Harmony's Rule

by Night Spinner

Rating: teen
Tags: Other, Romance, Original Character, Comedy, Tragedy, Adventure, Discord, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, Slice of Life, Sad
Length: 17089

Princess Harmony, nearing her thousanth year on the throne, relates the story of her life.

Centuries after she was elevated to the status of princess, Harmony is faced with events that she is still unprepared for. She begins to weave the story of her life to her students, hoping to bestow a final lesson and understanding upon the young ponies should her fears become real.

This is the story of her reign, her deeds and the deeds of others in the centuries since the days of Ponyville.
My effort for National Pony Writing Month.

Published 2012-08-03 23:44:03 UTC
Last updated 2012-08-17 12:02:01 UTC

Prologue

Harmony's Rule

Part I: Dawn and Dusk

Prologue

“A thousand years is suddenly not enough time.”

    The thought echoed inside her head as she drifted, almost invisibly, through the darkened streets of Ponyville. The pony's path was lit only by the familiar glow of the moon, stars and occasional streetlight that glinted off the crown she wore.

Long ago, such a notion would have been laughable, but that was another time, another life. Lost in her thoughts, the traveler had almost passed by her destination as the familiar shape of the town's library rose up before her.

The Golden Oaks Library, though in the moonlight the leaves that topped it gleamed a pale silver. It was just as she remembered it, with its orderly and neat flowerbeds, trimmed and tended boughs and the well maintained balconies. Truly a far cry from the overgrown and dusty place she currently knew.

A soft smile crossed the mare's face as she saw that even at this late hour, the windows were lit by the candlelight of a pony who made some of the greatest scholars appear lazy by comparison. Silent as a breath, she beat her wings and rose to the cluttered balcony and peered inside.

Surrounded by a sea of books, with a look of intense concentration on her face, lay a lavender unicorn. Flipping pages back and forth across several volumes, her expression changed to one of frustration. “Where did I go wrong?” the unicorn lamented and for a moment, her unseen visitor felt her heart leap into her throat, hearing the phrase that echoed ones she had often spoken.

The stranger's fears eased however, as she listened to the unicorn mutter and mumble about formulas and magic. She shook her head and scolded herself as she took flight, bidding Twilight Sparkle a silent farewell.

“I cannot live forever in the past,” the pony reminded herself as she climbed higher into starlight sky. “Nor can I continue to risk so much indulging myself like this.”

The regal pony took one last look towards the sleeping village and for a moment, she hesitated as a familiar ache found its way inside her. “I cannot linger here any longer... it's time to go home,” she sighed and willed the magic from her horn to carry her back.

***

    Night was nearly over when the mist began to billow and swirl in the well-appointed study. Six young ponies, each on the edge of adulthood, lounged on pillows and mats as they waited.

Amongst them, a pair of bright yellow eyes widened as the mist began to take shape and she shook and nudged her long-time friends in her excitement. “Wake up! Wake up! She's coming! she's back!” The young unicorn tried to keep calm, but was unable to contain herself as she nearly shouted at the others.

“Huh... what? Oh... that's a relief.” Came the sleepy, yawn filled, voice of the only other unicorn in the room as he brushed away the hair that covered his eyes.

“Although she has been doing this since we were foals you know,” he said, repeating the same routine he and his friend had performed each time the princess had vanished before. Though he did have to admit, she was gone far longer this time then normal.

The others murmured and shook the wooliness from their heads and minds, just in time for the mist to fully coalesce into a regal and elegant form. “My little ponies,” the princess said with a mix of amusement and warmth. “I did not expect you to wait up for me all night.”

“M... er Princess! We... we just, I just...” The yellow-eyed unicorn stumbled over her words and then lowered her head. “I'm sorry, I made them stay up. I shouldn't have been so worried for you. I...” The mare's apology was ended by a royal wing being draped over her, pulling her into a gentle hug.

“I know and I should apologize to you all. You have always been dutiful students of mine and I have, of late, been neglecting you without giving any reason for it. You especially, my little one,” she said, releasing the unicorn from the embrace reluctantly. She walked past the group, before raising her hoof to silence the inevitable protests.

“Princess I may be, but that gives me no right to keep you, of all ponies, waiting in the dark. Come. In this twilight hour I have much to tell you.” Her words sank into the minds of the group and they followed her without hesitation.

“A lesson, your highness?” asked one of the two earth ponies, stifling a yawn as he followed her through the white-stone walls of the palace, illuminated only by the light of the moon outside.

“A story,” she corrected. “One befitting this hour that bridges night and day. If there are lessons to be learned by the tale that I will weave, you must be the ones to see and learn from them.” The princess's eyes matched her voice, filled with mystery and uncertainty.

This was nothing new to the young ponies, since foalhood they had heard many stories from her and each had been with purpose, carefully chosen.

“But you always tell stories with lessons, or were you telling lessons with stories?” the other earth pony asked, her green hair bobbing up and down as she trotted behind the larger mare's elegant strides.

“Oooh, is it gonna be a story about pirates!?” An excitable pegasus flew up in front of the monarch's face, his brief interruption ended by a sudden tug on his tail by the second pegasus in the group. An annoyed glare came from her amber eyes, silencing the over-excitable colt.

“No, the story contains no pirates, though you may find adventure enough in it,” the princess explained with a chuckle. “You will also understand soon enough the reason I can pin no specific lesson on this tale,” she said, pausing in front of a familiar archway and let her magic flow through it.

“Though before I begin, I have something I wish to show you,” she said with a faint smile. With a single step, she slipped through the portal and exited within the heart of a grand library. A smile graced the princess's face as she listened to the audible gasps that came from her students as one by one, they followed her through.

“This... this is amazing! You finished it, you finished the library!” Both of the unicorns seemed spellbound, shocked by what they saw. It had been years since any of them had stood in this room and back then it had been little more than empty shelves and scattered scrolls.

Wings fluttered and the pair of pegasi, one as bright as day and the other dark as night, darted and flitted past the high shelves. Eyes wide, they took in the titles of each work, while all but one of their earthbound friends wandered amidst the lower stacks.

“How... how is this possible?”asked the dusky red unicorn, her eyes tearing up before the princess put her wing across her body, the young mare overcome from the sight. She looked up into the Alicorn's eyes with a mix of joy and confusion. “I thought it was all destroyed when... when...”

The princess smiled and calmed the trembling pony. “Forgive me for my secrets, but this place was never truly attached to our old home. Simply a portal that connected it to the basement door.” She turned her head and watched the others excitedly darting from one document to the next.

“It is far from complete,” she said, sighing contentedly. “From this point forward, other scholars will finish the work I have started.” As her ancient eyes followed the ponies as they wandered amongst the shelves, she was unable to keep from wincing each time a feathered or leathery wing got too close to toppling one of the shelves. “Still, this labor itself was not the reason I brought you here.”

The young ponies paused in their exploration, gathering around the princess as she spoke. Once they were all seated, the other unicorn raised his voice. “The story without a lesson?” he asked, echoing the question that was in each of their minds.

The princess smiled, folding her wings before her expression darkened. “This story is not one with a specific moral, at least not one I have planned,” she began, meeting each of her student's eyes in turn.

“I have not told you much of the earliest days of my reign, or the years leading up to it. I have never truly told you of Equestria as it was before the coming of Discord.” The princess lowered her head, as if ashamed.

“I will endeavor to tell you everything now, as best as I am able. I will tell you the story of how Celestia and Luna ceased to reign and how I became princess Harmony. I will tell you of my life in full, my successes and my innumerable failures.”

There was no sound, just looks of confusion and concern from the ponies around her. “Mo... Princess Harmony,” the female unicorn said, correcting herself, though she desperately wished she didn't have to be so formal.

Before she could continue, the princess silenced her with a raised hoof. “Please, do not try to ease my self judgments, once you have heard this tale in full, only then try to justify my failures as anything other then what they are.”

She cleared her throat and began to weave her story, the magic in her voice filling the minds of the young ponies with images and memory.

“Once upon a time, in the mystical land of Equestria, there were two noble princesses. Of them, Celestia guided the Sun and her sister, Luna, commanded the moon as I do so now. My true power, the power of Harmony, was contained within six relics known as the Elements. Long lost to time, they were awakened in Equestria's darkest hour by a group of ponies who would become the living embodiment of friendship.”

“Time and again, darkness and danger would threaten the land and each time these bearers of harmony would stand against it. Even Discord, the spirit of disharmony and chaos was overcome by the friendship of these ponies. Though they were not always victorious, they never gave up and ponies around them, drawing from their love and friendship, would standagainst any threat.”

A shadow seemed to fall across the face of the princess, but none of the ponies dared to speak, though they shared concerned glances with each other.

Finally, after a moment, the regal pony continued her tale with a voice laden with sorrow. “However, this was not to last. For a threat came to Equestria that neither love, nor friendship could overcome without great loss. It was a dark, violent and fiery threat that proved too much for even the magic of Harmony was powerless against. It began so simply too, just a normal, beautiful day that became the worst and final day of the bearer of magic...”

Chapter 1: The Tides of Anger

Harmony's Rule

Part I: Dawn and Dusk

Chapter 1: The Tides of Anger

Twilight Sparkle's mental checklist was working beautifully. She hadn't missed a single thing in her morning routine. “Best of all, no wasted paper, ink, quills...” The unicorn continued to list off things verbally before scolding herself for getting side-tracked.

“Okay Twilight, if I'm ever going to get the hang of complex mnemonics then I need to stay focused!” she declared with absolute conviction, drawing a few curious looks from the ponies around her.

“Spike, take a...” Twilight turned, prepared to dictate a reminder to herself with the help of her ever-present dragon assistant. Except, this time, he wasn't there. “Oh, right. Rarity's,” she muttered, holding her hoof to her face.

Twilight couldn't help but blush at her mistake. She had specifically chosen today to practice the 'Magnificent Memory  Mnemonic' she had been reading about. It was ideal since the little dragon had been roped into helping the fashionista with her latest project.

Twilight chuckled to herself at how easily her friend had coaxed him into it before returning to her task at hoof. “Alright, back to work. Step one: Deep Breath.” Twilight inhaled deeply before loudly letting it out, drawing another round of curious looks from passersby.

Oblivious, the lavender unicorn closed her eyes and smiled. “Step Two: Use the MMM to remember what you had just forgotten,” she said, standing proudly before her face twisted in panic.

