A Tale that tells the story of the Crystal Empire and of the creation of the Tree of Harmony.
A Tale that tells the story of the Crystal Empire and of the creation of the Tree of Harmony, set 1000 years before the show. It settles around a pegasus named Fire Flash as he and his new found friends, who need to find the Elements of the Hero, which are magical amulets given to ponies who show the attributes of The Hero, a legendary warrior from beyond Equestria, as they set out to save the Crystal Empire and all of Equestria from falling for King Sombra's evil.
“BANG!” The sound of the starter pistil rang out through the arena as the seven pegasi at the starting line flew at lightning fast speeds. As for one Pegasus, Fire Flash, the youngest wonderbolt was speeding ahead of the rest. The argent young pony flew at full speed as he raced around the track. As the race seemed just over, Fire Flash looked behind him to see the competition far behind. As he looked, the final turn came to meet him as he missed it. CRASH! The wall broke, planting his head firmly within it.
That was 10 years ago. The now traumatized Fire Flash left the Wonderbolts after that day with head trauma. He never left his house in Cloudsdale in fear of a similar mistake. “Never again, Never again.” He quietly whispered to himself. Suddenly, a knock was heard from his door. Fire Flash slowly got up from the corner he laid in and crept to the door. His shack of a home was dusty and full of cobwebs. The door slowly opened with a loud creek. His short red and yellow mane contracted with his light gray coat. “Y – Yes” He asked with a scared tone. “Um … Mr. Flash?” The mysterious stallion asked.
“Who’s asking?” Flash answered somewhat angered.
“Letter from … Ponyville!” The stallion answered handing Fire Flash the letter. He then flew off without a trace.
Opening the letter, Fire Flash was confused, for he knew no one in Ponyville, or even where that was.
“Dear FireFlash,” The letter began. “I know it has been a long time since we have last seen each other, but I have moved to this new village that was just founded by some apple farmers down south and I would like you to visit. I have met some new friends and I heard you haven’t left your house in forever. I would love to see you again. Love, Star.
“Star …” Fire Flash thought to himself. “Herm … maybe I will go. It would be nice to see this … old friend once again.”
Fire Flash burst out the door with a familiar speed. A rush of cold wind fell over him as he faced the Cristal Mountains to the north. A small map fell from the envelope the letter was encased in. Two circles were drawn on the map, one to the north, Cloudsdale, and one next to Ghastly Gorge, a sight all too familiar to him as he had flown it many times. It looked next to a river, an easy landmark to spot. With map clenched in hoof, he set off for this old friend.
It had been only a few days since Fire Flash left for this new village Ponyville and he had not slept. He couldn't fly or see strait. Fatigue washed over him like a tsunami as he flew weakly over Ghastly Gorge. "Almost ... there ..." he whimpered seeing a apple orchard in the near distance. As he flew over the huge field, his vision grew extremely blurred and he slowly closed his eyes as he drifted farther and farther from consciousness. He felt himself falling from the sky, but he couldn't do anything, for he had blacked out.
"CRASH" Fire Flash had crashed into a tree, knocking down every last apple on it, as a curious mare on the other side of the field noticed the fallen figure.
"Hello? HELLO!!!" A loud western voice called out to the sleeping stallion. Fire Flash felt warm. As he came to he saw that he was in a small cabin with a crackling fire warmed him in the distance. He saw a young mare looked down upon him with a frying pan in her mouth. Her strait red and orange mane hung over him touching his face.
"Wh-where. am. I?" Flash was barely able to make the words leave his mouth. The mare moved back as he slowly stood up. As he stepped his front hoof, he winced in pain, realizing that his front hoof was broken. The red mare looked shocked as soon as she noticed specks of crimson blood showing through his light gray coat.
"We need to get y'all to the clinic!" The mare said breathless. "LET'S GO!!!" she yelled as she ripped Flash from his three legged position and she dragged him outside and through him into the back of a wagon. She then put the wagon harness and rode off into town.
