5. Rise of Harmony

Outside a large city, a bright white light appeared in the air over the ground. Seven figures dropped out of the light as it faded, landing on the ground with varying degrees of grace. Cherry Blossom, Aurora, and Gem all spread their wings and floated gracefully to the ground, landing lightly on their hooves. Maria managed to levitate herself and Stardust to the ground for a soft landing, although they landed on their butts. Twisty landed on her back and bounced around happily, not seeming to notice.

Snap Lock fell out of the light and instinctively flipped to his feet, landing on two hooves and one wolf paw. He blinked for a bit, noticing he was the only one who had been converted to an anthro state. While curious, he disregarded the mystery rather rapidly. He had a mission. He was to protect the others, as his father had ordered him. Reaching into a bag on his back, he pulled out the weapon he'd found most versatile: a modified pump action shotgun, with a customized plasma bayonette that popped out of the slide when twisted. He primed it, ready to fire on anything hostile that got too close.

Stardust was the first to speak. "Where are we?"

"It's not Equestria," Snap said firmly. "Otherwise I'd be a pony."

"And it's not Mobius or any world connected to it," Aurora spoke up. "If it were, I wouldn't be."

"That still doesn't tell us much," Gem said quietly, shifting himself until he was enough dragon that he could breathe fire, but still mostly unicorn. He felt strong magic would be the best approach here, but a good fast ranged attack seemed a good idea as well.

"The sign says Racoon City!" Twisty said happily. "Does that mean we get to see a lot of Tanuki?" She bounced around happily.

"Raccoon City?" Cherry asked, surprised. "That sounds familiar..."

"Well, we know we're in another world," Maria said quietly. "And not one we're familiar with. Stardust, Dad sent us here with Chaos Control. Can you use it to get us back?"

Stardust shook his head. "I can use the basic Chaos spells...but I can't generate enough magic yet to pierce worlds. I'd need a large source of energy to power it...and I don't know how to aim between worlds. Missing home when travelling between worlds might have worse consequences than landing in the river instead of on the bridge."

Snap nodded, watching the surroundings carefully. "Alright. Priority one then is survival. We should also keep our eyes out for anyone or anything that might help us get back home. Failing that, we should find something Stardust can use as a power source to get us hopping to another world where those things might be more readily available. Let's stick together everyone. We've no idea what might happen." Everyone nodded. "Alright, for lack of a better place to go, let's check the city."

They made their way into the city. It wasn't long before they began to notice figures shambling about, moaning. "Wonder what that's all about?" Aurora asked quietly.

"I think they're funny!" Twisty said happily, bouncing forward. She proceeded to giggle at one of the shambling figures...which turned at the sound and began to charge towards her. It was now plainly visible as a roughly humanoid figure, little more than a walking corpse. It gaped it's jaw, revealing sparse, sharp teeth.

"Twisty, get down!" Snap shouted, levelling his shotgun.

Twisty giggled a bit longer, then stopped. Her jetpack popped out, and a missle of some sort sprang from the back and launched, causing the creature to explode, scattering bits everywhere. Twisty sat, blinking, tears in her eyes.

Stardust came up to her. "Are...are you okay?"

"Mom was wrong..." Twisty seemed on the verge of tears. "Her song...she said laughing made all the fears go away...giggle at the ghostly..." She began to sniffle.

"Did the song mention laughing at zombies?" Maria asked, gingerly poking a bit of the goop left over from the exploded creature. "Cause that's what that was."

Twisty blinked a bit. "No, she didn't." She gasped happily. "She wasn't wrong after all!" Squealing happily, she lunged ahead and began prancing around, spinning and flipping as her jetpack started firing off all sorts of weaponry, levelling a good portion of the city block.

Snap grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, lifting her up. "Are you crazy? What do you think you're doing?"

Twisty tilted her head at him. "Break dancing. Duh."

Everyone groaned...although Stardust couldn't shake the feeling that something momentous had just happened.

Their relative good cheer was, unfortunately, short lived. Twisty's display had drawn a lot of attention, and zombies were converging on their position in hordes. "Evac to the south!" Snap shouted, guiding them along a path that didn't have too many zombies.

