Truth Behind Harmony

Celestia breathed calmly as she rested her head against one of her pillows, feeling tired after everything she had heard today. However before she could shut her eyes the doors opened, and she saw Twilight walk in, which brought a smile to her face as she raised her head from the pillow.

“Twilight, everything go ok with Eris?”

“Yep, everything went just fine. Though I will admit that…some of the things she showed did trouble me and the others…especially concerning you.”

Celestia frowned, knowing of the events Twilight was most likely hinting at. “Twilight, I didn’t see any…”

“It’s ok,” said Twilight before she could finish, “I understand completely, you didn’t see any other choice at the time, and you didn’t know if your other sisters would react in the same manner as Ixen did. Honestly that’s not what troubled me the most though…can I ask you something?”

“Of course you can Twilight.”

“Well…everything I saw happen was mostly caused by Discordia’s magic, and one thing puzzled me. Why is her magic so…harmful to our world?”

Celestia pondered for a moment, trying to find the best words to describe something even she didn’t fully understand. “Well you see Twilight…my mother was not meant to create this world alone, for originally their parents intended for them to create the world together. But because things happened the way they did, we only got one side of the coin as it were, and Because of this every time Discordia introduces her magic to our world, it has far more harmful effects then it would normally have if she had helped create the world alongside my mother. At least that’s what my mother told us before she left, and I still have never met these “parents” of hers, but I hope to someday.”

“Ok…though I admit the idea of you having grandparents is kind of weird, then again you having a mother is also weird so…”

This brought a laugh from Celestia, who wrapped a wing around her lover as her form shook with joy. “I know it’s odd, but even we immortal goddesses have parents, and some of us even have children as you have seen.”

“Yeah I did,” said Twilight, “I just didn’t realize the age difference; did you know Shadow spark is fifty three years old, he still looks about Apple Bloom’s age.”

Celestia chuckled, “that is not really surprising, for there are many factors which go into the alicorn aging process. For example; me and Luna may have been the same age, but in regards to how we grew, I grew up much faster than our youngest sister, while she remained a filly for the longest time. So you see the drastic difference between Shadow’s physical age and his actually age are actually quite normal, at least in the case of us divine alicorns.”

Twilight nodded, “and um, are there any other factors that could cause an alicorn to mature besides just waiting?”

“Yes, but it is extremely rare for it to happen before our body actually matures to the proper age.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well from what Marmora told me once, if one of us Divines were to find their special somepony while their body was still young, then their body would accelerate the aging process so that they could be with their mate. She never told me how she found this out, but seeing as how she understood the magic of love better than I did, I feel comfortable supporting what she told me.”

Twilight nodded again, and then leaned against Celestia, breathing in her sent as she steadied herself for what she was going to say next.

“Speaking of that…I know this is probably sudden but…Celestia, I think I am finally ready to be your life mate.”

Celestia stared down at Twilight in shock temporarily caught off guard, and she opened her mouth to speak, only to have Twilight place a hoof on her lips to silence her.

“I know what you’re going to ask, and I have had enough time to think about it, and about what it will mean in terms of my friends and family. I know it will hurt to see them pass on while I stay young, and that I will probably know many life times while watching the world around me change. But I know I can make it through all that pain, because I will have you, Luna, Fluttershy, my brother, and Cadance to help me through it all. And plus…” she said, moving a hoof along Celestia’s belly, “we will be able to have a foal together, a foal that we will never have to worry about out living. So please…give me the gift of being forever yours, and being able to call you forever mine.”

Celestia hesitated, and then nodded. She lowered her head, touching her horn to Twilight’s and letting their magic begin to flow together, mingling with each other as they passed between the two. Their breathing became more labored as the magic flowed faster, their bodies glowing as Celestia poured all that she could into Twilight while receiving bits and pieces from her herself.

Twilights body began to change then, growing in size as the magic finished with its internal changes, and after about 20 minutes the changes stopped along with the glow, and Celestia opened her eyes. Before her sat Twilight; looking her directly in the eyes instead of up at her due to her new size, smiling brightly. Celestia examined her closely; making sure everything was in order before looking back at Twilights face, smiling as she leaned in to kiss her.