"Name's Applewood by the way!" the mare yelled over the sound of the wagon on the dirt road.
"Fire Flash!" he yelled to Applewood, "Where and what town are we in?"
"You hit you head hard!" Applewood said jokingly. "This here is Ponyville! The only town this far south."
"Ponyville ... PONYVILLE!!!" Fire Flash yelled right before blacking out.
Small voices flew by Flash's head like lightning. He only recognized one of the voices, Applewood. "Where am I?" Flash thought "Am I ... dead? Is this a dream?" Voices grew louder, they were taunting him to come closer. Large dark figures grew like shadows in the dusk.
"WHO ARE YOU?" Flash yelled at the apparitions. No response, only laughter from small voices.
Flash, now aware of the pitch black area he was in that now contrasted with the white ghosts in the darkness. He ran towards the shades. They noticed him and intently changed their expressions from a sinister smile to an expression of disappointment. Flash started to fly as fast he could. Faster. Faster. FASTER! One of the shades stopped as Flash flew threw it into a blinding light. Suddenly, he was flying over the Crystal Mountains, through a storm.
"Save me ... The Hero ..." a small voice ran through his head. "I ... will show the way ..." A huge column of black light busted through the storm that attracted him like a moth to the flame. The storm cleared, showing a pure blue sky like the one he has always known. As he flew closer, a town ... made of crystal? The town was dim and void of color. A single figure stood atop a magnificent castle with hundreds of other ponies of all dim shades circled wood poles around the castle. He flew closer and as he did, he saw Applewood and four other figures. As he landed, he saw the unicorn atop the castle. " ... sambra ... " The word floated through his head. As he looked at the figures, he noticed gray symbols above there heads. There was a heart, candle, horseshoe, eye, quill, and above Flash, a bolt. "What does this mean?" He asked himself "The Hero ... The Hero ... The Hero ..."
Flash woke from his cryptic dream with a gasp. Looking around the room he was kept. He saw two ponies hung over him, Applewood and another he didn't recognize. His short light orange mane kept attached to his head, while his deep golden coat reflected light from the dying flame of a candle in the corner of the room. The same light reflected from his large gray eyes staring at wonder at this half awake pony. It was only a few minutes later until he realized that Apple was yelling at him.
"Flash! Flash!" she yelled. The other pony looked at Apple which calmed her down. Flash saw a horseshoe appear over apple and a candle over the other. They faded as quickly as they appeared. Flash slowly got out of the bed of straw that he slept in. A sharp pain ran through his leg which made him wince.
"Who's this?" He asked Apple. "Gadget." The pony beside Apple said. "I know Star, the one who sent the letter." The name put Flash into deep thought. There was something comforting about the name. After exiting thought, he knew a question that haunted him.
"Do ether of you know somepony named ... Sombra?" Just the sound of the name made the air seam colder. Gadget's expression turned sour and he looked down.
"What do you want with that spawn of Hell." Flash and Apple where surprised at Gadget's sudden change of color. Gadget stormed out with Flash and Apple following close behind. Eventually, they made their way to a small cottage near the center of town. Gadget swung the door open as hard as he could, keeping it open. The duo behind him followed. What they found within was incredible. Sheet music and blueprints of various inventions hung the walls and scattered across the floor. gears and metal piles were scattered everywhere on the floor and every table. It was amazing that Gadget, in his blind rage was able to navigate the room. Flash and Apple caught a small light at the far end of the room with Gadget hung over a map that was stretched across a small table. Flash flew over to Gadget and Apple made her way slowly to the opposite end of Flash. The map they looked at was a map of the Crystal mountains, with a big "X" in the center.
