Between Harmony and Order II - Act IV

"Poof." The group of pony friends landed with a dull thud, with Pinkie Pie landing on top of them. The teleportation had been successful, but in the last second before the spell completed, Pinkie Pie made a reckless jump that disrupted Twilight's teleportation. The result of her daring action and the unique circumstances of the spell caused a rebound effect, making them all tumble messily onto each other.

"Ouch... Pinkie!" exclaimed Twilight from beneath the pile of ponies, all tangled up and disoriented.

"Oops, sorry... Wheeeee!" replied Pinkie Pie, trying to get up but falling over sideways from dizziness.

"Keep it down, you might..." Applejack said irritably as she was knocked down again by the dizzy Pinkie. She then got up and looked around in surprise. "What's going on?"

Although they were still sheltered by Twilight's magical bubble, it was evident that their location had changed.

"Don't worry, Applejack. We haven't been discovered. This is my anti-spy bubble, combined with the teleportation spell. So no one can trace our destination," explained Twilight as she helped the rest of her friends to their feet with her magic.

"That sounds good, Twilight, but... We're back on the train!" exclaimed Applejack, alarmed. All of them, except Twilight, looked around, dismayed, and realized that, indeed, they had returned to the carriage where they had previously met Vanilla.

The place was as messy as they had left it. Even one of the doors leading outside was still slightly ajar, although not enough for anyone outside to notice the sudden appearance of the ponies on the train.

"Don't worry, girls, this is also part of the plan... I think it's time I explain the plan to you," commented Twilight. She immediately gently waved her horn. The magical capsule protecting them began to expand, adhering to the surfaces of the carriage. From the outside, no one noticed any change.

// ----------------------------

Outside the train, the Cockatrice Titanicus lay stretched out on the meadow. With its enormous head timidly peeking out between its folded wings, it crooned a drowsy crowing song. In the distance, the colossal beast seemed to be in a deep daytime slumber.

However, relying on that superficial impression would be a catastrophic mistake.

The Cockatrice Titanicus was not asleep, far from it, nor was it drowsy or lethargic. On the contrary, it was fully alert to the presence of an enemy. Its current state was a result of the orders it had received: "Stay still and watch," but the most crucial of all was: "... listen, creature, if you find Princess Twilight and her allies, destroy them...". This last order was accompanied by a mental image of its targets.

The colossal cockatrice ruffled the feathers on its neck as it remembered. It did not like receiving orders that didn't come from its master. Much less being referred to without its name. It was not a 'beast'; its name was 'Beak.' Until recently, it had been an ordinary cockatrice. However, its master's companions had used a strange magic to transform it into the colossal creature it was now. It felt uncomfortable with itself, but its master assured it that everything was fine. Beak also noticed that its master was behaving strangely. No longer kind and affectionate as it used to be; instead, it had become aggressive, gruff, and dark.

Why had its master changed? Was it because of those ponies? Had they harmed him?

If that were the case... then it would not hesitate to crush them. And so, perhaps, its master would smile at it again.

Beak smoothed the feathers on its wings and adjusted its head. The light around it was annoying; after all, it was a nocturnal creature. But that pale glow would not stop it from capturing its prey and unleashing all its fury upon them.

// ----------------------------

In Equestria, there exists a wide variety of magical creatures of different types and sizes. One of these species is the Cockatrice, a nocturnal predator that dwells in the dark and wild forests of the realm, particularly in the Everfree Forest. Its body is divided into an upper part resembling a barnyard bird, while the lower part exhibits dragon-like features. It possesses the ability to petrify its prey before taking them to its nests for feeding. Although it is an extremely aggressive creature, it rarely directly attacks ponies outside of its habitat, with the most serious cases being occasional incidents of petrification.

However, that is the present. In the past, the situation was much more dangerous.

