The DisQord Continuum

Welcome to Ponyville?

“Twilight!!” everypony cheered, running up to Twilight when they saw her walk into the room.

“Where ger run off to in the hospital?” Applejack asked.

“Long story,” Twilight tried to explain, “I…”

“How’s your head, darling?” Rarity asked.

“It’s sore, but fine. I …”

“How come everypony’s hitting their heads today? Is it the new fun thing to do? Here let me try!”, Pinkie Pie said taking a book from a shelf and giving herself a good whack. “Ow!” she said as her eyes circled around from the dizzying pain. “That wasn’t very fun at all.”

“Listen,” Twilight yelled. “I just spoke with the princess, and she is going to make a speech shortly and then we’re going back to Ponyville to help out some new friends.”

Applejack looked up at her questioningly. “New Friends?” she asked. “These wouldn’t happen to be the same friends as the one who landed on Flutteryshy; the same ones who Discord had just warned us about their invasion plans, would it?”

Twilight needed to explain the situation as best she could. “Yes, but do not believe Discord. They are our allies and even Princess Celestia knows it. They are here to help us fight Discord.”

They all listened to Twilight explain her sudden disappearance, her little excursion to the Enterprise, and how the strangers came to our world to explore and learn, but had gotten caught up in Discord’s meddling. She was careful not to mention anything regarding their own past that she had learned from the Princess. “Discord is trying to create panic in everpony and using the strangers as an easy scapegoat for us to blame,” said Twilight.

Applejack looked at her quizzically. “An ‘Escape Goat’?” she asked picturing a goat with a black mask breaking out of prison. Twilight rolled her eyes.

Sighing, she said, “Do you need Sweetie-Bell or Apple Bloom to explain it to you? It means he’s blaming them for what he himself is actually doing! The princess will explain this shortly to everypony in Canterlot. We need to help the strangers in Ponyville and then work together to defeat Discord.”

“So you actually were on their ship?” Rainbow Dash cut in. “You were even higher than I’ve ever flown?”

Twilight could tell Rainbow’s voice had a mix of excited interest and bitter jealousy mixed in.

“Yes, but I didn’t get to see too much,” Twilight quickly interjected. “Their captain kept a very close eye on me. I just saw a lot of rooms and hallways with candle-less lights in the ceilings and on the walls.” She deliberately left out the part about seeing Equestria from space. She didn’t want Rainbow to be too jealous of her.

“Well I feel much more comfortable with my hooves on the ground, thank you,” Rarity said. She no longer cared for flying after her short-lived flying experience in Cloudsdale. Plummeting out of the sky, after their wings had melted off, would make any pony think twice about it.

Twilight looked over at Fluttershy, who was already standing and walking around with no apparent difficulty. “How are you feeling?” Twilight asked.

“Much better,” she calmly responded. “I need to thank that stranger for helping me.”

Smiling, Twilight turned herself around, motioning towards the door. “Then follow me. He’s still with the princess.”

They made their way over toward the balcony where the princess was about to begin her speech. Everypony but Pinkie seemed apprehensive to the situation. Despite the chaos outside, Pinkie was upbeat and chipper; with all smiles showing.

The other ponies did not share Pinkie’s upbeat attitude. They had heard Discord’s message and were deeply concerned. In many ways, Pinkie’s quirky behavior actually helped reduce the tension in the room. Twilight thought to herself how Pinkie Pie may actually be the strongest of all of them.

From the balcony, the princess could be seen getting ready to deliver her speech. She used her magic to amplify her voice in order to reach the whole of Canterlot. Many of the citizens were too scared running around to notice her until she started speaking:

Ponies of Canterlot, hear me! Your princess demands your attention at this difficult hour. You are being

driven to panic by a voice who speaks from the shadows and says little but lies. This voice is none other

than the voice of Discord! Do not be deceived my little ponies! He is our enemy and will do anything to

cause disharmony throughout our land of Equestria!

