//------------------------------// // The Elements of Harmony // Story: My Little Pony: Friendship is Laughter // by MONSTERmama //------------------------------// Sparkle Sprint went wide eyed. Super Nova looked so proud of herself. “Crap,” the pegasus whispered to herself. The yellow earth pony from earlier returned. She was flanked by two grizzly bears. “Not hardly!” The mare drew a sword from her size. It hummed with energy. She swung toward Super Nova, a crest of water running toward the crimson mare. It merely vaporized a yard from her. The bears tried to attack, but dropped down, heat stroke racking their body. The mare realized this and rushed forward, dragging them both back by the incredible strength she possessed. Apple Laurel ran to her aid, dousing the bears in melting snow to cool them. “I would have expected better reception,” the red mare noted. “No matter,” she retorted, “I’ll head to my castle next… Yes, the Everfree Forest still stretches by Trottingham, does it not?” No one answered her. The cursed mare spread her wings before evaporating into flame. The black smoke drifted on the wind. Sparkle Sprint looked to Spike before the two of them took off into a dash toward their cloud mansion. Sparkle Sprint looked through the few fighting scrolls she had brought with her. None of them said anything about how to fight the sun itself. Heck, there weren’t even that many spells that could handle the sun itself! Spike heard a knock on the door. He answered it, expecting proper reinforcements. Instead, waiting there was Pink Crush. “We need Sparkle Sprint.” The pegasus mare joined the five ponies waiting below. Spike protectively lingered near his sister. “Yes?” the purple pegasus pressed. “I… I need your help,” Rainbow Joy said unsurely. “I… um, you know my research on the Rainbow of Light?” “Yes,” Sparkle Sprint stated. “I may be able to utilize it. However, I cannot find the items myself,” the rainbow unicorn explained. “Where are they?” Laurel asked. “We could all go fetch them or send someone to do it.” Joy pawed at the ground. “The… Everfree Forest.” Sparkle Sprint’s eyes widened. She snorted. “I’ll go with you.” “Me, too,” the mysterious yellow mare said. “Going as well,” Spike growled. “I don’t even know who you are, butterscotch.” “Flutterspy. You went lookin’ for me earlier,” she said gruffly. “Don’t do that. If you need me, I’ll be there.” Sparkle Sprint shook her head. “Spike, no. The ponies around here don’t know how to deal with this heat. You’ve got to stay behind to make sure no one dehydrates.” Sparkle looked to Flutterspy. “Could you ask some of your team to provide protection in case Super Nova returns while we’re gone?” Flutterspy nodded. “There’s water everywhere!” Spike bellowed. “If they can’t—“ “They’ve all run inside. The houses will be stuffy. Make sure they go swimming or something,” Sparkle insisted. The dragon huffed, but obeyed. “Be careful, okay?” Apple Laurel spoke up. “I’ve already told my clan to start gathering up all the food that will contain lots of water. I told them to not let anyone eat any salt until I gave order.” Special stared at Apple Laurel. “Why do you Apples always think you own everyone?” Pink Crush came between the two. “We’ll settle it later, okey-dokey? We’ve got bigger fish to fry right now!” Sparkle Sprint nodded. She looked to the other mares. “Alright, I’ll play team leader since I’v got the most experience in missions.” Flutterspy raised an eye brow. “Team missions.” No argument was made. “I’ll stay up front with Rainbow Joy. I’ll act as scout and first line of defense, while Rainbow Joy navigates us and keeps on the lookout for any traps. Special, you and Apple Laurel should keep an eye out for any food items. I’m not sure how long our trek will be, but we don’t have time to waste packing. Pink Crush, you pair up with Flutterspy and bring up the rear. Make sure we’re not being followed. If you see any trouble, let Flutterspy handle it. No one gets separated. Got it?” The other five nodded. With that, Sparkle Sprint began walking toward the edge of town and the beginning of the Everfree Forest. They were barely ten minutes in and already Sparkle Sprint felt as if she was in a different world. Everything around here was so unfamiliar and troubling. She hoped that they were going the right way. It was dark and humid here. “Stop!” Rainbow Joy bellowed. The others didn’t move a hoof. The mare looked this way and that before settling directly on the path. “We’re going in circles.” “Oh, so that was you leaving your magic behind?” Apple Laurel asked. “Yes, I was leaving a bread trail, if you will,” Joy explained. “However, we’re going over it for the second time. The first time I didn’t say anything, because, well, it was my fault, I assumed. This time, I went a different way, and we still went on the same path…” The rainbow unicorn closed her eyes and let out a light purple color emanate from her horn, followed by blue. “Whoa,” Sparkle Sprint uttered. She saw Joy’s color aura earlier and assumed it was the same magenta as her eyes. “I thought unicorns only had one