When Amethyst finally awoke he was back in Baltemare, and he was ACE once again. Everyone was starting to wake up, including Lilly who at some point in time had rolled over completely on top of ACE. She rolled off of him and the two of them exchanged looks. Lilly’s face was bright red, no doubt from the embarrassment of being asleep on top of her boyfriend in the middle of the concert stage.
“Ah man, Sweet Celestia my head hurts…”
“Shut up Ravewind, you’re making mine hurt too…”
ACE and Lilly turned to see Ravewind and Chroma Sketch, who both appeared as though they were recovering from a hangover. ACE and Lilly looked at each other and began to laugh as the rest of the audience slowly woke up one after the other.
“By the way ACE, what’s that around your neck?” Lilly asked as she pointed to him.
“Huh?” ACE ran his hoof along his neck and felt something metallic. He reached behind him and unhooked it, taking it off so he and Lilly could both examine it. It was a golden necklace with a yin-yang on the front of it. The gold was glistening in the now afternoon sun and the yin-yang despite being black and white was very glossy and reflected some light of its own.
“It looks like an Element of Harmony.” Lilly pointed out.
“Yeah it does…doesn’t it?” ACE folded up the necklace and tucked it away under his shirt. ACE was about to say something to Lilly but he was cut off. Lilly had just remembered she was in the middle of a concert, and as the audience members were beginning to get back to their seats and come to their senses. Lilly was trying desperately to consolidate them and apologize for any inconveniences or strange abnormalities that had occurred. Once the concert had begun once again, ACE snuck back stage and took another look at the necklace.
“It’s yours now; it has chosen you to be its wielder.” ACE didn’t even have to turn around to know that Monochrome was behind him.
“So what do I do now?” ACE asked Monochrome. “I have the Element of Balance, but what about the other 5 Elements of Order?”
Monochrome shrugged. “Balance, Understanding, Positivity, Dedication, Respect, and Perseverance; the Elements of Order have been lost ever since my disappearance, and they must be found again. The Element of Balance will lead you to each one but each can only be claimed by one among your group.”
“But there are only four of us.” ACE pointed out, “And there are 6 Elements.”
Monochrome approached ACE and put his hoof on the unicorn’s shoulder. “Do not worry, in time the other two ponies will find you. Take heart, one of the Elements of Order is closer than you think.”
“What do you mean by that?” ACE wondered aloud to his mysterious friend.
Monochrome turned around and began to walk to the stage’s left exit. “It’s been far too long since Ravewind and I had a drink together.”
ACE immediately turned around after hearing that, but Monochrome was nowhere to be found. ACE looked down and examined the Element of Balance once again.
“I guess he really was just a ghost.”
~~~
A few days after the concert, ACE, Lilly and their friends made their way to Canterlot. It was the day of the wedding for the hotel owner’s son, and Lilly had a promise that she wanted to keep. When they arrived at Canterlot Station ACE and Lilly were escorted to the castle by guards while Ravewind and Chroma Sketch went to find a hotel for them to stay in. Upon arriving Lilly and ACE were introduced to the Bride and Groom. ACE couldn’t put his hoof on it, but something about them seemed eerily familiar. Lilly decided she would go off separately with the bride to discuss which songs Lilly was to sing, leaving the groom and ACE by themselves to have some “guy talk” as Lilly put it.
“Forgive me for saying sir,” ACE started. “But you look really familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?”
The groom shook his head. “I can’t say that you do.” Before ACE could say anything else another guardsman approached the two of them.
“Captain Paragon sir! Everything is secure and we’re ready to get underway!”
“Very good, thank you.” Paragon looked back to find ACE staring at him. “Is everything alright?” He asked ACE.
ACE nodded. “Sorry, I mistook you for an old friend of mine, but I can see now you are a completely different pony.”