Many moons ago, before Princess Celestia and Princess Luna sealed Discord, the Lord of Chaos, both princesses embarked on a crusade to purify Equestria from the terrible monsters that lurked in the kingdom: black dragons, greedy minotaurs, giant nine-headed hydras, and other malevolent creatures. The princesses faced a variety of threats during their journey. However, one of the first challenges they encountered when they were still young was to eradicate the presence of the Cockatrice Titanicus. This immense creature, of unknown origin, terrorized the outskirts of Canterlot. The beast had developed a taste for ponies and was responsible for numerous disappearances of travelers and soldiers. Its influence in the kingdom reached such a degree that even other ordinary Cockatrices began to imitate it, flying openly in broad daylight and sowing terror among peasants and citizens of the realm.

Full of courage and accompanied by experienced hunters, the noble princesses decided to end this state of dread by hunting down the beast. After a journey filled with adversity that tested their skills and determination, they finally managed to corner the creature in a cave, where it was sealed in a cocoon of pine sap. It remained there to this day.

Of course, this is the version of the story that Celestia frequently tells when asked about these matters. And it is true. However, Luna often corrects it by adding certain details that Celestia evades or excuses herself from, claiming not to remember well.

One of these forgotten memories involves Celestia serving as bait on one occasion and spending an entire day in the giant bird's gullet.

There were many more details like these that Twilight had come to know and wished to share with her friends, but time was pressing, and she would have to get straight to the point.

"... at the end of last year, I attended an exhibition by Ocellus at the School of Friendship about 'The Impact of the Cockatrice on the Everfree Forest.' Her research covered a wide range of topics related to Cockatrices, such as their diet, migratory habits, role in the ecosystem, among others. But one of the most notable discoveries was about their unusual anatomy. Besides confirming that their species has an artificial origin caused by magic, she found anomalies in the Cockatrice's body that make them vulnerable to certain conditions. One of these anomalies is the presence of a nerve node under the pharynx, which protrudes on the skin and, when externally pressed, can paralyze their entire body. This is their weakness, and it's precisely what we must target to defeat the Cockatrice Titanicus. Although it's much larger and stronger than any of its relatives, I'm confident it shares the same weaknesses as a common Cockatrice."

As she finished, the ponies listening attentively to Twilight fell silent. Despite the holographic images that accompanied the explanation, the atmosphere inside the carriage was filled with doubt and perplexity. Applejack scratched her head, and the rest of the friends had expressions reflecting some kind of mental bewilderment.

"So... we just have to hit it on the neck?" Applejack finally said with a tone of skepticism.

"It would be more like a massage under its chin," Twilight replied.

"Under its jowls!" Pinkie Pie chimed in, bouncing in her seat.

"Exactly, Pinkie!" Twilight responded excitedly, like a teacher with her star student, although she pretended her enthusiasm. Inside, she was starting to worry about her friends' lack of enthusiasm.

"Uhhhh," Applejack murmured, while Fluttershy shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

Several more seconds of awkward silence passed.

"So... one of us has to give that overfed bird a massage on its chin?" Applejack asked, clearly concerned.

"Chin would be the correct term, Applejack," Rarity interrupted, who had been silent until then. "And I'm sorry, dear Twilight, but... None of us can do something like that!"

Yes, that was the most logical reaction. No ordinary, sane pony would attempt something like that against a predator of that magnitude. However, Twilight had faith. She had friends who could be many things, but they would definitely never be ordinary.

"One of you can do it," Twilight said confidently, looking at the pony who was lagging behind her friends.

All eyes turned to the pony Twilight was referring to. There was Fluttershy, huddled in a seat. With the gaze of all her friends on her, the timid pegasus seemed to shrink even further, but after swallowing hard, she said, "Okay, Twilight, I'll do it."

"Fluttershy, I understand that you have doubts and may not be willing to... Wait? Are you agreeing?" Twilight asked, surprised by her friend's assertive response. She had expected Fluttershy to show less cooperation.

"Hello! Are you Fluttershy?" Pinkie asked the pink-maned pegasus, with her characteristic enthusiasm.

Fluttershy nodded timidly. "Yes, it's me."

"Are you sure? Because the Fluttershy we know would be a little more scared to take on such a dangerous mission," Pinkie Pie said, raising an eyebrow and giving Fluttershy a skeptical look.

