A Path Diverged In The Wood
And I took the path less traveled
Father is angry. I am an idiot.
"Why are you incapable of even this?" he yells.
I shudder as I pull myself from the forsythia bush.
"Sorry dad, I can't stay balanced."
"You just have to try harder," He snarled, "Pull the bike out of that damn bush."
"Yes dad," I sigh as once more he holds the bike as I mount it.
"Try to avoid the bush this time, you pathetic excuse for a daughter," He says as he shoves me forward.
I can feel the bike start to move, I begin to pedal as he taught me, but the forsythia is too close and once more I catch the corner. This time instead of landing in the bush, the bike spins to the side and I land in the road. My bike clattering on top of me.
Father looks down at me as I struggle to my feet, "I have to go to work," he states, "Try not to be such a disappointment when I return."
He walks away, not sparing me another glance as I lift my bike off myself. His car almost hits me as I yank myself and my bike from the road. Engaging his siren, he shoots of down the road, the howl rapidly fading off into the distance. I let my bike fall into the grass, kneeling down the tears fall.
A shadow falls over me, a hand extends downward patting me on the head. I lean into the comfort of the hand as it ruffles my mane.
A gentle voice soothes me with comforting words, "By Male's Hand Done, By Male's Hand Must Be Undone."
Twilight shot up in her bed, sweat dripping from her fur causing her to shudder in the cool of the morning.
What the hell was that?! she shuddered, It felt like a memory, but I never experienced anything like that. It was like I was in the human world. And that last phrase, what does it mean? It was the same voice that told me that damn story.
A knock on her door roused her from her musings.
"Twi," came Big Mac's comforting baritone rumble, "You should come and see this."
"Alright," She answered.
Looking around, Twilight glanced over her plans for the invasion of Cloudsdale.
All of which are useless if we can't find Discord or Fluttershy, she critiqued, not to mention I nor Mac have any idea how we got free. If we can't free Discord then this whole rebellion is sunk.
Grabbing some random pieces of clothing, she moved out into the hallway. Standing off to the side, Mac slumped against the wall. Despite shrinking in size as the magic that had freed them had bled into the environment, he still stood only around 8ft tall.
Twilight smiled, "Alright Mac, what did you want me to see?"
Nodding for her to follow, the taciturn Apple moved down the stairs into the courtyard. Gesturing towards a collection of some of the Mares, he stood back for his Princess to get a proper look.
Twilight gasped, "How is this possible?" She sputtered.
Lyra stood before her marefriend Bonnie, the two sparing with brutal efficiency. Short strikes interspersed with sparks of energy arced between the two. Pushing apart, the two glided away from each other. Bonnie struck back first as she shifted into a spin kick, flame leaping towards Lyra. Lyra smiled as she trilled some notes, causing plunder vines to intercept the fire. Gesturing with her hands and letting out a shrill whistle, Lyra sent the black vines towards her significant other. Snorting fiercely, Bonnie clapped her hands together, unleashing a shock wave that splintered the grasping vines. Both mares charged towards each other once more. Lyra staying low to the ground as Bonnie spun forward through the air. As Lyra came underneath the former SMILE agent, Bonnie pushed of the air which shot her straight upwards. Lyra tried to change direction, but it was to late as Bonnie shifted direction again, slamming downward into her marefriend. Driving Lyra face first into the ground.
"Win for Bon Bon." Twilight heard Mr. Cake call out.
"Alright, who wants to tell me why I just saw an Earth Mare and a Unicorn Mare use magic from all three tribes?" Twilight questioned with a smile, this could be exactly what we need, the edge I've been looking for.
"All us mare's are like that Princess," Derpy answered, "My Time Turner is working on the problem, and all he can determine is that us mare's adapted to what we had lost. Somehow we shared what we had left."
Twilight's grin threatened to split her face, her eyes twinkled with fascination at the problem before her. "A full harmonic convergence," She laughed, "When I was freed, my magic was shoved through Big Mac into everyone. Since I resonated most with the other Mares at that point we all communally mingled our magic."
Twilight gestured towards Big Mac, "Which also explains why the Stallions bulked up and grew fangs and claws. They shared their Harmonic Frequencies with Big Mac. I'm willing to bet that everyone was got caught within the convergence. Which enabled us to realize the truth. That we were under the influence of Viral Harmonic Mind Control. Which as soon as we noticed was unable to hold us!" Twilight paused.
Glancing over at Big Mac, she extended her hands. A soft purple glow enveloped him as she scanned his aura.
"It's just as I thought," She laughed, "I know how to both find Fluttershy and free Discord."
Mac quirked an eybrow, "How?"
"While I was kept under, I was the transmitter, you were the amplifier. I produced the Viral signal, you sent it over the town. Which then was shared among the Non-Caribou in Ponyille. This then was sent back through us, reinforcing the signal. But something, or someone, interrupted the loop. Which allowed for the two of us to have a brief moment of free thought. But being that the Signal was so low level it wasn't very powerful, just pervasive and self enforcing. Thus the second we resisted, so did everyone else and the signal was broken. But something within the disruption filtered down as well. Thus we are all a little more aggressive and now share traits."
Touching Big Mac on the shoulder, Twilight continued, "But what that means is that I can use you and I to trace the signal back to Fluttershy and Discord. Which will enable you, Mac, to wake her up."
"Me?" Mac queried, "Twi, my face is kinda well known."
"Which won't be a problem," Twilight assured the larger male, " Discord is not held on Cloudsdale, therefore Fluttershy can't be either.
Getting on a role, Twilight giggled, "Fluttershy has to be close to Discord, otherwise the amplification won't work. The two of us had to be in Ponyville because neither of us is that strong a transmitter or amplifier. Fluttershy would be barely able to Transmit a mile at most, Discord on the other hand could amplify her signal to cover all of Cloudsdale from anywhere in Equestria. Provided you placed the appropriate Receiving Glyphs within the city. Once you wake Fluttershy up, the Harmonic Backlash will wake everyone else up. It'll be Ponyville all over again."
"Backlash?"
Twilight chuckled, she always figured Mac was smarter then he let on, "A mind under magical control, once freed, always inversely reflects back towards the source of control, hence why we attacked the Caribou that was living in town."
Mac nodded serenely, "I get it. It also why we want to kill the lot of them?"
"Exactly," Twilight confirmed, "It's our Collective Harmonic Network seeking to purge itself of a foreign invader, just like a body would purge a sickness. Once freed, all are immune, if changed."
"Change gonna be different?" Mac wondered.
"The Non-Caribou living in Cloudsdale will be radically different, because those changes will be based on the backlash from Discord and Fluttershy."
"Ah,"
Twilight looked out over the old castle grounds, for the first time it felt like home. For the first time she had hope.