The enemy he speaks of is actually our ally! They are from a far away land and have come only to learn

about us and become our friends. It is Discord who is our common enemy! We have defeated him before;

we will defeat him again!

Now my friends, take your families home. Do not panic, and do not let chaos get the better of you. I will

protect you as I have done for millennia. Be well.

The princess finished her speech and stepped back from the balcony. Turning back towards Twilight and her friends, her face revealed she was not as confident as she had just broadcasted herself to be. Twilight walked up to her and tried to offer a hoof of comfort, but the princess quickly regained her composure into a frame of strength and determination.

Looking down at Twilight she simply said, “Now we go to Ponyville.” Twilight was taken aback by the princess’s gaze. Her eyes were vacant; cold even. Twilight felt a chill come over her upon looking into the princess's eyes.

The Royal Air Colts were ready to transport everyone back to Ponyville. The princess stepped onto the chariot, which was large enough to carry all of them. Geordi and the ponies boarded quickly and they were underway.

By air, the trip would only take about thirty minutes.

*     *     *

As the chariot flew over Ponyville, Discord’s work could easily be viewed. Though it was not raining chocolate milk, many windows in houses and stores were either boarded up or smashed. Twilight could not believe her eyes. Ponies had broken into the hardware store, stolen shovels and rakes, and were gathering around what appeared to be a flashing pink bubble.

Commander Riker and his team were sheltered beneath a force field that was being tested quite frequently. Each time an angry pony jabbed, poked, or whacked the field with a tool, the field would distribute the energy across the field glowing pink. Counselor Troi was desperately trying to appeal to the angry mob, but she could sense their anger and fear was beyond any attempts at reason or logic. Lieutenant Worf had been beamed down before the field was put in place to boost security. The force field was not only keeping the pony mob out, but also preventing Worf from his increasing desire to do battle with these four-legged beasts.

The Royal Air Colts hovered just over the field in view of the entire mob. The crowd immediately stopped their attack at the sight of the princess and bowed. “Ponies of Ponyville hear me!” she started reciting her Canterlot speech almost verbatim at first.

However, as she spoke to the ponies of Ponyville, Twilight noticed her voice seemed to have a slight indignation, even disgust for the crowd she was addressing. Twilight had never heard the princess speak in such a manner, and neither had any other pony who kept their heads bowed now out of fear rather than respect.

“…We ponies are a proud race! We are a peaceful race! We have not had a single war since Equestria was founded, and I will not see our world sink into the abyss out of fear!”

Finishing her speech, she had the guards lower the chariot down to the ground in front of the away team. She stepped off the chariot and looked at Commander Riker, who switched off the protective field. “Thank you, your highness,” Riker said. “We will try to help in any way we can.” The princess nodded appreciatively.

She looked back at the crowd, who were still frozen, bowing, not sure what to do. The princess's demeanor returned to a warmer, friendlier gaze. She walked up to one of the ponies in the crowd, Lyra, who had started to sob, staring at the pitch fork she had dropped upon the princess’s arrival.

“There there,” The princess cooed softly at Lyra. “You did not cause any permanent harm.”

Lyra gazed up at the princess’s face, tears streaking down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry your Majesty! I…I..I didn’t mean…I was afraid….”

“I know, I know,” said the princess, patting her softly on the head. Looking back at the still bowing ponies she said, “Everypony, do not be afraid. A long time ago, a pony once told me, ‘Do not fear. Fear can only drive hate. Hate brings nothing but sorrow and suffering. I do not want my ponies to suffer. So please, do not be afraid. I am here to help; as are our new friends.”

The crowd picked their heads back up. They were thankful for their monarch’s forgiveness and understanding. They piled the tools they had stolen onto a wagon and would be returning it to the owner’s shop shortly. Many ponies had done as the princess requested during her speech and went to go look after their families.

Some ponies like Derpy, now hiding the sack of muffins she had been hurling at the strangers, wanted to help. “I’m really sorry princess,” she said. “Everything happened so fast. I just don’t know what went wrong.”

