//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 More Elements?! // Story: Gaia // by Puking Coyote //------------------------------// Chapter Three More Elements?! The next two months Trixie and Lightningdust had become best friends as they trained under the watchful eye of Gaia. They during that time made a game of trying to figure out what Gaia looked like under his cloak. “I bet he has scales” Lightningdust said to Trixie as they were drinking shakes at the table. Gaia had gone out earlier that day and they were discussing what was under his cloak. “No way, it’s a body made up of eye balls, has to be to see everything he does” Trixie snickered back. “Maybe there’s nothing in the cloak and he’s a ghost” both girls laughed at this but soon became silent as the idea crept into their minds. Their conversation was cut short however by the boom of the castles front door as Gaia came in and for the first time that they knew him he seemed troubled. Gaia started pacing the floor “That fool! Celestia, how could you?” “Master Gaia, is everything alright?” the girls asked in unison. Gaia turned to them “you know what Celestia did today?” they shook their heads “She told Twilight to release Discord!” “Discord?!” They both asked in fear for they knew what the spirit of chaos did last time he was loose and it was not good. “Yes, Thousands of years trying to lock him up and just like that they freed him. It’s absurd it is!” “What should we do?” Trixie asked. “Nothing, for now” Gaia replied. “Celestia is taking a huge risk and I pray that it works, but in case it doesn’t and the Elements of Harmony are defeated, we need to be ready.” “But how can we defeat Discord if the Elements can’t?” Lightningdust asked. “The ponies of this age do not remember, but there are other elements besides that of harmony. One of these elements is the Element of Wisdom and Knowledge and that is the element which will defeat Discord.” “Where can we find this element master Gaia?” “Right here, we are the elements.” “WHAT!” They both gasped in surprise. “Well, there are two other elements that you have yet to meet who were elsewhere finishing their training. But yes, you two are elements, that’s why we were drawn together.” This was just a little too much to take and they both sat down staring dumbfounded at Gaia “but how? I don’t understand” Trixie replied. “All will be made clear shortly on this matter; the other two elements have just arrived.” “There here?” “Yes, I sent for them earlier.” “Who are?” Trixie began but before she could finish two ponies entered the castles front door one of which she recognized from her time in Ponyville. The first which was the one she recognized was a unicorn with a mint green coat and a cutie mark of a Lyre. The second was a bright yellow earthpony with a fiery red swooshy main. The unicorn introduced herself as Lyra and the earth pony introduced herself as Wildfire. “What’s up Gaia?” Wildfire asked “Why call us back so soon?” “Discord is free again.” “That’s not good” Lyra stated eyes wide open “is he going to make things all loopy again?” “Perhaps” Gaia responded “but with the five of us here we will be able to defeat him if he does.” “We will still have to defeat him even if he doesn’t cause trouble” Wildfire replied while she raided the kitchens pantries. “Wait, were going to fight Discord even if he doesn’t do anything wrong?” Lightningdust asked. “Only if he stands in our way and trust me he will” Wildfire replied. “Where’s all the good food around here?” “You mean junk food” Lyra replied. “So what if I do?” Wildfire shot Lyra a nasty look “A couple of hay fries never hurt anypony.” “Yes, but a lot can make them fat” Lyra replied with a slight smirk. Wildfire was about to shoot back a comment when Gaia stepped in “girls if you please I didn’t bring you here to fight. But I want you to meet the last two elements of Wisdom and Knowledge. This is Trixie and this is Lightningdust.” “Trixie? I remember you! You’re that traveling magician that Twilight beat” Lyra replied. Trixie cringed remembering all the ponies that witnessed her downfall. “You know, I actually enjoyed your act when you were in town.” Trixies ears perked up “You did?” “Of course I did, after all you really weren’t that full of yourself with The Great and Powerful Trixie stuff, it was just an act right?” Trixie blushed “Partially, but I’m not the same pony that I was then. Gaia had taught me a lot about humility.” “But I imagine that you still will want to defeat Twilight though?” “Yes” Trixie then looked at the two ponies “What about you do you have something that you’re here for?” “I want to find the truth about humans” Lyra answered. “I know that the government is hiding their existence from us.” “Humans?” “You don’t know about humans?!” Wildfire rolled her eyes “O great, you had to ask. Before you get bored with her three hour long lecture they are just tan hairless bipedal creatures from legend” she then looked hard at Lyra “they don’t exist.” “Unbeliever” Lyra grumbled. “Nut job” Wildfire grinned back. “As for me” she continued looking at Trixie “I’m just along for the ride and hope that something fun comes from it.” “Not to mention she’s a complete pyro.” “Shush, no commentary from the lunatic wing if you please.” Lyra gave Wildfire an extremely dirty look in response to her comment. “Wildfire you know you shouldn’t make fun of her, after all her type of thinking is what makes her an important part of the elements of Wisdom and Knowledge” Gaia stated. “What is her element and for that matter what are our elements?” Lightningdust asked. “Don’t you know? Look deep into yourselves” said Gaia “Once you have found out what you are, your eyes will be opened to your destiny.” The four ponies did and one by one found their elements. Here is who was what in the Elements of Wisdom