color, plus corrupted glow.” Rainbow Joy winked. “Well, I’m a little gifted, you could say. I have multiple colors and multiple skills.” She got serious. “Well, my reports came back. There’s an illusion on this area, plus a few portals.” “Can you fix them yourself?” Apple Laurel asked. “Well, the portals are easy to shut down. They’re fragile—I’m surprised they haven’t collapsed on us. The illusion is pretty strong, though.” Apple Laurel nodded, moving to the other unicorn. Joy siphoned some magic from Laurel. After a minute, the beautiful but mysterious forest melted from dark, exotic colors to dull greens on a canvas of filtered green light. Joy frowned. “Let’s keep moving.” “I’m hungry,” Pink Crush miserably whined. Apple Laurel looked back, smiling. “Don’t worry. Give me a minute. I’ve been storing some food in my horn space, so we should have a good share.” Laurel smiled at Special. “Thank you for your help. Pink will appreciate it.” Special grinned. “Anything for my buddies.” The six sat down, Flutterspy least comfortable to be resting. Special and Laurel had gathered some berries and wild grass. It was a basic, but good meal. Soon, however, a horrendous sound came. “Give me…” hissed the voice. The girl stood, facing the bushes. “Give me,” it roared, burst out. It was a river horse, horrible and wet looking. Its gaping mouth snapped at Pink Crush, who took to the air. Sparkle Sprint crashed down onto its great head, but was flung aside by the river horse’s massive tail. Flutterspy hung back, analyzing and considering bring out her water blade. “Wait!” Laurel called out. She approached the river horse, who growled loudly as she drew near. “What are you doing?!” Rainbow Joy hissed. Laurel opened a portal to her horn space, dumping all the many things she had in there. She slowly levitated all the food items together. “I know it isn’t much, but I want to give you anything I have if you’re really this hungry.” The river horse blinked. “Oh…” It sniffed, grinning at the many apples the mare had stored. “You had apples?!” Sparkle Sprint hissed. “You can’t eat just apples, they’ll give you diarrhea,” the orange mare responded. “River horses can eat them because it’s hardly a meal to them.” The great beast swallowed. “Thank you,” it responded. “Follow me.” It began walking away; back down the trodden path it had cleared. The six hung back, unsure. Then, Laurel led them. The river horse waited by a huge river. “You going to castle, yes? Long time since ponies come. Mama say ponies nice can cross river. Mean pony come and hurt me. Make back hot-hot like desert land. You nice and generous, though.” Pink Crush raised a brow. “She burned you?” The river horse nodded. “Would carry, but back hurt.” Pink Crush frowned. She flew over to the river before dropping down onto her side and rolling in the mud. She covered her long, silky mane and tail in mud, and then flew carefully to the river horse. Before anyone could protest, she carefully wiped the mud over the river horse’s back. The cool, thick mud took away some of the sting and protected the exposed creature’s back from the open air over the river. “Mm, feel good. You kind, pony,” the river horse said. The beast slid into the river, which was wide to swim and too wide for the pegasus ponies to ferry the others across. It lifted its tail. The six grinned, hoping on. The river horse swam them across. “Thank you!” Pink and Laurel called out as they left. The rest of the journey would be hard, but it warmed their hearts to help someone. “There’s a cave coming up,” Rainbow warned. “Stick together. I heard there are vampire bats in there, so I can’t use my lights.” Sparkle begrudgingly walked, unhappy to not use her wings. She walked along until five minutes turned into thirty. “Girls?” Sparkle asked the never ending darkness. She couldn’t even see her wings beside her. “Girls?” Something hissed overhead. “A--!” Sparkle’s scream was cut short by a hoof over her mouth. “Don’t.” It was Flutterspy. “I… thought.” The pegasus began to cry. Flutterspy pressed against Sparkle. “Everyone got lost. I came out on the other side and realized no one else made it. You’re the last left in here.” She carefully steered Sparkle around a pit. “You came back for me?” Sparkle Sprint sniffed. Flutterspy nudged the mare away from a bit of poisonous moss that the pegasus couldn’t sense. Flutterspy was glad her connection with the ground let her sense where she was going even in the dark. “I told you, I’ll be where I’m needed.” As they approached the light outside, Flutterspy separated from Sparkle. “You’re all stupid,” the earth pony grumped. The other five grinned. Despite her harsh exterior, Flutterspy was a big softie. The sun was starting to become unbearable. A crystal maze surrounded them, reflecting the intense heat onto the six. A whispering voice sang to each of them. “Look at you… I can see why such shameful looking creatures like you would hide in the night.” The six looked to each other. “Was that…?” Sparkle asked. “Hm, yes. It was me. The loveliest of them all. You ugly things dare approach me?” Intense yellow