“Princess,” Geordi approached “We need to make a plan with the time remaining. I wanted to ask you more about the particles you mentioned.”

The princess nodded. “Yes, I believe with your help, we might be able to utilize our magic with your technology.”

Turning to Twilight she said, “Twilight, I can’t have you in two places at once, but I need both your magical abilities and your organizational skills. Is there anyone you could delegate the responsibility of securing the town while you work with Geordi and I?”

Twilight looked at her friends, mulling over who would do the best job. After a brief pause in contemplation, she smiled. Turning back to the princess she nominated...

“Pinkie Pie.”

Several jaws dropped and Derpy tripped falling to the ground. Rainbow was the first to respond. “Pinkie Pie? Are you kidding? Wouldn’t me or possibly Applejack make a better choice?”

Twilight shook her head. “No. Pinkie is unusual and has weird ways of getting things done. And maybe, just maybe, it's best to fight chaos with a little chaos of our own!” she said smirking at Pinkie who was bouncing on her tail with excitement.

“Okie-Dokie-Lokie Twi! Leave everything to me! Derpy! I need you to fly over to Mr. and Mrs. Cupcake and start baking muffins! We need at least 100?...No… 200,000 muffins!” Derpy snapped to attention and saluted, before shooting off into the air…in the wrong direction.

“Applejack it’s Zap-Apple harvest day tomorrow right?”

Applejack replied, “Yes indeed! The rest of the Apple family are getting everything together for the harvest as we speak…Why?” A gut feeling came to Applejack that she was not going to like what Pinkie was going to say.

Pinkie  smiled with a devilish grin, “Good, we’re going to need every last drop of Zap-Apple jam you can make!”

Applejack's gut was right. Zap-Apple jam was the family’s most profitable harvest of the year. Looking from Pinkie to Twilight, she replied “Twi, I trust you. If you trust Pinkie Pie’s decision, then I’ll go help my family make as much jam as possible and have it ready for you by the time that 'game' you mentioned is set to start.” Twi nodded and Applejack took off toward her family farm.

“Flutteryshy!” Pinkie called out looking over at Fluttershy, who was trying to make herself smaller so as not to be picked. “I need you to gather every animal in Ponyville and hide them in the Ever-Free Forest.”

Fluttershy started shaking her head in protest of having to go into the Ever-Free forest. “Fluttershy, tell the animals what happened, and that they will be safer there together.” Putting her hooves on Fluttershy’s shoulders she continued, “They will be safer and you will be safer with them!”

She looked Flutteryshy in the eye almost mimicking Flutteryshy’s staring ability. “Okay…,” Fluttershy nodded in agreement and made her way towards her house where most of the animals in Ponyville already resided.

“Rarity,” Pinkie continued. “I need you to make a giant sheet made out of sky!”

Rarity had no idea what Pinkie was talking about. “What? How can you have a sheet made out of sky? It’s impossible, unless you mean stitching clouds together, in which case wouldn’t Rainbow be better suited…”

Pinkie leaned in and whispered something in Rarity’s ear. With a sparkle appearing in Rarity’s eye, she smiled and said, “It will be the most spectacular sheet made of sky the world has ever seen!” She ran off to her store to start the preparations.

“Rainbow, I need you to gather the Pegasi and make a cloud as big as Ponyville with no rain!”

Rainbow gave Twilight a look of ‘Are you really sure about this?’

Twilight nodded and said, “Remember the parasprites.” Rainbow gave a sigh before flying off to Cloudsdale.

“All set Twi, leave it to me!” Pinkie said, starting to make a list. “I’ll get some of the other things we'll need: balloons, fireworks, streamers…”

Now Twilight was also starting to doubt her decision. “Uh…Pinkie…, you know this isn’t a party were preparing for right?”

Pinkie grinned. “Of course not, silly. Trust me. This is all part of the plan!” She grinned even more and ran off into town to hunt for her needed supplies.