Twilight herself was still trying to process the whole thing as they kissed; she could tell she was a little taller than Celestia, which she knew would present problems when she finally left the palace. “Oh how the rumor mill will run with this one,” she thought with a laugh, returning the kiss Celestia gave her and then giving her a seductive smirk as she traced her hoof over Celestia’s cutie mark.

“Thank you for this Celestia, now…” she said, rolling her former teacher over and moving so that she was above her, looking down as her powerful new muscles rippled with excitement. “Why don’t we take this new body for a spin, because we have a foal to make you and I?”

Celestia nodded, and then used her magic to make the lights go out, the harsh candlelight fading as the two lovers embraced under the soft light of the moon.

Clyde, Sue, Maud and Blinkie left the train station and entered the streets of Canterlot, still a bit intimidated by the modern structures that surrounded them. Clyde had insisted on waiting for his wife to finish with her letters, and then they had went to Ponyville and boarded the first train to Canterlot; Clyde still shaking from his daughters kidnapping. Blinkie lead them along, for she had been to Canterlot before due to her and Inkie's geological work, so she knew the city quite well.

They reached the palace gates, Blinkie managing to get them into the palace due to being the marefriend of the new captain of the guard, but got stopped when they reached the throne room.

“I’m sorry sir and madams but you will have to come back another time, the crown is busy at this moment with other duties.”

“Don’t yah sass me Blunt, we got important business that is of vital importance tah both the princesses and the elements of harmony, so yah better get in there and tell them that unless yah want me talking to your boss, who yah know I have under my hoof.”

Blunt Blade looked like he was going to protest for a second, but shook his head and left. Sue grinned at her daughter, patting the girl on the shoulder as they waited for him to come back. What they did not expect was a squeal form down the hallway and a flying ball of pink colliding with Maud and hugging her tight.

“Pinkie, Pinkie let me go…Pinkie your crushing me.”

The pink mare let go of her, giggling madly as she stared at bother her mother and father in turn. “I’m so happy to see you guys, it’s been forever since I’ve seen you, what are you doing here?”

She got worried when she saw her families faces fall, and then noticed that one of her family members was missing, her hair deflating as she looked toward Blinkie.

“Where’s Inkie?”

Blinkie didn’t want to speak, but could not deny her sister, “she…she got ponynapped last night…”

Pinkie started to tear up, not noticing the looks her parents and other sister shot Blinkie. She was walking a very fine line she knew, but she didn’t want Pinkie to know the truth, not yet any way. She grabbed Pinkie as the doors to the throne room opened, and Blunt came out looking annoyed.

“The princesses will see you now.”

He held the door open for them to enter, and they marched in. When they got close to the throne however Blinkie heard Pinkie gasp, and looked toward where she was staring to gage what had made her do so. She gasped as well, for standing next to both of the princesses were Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle, but they now stood shoulder to shoulder with the princesses.

“What in tarnashion?”

Everypony turned around to see Applejack and the others walking in, all of them staring at Twilight and Fluttershy, Twilight giggling nervously as she waved at her friends.

“Um…hi girls…guess we got some things to talk about later…”

“I should think so dear,” said Rarity as she walked up to her friend. “I mean I am going to have to work on an entire new set of dresses for you dear, none of the old ones will even fit you now that you’re like this.”

“You…you mean you’re not surprised,” asked Twilight, looking confused.

“Come on Twilight, after we saw what Clover looked like in those weird memories, how could we be surprised.” Said Rainbow Dash with a grin, patting Fluttershy on the back as the now large pegasus mare tried to hide behind her mane.

“I see,” said Celestia, nodding her head in approval before turning to the gathered family before her. “But for now let’s stave off any celebrations; for it seems the Pies have visited us with something they say concerns all of us. Good sir and madams, please tell us what has brought you here this morning.”

“Well your highness…I know your probably not going to believe me when I tell you this…but our daughter Inkie Pie had been taken by the alicorn known as Discordia Chaotica…”

Everypony in the room froze, looking at the three Pies as if they had gone mad. “How do you know that name,” asked Celestia, looking toward Sue who had been the one speaking.