and Knowledge. Trixie was found to be the element of Willpower the ability to go on even when all doors are shut. Lightningdust was found to be the element of Self Improvement for she always strove to be better than she was yesterday. Lyra was of course curiosity for she’s always asking questions and looking at what things could be instead of what they are. (Yeah try to figure that one out, she could!) Wildfire’s was Passion, the driving force of any action a pony takes. Gaia’s element was of course Power, for knowledge brings power to those who have it. These five elements unlike the Elements of Harmony were not contained in jewelry but were instead at the moment of realization inscribed in glowing gold words on the front right leg of each pony. With these markings also came a deeper understanding of the things around them which included the true power of the cutie mark. “This is incredible!” Wildfire yelled with joy as she casted a fireball into the air. She actually used magic to create fire, an earthpony did that. “Listen to this” Lyra said as she strummed her Lyre with such grace and beauty that that nopony dared to breath in fear of wreaking such a masterpiece. “Not bad ehh?” Lyra stated when her song was done. One by one they shook their heads as if coming out of some type of trance. Lightningdust gave a lightning crack across the castles ceiling as applause for the music “That was so cool!” “Lightningdust” Trixie scold. When Lightningdust looked around the castle she saw that all but Gaia’s manes were standing up from the lightning’s static. “Oops, sorry about that everypony but this is so cool, were like superheroes!” “How is this possible Gaia?” Trixie asked as she played with her new hologram ability. “You know how the Elements of Harmony comes from each of its elements in beams of light to strike a foe?” They nodded. “The elements of Wisdom and Knowledge does the same, it just uses your special talents as its catalyst.” “Our cutiemarks.” “Exactly, this way if there is just one element it can still work in an effective way, even with the absence of the others.” Gaia looked at each of them “They didn’t used to but I engineered them that way.” “You created the elements?” they all asked in shock. “Of course not! Who do you think I am, God?” Gaia replied. “The elements are energy, they cannot be created or destroyed; I just designed how their powers are to be used. This is the same way that Celestia created the Elements of Harmony, but instead of putting the key to releasing the power into the pony like I have done she separated it into Jewry. I think she did this as a safety feature incase the pony uses the power for evil, she always was so paranoid on these matters.” “So us and the elements are one?” Lyra asked. “Yes, and I just gave you the key to release your elements. I wanted you four to be more ready for this day but the sudden turn of events changed all that.” “Well what are we waiting for then, let’s bring down Discord!” Wildfire yelled in excitement. “Yes, I will show Twilight and her friends that she is not the only one who can bring that monster down” Trixie replied. “Me too” Lightningdust echoed “what about you Lyra?” “I guess that I could always ask Discord about the humans, he might even give me a straight answer since it’s against the governments will.” “That’s the spirit!” Wildfire laughed and hoofed Lyra in the shoulder. “Not so fast girls!” Gaia yelled as they began for the castles front door. They spun around and looked at Gaia in confusion “What is it?” “You four still need to learn to control your elements, by putting the key inside you it’s harder to control than the Elements of Harmony’s jewelry is.” “What are you talking about Gaia?” Wildfire spoke up. “Umm Wildfire?” Lyra asked. “Were in complete control of our elements” she continued not hearing Lyra. “Wildfire.” “I’m ready for some action, let’s do this!” “Wildfire!” Lyra finally had to shout. Wildfire spun around to look at her “Huh?” “The carpets on fire.” Wildfire jumped into the air for where she was standing was now in a full blaze. Trixie quickly put it out but it was enough to make the girls see that they were not in full control of their elements yet. “See, undisciplined you are” Gaia stated with a big grin. “Teach you I will.” “How do we know you’re in control of your element?” Lightningdust asked. Gaia rolled his eyes “trust me I am in full control of my element, after all I had many years to work on it.” “I want to see it!” “Me too!” Lyra joined in. “No, you will see it soon I promise but not here, far too dangerous.” “What if we are outside can you show it to us there?” Trixie asked. “You don’t understand Trixie if I use my element Discord would recognize it just as he would Twilights tiara. I dare not use it especially when all five elements are needed to defeat him and you don’t have full control over your elements yet.” “What do we do then?” Trixie asked. “Let Discord rampage throughout Equestria?” “We train and hope that Celestia’s plan doesn’t backfire on her. If we are lucky then Twilight and her friends will either keep him in line or turn him to stone again. Personally I would prefer stone, less for us to worry about. Our greatest ally is secrecy, if we can train just a few more weeks we will be ready. The girls saw the wisdom in this and decided to follow his plan of action. The five of them stayed in the castle for several weeks waiting to see if Discord would bring chaos into the world but surprisingly he did not. I would seem that Celestia’s gamble paid off and the little yellow Pegasus Fluttershy tamed Discord with nothing else than friendship. The irony of it all to Gaia was that chaos not creating chaos was in itself chaos. As they waited all those weeks they trained in their elements until each of them had mastered their own abilities.