• Published 12th Feb 2012
  • 38,560 Views, 1,861 Comments

So, You've Grown Wings - Steel Resolve



The mane six woke up a little different one morning. Madness ensues.

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Laughter

"So... I can't help but notice, Rarity's element was trying to kill her. Fluttershy didn't you say these ponies weren't bad? I mean, granted they were bound to the elements over one thousand years ago... Twilight you're an egghead, you've studied history a lot, did ponies back then regularly try to murder ponies they wanted help from? Was that a thing?" Rainbow Dash's eyes darted back and forth a bit. She was going up against Tornado eventually, and it was kinda freaking her out. Competing with somepony was fine, it was fun even, but competing with somepony who wanted her to stop living... This was the dragon all over again. It wasn't like she was scared... she was Rainbow Dash, she never lost, except sometimes when she did... and if she did she might not live to try again. She wanted to huddle into a small ball, she wanted to smash everything and everypony around her... she wanted to not feel like this.

Applejack slammed a hoof down on the table they were huddled around. "Rainbow! Stop panickin'. I know you don't think things through much but you gotta this time."

A.J. sighed. "Look, you gotta remember, these are our elements. Fluttershy was cruel, I was a dang liar, Rarity was greedy. Pinkie Pie hated everything, Twilight gave up on everypony, and you? You flew off like a traitor."

"Hey! I wasn't me that day!" Rainbow's wings flared up in anger.

Applejack held up a hoof. "Ah know ya weren't, none of us were, not really. In another way though, we sorta were. None of us woulda act the way we did that day, not normally, but that doesn't mean we didn't have it in us."

Twilight placed a hoof on A.J.'s shoulder. "Applejack, let me try." A.J. nodded. "Look, Rainbow, when we were touched by Discord he didn't change us, it's like he muted our best qualities, the things that made us good ponies. Being a spirit of harmony does not make anypony perfect. All of us have made mistakes. We still get tempted by things, we panic, we misunderstand each other. Here's what made us worthy to be a bearer of harmony: We don't give in, we are generous to those who need it, we catch each other when we fall. When we need to, we even tell each other the unvarnished truth, however uncomfortable that might be. We help each other laugh at danger, we show kindness to those that want to hurt us. We don't abandon each other, and when it all comes down to do or die, we stand together. These ponies are the very essence of elements, and they've been corrupted against their will. They are not themselves, and it's up to us to help them."

"Actually, it's in your best interests to help them, if my calculations hold true." Professor Cann spoke up from the chair he was lounging in.

"I was getting to that professor. You see, Cann and I have been researching the activities of the two elements we've managed to free, or at least partially free. Honesty and Generosity have partially regained their power, they are still inert, but if we can free all of them, the elements should be functional again."

Pinkie bounced. "So you mean we could blast Discord with the friendship rainbow?"

"Yes, and Nightmare too. When we started these duels it was a stalling tactic, but now that we know the elements are fighting control in their own way it makes things easier. Furthermore, If we can restore the elements we can also undo the chaos bubble he has Canterlot in."

Rarity grinned happily. "That's brilliant, save the world and the princesses in one shot!"

Twilight nodded. "There's still the problem of how to get the snow globe from Discord of course but-"

Pinkie Pie shoved a snow globe into Twilight's snout. "You mean this one?"

Everypony's jaw dropped.

Twilight looked at the scene in the snow globe. Canterlot was alive, and bustling with activity. "Pinkie! How did you..."

"Chaos magic Twilight... you've been studying the contamination of the elements this long and you can't sense it?" Cann huffed.

"I have to admit she had me baffled as well, if you makes you feel better. Your friend can do things normal magic cannot account for, alicorn or no. Even she can't explain it, but she can do it. Also, from what you've told me of her, she was doing it long, long before she ever became an alicorn. She can quite literally do anything she sets her mind on, fortunately for the world she largely has her mind set on pastries and parties."

Twilight looked at Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie, is this true?"

Pinkie looked Twilight square in the eye. "I have no idea!"

Everypony facehoofed.

Twilight thought for a moment. "Pinkie Pie... can you bring Canterlot out of this bubble?"

Pinkie looked at the snow globe curiously. She waved at the Wonderbolts flying in the sky. "I dunno!"