“Because we have met her before, as well as your mother Harmonia after she had gone. But before you ask…” said Sue, holding up a hoof to stop Celestia’s question as the others in the room looked even more confused. “…I will explain in time, for now to prove what I say is true I was bid to give you this, she said you would recognize it.”

Sue pulled a feather from out of her pocket, holding it up and allowing it to be taken from her grasp as Celestia grabbed it with her magic. Celestia brought it close, then after a quick magical scan her eyes began to tear up, and she slowly passed it too Luna as Twilight pulled her into her embrace. Luna sensed instantly why her sister had started to cry, for the magical signature of the feather belonged to one being and one being only; it was the signature of Harmonia Ordae.

“Where did you get this,” she asked, looking up from the feather with the faintest trace of tears in her eyes.

“I will explain once the others have arrived, and actually if I am not mistaken four of our group should already be here by now knowing them.”

As if on cue there was a knock on the door, which opened afterwards to reveal four ponies; two of which were recognizable due to having been prominent guests at Shining Armor’s wedding.

“Mom, Dad!” cried Twilight, forgetting that she was now taller as them and running up to grab them in a big hug.

“Whoa there honey, it’s good to see you to,” said Velvet with a chuckle

Night Light chuckled as well when Twilight put them both down, giving his daughter a funny look. “It looks Shining wasn’t the only one to take a fancy to Princesses, well glad you at least got out of your books long enough to find some pony.”

Twilight blushed beat red, looking like she had just did something really embarrassing.

Over on the other side of the hall Rainbow was chatting happily with the other group of ponies that had walked in. They were her parents, Firefly and Rainbow Blitz, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.

“What the hay are you two doing here?”

“Well we got a letter from our old friend Sue telling us to get on over to canter lot throne room lickity split.” Said Blitz with a grin, “said it was time for a gathering or some such, any way with all the bad energy that’s been flying around I was just wondering why it hadn’t happened sooner.”

“Blitz, you know we didn’t have any evidence yet,” said Firefly, shaking her head in exasperation. “Oh and where the hay is Falls, I told that girl to keep up…”

Dashes face fell when she heard that name, looking at her mom with pleading eyes, “Mom…please for the love of Celestia tell me you didn’t…”

She was interrupted when something tackled her to the ground, and everypony turned at the sound of commotion, seeing that she had been pinned to the ground by what looked like a pale unicorn version of herself, except that her mane and tail were well kept and stylized and her cutie mark depicting a rainbow stretched across two clouds.

“Dashie darling it’s been ages,” said the pony above her, moving and helping Dash up as she tried to contain a fit of giggles. “I hope you haven’t been too busy with work, I told you those weather jobs work you too hard dear, I mean look at what it has done to your beautiful mane.”

“Why Dash who is this charming individual,” asked Rarity as she walked over while Applejack walked up to Dash’s parents; a nervous grin stretched across her face.

Dash was about to speak when her sister squealed in delight, grabbing Rarity by her hooves. “OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH, it is such an honor to meet you Miss Rarity; I absolutely adore your work. My name is Rainbow Falls, Rainbow Dash’s twin sister and owner of Spectrum Threads.”

Rainbow gagged as the two fashion ponies began to converse, walking over to her marefriend to seek comfort away from such a horrifying sight. As the hours passed more families showed up, first Rarity’s, who immediately hit it off with Firefly and Blitz, both Blitz and Magnum having played hoofball together when they were young. Then Fluteshy’s parents arrived, Posy and Butterscotch both looking a little surprised to find their little girl now a good head taller than both of them.

Conversations filled the room as the ponies talked amongst themselves, one in particular causing the most absurd blushes.

“Mom I need to tell you something,” said Twilight.

“Not now honey I’m trying to catch up with Posy, now what were you saying dear…”

“Mom I really don’t think this can wait…”

“Dear you will just have to wait your…”

“Mom I got Celestia pregnant!”

The room went so quiet you could hear a pin drop; Twilight Velvet looking up at her daughter in surprise, her mouth agape as she tried to process what she just heard. Lucky for her her husband was quicker to draw. “You did what,” he yelped, looking from his daughter to Celestia, who was now standing beside Twilight with a sheepish grin. “You…you mean to tell me my own daughter knocked up one of the co-rulers of Equestria!”