Fluttershy lowered her gaze, feeling a bit cornered by the attention she was receiving. But then, she lifted her head with determination. "You all really know me very well. And yes, it's true that I should be very scared, and I am. I'm afraid of what might be happening to Rainbow Dash. I'm afraid of what might be happening to the other ponies who left the train. I'm afraid of how my forest friends and everyone else in Ponyville might be. But right now, Rainbow Dash is out there, giving her all to protect us from Vanilla. It wouldn't be fair if I didn't give my best in the same way. That's why I want to do this. So we can all get out of this place together and go back home," Fluttershy said with some tears welling up in her eyes as she bit her lower lip. These were the sincere feelings she had been hiding from her friends, until now.

Everyone fell silent in the face of those heartfelt words, except for Pinkie Pie, whose expression turned to concern.

"I'm sorry, Fluttershy! I'm really sorry! I shouldn't have teased you like that! Forgive me, Fluttershy! Forgive meeeeeeeeeeee!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, panicking at Fluttershy's reaction and seeing tiny tears welling up in her friend's eyes. She began to cry too.

To Fluttershy's sides, Applejack and Rarity approached, leaning on her to console her. The feelings they had were the same.

Twilight, on the other hand, tried to approach but hesitated. A bitterness crossed her face. She was more aware than anyone of the danger Rainbow Dash was in. She had seen this scenario before. The enemy had anticipated that they would work together, but also that if they acted separately... So, Twilight pushed her own distress aside and joined her friends.

"You're not alone, Fluttershy. We'll give it our best, we'll all get out of here... together," Twilight said, extending her wings to cover her friends.

"I know, Twilight. I'm sorry, I guess I'm still not used to being brave despite the many times we've been through this... I still act like this," Fluttershy said, feeling ashamed.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of, Fluttershy. You're a great friend, and you always remind us how sensitive we should be with others," Rarity replied.

"That's right. And we wouldn't trade it for a million brave Fluttershys," Applejack added.

The group hug continued for a few more seconds until they finally separated. However, a remorseful Pinkie Pie remained beside Fluttershy with a pleading look.

"It's okay, Pinkie Pie, I forgive you," Fluttershy said. At that moment, her pink friend hugged her joyfully, setting off one of her confetti bombs.

The special moment had passed, and they all returned to their seats.

"Now what?" Applejack asked, looking towards Twilight.

"Well... Rarity, did you bring your emergency fashion crafting tools in your luggage?"

"Always, Twilight," Rarity replied assertively, opening her suitcase and conjuring a range of crafting equipment perfectly organized by size and sparkle.

"Then, let's begin," Twilight announced.

Twilight's plan involved using all the resources inside the train carriage to make clothing and prepare equipment they would use to face the Cockatrice Titanicus. Of course, this confrontation would be more of a distraction, as the real task would fall on Fluttershy. She would have to fly up to the beast's neck and, once there, press its weak point to defeat it. A mission like this could take days of planning and preparation, but for these ponies who had been through much worse in the past, this was just another day of saving Equestria.

Following Twilight's instructions, Applejack and Pinkie Pie proceeded to dismantle the train's seats and floor. Fluttershy and Twilight sorted the resulting materials, while Rarity polished them and, with her magic, gave them a new shape, following the improvised designs.

Just ten minutes after they had started, more than half of the train carriage had disappeared. However, all the designs prepared by Rarity and Twilight had gone from paper to reality.

"Good job, girls," Twilight said, opening a bottle and serving each of her friends a glass of soda.

"Yeehaw! It was faster than raisin' a barn!" exclaimed Applejack, who finished her soda in one gulp. Meanwhile, the rest of the ponies took a breather, sipping their drinks on the remains of the train seats.

"It's not my best work under pressure, but... it will certainly impress my audience!" Rarity declared proudly, delicately wiping the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief. Behind her were all the equipment she had created. It was not an exaggeration to say that it was an impressive job. In a very short time, she had created a complete line of lightweight, fire-resistant suits, each with a custom design for each of her friends.

