Princesses of Equestria

Chapter 2: Elements of Harmony, Assemble!

I'm definitely not cut out for construction, thought Fluttershy, fretfully considering the enchantment amplification aerial that she, her birds, Twilight and Pinkie Pie were building from spare wood.

The birds managed splendidly; tying ropes, stacking planks, threading wires. Twilight did even better. Waves of her horn telekinetically assembled the main tower. Pinkie reinforced the base, setting wheels onto it with an earth pony's vigor.

Fluttershy gave her nail the gentlest of taps. It didn't budge. She bit her lip, tapped a teensy smidgen harder, then involuntarily rammed the nail home when a sonic rainboom sounded from afar.

"Um, Twilight? Couldn't Rainbow Dash help instead?" Fluttershy eyed the distant blue speck who flew with more skill, confidence and sheer wing-power than she ever would. "I really don't like heights."

Twilight shook her head, and pointed to what the distant blue speck was fighting. "She's too busy clearing that up."

'That' was the storm, and it was far from cleared up. Fluttershy gulped, feeling faint.

"Besides," Twilight continued, carefully affixing the focal mirror to the aerial's axis, "building a working replica of Star Swirl the Bearded's enchantment amplifier (patent pending) requires delicate hooves, and Rainbow doesn't do delicate." A sonic rainboom shook several planks loose Luckily, Twilight reattached them all.

Unluckily, she didn't notice Discord pop out a nearby cloud and heft an egg beater the same way an axe murderer hefts their signature weapon. Planting his mismatched feet apart, the Prince of Pandemonium plunged his whirring whisk down—

Fluttershy Stared at him. Discord's beater froze inches from a cloud's moist surface.

Fluttershy opened her mouth, torn between calling a greeting, or a warning, or a yelp, but Discord pressed a claw to his lips, winked, and flashed a winning smile.

"Trust me, Flutterby," he mouthed, too quietly for anypony but her to hear.

Fluttershy fretted, but kept her peace as her newest (and by far her strangest) friend drove his egg beater home.

Oblivious to the exchange behind her, and to the stealthy whisking that followed in its wake, Twilight welded on a spoke and shook smoke off her horn. "How's it going down there, Pinkie?" she called, sparing a glance downward.

In a flourish, Pinkie Pie put a red bow atop her last knot, wrapped another bow round her forehead, crouched into a fighter's stance, and gave the aerial's base what for. Twilight and Fluttershy both winced. Even a fully armored royal guard would've staggered under the manic assault, and lost a tooth or two in the bargain.

Star Swirl the Bearded's enchantment amplifier was made of sterner stuff. Though Pinkie couldn't resist embellishing its support struts with the present wrapping, paper ribbons and sparkling glitter of her trade, she hadn't skipped the basics. Taught ropes held firm, wooden beams locked smoothly, and nary a nail was lost.

Pinkie gave Twilight a hoofs up. "Right as rain!" It started raining. Pinkie blinked, sat, put a hoof on her chin, and pondered with the solemn focus of a senior philosopher. "Or should that be wrong as rain?" It started pouring.

The storm's fringes had reached Ponyville. Windows rattled in panes. Thatch strands tore off roofs. Dust swirled in the streets. Townsfolk, dressed in their royal best, cowered in their homes. This was going to be a bad one.

"Hold onto Star Swirl's amplifier!" cried Twilight, already soaked through, evoking telekinesis for all she was worth. "Don't let it—"

The aerial fell.