“Oh no,” she gasped, her eyes widening as she shook her head.“No no no no no nononononoNO!” she shouted, desperately trying to think.

“Argh! How am I supposed to use the Magnificent Memory Mnemonic if I can't remember what the mnemonic is!?” The lavender unicorn snorted in frustration and held her head before sighing.

“Okay, remember Twilight, failure isn't bad, it's just a chance to try again later,” she said to herself, the unicorn's purple mane drooping as she cocked her head. After everything she had been through, the high-strung mare had finally begun to get the hang of letting things go.

“Just relax and stay calm.” Twilight whispered, smiling to herself as she looked around at the place she called home.

“After all, it's just another, average, beautiful day in Ponyville. The sky is clear, birds are singing, Lyra and Bon Bon are fighting...” Twilight paused, her eyes going wide as realization set in. “Wait, that's not normal at all!”

She spun around rapidly, seeing the two ponies engaged in a shouting match that grew more vicious by the second. A chill went down Twilight's spine as the once loving couple had to be pulled apart by the gathering crowd of on-lookers.

The unicorn hadn't heard the cause of the argument, but could see that both ponies were glaring at each other with absolute rage. Her ears drooped as the pair were pulled far apart. “I hope I never see your sorry flank again!” both mares shouted in unison before vanishing in the crowd.

“Friends fight, but not like that. What happened to make them hurt so much?” Twilight wondered, making her way down the street. Whatever her mood had been, it was certainly more gloomy now and a slow sense of dread crept into her as she noticed more and more oddities in the town.

Everywhere she looked, it seemed that arguments and a few fights had broken out amongst the citizens of Ponyville. Even for a town where she was still convince that, on some level, everypony was crazy,  this was abnormal.

Ahead of her, Twilight saw the stately figure of the mayor standing near the entrance to Ponyville Park. As she drew near, she could see a half a dozen ponies being carted off, each a battered and bruised loser of a recent scuffle.

“Good morning madam mayor,” Twilight greeted, trotting up alongside the earth pony and her jaw dropped as she saw the full extent of what had happened.

“Did everypony wake up on the wrong side of the bed today?” she asked, as the parade of injured filed past her. Twilight turned her head to hear the mayor's reply, but felt herself taken aback by the glare of contempt the matronly pony was giving her.

“It most certainly is not a “Good” or for that matter “Morning” miss Sparkle. It is half-past noon and I have be forced to turn my offices into holding cells for the seemingly endless number of ponies who suddenly decided that today was a good day to start picking fights!” she snapped, causing Twilight to take a half step back in shock.

“Madam mayor, I...” Twilight tried to respond, but was cut off by the continuing litany of complaints that poured from the other pony's mouth.

“You? You!? Miss Sparkle, do not get me started on YOU,” the mayor snorted, though Twilight was certain that was just what the older mare intended to do.

“I certainly hope you have no intention of 'helping' in this situation, as it seems that whenever you do become involved, things often become worse then they were! I thought that having Celestia's personal student living in Ponyville would have proven to be of some benefit. At the very least, I expected an increase in visitors or had a few more bits sent our way from time to time, but that certainly has not been the case.”

Twilight was dumbstruck, barely able to comprehend what she was hearing. “H...how is that my fault!? I just live here, my taxes are paid for by my student accounts and...” she stammered, trying to defend herself, despite her brain screaming at how absurd it was.

The Mayor was unperturbed, whinnying to stop Twilight's protests. “Even so, I have found you are an incredible liability. Your very presence seems to attract all manner of disaster. Nightmare Moon, Discord, parasprites; Ponyville was peaceful and quiet until you arrived!”

The mayor started to advance on the young unicorn as she ranted and Twilight began to back away more quickly. “Of course, assuming such incidents were not entirely your doing, when there isn't some sort of disaster befalling our community, you find the need to create one! Such as that horrid doll you made half the town brawl over!”

“YouleaveMissSmartyPantsoutofthis!” was all Twilight could think to reply with against such a tirade, before fleeing from the irate public official. She thought it was insane of her, but the unicorn could swear that the mayor had spun around to try and buck her with both hooves just as she had started running.

Her mind was reeling and she prayed that this was all a bad dream, some cruel joke. “This isn't right! There has to be an explanation to all of this, a spell gone wrong, poison joke in the water, someth-Ooof!”

Twilight's train of though came to a crashing halt at the same time she did, barreling over another pony and sending the two of them tumbling to the ground. Twilight was the first to rise, her eyes spinning as she cleared her head.

“Ugh... sorry about that. I wasn't watching where I was going,” she apologized, before seeing that her impromptu speed bump had been none other than Rarity, laying in tangled heap of purple and white after the collision.

The elegant unicorn stood, brushing the dust from her coat and untangling her mane. “So I noticed, although I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything more from a pony so wrapped up in her own little world she gives no thought to even her own appearance, let alone that of anypony else.”

Twilight felt a lump form in her throat as she caught the edge in Rarity's voice and as the white unicorn's eyes narrowed, Twilight silently begged for mercy.

“It really is dreadful how you never seem to care about improving yourself, goodness knows the only time you ever bother to do more then basic hygiene is when I've practically dragged you to the spa. Though I do suppose that if you don't mind smelling of dusty books and ink then I've...” Rarity paused in the middle of her tirade, a look of horror on her face as she seemed to realize what she was saying.

Her eyes focused on the victim of her criticism, the purple unicorn on the verge of tears.“O..oh my, Darling, I'm so sorry! I have no idea what came over me!” Rarity said, desperately trying to fix the situation.

Twilight sniffled, barely holding back from sobbing, receiving such a tongue-lashing from the Mayor was one thing, but from one of her friends it was almost too much. “I... I smell like dusty books and ink?” she said, her voice cracking slightly as Rarity frantically sought for a way to not put her hoof in her mouth any more then she already had.

“Well darling, you seldom bother with perfume so it's understandable after you've spent a few hours in your library... but it isn't all the time!” the fashionista quickly clarified, seeing her friend's ears droop a little.

“I mean, with a little bit of care and effort, er... EXTRA effort, you could be one of the most glamorous mares in Ponyville!” the unicorn declared, a little too forcefully, before clearing her throat into her hoof.

“But that's beside the point right now. The point is: I'm sorry. I had no excuse to talk to you like that, let alone over such a trivial matter. Well, not that making oneself look more then presentable is a trivial matter...” Rarity caught herself before slipping down another digression as she approached Twilight, lowering her head and looking as contrite as she possibly could. “I'm sorry Twilight, for yelling, for insulting you. Please, forgive me?” she asked, a pleading smile on her face.

Twilight had managed to regain most of her composure, sniffing as she wiped her eyes with her leg. “A...apology Accepted.” she said, smiling at her friend after a few calming breaths.

Rarity sighed in relief, before gesturing to a table under the shade of a nearby awning with her head. “Oh thank goodness. I still cannot imagine what possessed me to lash out like that. Though I suppose I could certainly blame the morning I've had,” she said sheepishly.

“Every customer that walked into the boutique today was simply dreadful!” she lamented, taking the quizzical glance that Twilight had given her as an invitation to continue.

“They were utterly rude, complaining about every single detail, even if they had found everything perfect the night before and were simply picking it up after having it gift-wrapped!” she said, her hooves flailing to emphasize her distress.

“And then, when I've offered to make changes to their order, they yelled at me for wasting their time with unnecessary alterations!” Rarity snorted, slamming her foot down on the table before hanging her head.

“Also, it wasn't as if these were impossible to please clients. Most of these ponies have never given one complaint before and many of them are normally epitomes of gentility and graciousness.” Rarity sighed, unable to look Twilight in the eyes. “I couldn't take anymore of that brutish behavior, so I closed for the day. Spike, the little darling, was able to force the last group of customers out before I locked everything up and slipped out the back.”

Twilight's ears perked up at the mention of the dragon. “So, is Spike still at the Boutique watching things or...” she began to ask before Rarity shook her head.

“No, I sent him home before making my own escape. It's impossible to get any work done when there's practically an angry mob outside your window.” she admitted with a sigh.

“I imagine he's made it back to the library by now, though considering every pony suddenly decided to act like ruffians today, I do hope the dear is alright.” Rarity said, looking in the direction of Twilight's home, her face full of worry.

“Me too,” Twilight said, before looking at her friend with alarm. “Wait, what about Sweetie Bell, wasn't she with you?”

Rarity waved her hoof, a weary smile crossing  her face. “No, thank goodness. She and the other Crusaders spent the night at their Clubhouse. Applejack said she would keep an eye on them and Sweet Apple Acres is far enough out of town that they should be safe from all this fighting... I hope.”

Both the mares jumped from their seats as two scuffling pegasai suddenly crashed into a nearby stall. The pair of unicorns shared a panicked glance before backing away slowly from the flying hooves and feathers.

“This is getting ridiculous! This is decidedly not normal and I have no idea what's causing it!” Twilight groaned as she and Rarity trotted carefully around the ever escalating melee that seemed to have engulfed the heart of Ponyville.

“Agreed darling. Perhaps we can find an answer in the library? The sturdy, safe, secure library?” Rarity asked with an over-eager smile on her face. She had no desire to get caught up in any of the fighting and from the looks of the many sprawled out ponies, their bodies swollen with bruising, no pony was safe. Stallions, mares and even foals seemed to be getting swept up in the wave of violence and anger.

“We'll have to cut through the middle of Ponyville Park and reach the Library from the south.” Twilight said, rubbing her chin as she mentally mapped out the route.

Rarity shot her a confused look before the shudder that ran through Twilight's body halted her question. “You weren't the only pony to tear into me today Rarity,” the lavender unicorn said with a frown. “We'd pass by Town Hall if we took the short route and I have no desire to find out if the mayor is willing to tear into me physically as well.”

The pair slipped into the park and with the lack of other nearby ponies, the idyllic place made it seem impossible that just beyond its grassy limits, the rest of Ponyville was ripping itself apart.

As they crossed the small stream that divided the park, Twilight paused, seeing a familiar, multicolored pegasus ahead. “Uh oh. I really don't want to deal with Rainbow Dash if she's going to yell at me too.” the unicorn whispered before Rarity nudged her.

“Far be it from me to throw a friend to the timber-wolves, but if we don't get it over with you know full well we simply cannot outrun her,” Rarity reasoned, smiling guiltily as they slowly drew closer.

However, once the pair was nearly on top of their friend, both unicorns saw that Rainbow Dash was crouched in front of a bush and seemed to be frantically begging and pleading with it.