Of course, the girls understood this very well, so they could only nod happily at Rarity's words.

"Well, if by 'your audience' you mean the enormous pony-eating cockatrice outside, uhmm... I could say it's already getting a bit impatient," Pinkie Pie pointed out, looking out the window.

Outside, the Cockatrice Titanicus had raised its head, but it wasn't watching them; it was looking somewhere on the horizon.

Observing this, Twilight immediately understood what was happening. The time to act had come.

"Get ready, ponies, Operation 'Catwalk' begins now," Twilight exclaimed to the others, who immediately stood up. Using her magic, she began distributing all the equipment they had prepared. Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie were equipped with a transparent visor that matched the color of their fur, along with insulating boots, a matching white cape, and other battle-ready gear. Twilight also equipped herself in the same way, although her attire had a more elaborate design. Fluttershy, on the other hand, had the simplest outfit of all, except for an earring similar to the one Twilight had given Rainbow Dash.

With all the ponies in their positions and the rest of the equipment in place, without further ado, Twilight dispelled the magical protection around the carriage and gave the signal to advance.

// ------------------------

Beak was restless. He had started to sense a presence inside one of the train carriages, which was unusual as he hadn't felt any since he had begun his vigil. If his senses were correct, the presence didn't seem to be something large but rather something smaller, perhaps a mouse.

At that moment, a feeling came from the other end within the barrier. It was a sense of distress. Immediately, Beak extended his neck, looking in that direction. His feathers bristled; he had no doubts; his master was being attacked. Driven by an urgent need to protect his true owner, the enormous cockatrice stood up.

"POOF" suddenly echoed.

It was unexpected. It wasn't an explosion but rather a startle, a revelation.

Beak turned his head. The carriage that was practically next to him opened; literally, all the walls of the carriage fell as debris to its sides, revealing a hollow and dismantled interior.

But the carriage wasn't entirely empty. A purple pony with wings and a horn stared at him coldly from the wreckage of the carriage. He recognized her immediately. She was the pony they had warned him about. That pony was responsible for all the bad things happening.

Beak's anger began to build up inside him until it finally burst out like a torrent of flames.

The fire shot out continuously for several seconds until it finally subsided. Beak observed the charred remains of the carriage, where his target should have been consumed entirely. However, from the ashes and smoke, a mysterious purple light began to emerge. Beak, surprised, watched as the purple pony remained completely intact, protected within a magical bubble.

Then, the bubble dissipated, and the purple pony rose above him in a flash of magic.

Beak didn't like this. That little pony was annoying. Her fire hadn't harmed her, and now she watched him without any fear from above, with an air of superiority. She was insolent; she almost seemed happy. This caused even more anger in Beak; if his fire couldn't harm her, then he would crush her with his claws.

The wings of the mighty cockatrice extended, ready to lift Beak into the sky. With all his attention focused on the pony above him, he didn't notice the small barrels that had rolled beneath him.

Then, explosions erupted beneath the powerful Cockatrice Titanicus, surprising and momentarily paralyzing him. Those explosions didn't harm him; instead, they filled the entire area with bright white confetti. Beak flapped his wings to try to move away from there, but he didn't ascend. Surprised, Beak discovered that the feathers of his wings were coated with sticky white ribbons that hindered his movements. Below him, small white figures resembling mice ran in all directions, spreading more of those sticky ribbons around.

Beak was furious, so he unleashed a firestorm, burning the meadow and part of the train that was near him. The white mice disappeared, but they were replaced by ponies of various colors. Beak recognized them; they were the accomplices of that princess. They had to be destroyed too. An unrestrained fire attack began as Beak chased each of the ponies, trying to crush them with his claws. From above, the princess pony attacked him with magic rays, making him miss every time he was close to catching one of them.

The frantic battle continued, with the ponies launching all kinds of projectiles from the ground and the princess pony thwarting him from above.