They ran for it as hard as they could...but Maria stumbled and was shortly surrounded. "STARDUST!" she called in fear.

"Maria!" Stardust started to run back for her, as did Snap...but someone else was faster.

Aurora shot forward, stradling Maria as she lay on the ground. She winced in pain as several of the zombies managed to claw her flesh or bite her, but she focused, gathering her energy. Bending down, she grabbed Maria gently by her scruff in her teeth...and shot forward in a Sonic Rainboom, her wake tearing several zombies to bits. The others rushed to catch up to her.

When they reached a relatively safe place, Twisty came forward to try and see to Aurora's wounds. "This is bad.." she said, a scouter-like device popping out of the jetpack and scanning the injuries. "These zombies seem to be crafted by some sort of virus...and their bites have left you infected, Aurora."

Maria whimpered down in her throat. "Is there a treatment for her?"

Twisty shook her head. "I've never seen anything like this virus. It would take weeks to fully identify it, and months to formulate a cure, even with magic...but at the current rate of progress, she'll be dead before the day is out."

Maria cried softly. "You..." she looked at Aurora. "You saved me...but you..."

Aurora shook her head. "Can you guys watch the perimeter for a few minutes?" she asked. The others were confused, but Snap nodded. He took up a guard post as Aurora took a deep breath through the pain. Closing her eyes, she focused her energy again.

Rainbow colored light shone from each of her wounds and from under her eyelids. The light flared brightly, reaching a pure white, and then slowly faded. The whole process took three minutes, and at the end of that time, every wound on Aurora's body was fully healed. She looked tired, but free of pain.

Stardust gasped. "That...that was the Chaos Heal!" he said, shocked to his core. "That's really advanced Chaos magic! I don't know how to do that yet. Where'd you learn?"

Aurora shrugged, catching her breath. "I've always been able to do it, ever since I got my cutie mark. Running around like that, I got my share of scuffs, scrapes, and skinned knees...but if I focus, that light shines in the wound and my eyes, and I'm healed within minutes. I don't like doing it more than neccessarry, though, since it always causes a strange pain in my head." Raising a hoof, she rubbed a spot in the exact center of her brow. "While Mom, Dad, and I were hopping worlds unintentionaly, they took me to a scientist to figure it out, a linx named Nicole. She said not only did it heal any wounds, but it also purged my body of any foreign parasites or infections...though it doesn't work on magic." She looked at Twisty. "Did it work on this infection?"

Twisty stared at her readings, then nodded vigorously. "Total viral pwnage, Aurora! Did you know you'd survive when you did it?"

Aurora shook her head. "I thought the zombies were magic." Dead silence greeted this statement. Having caught her breath, she got to her hooves. "Come on! We can't waste time here. We need to find a way home before we run out of lucky breaks."

Everyone nodded. As they left, Stardust felt another strange surge deep inside, like something had clicked into place.

As they headed towards the center of the city, they heard someone moaning. "Someone's alive!" Cherry said excitedly, running towards the sound. The others came with...but they all froze when she did. The survivor...wouldn't be one for long.

A young human boy - not much older than most of the ponies - lay on the ground, groaning, obviously in pain. There was a rather obvious bite mark on his leg, and the flesh around it was already starting to putrify. It didn't take Twisty's scouter to know he was infected. Snap readied his shotgun. They knew they had no cure for this virus in medicine, and no one who's magic could cure it. Before he could fire, though, Cherry held up a hoof. Confused, Snap watched as Cherry approached the boy.

"Hello," she said quietly. "What's your name?"

The young boy looked up at her. "Kenny," he replied quietly, struggling through the pain. He blinked. "Am I hallucinating?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I really am a talking pony."

"Oh." Kenny blinked for a bit. "Are you magic?"

"Yes. I'm magic."

"Can you fix me? I...I don't want to be a zombie."

Cherry smiled, walking up to him. She shifted to behind him, shifting him up to lean against her front. "Don't worry. Just lean back and relax. I can fix this, but it will be painful, so I need you to sleep first."

"I...I don't think I can..."