“I didn't mean it! Come on, I'm sor...” Dash stopped and turned towards her friends, a look of panic and terror across her face as she took wing and darted towards them. Rarity spied the tip of a pink mane beneath the shrub and, remembering her own outburst, pieced together what happened.

“Fluttershy's under there, isn't she?” the unicorn asked, giving Twilight a glance when Dash nodded, her eyes ringed with held back tears. “I'll try talking with her. Fluttershy requires a 'gentle' touch,” Rarity said, trotting over to the bush as Rainbow landed in front of the other pony.

“I... I yelled at her Twilight,” she said, her features twisting into a panicked look when the unicorn reached out with a hoof to try and calm her down.

Twilight backed away a half step at the sudden movement. “Wh..what... er... Start from the beginning,” she instructed, unsure of how to comfort her freaked out friend. However, she hoped that talking through it would calm the frantic pegasus down. Rainbow sniffed a little, trying to hold back her emotions as she looked back towards the bush.

“W... well, I was just finishing up my weather patrol rounds for the day. You know, clearing clouds, keeping an eye to the sky in case anything blew in from the Everfree, the normal stuff. There was only one little puff of a cloud was where it shouldn't have been, so I figured I'd knock it out and get some stunt practice in. As I'm heading over to it, I see this big fight break out on the ground.” Rainbow seemed to becoming calmer, causing Twilight to breath a sigh of relief as the pegasus continued her story. “Then I spot Fluttershy down in the park and she's heading straight towards the brawl. So I swoop down to give her a heads up and she snaps at me! Told me I should mind my own business...”

“And that's when you yelled at her.” Twilight said, but Rainbow shook her head furiously. “Twilight, I didn't just yell, I exploded!” The Pegasus's wings drooped as the Unicorn tried to comfort her. “I'm certain it wasn't that...” Again, Twilight was cut off by Rainbow Dash suddenly flying up mere inches from her face.

“You don't get it. I completely lost it! You didn't hear the things I screamed at her, the terrible things I said. It was like I was one of those stupid bullies from back in school, only twenty times worse.” She slumped back to the ground and hung her head in shame, unable to look at anything but her hooves.

“Fluttershy's been my friend for like, forever. I've known her since I was a filly and I...” Dash heard the rustling of leaves and the muffled sound of hooves on grass. She whipped her head around and was staring straight into a pair of quivering cyan eyes.

“Fluttershy, Pal! I'm sorry! Please don't hate me, I didn't mea...” Before Rainbow could say another word, she was suddenly embraced by the butter colored pegasus.

Fluttershy buried her face in her friend's multicolored mane as she weakly beat at the pegasus with her hooves. “You Big Meanie!” she cried out as the pair descended into a blubbering pile of apologies.

Rarity and Twilight took a step back and shared worried looks. “The poor dear was shocked by Rainbow's outburst, but seemed equally shocked by her own. Darling, are you alright?” the white unicorn asked her friend, who was fixated on a massive dust cloud that had appeared on the edge of the park.

“My stars, darling! Is that who I think it is at the center of that brutish display!?” Rarity gasped, drawing the attention of the two reconciled pegasai. Twilight nodded and the four galloped towards the cloud, kicked up as it was by a half-dozen ponies brawling in the street.

Above the din and flailing hooves a singular voice rose above the rest, delivering an endless litany of challenges. “I'll teach you ta insult mah hat... Kicks McGee, Face. Face, Kicks McGee... WHAT did you call mah granny!?”

One by one, ponies staggered from the cloud of dust, hoof-marks on their faces as they dropped to the ground, while others flew from the swirling melee to land in crumpled heaps sporting their own bruises.

Slowly, the combat faded and the victor limped out from the settling dust cloud. Applejack was battered and bruised, her right eye swollen shut by the dark ring of a horseshoe shaped shiner.

She limped towards her friends, grumbling as she went, but by the time she reached them she seemed to have calmed down from the fight. “Hey girls, good ta see friendly faces for a change. Seems the folks 'round here don't have a lick of manners ner sense today.”

Twilight looked aghast at her friend's injuries, quickly trotting over to the earth pony. “Applejack! Are you alright!? Do you have a concussion, any internal bleeding, did...” Twilight paused as she realized the sheer number of ponies that were now unconscious in the dust. “...did you really do all of that!?” she asked with disbelief as her friend chuckled at her.

“Reckon I did. Them ponies started it first, but I sure as sugar finished it!” she said with a measure of weary pride.

Before Twilight could say another word, Rarity rushed up, knocking the other unicorn out of the way. “Applejack! I thought you were looking after the Crusaders! Don't tell me Sweetie Bell is out in all of this!” the fashionista demanded, beside herself with worry.

The farm-pony smiled, shaking her head. “No need to worry none about that Rarity. They were up at the crack of dawn and spend most of the morning crusadering. Big Macintosh was telling them his cutie-mark story when we got this big rush order fer one of tha shops in town.” Applejack paused a moment to shift her weight, easing the pain in her front leg.

“So I just loaded up tha cart and headed into town. It shouldn't a taken me more then an hour. 'Course, that was a'fore all tha ruckus started,” she explained, propping up her hat as she surveyed the damage.

“Not sure when or why it 'appened, I sorta recall a couple of stallions coming up and startin trouble... then I jus started seein red.” she finished with a sigh.

“With those injuries you'd better come to the library with the rest of us,” Twilight began, before Applejack gave her a stubborn shake of the head.

“Nuthin doin Twi, I'm headin straight back to tha farm before...” Now it was AJ's turn to be cut off by a frantic unicorn. Twilight refused to let her friend wander into anymore danger.

“No! There is no way that I'm letting any of you out of my sight!” she said with a bit more force then she intended. “Er, what I mean is: The whole Town is like this. If you go off alone then next group of off-base, buck-happy brawlers might be more then you can handle.”

She turned to the rest of her friends. “That goes for the rest of you too! We're far more capable together then apart and if we're gonna put a stop to this we have to stick together!”

Applejack gave her friend a lopsided smile. “Sugar-cube, that's prolly for tha best an all, but do you have any idea what tha hay we're try'in ta stop?” she asked pointedly.

“No, I don't,” Twilight admitted. “What I do know is that we are running out of time. If we spend the time trying to figure it out without acting, there might not be a Ponyville left to save,” she said, her ears drooping slightly.

“Then why tha library, why not jus grab Pinkie and go from there?” the orange pony asked. “Seems ta me that studyin' up an answer is just what yer plannin ta do,” Applejack said, stretching her leg with a wince.

Twilight was unperturbed and took in a deep breath to calm herself. “Because we need to find Spike,” she said definitively.

“This... this is beyond us. It's certainly beyond me at any rate and the longer we take the more ponies get hurt.” Twilight began to pace back and forth nervously, unable to remain still.

“We have to tell the princess. At the very least request her to send the Royal Guard to try and restore order and Spike's our fastest way to tell her.” She looked to each of her friends as she finished, seeing nods of agreement.

“Though I do think we need to find Pinkie Pie, I'm worried about her,” Twilight admitted, looking around.

Everypony jumped as the sound of crashing cans came from a nearby ally, accompanied by a pink form that staggered from the shadows on wobbly legs. “N... no need to look for me. I'm right here,” Pinkie Pie said to the collective gasps of her friends.

Her hair was straight, cascading over her face like a wet mop. Her eyes, puffy and red from crying gave her a haunted look. She was covered from hoof to head in dripping red splotches and she rubbed her eyes, giving a halfhearted smile before her face cracked.

“I am a BAD PONY!” she wailed before collapsing into a sobbing heap.

***

“Spike! Spiiike!?” Twilight called out as she burst into the library. The journey had felt like an eternity, with far too many close calls as they navigated the citywide battlefield. Just behind her, the remaining ponies staggered into the library and quickly closed the door behind them

Pinkie hung like a sack of melted candy in Rainbow Dash's hooves, still sobbing even as she was helped along by her friends. Of the others, only Applejack seemed truly worse for wear, the limp in her stride becoming more pronounced despite her best efforts to shrug it off.

They lowered their distraught friend to the floor as Twilight darted from room to room, searching for her dragon assistant. “I can't find Spike anywhere! Everything's just like I left it this morning so I don't think he made it here after leaving Rarity's,” the lavender pony said, breathing heavily from her search.

She peeked nervously out the window, seeing that thankfully they had seemed to make it to the library unnoticed. Still it was small comfort for the unicorn. Owlyicious and Peewee were also gone without a trace and Twilight's sense of worry only deepened.

Nearby, the others had succeeded in calming the party pony and Pinkie Pie managed a small smile as her normal poofiness started to creep back into her hair.

“C'mon sugar-cube, we know you're not a bad pony. Now, why don'tcha tell us what got ya so worked up.” Despite the severe limp that Applejack was nursing along with the other injuries she had received, the earth pony's voice was nothing but comforting.

Pinkie sniffed and wiped her nose with her leg, causing Rarity to suppress a slight shudder as she finally stopped sobbing. “I... I yelled at the twins!” Pinkie lamented, burying her face in her hooves.

“They were fighting over a toy and none of my usual routines were working. They just wouldn't play nice!  I even did the flour-dump and still nothing. I... I don't know what happened, I just started screaming at them.”

She looked away from her friends, her face burning with shame. “They started crying and I panicked. I backed off and went downstairs to get the Cakes, but they were fighting too.” Her blue eyes shimmered with tears before Fluttershy put a comforting hoof onto her shoulder.

“I've never seen them fight like that. They were shouting and throwing things. Mr. Cake threw a jam jar at me and I only barely ducked, still got all sticky though.” she explained, looking at the red spots all over her coat and mane.

“I got so scared, I just ran out the door... an...and then every pony was fighting outside and...” Her confession was ended by another comforting hoof, followed by a soft hug.

“It's alright sugar-cube. We know it ain't yer fault. Everypony's been losin it today so ya didn't do anything wrong. We jus need to figure out what caused it. Right Twilight?” Applejack said, looking to her friend for support.

The purple unicorn nodded. “With Spike not here and the fighting outside getting worse, it looks like we don't have any choice but to try and find an answer ourselves.” She looked to each of her friends, her voice taking on the authoritative tone it had whenever she was organizing things.

“First, Fluttershy, take Applejack into the bedroom and see how badly she's hurt. I've got a first aid kit in the bathroom upstairs. Rarity, take Pinkie Pie into the bathroom and help her clean herself up.” Her friends nodded as each took their charge in hoof.