“Ahem” said co-ruler coughed, blushing bright as she looked at the accusing eyes of the father of her love. “Yes, she did…knock me up as you so put it, but it was purely consensual, and way way after our honeymoon so…”

She suddenly felt like two daggers were staring into the back of her head, and from the look on Night Lights face she assumed the worst. She slowly turned, meeting the menacing eyes of the one thing she knew all in Equestria feared and she must now face, for they were the eyes of a mother who had missed her daughter’s wedding.

“So,” said Velvet, glaring at Celestia like she wasn’t the pony that controlled the sun. “You’re telling me that you married my daughter, and I wasn’t invited?”

Celestia giggled halfheartedly, her mane parting to reveal the horn ring that was upon it, while Twilight used her magic to reveal her own horn ring. Velvet glared at them both, and then sighted as she clapped her hooves together with a determined look.

“Well I guess we got a wedding to plan along with this whole mess, I may have missed the first one but dam me to Tartarus if I am not getting my wedding photos! Hey Magnum, do you know when the last two are supposed to show up?”

He was about to speak when the throne room doors burst open, and a voice with a southern drawl filled the room.

“Sorry were late yall, what’d we miss?”

Next to Rainbow Dash Applejack froze, for that voice was one she had not heard since she was not but a little filly. She turned, seeing a tall yellow mare with bright read mane with a light purple stripe running through it, and a bright red tail tied like her own.

Standing next to that mare was a large Stallion built like Big Macintosh, his dark pink mane and tail standing in stark contrast to with his dark yellow coat, and a black Stetson cowpony hat adorning his head, roughed up from what looked like years of travel.

They spotted her instantly, walking up to her as she parted from Rainbow Dash, the mare grinning at her as a sad smile came to her eyes.

“Hey there sugar cube,” said Apple Spice, “been a while hasn’t it?”

“Mah…Pah…wha…what are yah doing here…granny said…”

“We know what Granny told yah sugar,” said Tex, looking a bit down trodden. “Me and your Mah had a run in with some unsavory folks when yah was little, and we had tah disappear for a while. It wasn’t ideal ah know, and we especially didn’t want tah leave Apple Bloom due tah her being so young and all, but we couldn’t risk yah three knowing where we were in case those unsavory types decided tah go after yah…can you forgive us that?”

Applejack couldn’t speak; she just grabbed both her parents in a big hug, tears leaking from her eyes. They finally parted after a long hug, and then Applejack reached and grabbed Rainbow Dash by the shoulder, pinning the mare to her side.

“Mah, Pah, ah’d like you to meet my marefriend, Rainbow Dash.”

Both parents looked surprised by this, but then Tex got a fiendish grin and turned toward Blitz, his eyes shining.

“Hey Blitzer, fork over the bits looks like I won our little bet.”

Everypony stared at him with shocked expressions, but when Blitz pulled a bag of bits out of his saddle bags Firefly rounded on her husband.

“Rainbow Blitz are you telling me you bet on your daughter’s sexuality?”

“No,” said Blitz, smiling but failing to reassure his wife, “I was betting on whether or not an Apple would be able to attract one of our daughters, I lost.”

“Well you should be ashamed of yourself,” said Firefly, shaking her head while putting a comforting hoof on her daughter’s marefriend. “But I am happy to see that my daughter at least found somepony to distract her from her Wonderbolt obsession.”

“Mom it’s not an obsession,” said Dash, turning to her marefriend with a grin.

“Well as much as I know you all wish to catch up,” said Celestia, using her magic to form a long table. “We best get down to the matter that has seemed to have brought you all here, shall we sit down?”

Everypony sat down in groups, each of the elements sitting with their parents, while Celestia and Luna took up seats next to their respective mates.

“Well this isn’t exactly how I envisioned the gathering being held,” said Velvet, looking around at the seated ponies with a smile stretched across her face.

“You mean you planned this,” asked Celestia.

“Well sort of,” put in Firefly, looking amused by the princess’s confusion. “We all knew that one day this might happen, especially after we heard that are daughters were the elements, we just always assumed your other sisters would be here as well.”