"Don't worry," Cherry whispered. "Leave that to me." She softly enfolded him in an embrace. Then she began to sing.

"Hush now, Quiet now
It's time to lay your sleepy head
Hush now, Quiet now
It's time to go to bed."

Kenny's eyes were slowly closing as his body relaxed. Tears were falling from Cherry's eyes, but they didn't touch her voice, which was still full of motherly comfort.

"Drifting off to sleep
Leave exciting day behind you
Drifting off to sleep
Let the joy of Dreamland find you"

Cherry moved her embrace up, till one hoof rested gripping Kenny's shoulder, while the other caressed his chin.

"Hush now, Quiet now
It's time to lay your sleepy head"

Kenny was plainly asleep, a contented smile on his face.

"Hush now, Quiet now
It's time to-"

With a sudden snap, Cherry jerked her hooves, cleanly snapping Kenny's neck.

"-go to bed."

Standing up, she took Snap's shotgun.

"Drifting off to sleep
Leave exciting day behind you."

She aimed the shotgun at Kenny's head. Snap nodded, knowing that only destroying the brain would prevent him raising as a zombie.

"Drifting off to sleep
Let the joy of dreamland find you."

She pulled the trigger. She stood there for a time as everyone stared, gazing at the mess of the poor boy she had given a painless, clean death to. Then she seemed to wilt into herself. After a moment, she stood back up, but her eyes were hard, and her face was twisted into a sneer.

"You didn't have to do that, sis," she said, her voice much harsher. "I could have done it just as easily." After a beat, she suddenly shouted, "What do you mean, my singing voice sucks?"

Snap laughed softly. "I wondered when you'd come out, Lotus."

She shook her head. "I should have come out much sooner. Cherry didn't need to see all this." Seeing everyone staring at her, she shrugged. "Introductions, huh? I'm Lotus Blossom. Cherry and I are like twins, but we share a body. It's diagnosed as split personality...but it's more accurate to say I'm her mordant half, if you know what that means." At a few nods or shrugs, she hefted the gun. "Well, at any rate, let's go. Metal Sonic and his ilk made my sister cry." She pumped the slide. "So I'm going to make them bleed!"

As everyone moved onward towards the center of the city, Stardust felt another surge as something inside him clicked into place. Inside, the thought 'four down' echoed, though he didn't know what it meant.

A loud whistling filled the air, and everyone looked up. It didn't take long to identify the source. "Those are Nuclear missles!" Snap gasped. He pulled everyone close. "Stardust, I hope you can put up a strong enough defense."

Stardust focused his magic. "The best defense..."

"Is a good offense, but you can't do-"

"No. The best defense...is to not be there." His magic surrounded all of them. "CHAOS CONTROL!"

White light surrounded them all as the missles impacted. The nuclear shockwave impacted the spell weave, and surged into it, and they all vanished as the city was wiped off the map.

00000000000

Somewhere, they fell out of the light, landing heavily on hard ground. They looked around, and were rather surprised at how familiar the surroundings looked.

"This is Everfree Forest!" Maria said happily. "You did it, Stardust! We're home!" She hugged her brother happily and raced out towards Ponyville.

The others raced after her, but Stardust couldn't shake a feeling of foreboding. "I'm not so sure..." They all skidded to a halt at the edge of the forest.

Ponyville was in sight...and in ruins. There wasn't much left standing, and what few buildings still stood showed signs of scorching. It looked like something had torn through the town in a rampage...repeatedly.

"What happened?" Aurora asked, shocked.

Maria managed to shake herself off. "Let's find out." She focused, and her horn glowed. Images flashed across her eyes, and she spoke of what she saw. "This isn't our home universe. It's another world that's somewhat similar. Shortly after Queen Chrysalis was banished from the lands of Equestria, Discord rose again...but he didn't go after Mom and her friends. He went after those they knew, breaking them much as he had the Harmony bearers. His greatest success came when he went after Spike. Using his mind games, he convinced Spike of the futility of his feelings for Rarity, how she could never return his feelings in kind, and even if she could, nothing could ever come of a romance between a dragon and a pony. Convinced his heart was doomed, Spike became discorded...and grew into a behemoth of greed and grief. Discord thought it was a great thing...except the first thing Spike destroyed in his rampage was Discord. With Discord destroyed, no one was left who had enough power to stop Spike in his rampage...and he lay waste to Equestria. Mortality rates are still relatively low, even after a month...but Rarity is still in intensive care."