"This is where that vile creature Sombra lives." Gadget said with anger in his tone. Another map lay under the map Gadget hung over. Flash took it without Gadget caring. Flash then carefully made his way to an empty table with a quill and various stamps strewn about it. He put the map on the table and stared at it. Locations flashed through his head. He picker up the stamps and stamped six different stamps about the map of Equestria. He place a Horseshoe stamp right outside Ponyville. A candle stamp right in the middle of Ponyville. An eye stamp in the Everfree Forest. A quill in the Badlands. A heart on Canterlot. Finally a bolt in Cloudsdale. The trio looked at each other and to the map.
"What's this for?" Apple asked surprised at the location of the stamps. Without thinking Flash picked up the quill and put an "X" on the bolt, horseshoe and candle.
"Wait, I know those symbols." Gadget started, searching the room. "If I can just find the book ... Ha, got it." Rolling up the map, Gadget then place a book on the table. He quickly flipped through the many bookmarked pages until he got to a page depicting six amulets around a pedestal. The book read, "No one knows who put these here, but a small journal located near the location the objects says that the are the remains of a log lost Hero from before Equestria."
The three ponies looked at each other, while an outsider watches from the shadows. "The candle is found, my queen." A pony-like creature. "Shall we make our move." "Not yet, my eager solider." A creaked voice replied. "We wait in the Badlands, this is where they will travel next. If not and you are wrong, well ..." A small glow grew from her horn, choking the smaller creature. "Don't worry ... I will make sure this ... is there next ... location." The glow stopped making the small creature gasp for air on the ground. "I will lead them to you."
A knock was heard at the door of the trio. Flash flew over and opened the door. A small colt, bruised and sad stood there with tears in his eyes.
"Who have to help." He began "My family. They're trapped in the caves of the Badlands." Flash looked at the other two and they silently agreed to go, for they knew that one of the others lay in the Badlands. "Okay." Flash said to the colt. "We'll go help your family." With these words, a giant grin came across the colt's face. From these words, the trio, accompanied by this colt set off for the Badlands, in search for the quill and this colt's family. Little did they know, that the watcher's plan was going accordingly.
As Flash, Apple and Gadget made their way towards the Badlands, the colt that accompanied them kept looking into the forest that they traveled next to, often talking into the forest as if talking to someone else. A Watcher. Once they passed Ghastly Gorge, the looking and talking stopped, but he watched a mysterious figure overhead.
"Keep your guard up." Apple whispered to the other two. They were obviously being followed, but by what or who. Once they reached the Macintosh Hills, the colt ran ahead and pointed at a small cave entrance. The trio nervously entered the cave.
"Oh did I say somepony was trapped in here?" A new voice called out from the colt's body. "I meant you are trapped in here." A ring of green flame surrounded the colt and rose above him, reveling a strange pony-like creature with a small horn and bug-like wings. It's pitch black body contrasted with its deep, blue eyes. It was a Changeling. He somehow caused the cave entrance to close.
"For the record, I called it." Apple announced. "Really, I didn't notice all the signs." Flash responded "I don't just think you can say that ONLY you knew what was going on!" They both looked at Gadget, who was looking at the boulders that trapped us in. "A changeling ... " Gadget repeated to himself. Flash had no idea how to respond to what just happened, they were trapped by a creature that he had never seen. This "Changeling" thing had to have a reason for doing this, but what.
"Everything needs to have a leader," Flash thought out loud. "Even Changeling ... right?" Gadget turned away from the entrance, "Of course they do." Gadget responded and when he realized something, his speech slowed down. "And they would never disobey an order!" Flash smirked as Gadget realized this.
"Well finally." I cracked voice called from the back of the cave. "I thought you would never solve that 'puzzle'?" The tiro stepped back at the sound of this mysterious voice. "Who are you?" Apple called out nervously. "A Watcher ... A Watcher from the shadows." The cracked voice replied. "I have been watching for a long time, but I never thought you would get it Flash." At Flash's name being mentioned, a look of sharp fear sprung across his face. "I have watched all three of you for the longest time, but the one the one that fascinated me more than you Flash. Becoming a Wonderbolt and then that day that you dropped out. It just made me laugh and laugh to see your head stuck in a wall." As the Watcher talked, it sounded more mocking. Flash's expression turned from fear to pure rage. He sprung into the air and flew as fast as he could for the Watcher. He flew into the darkness until he couldn't be seen. A loud crunch was heard from the darkness. Flash's limp body was thrown into the light. He had two giant holes in this back and on his stomach, blood pouring out of them. "Thank you for the light snack." The voice called mockingly. A dark figure, faster than lightning hit the other two, knocking them out. As Gadget was about to go under, the voice spoke to something else in the shadows.
