Heart Souls: The Loss of Harmony

"I only saw what you showed me. Who knows what'll really happen!"

" I've seen it a dozen times; things don't turn out well in Equestria without my friends."

"Oh, what's so special about your friends? How can a group of ponies that are so different be so important!?"

There, a witch, stuck on limbo, reminiscing about the past.

____________

The rain continues as the two ponies rest and weather the storm inside the Everfree forest.

The mare felt guilty about how she treated her partner. Before he would try to talk her, now... Nothing.

I must do something.

She mustered up her courage and stood up. Bright was asleep, beside a tree opposite to her.

She slowly and carefully went up to him, avoiding disturbing his sleep.

Her memories return from the future she once came from. She starts to sweat heavily, but she endures. She begins to shake, not only because it's cold and raining, but because she is having an episode and fighting the fears inside of her.

Why am I afraid of him? I love him.

Slowly but surely, her confidence grows; she was able to go near him. She still shakes, but to her, this was a good improvement.

Shing! STAB!

Bright unsheathes his sword. Bubbles eyes widen; stunned and afraid. He quickly plunged his sword towards Bubbles.

Splatter...

Blueish blood would splatter at the back of Bubbles.

It would take her a few seconds before she could snap out of her shock. She followed the blade that Bright was holding, and it missed her head by an inch. She looks at her back, and there a wasp the size of her hoof was stabbed by Bright.

She collapsed at where she stood, and her fear came back.

" Pull yourself together; you're a royal knight. You should act like one."

He began to clean his blade before sheathing it back to his scabbard.

Bubbles, still in a daze, could only look at Bright in shock and confusion.

Bright would just stare at her, muddied on the ground.

" If you got time playing in the mud, then it's best we get a move on." He grabs her from the shoulder and lifts her up; her thought process and trauma weren't fast enough for her to react, and she stood up, still in a daze.

" Let's move."

_____

Ponyville. 200m.

"We finally made it!" Bluebell yelled at the top of her lungs, which would soon be met with a clobber from Quilt.

" What's wrong with you!?"

" Awuu..." Bluebell yipped in pain and hid behind Cross, but she wouldn't find an ally from him, as he too thought of her actions as immature and careless. He'd shake his head in disapproval of her actions, for which she genuinely felt sorry; it's like a brother scolding his little sister.

"Well, it's safe to say that no one came out to greet us.... So that's something." Tapper gave his 2 cents on the matter.

" Tsk! Don't patronize her," she scowled at him.

" What? I wasn't!... really!"

Treasure wasn't amused at what she also did, but what's done is done.
" Well, best be on our guard since we ain't got the elements of surprise no more..."

Quilt would lead the way and follow the creek, which he knew so well, but something was different.

Quilt would be stopped by the massive tree blocking their way. The creek passes over its roots and onto the other side. The tree seems to be a house of some sort, as wooden steps present themselves going up to a door that leads inside the tree.

They have three choices: they either swim under the tree on the creek, go around and hopefully do not derail them, or explore the interior of the giant tree house.

" It's a no-brainer; go round the tree. Much safer and open," Treasure suggested.

Most would agree, but Quilt remained silent and out of focus.

" Hey, we need to get goin," Treasure would shake him up to snap him off of his daze.

This would catch him off guard and fall from his rump.

" Wohw, Quilt, you okay? I didn't mean to do that to ya." He gave a hoof for him to hold and stand up, but Quilt would just glare at him and stand on his own.

" Please, you just cought me off guard. It's best you take care of the dead weight if you care so much," Quilt replied quite hostilely.

Treasure was taken by surprise by this and could only wonder, Where did that one come from?

Quilt would continue to walk away from the tree and eventually talk to the others.

" I think it's best we take a rest here for now. I remember this place, and I believe we'll find one of the elements that we are trying to find: kindness."

Everyone looked at each other in surprise.

" Oh... Well, that's convenient; good thing you remembered?" Cross replied.

" Are you sure? We've been dead for a long time, you know?" Tapper added.

" True, but it won't hurt if we explore her home; it might give us more clues," she replied.

" I guess we head in then?" Treasure would begin to head towards the door but would be stopped by Quilt immediately.

" Stop! I said we rest for now!" She shouted.

" Jeez! Sorry, I didn know youwr that tired. My bad." Treasure couldn't get a break from him.

" Now that that's settled. Apple, Treasure, you go and prep our fire. Cross, Bluebell, you prepare the tent, if you don't mind. You—" he pointed at Tapper."—you come with me. Were going to scout ahead... I wanna check on something." The group agreed and began their duties.

Tapper and Quilt has scouted quite a distance and pretty much circled the giant tree house half way already. Not much was going on inside and pretty much around the vicinity. It looked abandoned.

" So, we're going to check the giant tree house? Won't it be best for you and Treasure to partner up for this kind of assignment?" Tapper asked.

" You never shut up, do you, Tapper?" A question Tapper couldn't answer.

He could only sulk and scratch his head.

What I do this time? His thought's wondered.

Thud.

Tapper would bump on Quilt's behind.

"Oh, shit! sorry... Why'd you stop all of a sudden?"

She'd turn around, looked directly into his eyes, and ask. " You'll never betray me, right?" She asked, unmasking her real voice.

Her voice was quite sweet to Tapper's ears, and he blushed as it tickled his ears.

" Uhmm whats- what's going on?" He'd look around, confused if he was missing something or if he was being pranked.

She'd grab his armor and once more looked deep into his eyes, and her face closed up to him. " Well? Don't keep a mare waiting."

Gulp.

Cold sweat drips down his body.

" Of-f course! Even though im like this, im serious on being a knight, you know."

" I know... Promise me your blade, Tapper... And only to me."

" U-uhm u, what's going on?"

" Say yes to me, Tapper," she asked seriously.

Something was not right. Tapper was having a feeling that something happened.

He started to calm down and be serious as well.

" Is this for our mission? Then ask no further." He stepped back, kneeled, and presented his sword. " I will be your blade and shield, Quilt.

She began to blush a bit.

" Hmm... I didn't expect this to be... A bit embarrassing." She then went up to him to touch his sword. They both looked into each other's eyes.

Tapper's eyes were full of resolve and readiness to serve her, while she looked down on him with the eyes of a craving mare.

Tappers resolve quickly turned to confusion and wonder; whats with her face?

Quilt won't just stop from just holding his sword, but would then push him ever so gently and sit above him.

" Umm, Quilt?" Her hooves would shush his mouth and gently caress his body downwards.

She began removing his armor. Tapper could only watch as things advanced and escalated too quickly.

This was definitely a trap... Something was wrong. His thoughts warned him that this is too good to be true.

But what the hell? This is a once in a lifetime, and he already died a virgin; he wouldn't miss this opportunity even if it killed him.

He began helping her remove her armor.

There they looked at each other. And Quilt cried.

" !?" I haven't done anything yet, and I already made her cry. Am I that bad!? Tapper questioned his existence: is he forever fated to be a virgin?

" Quilt... I don't know what's going on, but lets not do this if you don't wa-"

SMACK.

Her lips crash towards Tapper's lips, her hooves strongly hugging him. He was utterly stunned.