“Right, now no fussing Applejack... up you...oof... go.” Fluttershy gasped, struggling to move the grumbling earth pony. Though AJ protested that she was fine, she let the cream colored Pegasus to lead her away.

“Come along dear, lets get that sticky mess taken care of. Just relax and let me handle everything,” Rarity said to the normally upbeat pony, her voice dripping with sympathy.

Twilight watched the ponies head upstairs before turning to the hovering form of Rainbow Dash. “Alright Rainbow, I need you to do something that... well it's rather dangerous,” the unicorn said with a measure of hesitation.

Rainbow Dash snorted , puffing out her chest. “Danger? Ha! Whatever you need, I'll get it done! You know I'll never leave my friends hanging!” the pegasus declared and Twilight smiled at her friend's bravado.

“Thank you Rainbow,” the unicorn replied, before her expression became serious. “I need you to get out there and find Spike. Head towards Sweet Apple Acres and keep an eye out, but if you don't see him...” She looked away and took in a deep breath.

“If you don't find him, see if things are alright with the Crusaders and the Apple Family.” Dash nodded and made to leave by an upper window when Twilight stopped her.

“If you don't find Spike and after you've checked out the farm...” Twilight hesitated, knowing that her friend wouldn't like what she was about to say. “I need you to fly to Canterlot and tell the princess about what's going on.”.

Dash turned and looked at Twilight in disbelief. “Fly to Canterlot!? You want me to just take off and leave you all in the middle of this mess! After I've found out whether or not things are alright with AJ's and Rarity's families!? They need to be told right away!” The pegasus was furious but calmed down when she saw the look in Twilight's eyes.

“Rainbow, listen to me. You're the fastest flier in all Equestria, but even with your speed it will take time to reach Canterlot, time that's rapidly running out. With every second that passes, more and more ponies are getting hurt and I have no other way to contact the princess. If you can't find Spike quickly then your speed is all we have.” The unicorn stared into the pegasus's magenta eyes before a look of determination crossed Rainbow Dash's face.

“You can count on me!” the Pegaus declared with a nod, before opening the window beside her. She paused a moment, turning to give her friend a salute before taking off into the sky. Twilight's magic closed the window behind Rainbow Dash as she turned towards her bookshelves to begin the search for an answer.

***

What felt like hours had passed and sky had darkened outside, though it wasn't yet near nightfall and each of the five ponies looked up at the window when a tapping was heard against the glass. To the shock of the assembled ponies, Rainbow Dash, soaking wet and covered in small burns tumbled through it the second it was unlocked.

Twilight cried out and rushed over to her friend. “RAINBOW! What happened, are you hurt?” the unicorn asked frantically as the Pegasus sat up and shook the water from her mane.

“Some bruises, spark burns, nothing seriously hurt except my pride,” the pegasus said before collapsing on a nearby cushion. “Never found Spike and when I got to Sweet Apple Acres I couldn't find anypony. The whole place was deserted,” she began, looking at both Applejack and Rarity with a deep frown.

“I'm sorry. I couldn't find a trace of the crusaders. Though their clubhouse was trashed,” she  admitted apologetically, unable to look her friends in the eye.

Twilight listened intently, then looked at Rainbow expectantly. “What about Canterlot?” she asked, nervousness tying her insides in knots.

The defeated pegasus sighed and shook her head. “I'm sorry Twi, but it's a nightmare outside. The fighting isn't just on the ground, but the sky too. There's a storm over Ponyville that's bigger then I've ever seen. Every pegasus in town seems to be kicking it into overdrive, bucking lighting at each other and causing horrific crosswinds.” Rainbow Dash hung her head in shame and closed her eyes.

“I tried to make it through. I really did, but my speed and stunts are no match against a storm that's actively trying to zap me out of the sky.” She stretched her wings and looked gloomily around at her friends. “How about you guys, any luck figuring out what the hay is going on?”

Each of her friends looked at Twilight, who managed to give a small smile. “Actually, yes.” She trotted over to a book that had been propped up on one of the reading stands. “It's our best guess at any rate, but we think it might be a Fury,” the unicorn explained, though Rainbow Dash simply looked bewildered.

“A Fury? What the hay is that?” the pegasus asked, her depression giving way to curiosity as Twilight cleared her throat.

“A-hem. According to The Malign Menagerie: A Complete Compendium of Malevolent Mythical Monsters, a Fury is a spirit of destruction that draws strength and power from the unleashed ire of other creatures. It magnifies feelings of frustration and anger until those feelings explode into full blown rage.” Twilight paused in her impromptu lecture as her friend scratched her head.

“So, it makes ponies mad at each other?” Rainbow dash asked, before Applejack nodded, half her head wrapped in bandages along with most of her body.

“Eyup. They're kinda like the Wendigos from the Hearth-Warming's Eve stories, 'cept a lot more ornery. Seems they get more powerful the more folks around them start getting hot under the collar.” the farm-pony explained, wincing as she shifted on her cushion.

“It's more insidious then that,” Twilight added, turning to face the book. “Furies are fierce in appearance, with wings that look like bladed spines, serpentine bodies with long tails, razor-edged talons on their hind claws and reptilian heads with mouths full of sharp teeth.” As she completed her description, the unicorn couldn't help but shudder at the thought of the creature.

“Ugh... how hideous.” Rarity remarked, before Twilight looked at her with worry in her eyes and a serious expression on her face.

“It's not just that, Rarity. Everything about them implies a predatory nature and that they...  are carnivorous,” the Unicorn explained with a gulp.

“They weaken others through in-fighting, growing ever stronger from the anger and violence that ensues. Then, when their prey is exhausted and too weak to keep fighting...” Twilight couldn't bring herself to say it, but shuddered and clenched her eyes at the thought of such a creature out in Ponyville with so many battered ponies littering the streets.

Rainbow's face flushed with anger and she darted up from her seat. “Then let's go out there, find this thing and buck it back to wherever it came from! There is no way that I'm letting this thing eat anypony!” the pegasus declared, ready to argue tooth and hoof against her friends if they thought differently. To her surprise, Twilight smiled and looked to the others.

“Then we're all in agreement,” she declared, levitating a scroll and a few other items into a nearby saddlebag. She noticed the confused look Rainbow was giving her and as the others rose from where they were sitting, turned towards the pegasus.

“We had been thinking the same thing, even battered as some of us are, our best chance now to save Ponyville is to find and stop the Fury,” Twilight explained, draping the bags over her back.

“In case we do find Spike though, I've written a letter explaining everything to the princess.  Though, I have to admit, I think our chances are actually better of the Fury finding us first,” she said with a small measure of worry.

“Why do you say that? I mean a winged lizard thingy looking like it's covered in cutlery shouldn't be too hard to spot.” Rainbow asked, glancing over to see Applejack trying to convince Fluttershy that she was fine, despite having her front hoof in a sling.

“Furies are like the true sources of anger, they often go unnoticed and unacknowledged,” Twilight said, quoting a line from the book, though her friends all just gave her blank stares.

The unicorn brought her hoof to her face and rolled her eyes. “Ugh... simply put, Furies can go unseen.”

“So... they can turn invisible?” Fluttershy asked, before blushing when she saw how irritated her friend seemed to be getting. Each of the ponies shifted nervously, afraid of what might happen should Twilight be the next of them to succumb to the Fury's power.

The unicorn sighed and calmed herself down before looking at the pegasus. “Sort of. If I understand things correctly, a Fury has a kind of camouflage that works best if they aren't being actively looked for. Also, thanks to Rainbow Dash we can reasonably assume that it will be outside to better feed on the airborne fighting going on between the pegasai.” Seeing that everypony was ready, the six mares opened the door to the library and set off into the embattled town.

None of them were prepared for what they saw and for a moment, they were frozen at the site of their home. Her eyes shrunken to pinpoints, Twilight felt a tightening knot of fear form inside of her as she realized Rainbow Dash hadn't been exaggerating.

The houses and buildings of the town were heavily damaged and the streets were carpeted with the bodies of fallen ponies. Even worse, the ever-escalating battle between ponies still raged. Earth ponies attempted to trample others beneath their hooves, while everywhere the flashes of lightning and magic could be seen.

Above it all, a towering storm cloud of swirling vortexes, arcing lightning and surging winds churned in the sky, reflecting a dull red from the many fires that had broken out in the town below. With one direction as good as another, they moved through the shattered city streets in the direction of Sugar Cube Corner.

Their pace was slow, due in part to Applejack's injuries but also to their desire to search and the need for stealth. They waited in the shadow of a collapsed home as a trio of earth ponies stampeded by. Twilight looked towards the others, a haunted look in her face.

“Is something wrong dear?” Rarity asked, bringing Twilight out of her reverie. “Besides the obvious, of course,” the white unicorn clarified as the others turned towards their friend.

Twilight shook her head. “Did you see their eyes? They were bright red, like heated iron. I think there's more to this Fury's abilities then was in that book,” she muttered despondently.

As Fluttershy drifted towards her to offer comfort, Twilight's eyes caught a bit of movement in the rubble across the street. She suddenly jumped up, sending the pegasus fleeing back with a squeak.

“SPIKE!” the unicorn called out, rushing out into the street, followed quickly by her friends as they galloped towards the purple dragonling. Twilight slowed and trotted towards the cart he had been hiding beneath, a relieved smile on her face. “Spike! Where have you been? I've...”

“You've what, got a letter for me to send?” Spike interrupted, looking her with an annoyed glare. He folded his arms as he stood there, his tail thrashing from side to side.

“Well, yes. But...” Twilight began to speak again, only to begin shivering inside as she caught the disturbing gleam in the young dragon's eyes.  Her words stuck in her throat when it was clear he wasn't going to let her finish a sentence.

“I thought as much! That's all I'm good for isn't it?” Smoke curled from the little dragon's nostrils and  Twilight fell back on her haunches as he advanced on her.

“It doesn't matter that I've been smashed, blasted, shocked and nearly trampled! Oh nooo, not an 'Are you Alright Spike?' or a 'I was so worried about you!' NO! Nothing but another stupid letter to send!” Twilight tried to choke out a reply, but found it died in the face of Spike's tirade. “That's all I am to you isn't it? A piece of furniture, a purple and green mailbox!”

“What? No... Spike I was...” Twilight tried to stop him, tried to reassure him, but even her friends were unable to react to the sheer vitriol that poured from the dragon's mouth.