Gem stared at her, shocked. Reaching into his saddlebags, he pulled something out to glance at. It was a hand crafted gold pendant, with a heart shaped fire ruby at the front. Sticking it back in, he ran forward into the rubble as a roar was heard. The others chased after him.

In the center of Ponyville, a grey dragon roared and rampaged, slamming his claws repeatedly against a purple barrier surrounding the hospital. Roaring in frenzy, he slammed his claws against the barrier again, making it flicker. Gem flew straight up in front of the dragon's face, shifting to his halfway point. "FATHER!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

The dragon paused, staring at him. "I have no son," he whispered, though his voice was still plainly audible. "Who are you to call me father?"

"I am from another world," Gem said, "a world where you did have a child. Me."

Spike stared at Gem for a moment. "Who was your mother?"

"The unicorn you loved...Rarity."

"You lie!" Spike shouted, swinging at Gem, who narrowly dodged. "My love for her is doomed!"

"No, it is not!" Gem shouted. As another swipe came for him, he tossed the fire-ruby necklace into the claw. "And this is the proof! You gave this to her, to show her how much she meant to you...on your birthday! She knew the proof that was of your love, and it was only a few years later that she returned your feelings fully. When I was born, you both gifted it to me, to show how I had become your true treasure! Look and remember your heart!"

Spike stared at the fire ruby, his eyes wide. Memories filled his eyes and mind, and his body shrank as color returned to him. When he returned to the size of a pony, low slung on all fours, his color was that of his old self. As his eyes filled with tears, he turned towards the hospital and raced in, the barrier fading. Gem and the others went to the window to watch.

Inside the visible room, Twilight and the others were gathered around the bed where Rarity lay. As Spike entered the room, those standing flinched, starting to get into protective postions.

"Rarity?" Spike said, his voice quiet.

"Spike?" the voice came from the bed. Rarity struggled to sit up. "You're back..." She reached her hooves out to him.

Racing forward, Spike took her hooves in his claws. "Rarity, I'm so sorry. I never meant-"

Spike was silenced as Rarity pulled him close, planting a kiss on his lips. "I'd thought I lost you," she whispered.

Stepping back, Gem wiped his eyes. "Let's go," he said quietly. "We need to find our way home."

"But your necklace..." Maria began.

"He needed it more than I do," Gem said with finality. "He needed to remember his love for her. I'll be back with my real parents soon enough."

Inside Stardust, something clicked, and a pulse of magic filled him. He staggered as realization of what he'd been feeling filled his mind.

As everyone turned to go, a voice called, "Wait!"

Spike raced up to Gem. "Thank you," he whispered, placing the necklace back in Gem's claws. "You gave me hope when I needed it most. Let me return the favor. I know your parents long for your return. You will be with them again soon. Never doubt their love." He closed Gem's claw over the necklace. "I made that mistake. You never should."

Nodding, Gem slipped the necklace back into his saddlebag, giving Spike a quick hug. The group turned to leave.

Snap spoke up as they approached the bridge. "So...any idea how we'll get to the next world? What source of power we'll use for the spell?"

"We can go now," Stardust said with a smile. He turned. They were in a circle with Stardust and Maria in the center. "As for the power..." He faced Snap. "Honesty, from sticking to your duty, laid on you by your father." He turned to Twisty. "Laughter, for bringing joyous light even to the darkest times." He turned to Aurora. "Loyalty, willing to sacrifice anything, even your own life, to save your friends." He turned to Cherry. "Kindness, for bringing peace and hope to one who had none." He turned at last to Gem. "And Generousity, for giving freely of your own heart to save the hearts of others." Light flared from the five named. "And Magic, binding us together. The power of Harmony will bring us home. Chaos Control."

There was a blinding flare of light,and the group vanished.