"I want you and others to bring these three to the Hollow, and patch this one up. I don't want him to die ... OR ELSE!" "O ... Of course not m ... my Queen." The other voice sounded scared. Gadget then blacked out with so many questions on his mind. "Who was this creature that 'bit' Flash." "What is the Hollow." But the question that was most on his mind was ... "What do they want with us ..."
A sharp pain flew through Flash's body as he was being dragged across the ground. A sharp cracked voice called to his captures. "Careful you idiots! This is ... precious cargo I am intrusting you with." With that, his captures made it so that he no longer dragged. This eased the pain, but only slightly. Flash awoke hours later, his back tied to a pole held horizontal by two other posts. His wounds were bandaged roughly around the middle of his body covering his wings. He could barely see through the darkness and the pain. All he could make out was Apple and Gadget in similar positions. He could also see many small figures and in their blur, he saw a significantly taller and more slender female figure. Flash tried to pretend to stay "blacked out" in order to keep from being noticed.
"Well, I see you are up." The tall figure said jokingly. Flash's illusion had not worked. The creature had noticed him. Whispers flew through the crowd of observers. Flash looked to the other two to see that they were up and looking at him. There expressions were scared and they looked to him for an answer, when in reality, Flash was just as scared and in a worst condition than him. Flash turned away from his friends and to their captures. "What do you want with us?" His voice was broken and weak, but he was still able to assert himself with anger. The figures were taken back with his strength through all his pain. However, the tall figure stood firm. A small chuckle came from her. "You really think this is about us?" The figure was acting surprised, but after that, her voice went lower and more sinister. "No, my friend ... this is about you." Gadget looked terrified and Apple looked as if strong, but Flash knew see was still terrified, it was showing through her eyes, she was afraid of these creatures. "If only I had the strength that Applewood possesses." Flash thought. "If only ..."
Anger shot through him as he throughout that this was about the trio. "Freedom." The tall figure started confusing the tied up ponies. "Everypony thinks that it is ... free?"
"Well, it's in the name!" Applewood called out disrespectfully. The figure glared at her and slowly trotted over to Applewood. Once it was in the small amount of light showing through the trees, it was slightly easier to see what she looked light. All they could see was her dark aqua mane and glowing green eyes. After scanning Apple she smirked saying "Well, soon you will learn..." She started, were horn glowing a light green horn showed a cracked horn and pitch black coat. A rock flew over to the figure. See examined the rock closely and started striking Apple across the face many times before shouting at her. "NOT ... TO ... DIS ... RE ... SPECT ... A ... QUEEN!" Blood flew from every hit. The figure now stared at the bloodstained rock before dropping it. She slowly retreated to the shadows.
"Now that I have proved my point." The beat up Applewood spat blood towards the figure in anger. Apple, trough all the pain stood firm.The figure looked surprised to see only two ponies tied up instead of three. "Scan the forest!" The figure yelled startling the crowd. "Don't stop looking until you find him."
"Come on guys, I loosened the ropes, you can escape." Gadget's voice called. The two captives snapped the ropes and escaped through the woods. "STOP!" The figure called to the small figures scanning the forest. "Let them escape. Let them find out that freedom will soon be shackled." The trio trotted through the forest, Fire Flash helping Applewood, whose face was bloody and bruised. "I found someone who can help us." Gadget began. "She lives near the foul mountains, she is a unicorn who studied under Starswirl." I think she may be one of the three others we need. I think she may be the eye."