“Ever since I can remember I've been picking up your messes! I make you breakfast, dust your shelves, miss out on everything because you've decided that some little study project just has to be done!” Emerald flames licked at his lips, smoldering embers released by his rage.

“Well I've HAD it! I'm through being your slave, through being walked over and pushed around! You want a letter sent, buy a stamp!” he turned to walk away before looking back over his shoulder at the unicorn, who looked as if she might shatter if he said another word. “Or better yet... Take your stupid letter and choke on it!”

Spike quickly stormed off into the collapsed ruin of a nearby building as Twilight's friends rushed up to her, each attempting to calm the stunned pony.

“Now darling, do..don't take what he said to heart. After all, we know that Spiky Wikey is just under the influence of that dreadful Fury.” Rarity offered before Applejack stepped in front of Twilight.

“That's right sugar-cube, you know the little guy didn't mean it,” she said, but as her friend's wide eyes flitted back and forth between her and Rarity, Applejack felt a lump form in her throat.

Nearby, Pinkie Pie seemed to deflate, whispering only a quiet “Oh, no,” before Twilight began to tremble.

“B...but that's just it AJ, he did mean it,” Twilight said, continuing her explanation before her friends could protest. “The Fury doesn't create anger, it magnifies it. If it drove Spike to that outburst, deep down inside, everything he said is something he really felt and... and it's true! I've been abusing his help all this time. I didn't mean to, I...”

Pinkie's eyes went wide and she shouted a warning to her friends as her own body began to spasm and shake with the rare symptoms of a Doozy. “EVERYPONY BACK!”

Her warning came just in time as, seconds later, Twilight began to crackle and spark with power, accompanying the sobs that were now wracking the unicorn's body.

Her world was collapsing and Twilight's emotions strained to their breaking point. Memories of Spike flashed before her eyes and all the perceived ills she had done to him were magnified, turning her actions into the most tyrannical of cruelties.

Somewhere, lurking and grinning, the monster tasted her anger, her growing rage. Cruelly, hungrily, it stoked the wrathful embers buried in her heart. Spurred on by the power of the Fury, Twilight's anger at herself boiled over and through her sobbing, the pony's face twisted with rage.

The other ponies could only watch helplessly as her tail and mane erupted into flames, their eyes widening in horror as the unicorn gave a shriek of anguish.

Twilight's horn flared with power and with a thunderous roar it surged back over her body. The untamed cascade of magic enveloped her like a shroud of incandescent fire, only to detonate with a blinding flash. The ground shook violently from the blast, knocking Twilight's friends to the ground.

Applejack, protected from the brightness by her hat and bandages, rose shakily to her feet. “Twilight, what in tarna...” the earth pony's voice died in her throat as she looked over at her friend.

Twilight sat where she had been before, her horn blackened and her lavender coat smoldering with sparking residue from the backlash. Her eyes still shimmered faintly as the magic faded away, leaving them dull and lightless.

“TWILIGHT!” Even as the earth pony raced towards her, Twilight's eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed to the ground unmoving.

Chapter 2: Furious Foes

Harmony's Rule

Part I: Dawn and Dusk

Chapter 2: Furious Foes

“Twilight? Twilight, please wake up,” Fluttershy pleaded, gently nudging the fallen unicorn's body as it smoked and sparked. The others shared worried looks as they gathered around their now silent friend, even as the pegasus tried to rouse the fallen pony.

“Is... is she...” Applejack pulled her hat off, hugging it to her chest with her bad leg, but couldn't finish her question. The thought was too terrifying to complete.

She let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding when Fluttershy looked up and shook her head. “So, she's okay? She'll be alright... right?” the farm pony asked, but the yellow pegasus could only give her a helpless look.

“I... I don't know. I'm sorry,” Fluttershy said quietly, before Rarity put a sympathetic hoof around her shoulder. “She's still breathing, but I don't know how badly she's hurt herself,” the Pegasus admitted, tears rolling down her face.

Tears fell from Pinkie's blue eyes as well and she blew her nose loudly into a handkerchief she pulled from nowhere. “So... what do we do now?” the pink pony asked, looking at each of her friends in turn for guidance but finding little comfort in their appearance.

Fluttershy looked like she might curl into a ball, Rarity was barely holding together and even Applejack had a dead look in her eyes. The party pony sniffled again as Rainbow Dash trotted past her, a grim look on her face.

“Dashie?” The speedster didn't answer her, but simply reached down and grabbed Twilight's saddlebags in her teeth, slinging them across her back.

“Rainbow, jus' what do ya think...” Applejack began, but the pegasus ignored her as she began looking back and forth across the street.

“Don't you go ignorin' me! Just what in tarnation do ya think yer doin!?” she demanded, as Rainbow trotted over to a fallen pony, the unconscious pegasus giving a groan as Rainbow Dash tugged a pair of flight goggles off of the stallion's head.

“Not nearly cool enough, but they'll have to do. Sorry buddy, I need to borrow these for a bit,” she apologized, before turning back to face her friends.

“Get Twilight to safety, out of Ponyville if you have to,” she ordered, slipping the goggles onto her head.

“Dashie, you... you're coming with us right?” Pinkie asked hopefully, but Rainbow Dash just shook her head and looked towards the sky.

“Now hold on there pardner, you said yerself that you couldn't make it through that storm and now you're plannin on going back up there!?” Applejack said with disbelief, cautiously taking a step towards the pegasus. She stopped, however, when Dash looked straight in her eyes and she saw the seriousness in her friend's face.

“That was before we were out of options,” Rainbow said flatly. “We... I don't have a choice anymore. Spike won't send the letter even if we find him again and Twilight's out of commission. The only way to get word to the princess is through that!” the pegasus declared, pointing her hoof at the churning sky. “I have to do this...”

“No you don't RD!” Applejack shouted, glaring at her friend with an intensity that rivaled Fluttershy's  stare. “The Rainbow Dash I know would never admit she couldn't do somethin' unless it was dang near impossible! Scratch that, if it was just near impossible she'd still try it.”

“Look me in the eye and tell me ya honestly think ya can make it through that storm,” Applejack challenged, her eyes still fixated on her reckless friend.

Rainbow Dash stared back before sighing. “You want me to give you an honest answer? Fine.” She shifted the saddlebags, evening out the weight.

“No, I can't make it through,” the pegasus admitted, ignoring the shocked looks of her friends at how casually she said it.

“I tried and failed once already and everything I know about flying tells me that going up there is going to get me killed. Crosscurrents with the force of a tornado, vortexes that could pull my feathers off if I get caught in them, freezing sleet, stinging rain and of course lightning are all going on at once. To top it off, most of those are being caused by ponies that will send 'em right at me if they realize I'm there.”

“Then why are ya doin it!” Applejack yelled, though Rainbow didn't flinch at the outburst. AJ got closer to the Pegasus, ready to buck some sense into her friend. But as she drew near, she noticed that there was something besides stubbornness in her friend's eyes.

Dash's magenta irises were quivering, lacking her usual confidence. In its place, her eyes held only a mix of determination, guilt and fear. The farm pony saw that for all the calm and reckless exterior she presented, Rainbow Dash was trembling. “Y...you're scared, ain't ya?”

“I...I'm terrified,” the multicolored pegasus admitted, suppressing a shudder. “But I gotta do this. I keep thinking that if I had kept going before, didn't turn back, then maybe... maybe I would have made it. If I don't try now, if I don't succeed, then nopony will.”

She took another look up at the sky and pulled the goggles over her eyes. “If I don't do this, I'll never be able to forgive myself.”

“Ya got beat Dash, there t'ain't no shame in...” Applejack began, but she reeled back as the pegasus's wings opened and Rainbow shouted back at her.

“I BLEW IT! My best and maybe only chance was back at the farm. All I keep thinking is how I could have done what Twilight needed me to do and get to Canterlot. I could have snuck past using the orchard as cover. I could have gone on hoof and slipped past the storm's edge. But I didn't, I tried to just blast on through it and came back with my tail between my legs...” Rainbow Dash began to lift off the ground as her friends stared at her. “...and now Twilight's hurt, things are worse then ever and all I keep feeling is that I betrayed her by not pushing forward when I had the chance!”

Applejack put her hat back on her head and regarded the pegasus with a mix of emotions. “Go. We'll take care of Twilight. Do what ya have ta do,” the farm pony said with finality.

“You better not miss your own Party DASHIE!” Pinkie Pie suddenly cried out with a sob, before the confused pegasus stared back at her.

“Party?” Rainbow Dash asked as the rest of her friends stared at the pink pony.

“Yeah! The 'Ponyville-Is-Saved-and-Rainbow-Came-Back-In-One-Piece' Party!” she declared as if the title was obvious, before flopping down on her behind and rubbing the tears from her face with her foreleg.

Dash smiled. “Wouldn't miss it for the world Pinks. I'll make it back, Pinkie Promise,” she said, making the requisite gestures, before climbing into the storm above. As she flew through a small hole in the clouds, barely heard the 'good luck' that Fluttershy and Rarity wished her.

The moment her friends faded from view beneath the clouds, Dash felt very, very alone. Despite being a pegasus, the heart of this storm was far from her element and comfort zone.

As a weather pony, she was used to handling black clouds, rain, lightning and high winds. As a future Wonderbolt, or so she continually wished to be, the multicolored pegasus could handle hair-pin changes in direction, wild spins and split-second decisions. However, there was nothing that prepared her for this place.

All around her the storm clouds gave the impression of being in a vast cavern of tunnels and crags, lit by the continual flashes of lightning that surged through the storm. “Ok Dash, keep it simple. Up and out.”

Every pegasus knew that if they were caught in a storm, they needed to rise above it or find the eye and then escape. It was rare that a fully grown pegasus would ever find themselves in such dire circumstances, but the adventurous nature of young fillies and colts made it more likely they would get caught in such a situation.

“Heh,” Dash chuckled as she thought about it. She felt like a foal herself, caught in the worst nightmare she had ever experienced.  As she navigated the empty spaces between the clouds, the normally reckless daredevil was cautious, clinging close to the 'wall' as she tried to avoid the wild air currents and detection.

“YEAAAAAAH!” Suddenly, Dash took cover behind a nearby outcropping of cloud as an over-muscled pegasus burst out from the clouds ahead. She cringed, hearing the sickening sound of multiple lightning strikes. Rainbow peeked out from her hiding place, watching helplessly as the charred and smoldering stallion fell from the sky, vanishing into the swirling clouds below.

