Truth Behind Harmony

“You sure she said the moon was being usurped from her, not just one side of the moon.”

“Yes I’m sure,” said Fluttershy, “she said the moon was screaming, and then she fell as a scar appeared on her cutie mark.”

Harmonia just stared at her a moment, then got up and looked to the moon, frowning as she looked at how it had changed. She felt the presence of Celestia behind her, staring at her with what she knew was a gaze that was looking for answers. “The only thing I can guess at this point is that my sister has used Nyx’s connection to the moon to usurp it from both of them and keep in the sky, I think she is trying to create The Final Night.”

“The Final Night, what is that?”

“It’s something we older immortals used to do; it’s our way of setting the stage for the final conflict. If I know my sister, we will have one month till the sun aligns with the moon, and then the final battle will begin.”

“A month, but mother I control the sun, not her.”

Harmonia turned to Celestia, a sad smile on her face as she nodded to her, “then move it if you can.”

Celestia looked a bit surprised, but decided to lite up her horn anyway. She reached out with her magic to the sun, but then grimaced as it lashed out at her, preventing her from touching it with her magic.

“You see, the sun has already given its consent for this ritual, even if the moon didn’t.”

“What do you mean the moon didn’t?”

Harmonia walked over to Luna, sitting down and then placing a hoof onto her scared cutie mark, activating what remained of her power and began to heal the wound. “The sun is wild but wise, and knows when it is time to bend a knee to one stronger then it. The moon however is calm but also arrogant, not wanting to bend a knee for any reason, and because of that Luna and Nyx were harmed.”

She got up after finishing with her work, leaving Luna to rest as she walked back over to the window. “She is continuing to accelerate her plans…so we must accelerate ours. Twilight,” she said, turning to the Alicorn of Magic with grim determination. “Send word to all involved to meet at the edge of Ponyville, it is time for our mission to commence.”

It didn’t take long to gather everypony around, though the group now appeared much larger due to all the extra’s that had showed up. Everypony was talking, but soon fell silent as Harmonia appeared before them.

“Gathered ponies, as you have all no doubt seen, the moon has been locked into the center of the sky. All of you gathered here know what has been going on, and this recent occurrence is part of it. Due to this, I am afraid we will have to accelerate our plans if we are to meet the challenges that are to come, so to that end, will The Elements and my daughters please step forward.”

The Elements and the Celestial Sisters stepped forward, bowing low before rising to hear her speak. She walked up to Twilight then, who was standing at the head of them all. “Twilight, as leader of the elements your task is both the easiest and the hardest, as you must stay here to make sure the elements have a home to return to once their task is done. With your control over your element already mastered, you must stay with your wife and dear Luna to make sure Equestria remains safe.”

Twilight nodded, and then Harmonia walked over to Fluttershy. “Dear Fluttershy, you must travel with my daughter Dreamstride to the Forest Le-Fey, the birthplace of your element. I know it will be hard, but you must find the courage to bring kindness back into that once beautiful land.”

She then moved over to Rarity, passing a hoof over her face as she spoke. “Lady Rarity, your task will be to travel to the kingdom of my daughter Ixen, and help her to balance out the greed that has torn her land apart.”

Rarity nodded, and then watched as Harmonia walked over to Rainbow, who was standing proud at Applejacks side as the kept their wings intertwined. “Rainbow Dash, Applejack, as much as I know loved ones are needed at times like these, I am afraid you two will need to stay apart for a time, at least till your tasks are done. Rainbow, you will be traveling to the Land of Shadows, to attempt to re-forge the loyalties between the feuding clans. Applejack, your task will be that hardest, for you must travel to a land that will be utterly foreign to you, choked by lies and secrets that threaten to tear it apart.”

She then moved to Pinkie Pie, smiling at the bubbling mare as she clung to her mate. “Your task should not be so hard, for you are already close to mastering your element. You must travel to the Kingdom of Spires, to return happiness to a land long bereft of it.”

With that said, she then backed up and looked to her daughters, “I leave the task of watching over them to you my daughters, as I will be staying here to help prepare, so say your goodbyes, you may not see each other for a long time.”

The group started to talk to each other again as Harmonia walked over to Cadance and Shining Armor, “follow me, for I must speak with the both of you alone.”

They both looked surprised, but followed her a ways till they were out of earshot from the group. Harmonia then turned to them, looking a bit saddened by what she was about to say.

“I have a separate task for you two, one that will be important once the final battle comes. You two must travel to the heart of the Crystal Empire, to reawaken the Tree of Harmony so that we will have its protection when the time comes. I know this will not be easy, especially for you Cadance, but you must not let the past prevent you from completing this task. Be safe, and go with care.”

“Wait, what about Twily, we can’t just leave her alone.”

“But she won’t be alone; she has her wife, her parents, and her sister in law Luna to care for her. But this task must be done, for if the Tree of Harmony is not revived by the time we defeat my sister, the energies that are inside her body will not be able to mix properly with the energy of our world, and it will destroy us all. So you must go now to insure your task is complete before the climax to this story unfolds.”

The two hesitated for a moment, and then nodded before turning to go, Cadance using her magic to enchant Shining Armor before taking off into the sky with him, leaving Harmonia to return to the group alone.