Now Celestia was intrigued, “other sisters, why whatever do you mean?”

“Now don’t play dumb sugar, we know your lying.” said Apple Spice with a smirk, “ah believe their manes were Mercury Waters, Fantasia Elmora, Anastasia Elmora, Dreamstride, Ixen Vrak, Siren Gale, and Cadance’s mother Tu-El Marmora Clairvoyance.”

Celestia was impressed, and finally convinced that they spoke the truth. “Well the first five are in the palace, I can send for them if you wish to wait. As for Marmora...she perished a thousand years ago, and as for Siren gale she…”

“She hopes she is not interrupting anything important?”

Celestia turned fast, not really believing her ears. Standing at the entrance of the hallway was a pony she had not seen for nearly two thousand years, her shimmering silver scales catching the sunlight as she strode in, her gills clamped shut and her large fin like wings held closely to her side. She walked up to Celestia’s side, bowing down to the older mare, and then wrapping her up in a hug.

“We are sorry for not contacting you for so long; we just couldn’t stand such hatred between our sisters.”

Celestia hugged her back, reassuring her with the silent hug. After a while they broke apart, smiling at the ancient sea pony monarch as she ran a hoof through her seaweed green mane. “You don’t have to apologize sister, I understand how much you hate such pain, and I wish it had never come to pass in the first place.”

Siren nodded, walking around to take a seat. Celestia called for a servant to go fetch the rest of her guests, including Shining and Cadance, who were staying in one of the guest rooms to monitor the situation, both being already informed due to Cadance’s heritage and Shining being married to her. After an hour of waiting the doors opened yet again, first Cadance and Shining Armor walking in, and then the other five celestial sisters and their families, who all squealed like school fillies at the site of Siren Gale, all mobbing her as a now bull horned Scootaloo hopped her way next to Celestia.

“Hi aunty,” she said, hopping upon an empty chair next to the sun mare.

“Scoots,” cried Lyra as she ran up and grabbed her foal, looking up apologetically at Celestia. “Sorry about her, she has been dying to say that ever since she met her grandmother,” she said, pointing toward Mercury as she hugged Siren.

Celestia giggled, while Twilight stared next to her in surprise, “She’s yours!?”

Lyra nodded, pointing to her horn with a sheepish grin. “Bony likes the kinky stuff, just don’t tell her I told you that, now if you’ll excuse me…” and with that she took off, taking a seat next to her mother as the rest of them sat down and were filled in by Luna, a lot of them shooting surprised looks at the mortals seated around them.

“Well now, ah guess we can finally make this an official gathering eh Velvet,” said Apple Spice, looking toward the mare with a grin.

“Yes we can,” said Velvet, lighting her horn and conjuring up a large globe that represented the world.

“Ok, we all know the story behind how Harmonia created our world and left her sister thinking her dead…”

“I’m sorry to interrupt so soon, but Harmonia is dead, there is no question that…”

“Harmonia is not dead,” said Luna, interrupting Ixen, “for it was our mother that told me where the Elements of Harmony were located.”

The sisters stared surprised at this, and then Ixen rounded on Eris, giving her a stern look. “Did you know of this?”

Eris nodded, causing Ixen to face hoof as she growled in frustration. “We will talk about this later, now go on, you were saying miss…”

“Velvet dear, now as I was saying, after our world was formed, Harmonia and Discordia both used their magic to gift certain ponies with magic, magic that would tie them to their own elements.”

Lights formed on the map, which Velvet pointed to. “These indicate the first ponies gifted with the blood of Harmonia, and that one black dot indicates the only one gifted with Discordia’s blood that we know of.”

“Why do you only know of one,” asked Ixen, looking puzzled.

“That is because unlike us of Harmonia’s descent, Discordia’s mortal descendants did not keep in touch with each other, we think they were told to stay apart to maintain secrecy, and the only reason we know of the line of Despair as we know it is because of a happy accident.”

To emphasize she pointed at Pinkies parents, Clyde nodding in confirmation.