Rainbow hoped that he would land somewhere soft and made her own escape, sneaking through a gap in the clouds as she tried put as much distance between her and the tiny-winged stallion's attacker as possible.

The hairs on the back of her neck began to rise the further she went and the pegasus felt a growing sense of dread slowly form in her gut. “Cool it RD, you're just jumpy... with good reason,” she tried to reason, calming herself down for a moment before her senses picked up something. Something that made her blood run cold.

'Storm-Sense' was a technique every weather pony developed with time and experience. It was critical to maintaining the timing of lightning, allowing coordination even when handling the largest of storms and right now Dash's senses were screaming at her to 'move!' Within seconds of her taking off like a rocket, the space she had been became shredded by arcing electricity.

Her heart raced as she dodged and tumbled through one storm tunnel and another, abandoning any focus of direction. Sparing a glance behind her, Rainbow Dash saw flash after flash and felt the reverberation of far from distant thunder.

She was being chased... no, hunted and the pegasus felt pure fear begin to claim her as, despite every trick she tried, she failed to evade her hunter. There was no room to maneuver, no room to build up speed and the fastest flying in all of Equestria felt increasingly trapped with every turn.

She took a risk and dove through a cloud wall, bursting into what she had hoped was the eye of storm. Her heart sank however, as she had simply entered a large open chamber within the storm itself, rocked with swirling air currents that fouled her attempts to build up speed.

Dash turned as the source of the lightning forced its way into the chamber, a blackened cloud sparking with far too much energy. Her thoughts raced as she sought a way to escape, but they became lost in a mix of confusion as the shape of the cloud became clear.

Strangely, while the top of the cloud looked normal, it had been sculpted so a swirling and squat cylinder extended beneath it, giving the impression of a cupcake... or a muffin.

“Heeeeey Rainbow Dash! Thought you could get away?” Rainbow turned her head at the sound of the voice behind her. Had she been on solid ground, Dash would have jumped away in shock as a familiar mane of yellow hair rose from the clouds, followed by a gray pair of wings as the normally uncoordinated pegasus sprung her trap.

“D... Derpy!?” Rainbow cried out in disbelief as she darted back, landing on a patch of cloud. The other pony fanned her wings menacingly, her mane and tail swirling in the crosswinds. She glared down with contempt at her prey, her face a mask of rage.

What disturbed Dash more then the ambush, more then the fact she was being chased, was the pony's eyes. Normally they were unfocused, one eye gazing off in some far off direction, but now both orbs were focused right on her and filled with growing hate.

“Don't call me THAT!” Ditzy Doo shrieked, stomping her hoof and sending a bolt of lightning streaking towards the focus of her anger. Blue wings flapped and their owner narrowly avoided the attack, quickly taking flight.

The gray Pegasus was far from finished as she took wing, pursuing the fleeing Rainbow Dash. “You're one of the worst! Every time it's Derpy-this or Derpy-that and I'm sick of being made fun of!”

Ditzy Doo was like a mare possessed, punctuating every outcry with a swift kick of lightning aimed at Rainbow Dash, giving the multicolored pony no chance to reply. “You think I'm too stupid to know what it means? You think I don't care!? Well I do and I'm gonna pay you back for Every! Single! Insult!”

“De..Ditzy! Wait! I... I didn't know!” Rainbow barely managed to get a word in edgewise between her desperate attempts to dodge the raging pony's strikes. Worse, it seemed she was being driven towards the looming shape of the Muffin-Cloud, which crackled menacingly.

“Horseapples! You expect me to believe that?” Ditzy Doo shrieked. “Liar! Liar! LIAR!” Ditzy Doo landed on a black cloud and began stamping her hooves like a filly throwing a temper tantrum, sending a torrent of tiny lightning strikes hurtling towards the other pony.

Dash tried to avoid them, but there were far too many and she was struck again and again, leaving tiny scorch marks dotting her coat. They weren't particularly damaging bolts, but each hit was like a pin shoved into the pegasus's hide. Worse, the pain made it difficult for the Rainbow to make any quick changes in her flight path.

Suddenly there was a flash of heat against her side and Dash cried out in pain. One of the bolts had struck the clasp of her saddlebags, overheating the metal and sending the satchel's contents tumbling through the air.

Dash watched Twilight's scroll falling through the storm. She didn't stop to think. She simply acted, changing direction quickly and diving for the falling letter, snatching it in her teeth.

Rainbow Dash had left herself open and Ditzy Doo made her move, rising up before diving towards the other pony like a striking bird of prey.

“It's bad enough I deal with messing up, but to be reminded of it constantly with that nickname... I have HAD it!” With speed that surprised even the would-be Wonderbolt, Ditzy spun around a second before slamming into Rainbow Dash, hitting her full on with her back hooves. The impact knocked the wind from the pegasus and sent her careening into the side of the storm cloud.

The moment that Rainbow slammed into the muffin-shaped cloud, it erupted into blinding hurricane of lightning, pouring its pent up energy into Dash's already battered body. Pain like nothing she had ever felt before lanced through her frame and with an electrically induced spasm, Rainbow Dash fell. Ditzy Doo alighted on top of the now mostly empty storm cloud, staring down at her fallen foe.

Dash had landed on top of a puff of a cloud, torn free from the rest of the storm by the ferocity of the enrage pegasus's attack. Against all odds, Rainbow was still alive, but every inch of her body felt like it was on fire.

Her forelimb was held against her chest, tightly holding on to Twilight's letter, which had survived the lightning with only minor singeing. She looked up at the towering cloud and its gray and yellow master, wincing as the pegasus prepared to finish the job.

“Any last words Rainbow Dash?” Ditzy Doo called out mockingly, smirking with triumph as the fallen pony struggled to reply.

Rainbow's mind raced. Perhaps it was that her own life was flashing before her eyes, but right now the fallen pegasus could only see how blind she had been before. “J...just that I'm Sorry!” she called out.

“I meant it when I said I didn't know! I had just heard some of the other pegasai call you that and you never seemed to react to it... I thought it was just a nickname.” Dash turned her head to the side, guilt etched on her face. “If I had known you took it that way I would have made sure the others stopped.”

Ditzy snorted with derision.“Yeah right! You're just trying to get out of getting what you deserve!” she called back, idly pawing the cloud as she waited for it to build up a suitably damaging amount of lightning.

“I know what it's like to get called names Ditzy!” Dash shouted back, despite the pain. “I still can't hear the name Rainbow Crash without getting angry. If I've been insulting you this whole time... then yeah, I'm no better then any other bully. If I've hurt you so much, then I deserve everything you've given me.”

That made the pegasus pause, she hadn't expected Rainbow Dash to agree with her. Still, it was no matter. She raised a hoof to send the final bolt when the fallen pony called out.

“Wait! Please, there's... something I need you to do...” Rainbow was having trouble breathing, her body ached like nothing she had ever felt before and she struggled to keep talking in more then short bursts. If she failed here, then she did deserve the lightning and the short way down.

“Hmph! You need me to do something Rainbow Dash? What, spare your life?” she asked, rolling her eyes before the cyan pegasus shook her head.

“No. Ditzy, please... this... letter.” She let out a groan as she held up the scroll. “It needs to get to Canterlot, to Celestia... please, fry me, zap me, send me careening into the Pins and Needles shop... but please, promise me you'll get this to the princess.” Dash closed her eyes, waiting for Ditzy to finish the job, but the bolt never came. Slowly she opened her eye to see a confused, but still very angry, Ditzy Doo hovering over her.

“Why? Why would you trust me with this? I screw everything up, remember?” Ditzy's words echoed the insults and complaints that pony after pony would send her way, Rainbow Dash included. The irate pegasus froze when she heard Dash's reply.

“Because, I know you can do it. I know you never let a pony down when it really counts and you've never given up on something until you get it right,” Rainbow said, forcing a small smile. “You make mistakes, everypony does. It's just when you do make mistakes, they're spectacular enough that it's all anypony remembers.”

Ditzy stared down at her foe, rival, what was she? Her head hurt from trying to think this out, but she was still angry. “Is that so? What makes you think I won't just fly off in the wrong direction? After all, I can't even get the southern birds right each year!”

Dash was beyond fear, beyond pain and her words just came out. “Most of the Weather Team asks me the same thing every year. But I keep putting you on the bird detail because I know you want to get it right. It's just with Winter Wrap Up, it's over before you can fix your mistakes.”

The yellow eyes of the pegasus lost focus for a moment, but she shook her head, glaring at the pony beneath her. “Horseapples! All of it! Give me one good reason why you think I can succeed where the 'Amazing Rainbow Dash' failed!?” she demanded.

“Because when it comes to storms, you're a better flier then me,” Rainbow Dash replied without a hint of deception.

Ditzy Doo stared dumbfounded as the pegasus kept going. “I've seen you Ditzy. You go into places no sane pegasus would dare and come out unscathed. I've seen you flying in wind currents that would send most falling, but you just ride them out.” Rainbow Dash stifled a painful chuckle.

“And to top it off, you're the only pegasus I know that not only shrugs off getting shocked by lightning, but seems to enjoy it.” Rainbow's voice took on a serious tone as she made a final plea. “Please, you're the only pony that can do this.”

Ditzy seemed confused for a moment as conflicting emotions swirled inside of her. Slowly her left eye began to shift, regaining its usually far away focus. A look of regret crossed her face as she looked down at Rainbow's near-broken body. Then, without a word, she took the scroll in her mouth and began to climb into the swirling air currents.

Dash smiled as she watched her go. “It'll get to the princess now Twilight... just not with me,” she coughed, before rolling onto her belly with a pained groan. As hurt as she was, Rainbow Dash could still move enough to guide the small cloud that had caught her. With a stuttered flap of her scorched wings, she began descending back into the storm before any other pegasai showed themselves.

***

Miles from Ponyville, a storm of another sort engulfed the primary ruler of Equestria. Princess Celestia stood at the eye of a hurricane of paper, each document held aloft by either her own magic or the magic of one of nearly a dozens functionaries.

“Dispatch Order, same as the others... file for later, file for later, file for...” the monarch suppressed an inelegant sigh as she looked towards her nearest aide. “Please file all requests, propositions, questions and correspondence from the Nobles that do not directly apply to the growing crisis as 'for later,' please.”

Upon her order, fully three fourths of the documents were stacked and placed aside, giving the princess a sigh of relief. “Thank you, now...” her relief changed to something approaching anger as she read the scroll that was before her, before the document dissolved into ash under her magic.