Harmonia returned to find the mass of ponies gathered into various groups, all saying their goodbyes to each other as tears were shed.

“Oh I wish you didn’t have to go,” said Twilight to Spike, who were the closest pair to the old goddess.

“I know, but I will finally get to see my real parents, and my Jennu Dask says it is best for me to at least see my homeland at least once.”

“Jennu Dask?” she asked, puzzled over what Spike had just said.

“Sorry,” he said, “I sometimes find myself lapsing into draconic every now and then, I’m still getting used to all these new changes that have been happening to me of late.”

“You can speak draconic?”

“All dragons are gifted with the ability to speak draconic when they hatch,” said Ixen, smiling as she did so. “Usually this is done by their Jennu Dask, or “Great Mother” in Equestrian. As I was not there at Spikes hatching, I was unable to gift him with the draconic tongue, at least until today.”

Twilight nodded, and then hugged Spike again. “You come back in one piece you hear me, I’ll be expecting you back to greet your baby stepsister.”

Over on the other side of the group Pinkie was bickering with Discord, for they had just discovered the existence of their magically created daughter Screwball, and were now deciding what to do about her.

“You take her,” Pinkie said, staring down Discord due to her imposing height, despite him being a male.

“You take her, she was your creation after all,” said Discord, not intimidated in the slightest at his mates attempt to intimidate him with her height advantage.

“Oh wait just a minute mister dragon britches, she only exists because your magic fueled my wants for a foal, so she is still your responsibility mister!”

“I was only trying to make you happy…”

“ENOUGH,” roared Screwball, using her alicorn enhanced voice to shock them both into submission. “Jesus Christ on crutches will you two stop it, I am staying here to help with the war preparations and that’s the end of it!”

“But honey, we…” started Pinkie, only to have the mare place a hoof on her mouth.

“Mom I know what you’re going to say and its ok, I wasn’t exactly going to drop the whole “hey I’m your daughter bombshell” right after you guys just doused pops. Now you two listen to me, neither of the places you are going to sound very good to a pony like me, but I have talents that can be useful here, so I am staying.”

“Talents, young lady ponies only ever have one special talent,” said Discord with a frown.

“Not me daddy, for I have the Everfree cutie mark.”

Discord looked confused, and became even more confused when Pinkie squealed and hugged their daughter. “Oh my gosh you got the Everfree cutie mark, that’s so awesome!”

“Pardon me Pinkie but what the hay is an Everfree cutie mark?”

“Oops,” said Pinkie, who then cleared her throat and started speaking in a very teacher like voice. “The Everfree cutie mark is gifted to those whose talent energy is so massive that it cannot be poured into one simple talent, but is instead spread over thousands upon thousands of talents. Because of this the person possessing the Everfree cutie mark can change their talent to whatever they want whenever they want with no magical repercussions whatsoever.”

Discord stared at her for a moment, and then placed a claw on her shoulder, “Dear?”

“What is it honey muffin?”

“I love you, but never talk that way again; you sound kind of scary with that voice, I for some reason got images of you mutilating ponies while listening to you.”

Pinkie Pie giggled, deciding not to tell Discord that there was in fact a version of her in another dream where she did indeed mutilate ponies. “It’s ok honey; won’t happen again, and you can stay young lady, a talent like that would be wasted exploring with us.”

Over on the other side Rainbow and Applejack were saying goodbye to each other and their parents in turn, all caught up in a big group hug.

“Ah am going to miss all yah so much, I just wish I could take you all with me.”

“Ah quit getting mushy on me AJ, you’ll see us again.”

Nearby Fluttershy was nuzzling Luna, saddened that she had to be parted from her lunar mare. “I will miss you love, I don’t know what I will do without your comfort.”

“Shh my sweet butterfly, we will always be by your side, for as long as you can see the moon, you need but call and we shall come to thee.”

Last to be saying her goodbye’s was Rarity, who keeping her discussion well hidden with the use of her wings.

“But I can’t tell them now, we don’t have the time to talk about it, and I don’t have the…”

“Dear you need to tell them, now is not the time for lies,” said Magnum with a stern look.

“But daddy I can’t, how would they look at me if they knew the truth, I can’t just drop this kind of bombshell on them now and then leave.”

“Well you will need to tell them soon, for you can bet your ass…”

“Father, language!”

“Sorry honey but seriously, this is the kind of thing Discordia can use to her benefit, she will figure it out eventually.”

“Please refrain from mentioning that foal molesters name, I am still having a hard time digesting the news that my Sweetie Belle is in the hooves of such a monster!” Rarity quickly took a breath to calm down, and then wrapped up her parents in a quick hug. “I will miss you both, and I promise to tell them eventually, just not now.”

After she broke the hug she walked over to her friends, wrapping them up in a quick hug. Then they all went to the side of the rulers that they would be traveling with. Harmonia then walked in front of them, spreading her wings as her mane began to billow about her, casting a quick hastening spell on the ponies before her. “Fly now with speed, and let not your resolves be shaken, as long as we hold to our faith, we shall all live to see the dawn again.

Then they took off, leaving behind trails of color as they flew fast in various directions, all with one goal in mind.

But what they did not see was the smiling form of Discordia watching from her perch upon a grey cloud, smiling as she watched them speed off toward their destinations. “So, the game has finally begun, this will be fun.”