Order, Harmony, and Chaos, Chapter 11.
Friends in the Forest.
(Yeeeeeahhh, Baby! here's chapter 11. Sorry, but I won't be updating as regularly as I have been. sorry. :c
Oh dear god review. Just do it. Do not question your dark noodle lord. :3)
The group laid on the mountain side, The early morning sunlight washing over them. Exausted from what happened inside the temple, and what was going to come ahead of them. Trixie collapsed onto Flim, While the girls laid on their backs next to each other, panting heavily, Applejack rubbing her forehead. Discord and Celestia sat closer together thann usual, both of them discussing the situation with deep seriousness. Twilight thought it was so strange that the two of them were warming up to each other more and more, It seemed to be impossible that Harmony and Chaos could coexist together. Before she could dwell on this too long, Celestia cleared her throat.
"Everypony, please come here." She said. THe girls walked over dutifully, but Trixie and Flim had fallen asleep on top of each other, Flim's arm around Trixie, His hat flopping over his face, blocking out the sunlight. Pinkie pie tilted her head at this.
"Awwwww. That's so sweet." she said. Twilight sparkle walked up to the sleeping couple.
"Get up you lovebirds!" she yelled in their ears. Flim started up, with Trixie sliding off of him, waking up suprised, her head hitting the ground with a soft 'clunk'.
"Hmm.. What?" Trixie asked, hopping to her hooves, sleepily. Celestia looked over to them.
"We have formed a plan of how we will proceed on from this point." she said, full of seriousness. Discord laughed.
"You seem very grave today, Celstia." He said. Celestia shot him an irratated look.
"Well, back to the plans," She said, looking out over the mountains again, stepping towards a rocky outcropping, surveying the gray and plain land. She turned back to the group.
"Since it seems that this makes it harder to perform magic, I think that the gray absorbs magic. The only place that the gray hasn't seemed to reach is the far corners of Equestria, and of course the lands of Grypheria, and Drackeria. The border lands of Griffons and Dragons. And, the Everfree forest. Our plan is to use up our remaining magic to teleport to the forest, then quickly move on to a location close to the sea. The forest's magic should strengthen ours." Twilight sparkle thought about this for a few minutes.
"But last time we saw, Order was in there. It's like walking right into his trap... Almost as if he had planned our entire journey." she said critically. Celestia nodded.
"He is very tricky like that. Always gambiling the events that others go though... planning down to the last moment. But I have a plan against him, too." She said, sounding triumphant.
"There is an area of the castle which not even Order knows of. It was made as a bunker, to shield off his magic. It is located deep beneath the castle. Though, In turn, It's depth will also hinder our magical ability. " She said, "But we should rest for now, and conserve our ability for later. Though Order will try to attack us with all of his monsters. That's why I have a new way that we will protect each other. Discord and I will take turns on watch, and everypony else will huddle together to make an attack on us harder." The group nodded in agreement.
"It seemed more logical to have set up a watch earlier... But I guess we forgot." Twilight commented. Celestia nodded.
"Yes, It seemed that we had not planned enought earlier." She sighed deeply. "And it has not done well for us, we have lost some of our own." She lowered her head in shame. "I'm sorry. I should have been wiser." The rest of them were in saddened silence, but Pinkie pie spoke up.
"Its all right Celestia, At least you tried!" she said, putting a hoof on her shoulder to comfort her.
"Thank you Pinkie pie," She said, rising. "Now, I want you all to rest. I will take first watch. Discord, you can rest."
"Yes!" He said, Pumping his fists, and falling over onto his back, and immediately dropping off to sleep. They all burst out laughing at this, and his over the top performance. Celestia even stifled a tiny giggle.
"I want you all to rest. Now."
"Yes, Thank you Princess, I have also needed some beauty sleep for quite a long time." Said Rarity, laying down her head, and giving an over the top sigh, Rarity-style. The others laid down with her. And waited for the night to come.
XXX
They woke up the next morning to sounds of rumbling, and Celestia screaming.
"Get up! Get up! It's collapsing!" Fluttershy, startled immediately started to her feet.
"Oh my! What's collapsing?" She asked, as the ground shook back and forth and the others stood up with her.
"It's the temple! It's falling apart!" She said. The group turned around to see that it was true. It was shaking, rumbling, and pieces and bits were falling off, destroying the carvings on the structure. But not only was it being destroyed, but It was shaking the ground under it, as if an earthquake were happening. Discord flew up to survey the damage.