“Let it be known that such requests will not only Not be granted but that further such requests will result in immediate execution...” A sound from the door made Celestia turn and she smiled wearily at her sibling, who raised a curious eyebrow back at her before smirking at her co-ruler's exaggerated order.

“Sister, such a declaration. Hast thou been receiving yet more impassioned and highly detailed requests for you personal affections? Or has some enterprising foal sent you another advertisement for pastries in the hopes of getting more pictures?” the younger alicorn asked with a grin.

“Luna, you know full well I save the first, especially at my age I find many of them quite flattering and the over the top ones are always amusing to read. As to the second, no. Such actions now only earn a royal order to have an equally embarrassing picture of themselves printed in the papers,” she replied, before she turned her attentions back to the remaining scrolls.

Luna looked at the organized chaos of her sister's work, before sighing. “Truth be told dear sister, I had thought I had done something to earn thy wrath,” she admitted, causing Celestia to look at her with a mix of confusion and shock.

“My Steward came to me in a panic, saying you had abruptly closed day court and redirected every noble to attend my night court...” she explained, suppressing a shudder at the event.

“Truly such a punishment upon me could have only been the result of aught but the direst of deeds on my part,” Luna concluded, before looking at the stack of papers that now sat near Celestia's desk. “However, it is clear that I have misjudged your actions. Forgive me for doubting you and tell me what has put a halt to all matters of state.”

Celestia issued a few quick orders to her aids, who bowed and quickly began dealing with the documents themselves. “Walk with me Luna,” she invited, leading her sister out onto one of the many winding balconies that wrapped the towers of the Canterlot Palace.

Out of earshot of the servants, Luna allowed a more personal side to show itself as she quickly trotted up alongside her sister. “Celly, what has happened?”

“Madness, sheer madness,” the princess of the sun replied, sitting on the edge of the balcony and looking down into the city below. “It began with a single report of violence breaking out on the streets of Manehattan and at the time I thought it was simply an isolated tragedy. Then another report arrived, this time from Fillydelphia, followed by even more reports. Across the entire eastern half of our kingdom, ponies have begun rioting and brawling in the streets.”

Luna watched helplessly as grief etched Celestia's face. “Sister, such violence is not unheard of, especially to ones as ancient as us. Perhaps...” Before she could offer counsel, her sister shook her head.

“Not in Equestria, not anymore.” Celestia sighed deeply in her sorrow, but spared a small smile as Luna nuzzled her side. “I am not certain which disturbs me more Luna, that this sudden wave of violence seems without purpose, or the reactions of most of my court when they became aware of it.”

Seeing her younger sibling's questioning glance, she continued her explanation. “I have been dispatching the guard in pairs to every trouble spot, backing them up with other detachments as the incidents occur. However several of the nobles, who had become aware of things through their own channels of information have been petitioning me to recall all of them and fortify Canterlot.”

Luna raised her head in disbelief. “Has there been an outbreak in the city to warrant such a withdrawal?” she asked, suddenly looking to see if there was any sign of fighting in the city below.

“No, my dear sister, there has been no sign of such events within the capitol, though I fear we will see them soon enough. It is selfishness that motivates these ponies. They are more then willing to sacrifice the rest of Equestria to protect themselves,” Celestia said with a sour and sad look on her face.

“Why dost thou tolerate those unworthy louts, why not dispatch them to some far off outpost?” Luna asked with a turn of her head, eliciting a laugh from her sister as, to Celestia's eyes, it appeared that Luna had looked in the direction the rising moon.

“I would if I could Luna, but Noble titles are not bestowed like they used to be, nor come with the same responsibilities. These ponies primarily rest on the laurels earned by their ancestors and even if I was able to order them to a position like that, there simply aren't any outposts left that I could send them.”

“Pity.” Luna's brow furrowed as her eyes drifted to the southern horizon, even in the waning light of day, the massive cloud that hung over Ponyville was visible. “Sister... is a storm of that size normal?”

Celestia shook her head. “No and it worries me greatly,” she confessed, looking towards the distant swirling clouds. “However, if something was truly amiss then I would have received a letter by now. At least one from Spike if not Twilight.”

“Unless they are unable to...” Luna began before Celestia silenced her.

“Do not suggest such a thing sister!” the older alicorn snapped, before lowering her head. “...please, do not say what I fear inside. As hour after hour passes I curse myself for not sending a letter myself, just to see if they are alright. However, I have been unable to do anything but turn my magic to sending out orders to the guard. Despite my fears, I must trust my student and her friends.”

Luna raised an eyebrow at her sister's outburst. “Sister, thou must certainly have lesser commanders to delegate the orders to? I cannot conceive of how you have become trapped by such bureaucracy,” she declared with a mix of sympathy and exasperation.

“A thousand years alone has forced me to become...” Celestia began her explanation before being interrupted by the blare of  a warning horn.

“UNIDENTIFIED PEGASUS! YOU ARE IN RESTRICTED AIRSPACE!” Both princesses looked up as the Royal Guard scrambled and ducked as a tumbling form shot past them and crashed into room behind them.

Despite the distant warnings of her guards, Celestia stepped over the shattered glass of the room's windowed doors. Sprawled against the remnants of a bookshelf was the crumpled form of a mare, her gray fur singed from head to hoof. “L...letter... for the princess,” she managed to say, gesturing to a scroll laying near her head.

The guard were not far behind, storming the room before being halted by a glare from the princess of the night. Her co-ruler quickly picked up the scroll and began to read it, her face flashing through a mix of emotions that made her normally unflappable guards nervous.

“Sister, what is... oh my...” Luna muttered, reading over Celestia's shoulder.

Celestia seemed to snap back to reality, shouting towards her guards. “Get this mare to the hospital! No, wait. Rouse my royal physician and see that she is well treated,” she ordered, staring down with sympathy at the battered pony.

The pegasai guards saluted, carefully gathering up the now unconscious Ditzy Doo and quickly departing towards the castle's infirmary.

As the princess watched the guards go, she turned towards her sibling. “Luna, there is something I need you to do...”

***

Minutes later, on one of the grand parapets of the castle, two ranks of guard ponies stood at the ready. The bat-winged Pegasai of the night guard stood in silent ranks, only casting glances at the unicorn guards that now climbed into the chariots behind them.

They had only a short time to wait before the moon suddenly rose high into the Equestrian sky, followed soon by princess Luna as she landed on the balcony near her own chariot. She turned to face the ponies before her and cleared her throat.

“Heed our words, O' noble guardians! Each amongst you hath heard of the dire misfortunes befalling our fair Kingdom!” she declared, seeing the simultaneous nods from the assembled Guards.

“The source is now known to us and can be fought! Thy brothers and sisters in arms even now are facing this threat, but our task is greater still!” She turned towards the moon and with a flash from her horn, caused a gleaming pathway to appear.

“Beyond the lives we must yet save, our enemy seeks to deny us our greatest power. THIS SHALL NOT BE SO!” Luna briefly dipped into the Royal Canterlot Voice as she took wing, leading her followers along the moonlight pathway. “Onward my ponies! Make haste, for our time is short!”

Celestia watched her sister depart and gave a worried sigh. “Good luck Luna. Please bring them back safely.” She turned towards the servants that stood nearby and nodded to them.

“I am ready.” she said with a forced smile as she made her way to the throne room. “Though I fear my task is more difficult then yours, dear sister.” she mentally added as the doors swung open and the princess was suddenly deluged by the demands and cries of dozens of irate nobles.

***

Rarity didn't handle pressure well. Well, that wasn't entirely true. When the fashionista was flank deep in projects or maintaining her cool when dealing with the elite of the elite, the stress and pressure were driving forces for her.

But with injury and violence around every corner, not knowing where her family was or if they were alright and on top of it all, having to hide in a dirty pit was pushing her to the limits of her sanity. The only thing that kept her sane was the realization that her friends needed her, especially with Twilight's ragged breathing serving as a constant reminder.

“How are you feeling dear?” the worried unicorn asked, before using her magic to repair an opened stitch in the canvas of their hiding place. It was little more then a dugout amidst the bushes on the edge of the park, further concealed by a large sheet dyed with splotches of green and studded with wilting flowers. Despite the crude camouflage, it was a merciful haven amidst the violence that had continued to wrack the town.

Twilight groaned as she turned her head to the side. “The same as I was five minutes ago Rarity. I feel very foalish and like an overdone cupcake,” she replied with a weak smile.

Applejack shook her head, forcing a small smile of her own. She dabbed at Twilight's forehead with a damp cloth, trying to keep the unicorn's feverish body temperature under control. “Ah really hope Pinkie and Shy get back soon. Ah don't wanna think about what'll happen if we get found by the...”

She froze, hearing a shuffling near the entrance to their hiding place. Both she and Rarity moved between it and their friend, ready to fight whatever crazed pony had found them.

They both sighed in relief as a familiar pink head poked its way inside, followed quickly by the rest of Pinkie Pie's body. She grunted, helping Fluttershy drag a mud-stained and heavily damaged Rainbow Dash into the dugout.

“We found her caught on a weather vane, well the cloud she was on was caught,” Pinkie explained with a sniffle, breaking down into soft sobbing before the barely conscious pegasus brushed her hoof against her.

“H... hey... you said one piece. You didn't say anything about not being cooked,” Dash joked, before wincing in pain as Fluttershy and Rarity began to tend to the her injuries. Rainbow turned her head to face Twilight, smiling when she saw the unicorn was awake.

“Don't worry about the letter Twi, it'll get through... it's in good hooves,” she said, before suddenly being assaulted by Fluttershy's tender ministrations.

“Rainbow Dash! Don't you ever do that again! You...” The pegasus's reprimands and orders became a constant stream of heart-felt scolding that accompanied her first aid as she cleaned the many cuts and burns that covered her friend's body.

“I wonder what Dash meant. The poor dear clearly didn't make it out of Ponyville...” Rarity wondered quietly, echoing Twilight's own train of thoughts.

The lavender unicorn's introspection was interrupted by a massive shock-wave that surged through the ground, accompanied by the sound of thunder.

Amidst the sudden trampling of hooves that followed, Applejack risked poking her head out from the canvas, her jaw dropping at what she saw.

A vast hole had been forced open in the storm above, creating a swirling tunnel bathed in the brilliant light of the moon. Through this pathway, princess Luna and her guard descended upon the village with speed to rival the winds of a hurricane.