eyes appeared in the largest crystal near them. “Have you really looked at yourselves? “I mean, Rainbow Joy, honestly. All that color? And you curl your hair? You look like some school filly barfed during an art project.” Rainbow Joy obviously took it personally as she started to tear up. She looked at the distorted, cartoonish caricature that Super Nova produced on the crystal. “Hmph! Apple Laurel! You’re just a farm pony. Who do you think you are, wearing all that jewelry and sporting that look! You’re a skinny thing, you are!” Apple Laurel turned away. “Your cousins are right. Even if a little twig like you could attract a stallion, you’d have a miscarriage with any foals.” That was a low blow. Laurel looked toward the skinny, skeleton of a mare on the screen, surrounded by gravestones. “Oh, as if I need to go over you, Pink Crush. You try to keep heart, but you know how stupidly pink you are. You’re all beauty and no brains. You’ve only got Ponet because he appreciates looks. You’re just an art subject to him. Why do you think everyone comes to you for relationship advice? It’s all you’re good for, you empty headed twit!” Pink watched the screen transform into a tramp of a mare. The look her imagined-self gave was enough to make Pegasus blush. She hid her face behind her bang. “Flutterspy… Oh, you know you’re ugly. You know no one would accept those scars you hide, your bulky body, your boyish hair.” Flutterspy stared at the ground, not a word said. “And, you, Sparkle Sprint. You’ve never really been complimented, have you? You always pump yourself up and act cocky, but you’re covering for insecurity.” “Shut up!” Sparkle hissed. “Why do you have so many broken mirrors?” the red demon asked, showing a picture of a Sparkle Sprint surrounded by broken mirrors and dressed up like a clown. The crystals went blank. “Oh, and you, Special. You can’t even wear your real hair in public. You tame it and put on fake eye lashes, gussy yourself up, and for what? You won’t let anyone close because you know they won’t accept you. You know you’re not worth anyone’s love.” The mare cackled. Special furrowed her brows. “That’s not true.” “Hm?” “I said, that’s not true. We may not be the prettiest ponies, but we’re certainly worthy of love. Our bodies may not belong on magazines, but we’re all successful and we all take good care of ourselves. Anyone who is looking for a glamour-spelled beauty rather than a strong, independent and proud mare doesn’t need to be close to us.” Special raised a hoof, removing her false eye lashes. She threw them down, and then began unbraiding her mane and tail. It was fluffy and curly. “Yes, my hair is not wavy or straight—it’s downright nappy. And, you know what? If anyone can’t accept that, then I can’t make them. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all. And, that is the honest truth.” The crystal eyes narrowed and a growl erupted. “I feel like maybe no one has been honest with you in a while, Super Nova…” The crystals melted down. The five ponies looked to Special, who grinned. “Well, let’s get going.” “We finally made it,” Rainbow Joy sighed. “Yay!” Pink Crush yipped. “Don’t get too excited,” Sparkle Sprint warned, flying ahead into the hall. In the center of the room were six stones. She settled down, looking at them. “Hey, Rainbow Joy, come here.” Flutterspy climbed to the tower over the hall, acting as look out. Laurel helped Special get her mane and tail manageable. Pink Crush busied herself by singing little songs. Suddenly, a bright white light appeared in the circle of stones, blinding Rainbow Joy for a moment as she was also inside the circle. “Rainbow!” Sparkle screamed, pushing the unicorn mare out of the way only for the white flame to envelope the pegasus and the six stones. “Sparkle!” Joy screamed. The five quickly gathered. “Oh, no!” Sparkle skid into the new room on her back. Super Nova stood in the circle of stones, grinning like a devil. “I’m alive!” Sparkle exclaimed as she got up. Super Nova spared the pegasus a look. “Shut up while I work.” Sparkle obeyed for the moment. She was torn on what to do. She should go find her friends for back up, but she also had to keep an eye on Super Nova. Wait. Friends, six stones, Rainbow Joy’s research. A wispy laugh began to bubble from Sparkle Spring’s throat. It exploded into full blow laughter, then into breath stealing belly laughs. “What’s so funny?!” Super Nova barked. “You think you’re going to win!” Sparkle barely got out between her chuckles,” but the awful truth is that you've lost!” Super Nova gritted her teeth. “Hardly! I have the Elements of Harmony!” “Phfft!” Sparkle retorted. “Yeah, yeah, you did! Still do, kinda!” The Pegasus unicorn screamed in frustration, summoning intense heat that melted the stones and some of the floor around her. Sparkle Sprint flew back, still laughing. “You—you just don’t get it!” she said, laughing all the while. Hoofsteps reached the pegasus’s ears. “But, you will.” As the five entered, Sparkle flew over to them. “Hey,” she began, fighting back laughter, “you remember your research on the Rainbow