"If we don't move now, This entire cliffside will fall apart! And we'll be dragged with it!" The pegasusus immediately lept to the sky, With Rainbow dash struggling to carry Applejack and Pinkie pie between them a little ways up from the cliff. The unicorns ran back and forth on the edge, trying to deflect any boulders.
"We need to teleport. NOW!" Yelled Celestia over the crushing rocks. All the unicorns readiyed their magic, horns glowing, and with a flash of light they-
They woke up in Ponyville town square. They looked around at the square in shock.
"We were aiming for the forest!" Said Celestia indignantly to her surroundings. Discord shrugged.
"So? The teleportation's distance depends on the strength of the magic. At least we're someplace close to the Ever free forest." Celestia sighed.
"I guess that's fine." she said. They looked around the gray town square. No one was out, though they could hear angry chanting in the distance, such as in the other town.
"We better move before the townsfolk find us... I don't like the sound of that chanting." the group got into a tight huddle, and made their way down the streets. As they made their way through an alley and then out to Rarity's boutique, she suddenly stopped and gasped.
"What?" asked Twilight Sparkle. "It's just a few dresses."
"I know." said Rarity. "But... Where's Sweetie Bell?" She said, her eyes wide, looking around the empty streets. Applejack and Rainbow Dash stopped too.
"Where's Apple bloom and Scootaloo?" They asked, joining Rarity looking up and down the streets. Celestia became panicked too.
"Please, we need to move on... I'm sure your sister's and friends are safe... We need to keep moving before they-" Just as she was about to finish her sentence, a row of ponies flowed from allies and households, chanting angry words in a strange language.
"Run!" Yelled Trixie, "They'll try to turn you to stone if they catch you! They did it in that mountain town!" They ran as fast as they could, the angry ponies following close behind them. They ran, and ran, passing Fluttershy's cottage and finally into the Ever free forest. A few of the gray ponies followed behind them, and when they met with the forest entrance, they bounced back as if slapped away forcefully by an invisible hand. The group panted for a few moments until a voice squealed out.
"RARITY!" Sweetie Bell's voice squealed behind them, as she tackled Rarity from behind.
"Oh... Oh my goodness. SWEETIE BELL!" she said, Pulling her sister into a tight hug, not caring about her hair in the dirt.
"Where did you come from?" She asked. "We saw that the town was destroyed." Sweetie bell nodded sadly.
"Yeah...But we got out! Some others are here too!" Applejack and Rainbow dash ran towards them.
"Is Scootaloo here?" Asked Rainbow Dash. "Is Applebloom here?" asked Applejack. Sweetie bell looked down.
"Well... I don't know where Scootaloo is... and Applebloom was at the farm when they grey overtook the town." A heavy pall hung over the group at these words for a few moments. Sweetie bell spoke again.
"Well, some other ponies are here! Come and look around our camp!"
"Camp?" Said Twilight sparkle, her ears perking up. "Who else is here?"
XXX
They were led a little ways into forest, until they came to a little clearing with a hill. Some little shantytown set up along the sides of it, little campfires set up here and there. Some ponies sat around, talking and grazing. They all turned to the entrance when the group walked in.
"Hey! They'res some others!"
"It's Twilight!"
"And Pinkie pie!"
"And... OH MY GOODNESS, CELESTIA?"
"There's Discord! How is HE here?" They all gathered around them, running and clamoring. While Celestia and the others greeted them, Discord hung back in the shadows. The ponies that were in the camp bowed down to her, as Discord stayed behind. Celestia noticed this.
"Ahem... Everyone, I know you know him as a tyrant that ravanged your land, but he is back to band up against Order. Discord, If you don't mind, step forward." He stepped forward with a smirk on his face, as if preparing some sort of attack. Celestia socked him in the stomach, recognizing the expression that he wore when he was about to prank and frighten when they were children. He stopped himself, and cleared his throat.
"Aha. Yes, I have come together with my once worst enemy to try and defeat an even worse threat. Mostly due to the fact that the gray overtaking the land has reduced my chaotic magic. So, if that wasn't happening, I'd be turning you all into muffins. And it'd be raining jellybeans."
"Yay!" said a cheerful voice in the background.
"Shut up Derpy hooves!" was it's only reply.
"Ahem. So, that aside, I will be in your camp for a while. You're welcome." A few moments of angry muttering followed this speech, as Celestia gave him a dirty look.
"That wasn't the best way to greet these ponies..." She said angrily. He scoffed. Ponies began to hurridly began asking questions about Order.