Immediately the Unicorns that rode behind the Night Guard began to channel their magic, creating a barrier around themselves and the battered ponies below.

“PRINCESS! DOWN-mphfm!” Pinkie Pie started to cry out, before Rarity pulled her back and muffled her.

“We don't even know if she's been affected by the Fury!” the unicorn hissed. But she froze when the air echoed with the Royal Canterlot Voice.

“FEAR US NOT! THOUGH IF FURY GRIP THY HEARTS, KNOW THAT WE SHALL STAND AGAINST THY RAGE!” the princess bellowed, before the hidden ponies scrambled into view, waving frantically to show they weren't going to attack. Luna's expression was unreadable as she drew closer to the ponies, though she felt a growing sense of dread when she saw only four of the six seemed to be present.

Relief cut through her fear when they pulled back the sheet of their hiding place, revealing their remaining friends. “Princess! Twi an Dash are hurt real bad!” Applejack called out and the princess of the night broke into a swift trot, quickly reaching the fallen ponies.

“We tried ta get a letter through, but...” The earth pony started to explain, but stopped when Luna levitated the bodies of her friends from the hole.

“The letter reach us, though we fear the pony that delivered it seems unable to forgive her part in creating this storm,” she replied, beckoning to a pair of the unicorns that touched down with her.

The first armored pony lowered her horn and began to channel magic into Rainbow Dash, while the other spent a moment examining Twilight's body.

“Fourth degree magic burn. You need to cool off and quickly,” the stallion said, turning towards Dash's cloud.

“That will do. Princess... might I request,” he began, but Luna simply nodded.

“Of course,” she replied, levitating Rainbow Dash to the ground and positioning the small thundercloud over Twilight's body. “Brace thyself,” she cautioned, raising a hind hoof.

Twilight stared up at Luna with wide eyes, crying but as the princess's hoof struck the cloud, drenching the unicorn in a freezing rain. Steam rose from her body as the rain fell and far from the bite she expected of the rain, Twilight felt only the sensation of her body returning to normal.

“Thank you Luna, I feel much better now,” the unicorn said, shakily rising to her feet.

Luna nodded. “It was our pleasure to help you Twilight Sparkle. If either thyself or thy friends had fallen, then any victory we could have achieved here would have been Pyrrhic.” The alicorn said, but gave no further explanation as she turned her attention to Rainbow Dash.

The unicorn tending to Rainbow Dash's wounds looked up and closed her eyes. “Forgive me my princess, but I have done all I can. She will need far greater care before she can fly again. Though she is no longer in mortal danger.”

Luna nodded and began to walk towards her personal chariot, when Applejack limped up alongside her. “Beggin yer pardon princess, but what did y'all mean by Pie-Rik?” she asked, looking back as her friends helped Rainbow Dash to her hooves.

“Is that term no longer in use?” Luna queried, before turning back towards her chariot.

“What I meant is that without all of you, the Elements of Harmony would be useless in facing the Fury. Without the ability to end its foul and malevolent hold on the fair citizens of Ponyville, even destroying the beast would prove naught but a victory most hollow,” she explained, levitating the bejeweled container that contained the relics from her chariot to the ground before her.

“Do not misunderstand me. Thou art my dearest of friends and it is always a pleasure to aid thee. However, the situation is doubly dire and if there is to be any hope of seeing an end to this madness then we must act with haste.”

Even as Twilight and her friends began to don their necklaces and headgear, a warning shout came from the circling guards. From every darkened alleyway and through the ruins around them, ponies began to appear, their eyes blazing red and their faces twisted with rage.

Bolts of unicorn magic and thunderous lightning began to blast against the barrier as the ground shook with the trampling of the hooves of the remaining earth ponies that hurled themselves at it.

Luna issued an order and the ring of guards tightened, shrinking the force field and allowing some of the unicorns to rest. “This does not bode well.” Luna said quietly as Twilight and the others gathered around her, nervously staring at the raging ponies that surrounded them.

“We fear this spell is still too intensive for all but thy brother Twilight Sparkle, for even in tandem the Guards are straining,” Luna said grimly, looking down at the unicorn.

“There must be something we can do, some way to break the Fury's hold over them!” the bearer of magic cried in defiance as the barrier shrunk smaller and smaller. She looked up at Luna questioningly, but the  princess seemed to be lost in contemplation.

“In order to free them, we must overcome the Fury,” Luna said solemnly. “However, in order to reach the Fury we must overcome them.” She turned and looked at the element bearers and gave a mysterious smile.

“Yet we have a means to achieve such an end without more harm to our subjects.” Luna stepped forward and nodded to her Guards, two of them extending the barrier for her.

“Fear not, my friends, but prepare thy selves for thy own battle,” the princess of night said reassuringly as the barrier suddenly pulled back, exposing her to the mob of ponies.

“LUNA! Are you CRAZY!?” Twilight cried out, seeing the mob begin to descend on the unshielded monarch.

Time seemed to slow as Luna's horn shimmered and Twilight expected the worst, imagining the princess ripped apart or the crowd blasted back by some display of power. But what Luna began doing left her and her friends dumbstruck.

The alicorn closed her eyes and began to gently sing. The song was without words, or perhaps in a language so ancient it had no need for them, but with each note that issued from Luna's mouth, motes of silver began to spread.

They drifted through the air like tiny stars, and each pony that they touched became exposed to the power of her song. Slowly their eyes returned to normal and one by one, each pony gently laid down, falling into a deep and enchanted slumber.

Twilight watched as the Night Song swirled around the barrier and even though its power could not reach the ponies inside, the music could. She heard the melody and let it flow through her. This was more then a simple lullaby, more then a spell. Within it, the song spoke of dreams of starlight, of the moon and the mysteries of the shrouded hours. This was the melody by which Luna guided her silvery charge each night and every note marked a star she had hung.

The music and starlight spread throughout Ponyville, reaching the ears of the fallen and conscious alike and when Luna's voice finally fell silent, Twilight knew that nopony for miles could be awake now. She shivered a little, looking to the others that were in the barrier and the Unicorn noticed that only the Night Guard, Applejack and Rainbow Dash seemed to have been as affected by the song as she had.

Slowly the barrier fell and Luna approached the gathered ponies. “It is done, now we but wait for the beast to...” the princess's voice was drowned out by an ear-splitting howl and everypony turned towards its source, horrified by what they saw.

The surface of Ponyville Hall began to ripple, and slowly the body of the Fury came into view. Denied the ever growing power of the rampaging citizens, the monster had no longer any need for stealth as its skin and scales became fiery red, dotted with sooty patches.

Having glutted itself on so much anger and senseless violence, the Fury had grown to a massive size, wrapping itself around the towering building as a perfect perch. It bared its fangs at the ponies below and Rainbow Dash took cold comfort in the fact that they gleamed like polished steel. It hadn't begun feeding on anypony... yet.

Luna bellowed an order and moving with military precision, the guard encircled it. Twilight looked over at Luna expectantly but felt like she wanted to curl up into a ball when her eyes met the princess's.

“We hath but few moments, Bearers of Harmony,” Luna said, her gaze shifting back to the beast that even now was lashing out at the circling ponies, corralled only by the repeated blasts of magic coming from the unicorn guard. “Summon thy strength and put an end to this monster, but do not let anger towards it consume your hearts, lest it feed and grow strong, even as you seek to purge it from this land.”

Twilight nodded at Luna's warning and looked to her friends. “Ready girls?” she asked, a fierce smile crossing her face as she saw that even Fluttershy seemed eager to put an end to the Fury's reign of terror. “Let's do it!”

Though limping and emotionally strained, the six mares stood together before advancing towards the snarling Fury, feeling the power of the Elements coursing through them.

Suddenly the beast flared its wings, the long spines forcing the Guard Ponies to suddenly veer away, narrowly avoiding crashing into them with their chariots.

Free from the nuisance of being attacked, it suddenly lurched forward, fixating on Twilight and her friends with its scorching red glare.

Twilight suddenly felt her mind assaulted by unrelenting anger pulled from her psyche. Half remembered frustrations mixed with pure emotion boiled within her head, but the unicorn forced it back. Each warped memory was dismissed, every frustration deflected. When the attack finally ended, the bearer of magic quickly looked to her friends. She smiled, seeing that each had similarly resisted the monster's power. “Nice try, but you have no power over us. Not when we're together. Not when we're in harmony with each other.”

The Fury seemed to reel back in shock before its face contorted in rage. Drawing upon the anger it had absorbed, the creature's gullet swelled with foul power. It roared at the ponies, releasing a sulfurous breath that enveloped Twilight and her friends.

The reeking, swirling fog carried with it the seeds of anger and hate, bombarding the minds of the ponies with poisonous emotions. The foul essence of combined anger of every pony in Ponyville sought to choke the bearers of Harmony, drowning their friendship in an effort to turn them.

But when the breath faded, each of them simply stared back at the Fury. Each wore a defiant smile on their faces and for a fleeting moment, the beast felt fear.

The Elements began to glow with ever expanding brilliance and the rainbow-hued power of Harmony roared forth. Directed by the element of Magic, the Fury became awash in powers that were an anathema to it.

Loyalty defied it, Generosity blunted it, Honesty depleted it, Laughter dissolved it and Kindness destroyed it.

When the light faded and Twilight looked up at where the beast had been, all that remained of the Fury was a hollow shell of ash and fading embers which quickly crumbled away.

“I... is it over?” the unicorn breathed before she heard the princess giving orders to the guard ponies.

“You, take to the skies and quell the storm! You search the city for the ponies that remain and douse the fires! The rest of you seek out supplies! Bring lumber, wheels, salvageable wagons and chariots if you can. Make haste!”

When the last of her guard had left to follow her orders she turned back towards Twilight and her friends. “Nay Twilight Sparkle, this is far from over.”

The Unicorn pulled the crown of Magic from her head and looked around. “Yeah, it will take forever to rebuild. I wonder if there are any buildings we could use to shelter everypony?” she asked, turning to see if Luna had any suggestions.

However, when she looked into the princess's eyes, Twilight felt a sense of despair and loss fill her heart as she saw the alicorn's head shaking slowly from side to side.

“My ponies gather materials not to begin rebuilding, but to devise transportation. Every stallion, mare and foal is to be evacuated from Ponyville and brought to the safety of Canterlot,” she declared to the shock of the six friends. “This was no isolated threat. We have won aught but a battle. The fight for Equestria's survival has only begun.”