of Light?” “… no,” Rainbow Joy uttered, realization hitting her face. “Us?” “Yep,” Sparkle retorted. “Will… will you do the honors?” “Gladly,” Sparkle said. Super Nova seemed to be catching on, as she stepped back. “No…” “We are the Elements of Harmony. Able to connect and understand life and its functions is the Element of Magic—Rainbow Joy!” Rainbow Joy felt herself being lifted into the air, red light circling her. “Giving and sympathetic is the Element of Generosity—Apple Laurel!” The farmer joined Joy in the air, a halo of orange around her. “This is the Element which sees a need and tends to it; the Element of Kindness and its bearer, Pink Crush!” Pink giggled as she was lifted up and wrapped in yellow light. “When all would turn away and forsake, the Element of Loyalty would not let Flutterspy abandon us!” Flutterspy tried to hide how pleased she was when green light lifted her to join her friends. “Sometimes, the facts are better than opinions. This is the philosophy of the Element of Honesty and its bearer, Special!” The spa pony grinned ever so slightly as blue light surrounded her and joined the forming rainbow. “And, me? Oh, you know—just the Element of Laughter.” Sparkle didn’t even bother to hide her mirthful chuckle as purple light caused her to join her friends. They joined hooves as their lights began blending and bleeding into white light. It was even brighter than the intensity of Super Nova’s entrances, but not painful in the least. “No!” Super Nova screamed as the Rainbow of Light ripped around the room before slamming into her dark red form. “NO!” Sparkle Sprint was the first to awake. She shakily stood, tossing her head to clear the stars from her eyes. Wait, no, those were stars outside. They did it! Hm, was her neck heavier than before? The mare looked down, seeing a silver torc with a pink jewel shaped like her cutie mark embedded in it. She saw her friends rousing, each of them sporting a similar torc, except Rainbow Joy, who had a silver tiara. “My little ponies,” called a ghostly voice. Moonlight concentrated and then solidified into Celestia. Her milky white form and galaxy-colored mane were a huge comfort to Sparkle Sprint, who wasted no time slamming into her mentor for a hug. “I thought--!” “Sh,” Celestia smoothed. “You did so well.” “I wasn’t just me,” Sparkle Sprint said. The other five blushingly approached, bowing to their princess. A moan was heard in the far corner of the room. A dusty red form stood up, shaking her pink mane. “What…?” Sparkle Sprint let go of Celestia as the princess walked toward the small pegasus unicorn. “Sister,” the moon-princess began. The six looked at each other. They assumed the legends were saying that was how well the two got along, not that they were actually sisters when it spoke of their relationship. “It had been a thousand years. Are you ready to let go of your corrupted ideas?” The red mare cried out, leaping into the waiting forelegs of Celestia. “I’m so sorry!” Celestia hugged the red body close. “Oh, Sola…” Pink Crush began crying. “This is so happy!” Laurel looked to Sparkle Sprint. “We should throw our returned Princess of the Day a party, shouldn’t we?” After turning in their Elements to Princess Celestia, the bearers turned the Midwinter Moon Merriment festival into a welcome home party for Sola, though most ponies were still a little frightened of her at the very least. The whole thing was different than what the ponies had expected. The ground was covered in sparkling ice from where the snow had melted and then refrozen. They spent the day skating, an activity that Sola wasn’t the best at. However, as noon drew near, it was obvious both princesses were tired. The royal chariot approached. “Last round, Sola,” Celestia warned. The red princess nodded. She twirled on the ice, giving it a big finish. The ponies that were watching hesitantly cheered, throwing the blue and white roses they had been reserving for Celestia to her younger sister. Sola bowed deeply, catching one rose before joining Celestia in the chariot. Celestia looked over to Sparkle and Spike. “You can ride back with us, if you want.” Sparkle hesitated, looking over to her newly acquired friends. “Ah, actually, Princess…” Celestia caught on. “Hm, yes, I forgot about why I sent you to Ponyville, didn’t I?” Celestia turned to the five circling around Sparkle and Spike. “I declare that Sparkle Sprint and Spike the dragon shall stay in Ponyville. As my favorite pupil, she will write to me on friendship and other relationships.” The goddess winked. “Favorite pupil?!” Sparkle Sprint exclaimed. “YES YES YES YES YES YES!” the pegasus yelled, taking off into the air. A sparkling sonic screech formed after her, causing everyone’s tails and manes to billow in the wake caused by her. A shower of sparkles and glitter dusted everything as the princesses took off and Sparkle landed. Spike nudged Sparkle. “This means you have to read more.” “Aw, nuts,” Sparkle grunted, only to be pulled into a group hug with her five new friends. “Oh, who cares?! It’ll be worth it to have rad friends like you guys!”