But the efforts of all these ponies were futile. Beak was strong; those attacks barely caused him any annoyance. He had great endurance, and the ponies didn't. Soon, they would tire, and Beak would finish them off one by one. But then, Beak began to feel that something was wrong. Dizziness made him stagger, and then he felt a strange pressure in his throat. He tried to reach his neck, but a paralysis reached his limbs, immobilizing him. Everything started spinning. Fear, Beak felt fear; he didn't understand what was happening. However, that emotion didn't last, it was gradually replaced by a feeling of warmth that began to invade him.

Beak spread his wings trying to reach a mysterious light in the sky, while everything around him darkened. In that light was the image of his master, the only person who had cared for him, as remote as a distant vision. The smile of that pink-maned pony was the last thing he saw.

// ------------------------

Inside an oval room bathed in the warm radiance emitted by an imposing golden orb, four figures remained immersed in a state of contemplation. Their gazes were fixed on the images reflected in an enchanted pool.

These were the prominent members of the Knights of the Order, individuals considered the highest authorities among the six influential races in the blessed realm of Cunabula. Taranis (Snakebull), whose form combined the majesty of a bull with the agility of a snake, radiated a sense of serene strength. Morrigan (Urutaú), an imposing bird with dark eyes and white plumage, exuded a magnetic presence. Ceridwen (Quetzalkan), with vibrant feathers in red and green hues, had avian features in the upper part and an elegantly sculpted snake silhouette below. And towering above them all was Mannah (Akhtubut Qirshin), with his small gelatinous body and octopus-like tentacles contrasting with the dark shark-like lower limbs that supported him on his elevated throne, always adorned with his distinctive turban hat.

All of them had been chosen by the stars, following an ancient tradition, to represent the power inherent to their respective races and to safeguard the prosperity of their nation.

However, the situation they found themselves in at that moment challenged that firmly held ideal over time.

"It doesn't bode well," Taranis declared plainly.

His opinion was shared by all the other present knights who were watching the scene in the large water pool in the center of the room. This pool functioned as a mirror that showed a specific place within the great barrier and had been used by the knights to spy on Twilight and her friends from the moment they had been trapped.

Now, that water mirror showed how the last of their pawns destined to defeat the princess and her allies succumbed to a neck massage.

Although no one mentioned it aloud, the thought was shared. They had underestimated the ponies.

This silence couldn't linger. Then, the least concerned of the Knights of the Order spoke up.

"Oh! Great sub-leader, I fear your attempt to take the initiative has taken an unfortunate turn. What do you plan to do about it?" Morrigan announced with a mocking air.

Mannah, who was seated at the opposite end of the room, remained silent for a few seconds. Then, he rose on his cartilaginous limbs and said, "Given the recent circumstances, immediate control measures are necessary... I must employ the direct possession crystal."

Those last words were not directed at Morrigan or Taranis but at the other member of the Knights of the Order who was sitting to his left and had remained silent until that moment.

Ceridwen, bearer of the element of Equity, did not have a high opinion of Mannah. Better than anyone, she knew that behind his diplomatic façade lay an individual with petty attitudes and little integrity. In short, a politician.

"Due to the position he holds, I am obligated to obey his orders. However, as a member of our illustrious order, I allow myself to suggest that it should be our companion Morrigan who uses the crystal. She has more experience in the domain of the mind and spirit," Ceridwen responded firmly and with veiled defiance.

This defiance was reflected as a shadow on Mannah's gelatinous skin. Not long ago, he had promised the rest of his companions that, unlike Danu's previous leadership, he would consider the opinions of others more. If he were to impose his will at that moment, he could lose the trust of his fellow knights, which was not advisable given the situation they were in. With no other options, he would have to set aside Ceridwen's rebellion for the time being.

"Of course, companion Ceridwen. Your advice is valuable," Mannah said, concealing his irritation and taking his seat once more. "Do you agree with this proposal, companion Morrigan?"

"Completely," Morrigan replied, feigning humility.

"Very well. Then proceed and show those ignorant ponies of Equestria the true power of Cunabula!" Mannah ordered with fury.