that?” Ebony asked.
“I-it’s a… Colt? I-i found him in the tree.”
“Who leaves a colt in the tree!?”
“I have no idea!”
“What do we do!?”
“I DON’T KNOW!!” The colt began to stir as it shift slightly in Terran’s arms. The young foal had a brownish red coat, its mane and tail was a dark bluish green with a few streaks of a lighter blue mixed in, small vines covered its lower half starting at its stomach and going down to its back hooves, covering its eyes was a dark pinkish red mask. “I think we should whisper…” Terran said.
“Yeah. How about we head back to the cottage and discuss what we should do with the little guy?” Ebony suggested.
“R-right…” Terran’s scales and stripes went pink as he held the foal following Ebony.

They put him in a makeshift crib, Terran fixed the roof that he cracked. Ebony trying to wrap her head around the foal as she rocked the foal to sleep before tip toeing out of the guest room. “What are we gonna do!?” She said.
“I don’t know….”
“There has to be something we can do…”
“Put him in an orphanage?”
“But what if he’s just lost?”
“Good point… Maybe… he was in the tree maybe his parents are nearby. Let’s look through the forest.”
“That’s a good idea but what are we gonna do with the colt? He looks like he won’t wanna go an a search mission anytime soon. How about I watch him and you go?”
“Alright that’s fine.” Terran went out spreading his wings and flying off. Ebony watched as he disappeared when she heard the foal crying. She ran over to him as he cried in the rocker. “Oh no oh no oh no… what do I do??....” She got an idea.Gently picking up the crying foal and taking a seat on the bed Ebony began to sing the lullaby her mother used to sing.
“Stars and moons and Air Ballons, Fluffy clouds to the Horizon, I’ll wrap you in Rainbows and rock you to sleep again. Teddy bears of pink, Ducks and lambs of white, Don’t you cry dear I’m here now I’ll be your nightlight. Stars and moons, and air balloons, Fluffy clouds on the Horizon, I’ll wrap you in rainbows and rock you to sleep again~” Ebony smiled down at the foal as it was now back asleep. She put it back in the crib and smiled sweetly.

Meanwhile….

Terran flew over the trees the only sound he could hear were his wings flapping and crickets singing. He sniffed the air, catching the scent of a pony. He flew to the scent seeing a red pony in a cloak. He sniffed the scent more, catching something….off. I’ll investigate later. Terran thought before landing on the forest floor and heading in the same direction as the red pony. He soon caught sight of two more ponies, changelings from the scent, something was off with them as well. Same thing that was off with Shade… “Okay, so we’ll split up. If we were drawn to the forest it might be a safe bet the other three elements were too.” Shade said. “Yeah, so we’ll see if other ponies, or, well, species in general were drawn here.” Keesha said.
“Just watch out for Timberwolves. Well the mindless ones anyways.” Shade said.
“Right. Be careful, sis.” Sorys said to his sister. Terran was still running towards them making the leaves and branches around him shake.
“Wait did you guys hear that?” Keesha asked as the leaves and branches of a few trees shook. Sorys immediately got in between the other two and the tree line. Shade lit up his horn along with Keesha, Sorys doing the same as a large dragon wolf came out of the forest. “Whoa there, guys! Take it easy! Not a timber wolf!” Sorys,Keesha and Shade’s magic faded.
“Who’re you?” Shade asked.
“Terran.”
“Why’re you stalking us?”
“I’m not I just got here. Why would you think? Oh it’s the wolf thing isn’t it? Tree made noise and a wolf appeared he HAD to have been stalking.” Terran rolled his eyes.
“Suuuuuuuure.” Shade said sarcastically. “Anyways, my name’s Shade.”
“My name’s Keesha!”
“I’m Sorys.”
“Terran. Anyone lose a kid? I was breaking some trees down found a foal inside one.”
“A kid? What’d he or she look like?” Shade asked.
“A small colt with a brownish red coat, its mane and tail was a dark bluish green with a few streaks of a lighter blue mixed in, small vines covered its lower half starting at its stomach and going down to its back hooves and covering its eyes was a dark pinkish red mask.” Terran explained describing the foal.
“....Do you have a photographic memory or something?” Shade said, raising an eyebrow.
“Kinda? I remember pictures really well but not words.”
“Weird. May we take a look? We might recognize it.” Terran nodded and led the way back to Ebony Moon’s cottage.

They got to the cottage Ebony holding the Colt. The four walked inside to find the bat pony cradling the colt in her hooves. “Whoa…” They said.
She smiled waving at them. “Hey there Terran any luck finding the foal’s parents?”
“I don’t think so. Hey guys, have you ever had children?” Sorys and Keesha blushed, their eyes widening. “NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!” They said.
“I’m guessing you three are here about the foal?” Ebony asked.
“Yeah.” Keesha said. Walking over to the little guy. The foal slowly opened its eyes. It looked up at the group. It cooed, opening it’s arms.
“y the way I don’t think I introduced myself, I’m Ebony. Ebony Moon.”
“Nice to meet you, Ebony.” Keesha said.
“So where did you find him?” Keesha asked.
“Terran found him inside a tree while gathering some wood to fix the ceiling.” Ebony explained glancing up at the fixed ceiling.
“Who leaves a baby inside a tree?”
“That’s exactly what Terran and I wanted to know.”
While they were talking, Shade went out.

Later, that night…

The colt woke up and saw a dark figure standing in front of his crib. He cooed, reaching out as the figure picked him up with magic and went out.

Author's Note

Hey, Spidey Viewer here. I'm trying to make a little mystery surrounding the foal. If you can guess the answer to it, by all means, comment your guess in your review. Let me know how well I did. I'm always willing to improve.