"Who is he?" they asked. Celestia turned to the crowd from Discord to answer.
"Order... Is Discord's brother. He is obsessed with his idea of 'order' as he sees it. Not like my Harmony, balanced with friendship and the Elements of Harmony. His, means regulating everything, down to freezing everything in Equestria... and the rest of the world."
"Then why does the forest stay the same?" someone asked again.
"Many years ago, The guardians set up spells to keep out Order. Although he can enter this forest, The gray cannot enter." They all thought about it for a bit. Sweetie bell spoke up.
"Is Order like this big thing that is all feathery and has weird paws?" she asked. Celestia nodded, her eyes widening.
"How do you know that?"
"We've seen something like that wandering around deeper into the forest."
"Oh." Said Celestia.
"But it hasn't come to us or anything." Reassured Sweetie bell. "Zecora made sure. She set up some sort of magic that will make Order leave this place really fast. Some sort of smelly thing that drives away birds."
"Zecora's here?" asked Twilight sparkle.
"Yep, She provides us with herbs and medicines when we need it. She's a great help to us." Said Cheerilee.
"Who else is here?" asked Fluttershy quietly, wanting to get a head count of the survivors. Cheerilee turned to the rest of the crowd.
"Everyone, please gather in the middle near the campfire to talk, it'll be easier this way." The ponies nodded, and followed her instruction. Cheerile turned back to Celestia.
"I've been appointed 'unofficial leader' of this group. Probably because of my amazing teaching skills, right?" she said, smiling wide. The other ponies laughed, and walked to the center.
"Who's here?" asked Apple jack. They looked over the crowd. About ten ponies stood around, not including Cheerilee and Sweetie bell. There were about four or so stallions, and an almost equal amount of mares. Cheeriliee walked up to Pinkie pie.
"Since you know almost everyone in Ponyville, We have about ten of the townspeople... There's me and Sweetie Bell, Carrot top, Derpy hooves..." The ponies waved as their names were mentioined, Depy flying up and falling over. "And we have Lyra and Bon-Bon too... and Berry punch. Now for stallions, we have Big Macintosh-" Applejack jumped up happily.
"Big Mac!" She squealed, tackling the stallion.
"Eeyup." He replied. Applejack then realized something. She slapped Big Mac, his eyes widening in suprise. "Where were you when when Apple Bloom was at the farm and the land froze?"
"I was at the market... I found the others running away, and I took my cart and carried them out... I'm sorry about it, but she's my sister too. Don't get so angry." Applejack sighed.
"You're right Big Mac... I'm sorry..." Big Mac smiled.
"Well, some other survivors are Feather Weight, Snips, and these two..." He said, Gesturing to two stallion pegasi in the back. Rainbow Dash's eyes went wide.
"oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!" She said, Dashing up to them. The two looked at her in suprise, one with spiky blue hair, the other with brown-tan ones. They both wore tattered gear, patterned blue and yellow.
"What are the wonderbolts doing in here?" she asked, circling around their heads.
"Oh hey, it's you, the one from the Gala... and that flyer competition. Hey." He said nonchalantly. "yeah, I know it's weird. It's a long story, about how me and Rapid fire got here."
"How did you get here, uh... Soarin?" Rainbow Dash asked again, just remembering his name.
"Uhh, well you see... Me and Rapid Fire were at Canterlot, trying out some new moves in the sky... Spitfire and Fleet Foot and the others were watching us. Then suddenly like out of nowhere... BAM!" He said, clacking his hooves together for emphasis. "All this gray come out of nowhere and freezes them. It made Rapid fire get all skittish again, and he flew away as fast as he could, doing a total freak-out." Rapid fire scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Uh.. Yeah." He said, His eye then twitching violently.
"So anyways, We just flew and flew and flew, and saw that most of the land was slowly being turned gray. When we saw the forest, and some smoke coming from it, we just didn't think, we just landed and collapsed, completely out of energy. We were knocked out, and we woke up in the Zebra, Zecora's house. We've been here since." Rarity suddenly freaked out and burst through the two pegasi, grabbing something.
"Spike! You're here!"
"Uh... Rarity!" He said suprised. "I just came from collecting firewood..." He said.
"Spike! So glad to see you here!" Twilight sparkle said, also hugging him. The rest joined for a hug too. Cheerilee walked up to them.
"You're welcome to stay for as long as you like." She said. Celestia sighed.
"We're going to need it."
(Yep, another chappie! you guys probably thought I was dead. Remember to review!)