"Can you try?"

Pinkie grinned. "Sure!" Everypony watched curiously as she scrunched up her face in concentration, then she reached out a hoof and tapped the glass. She turned her head this way and that way... then twisted her head upside down. This continued for some time. Twilight looked more and more distressed as Pinkie just seemed to be fiddling with the globe, but not actually doing anything.

Rarity watched the scene in bemusement... Pinkie really didn't seem to grasp what was being asked of her. They needed a different approach, the poor dear had no idea what she was doing, but perhaps if they just asked of her something she had done before... IDEEEAAAA!

Rarity laid a hoof on her befuddled pink friend. "Pinkie dear, do you recall how you made the door to Sugarcube Corner open up into the party with the space ponies?"

Twilight looked confused. "Space ponies?"

Rarity shot her a look. "Later, darling, this is important." She looked back to Pinkie, who looked deep in thought. "Could you, perhaps, make a door here in the library open up into that city?"

Pinkie thought, and then nodded, her grin huge. She walked up to a nearby closet, and stared at it for a moment. She opened the door. She poked her head through, looked around, and very excitedly shouted: "HI LUNA!"

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Princess Luna was quite beside herself. This forced inactivity was driving her to distraction. For three long, depressing days she and Celestia had been working on any method possible to breach the barrier Canterlot had found itself in. Fortunately for the world, despite their current imprisonment, their connection to the sun and moon remained. Were that not the case the cycle of day and night would have gone completely askew. The sky above just... ended, in a smooth, featureless dome. There was air to breath, and light, in a sense. It was not sunlight precisely, but you could see. Celestia told her it was some sort of pocket dimension, it extended to the base of the mountain, and upward a few hundred feet past the highest parapet of the castle. For three days the sisters had been in a panic, for the apparent cause of their predicament had been revealed on the first day. A routine patrol, checking the status of His statue, had reported it missing. Yes, they knew not how to escape, but they indeed knew their captor.

While they had not given up, the constant attempts to break free of the imprisoning spell took it's toll on the sisters. Celestia had lain down for a nap, and Luna decided since she could be reasonably certain of privacy, (Celestia never knocked, ever!) she would indulge in a little "alone time."

Luna giggled as she found her favorite toys, it felt so good to get them out again! Poor Celestia just did not understand, sometimes Luna just needed to indulge, it made her feel so much more relaxed after a nice long session with her toys. Celestia had looked so shocked the first time she had found Luna using them, such a stuffy sister, she clearly needed a few toys of her own. She looked lovingly at her favorite, she did so love the blue. "Come on Sapphire, it's time to help me relax and unwind, does that sound fun?"

She settled down and arranged her toys to be within easy reach. She began brewing a nice pot of tea. To her shock, her closet door swung open. To her horror and embarrassment, a pink pony poked her head through. "HI LUNA!"

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Pinkie looked over the scene. Somepony was having fun! She wondered if Luna might want another guest. She was about to ask when her eyes and ears were blown three feet inside of her skull. "LEAVE AT ONCE YE DEMON, THOU HAST SEEN OUR SECRET SHAME!" The outburst was followed by quiet crying. Pinkie would have been happy to comfort the crying princess, but first she felt she needed to do something about the whole blind and (nearly) deaf thing. After her organs had sorted themselves out once more (in a fashion anypony actually viewing would have found quite impossible) she looked upon the scene.

Luna was weeping softly, she sat at a tiny table surrounded by six dolls. Pinkie recognized two of them, they were very well made plushies. The two she recognized were purple, and blue. Four more surrounded her, light green, black, red, and gold.

"Oooooo you're having a tea party! Do you want cupcakes because I have lots of cupcakes let me give you some can I have some tea I love tea those are pretty dolls can I play with them-" The stream of endless words was cut off suddenly by a purple hoof. Twilight poked her head in the door. Behind them, Rainbow Dash was straining to see, while Rarity rolled her eyes. Fluttershy was blushing furiously, and Applejack just looked confused.

Twilight surveyed the scene, she supposed it must be embarrassing to be caught playing with dolls, but she could not for the life of her figure out what why everypony seemed so interested in seeing Luna's bedroom activity. "Um, hi princess, did you miss us?"