“The Pies have been part of the line of Despair since my great great great great grandfather married into the line, passing on the traditions and the responsibility of being a part of that line…as well as a the hatred for the world we lived on. After I met Pinkies mother though everything changed , for I started to contemplate a life outside being a possible for Discordia’s mad schemes. Even when Discordia had shined favor on Inkie I still thought there was a chance somepony else would take up the mantle…but that day never came.”

Velvet nodded, taking up speaking again as he fell silent.

“Thanks to that we also figured out how differently both the sisters’ act when looking for the ones the elements have chosen. When It comes to Discordia‘s mortal descendants, she looked at every descendant that was ever born from the first ones. But when it came to us, Harmonia only looked at the females who were born, completely ignored the male descendants.”

Celestia grinned, looking toward Velvet with a smug expression, “I hope you aren’t implying my mother was sexist Velvet.”

“Not at all, I am implying that the elements themselves are, due to them being female themselves. The elements will only bond with those that are as close to their spirit as possible, so merging with a male would be unthinkable to creatures such as them. From what we can guess about the Elements of Chaos however, we figure at least one or two might be male, we just don’t know which ones or who they have bound themselves to at this point. The problem this presents is that we will be unprepared for who the wielders are, for we only know two element holders by name, and most of the ones we don’t know are mortal.”

“Most, what do you mean most?”

“Well,” said Clyde, looking nervous as he spoke. “After Discordia shined her light on Inkie as the wielder of Despair, another alicorns image appeared next to her, an alicorn she introduced as Nyx.”

He stopped as the room suddenly filled with a deathly chill, every one turning towards Luna as the lights began to dim. Luna was looking directly at Clyde, her eyes glowing as raged filled her very being.

“What was that harlot doing there,” she asked coldly.

“She…she was there to bind our daughter to her…in betrothal…”

Every one stared in shock for a moment, and then Pinkie got her father’s attention. “But…but dad, what do you mean bind, I never saw anything Inkie was betrothed to such a mean meanie pants.”

“Pinkie, she did leave something that marked her as hers, where did you think those bite marks on her neck came from. She said all her betrothed were gifted with similar bites, and that she would come for them one day, when the time came.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Twilight gasped, standing up as her eyes widened in horror.

“We have to go NOW!”

“Twilight, what’s going…”

“Celestia we don’t have time, we have to go now; I know who one of the other wielders is.”

“You do, but when did you…”

“Again we don’t have time,” and with that she charged off, closely followed by everypony else as she ran towards the outer doors of the palace.

Out on the outskirts of Sweet Apple Acres, Big Macintosh wiped the sweat from his brow as he looked up at the night sky, noting that it was going to another long night bucking apple trees. After a brief rest, he got back to his work, becoming so engrossed in his work that he did not the fuchsia specter walking toward him till she spoke.

“Hello Big Mac,” said Cheerilee, her green eyes flashing with their own light as she stared at him from the shadows.

“Well howdy there Miss Cheerilee, what yah doing out here this fine night.”

“Oh many reasons,” said the mare, walking out of the shadows and causing Big Mac to gulp. Her body was glistening in the moonlight, which seemed to enhance her features as she stepped up closer to him. “Namely though, you were why I came here Big Mac,” she said, his name practically dripping out of her mouth as she spoke it.

“Wha…what are you…” he stopped as she clamped her mouth around his own, silencing him. She used the advantage to push him onto his back, parting from his lips and looking down at him with an evil grin on her face, for she could already see the effects of her magic working on him.

“I need you to listen to me Big Mac ok; I am going to ask you a question, one simple question. If you answer truthfully-” she said, using her tail to tease him as she kept his eyes locked staring at her own “-I will reward you. But if you lie to me Big Mac, I will know, and I will not reward you; do you understand?”

She watched him nod; giggling at the enthusiasm he poured into such a simple head movement. “Good,” she cooed, “now tell me, where is Apple Bloom?”

“She’s in the house with her friend Sweetie Belle, their having a sleepover, but why do you ask?”

Cheerilee grinned, lowering her body down Big Mac’s with a hungry smile stretched across her face. “It doesn’t matter, now-” she said, licking her lips as she moved further down his body, “-let me give you your reward.”