The Elements of Harmony · 12:19pm Jan 16th, 2017
I am a large follower of Tatsurou and his PWNY-verse stories. So much so, that I have on many occasions offered ideas and suggestions to him. A couple he accepted.
One idea, however, I offered for a small game I sometime play on his stories, and he took it further by incorporating the idea in one of his stories. Tricky bastard didn't even say anything, and I nearly completely missed it. But when I realized what he did, I was awed and a little touched.
The idea was on the Elements of Harmony and their true aspects. Their names, Magic, Loyalty, Kindness, Laughter, Honesty, and Generosity, while technically true, only brush the tip of the what the Elements are and what they mean. That's what this blog is for, to tell you all my views on the Elements of Harmony, their true meaning... and maybe discover why they are so powerful.
Let's start with the obvious; Harmony. These objects are what is commonly referred to in the Nasuverse as Conceptualized Artifacts. They draw their power from a concept. The stronger that concept is in the world, the stronger the artifacts are. The world of My Little Pony, being a world of peace and harmony, will obviously massively empower any Conceptualized artifact representing either of those aspects. But that can't be all, can it?
No, because Harmony isn't a single concept. Harmony, by definition, is a mesh of contradicting concepts, somehow coexisting. Harmony is balance. It's not Light, nor is it Dark, but rather the perfect balance between both.
The Elements of Harmony draw their power from six concepts working in unison. Magic, Loyalty, Kindness, Laughter, Honesty, and Generosity. But these concepts don't sound powerful at all, do they? Barring Magic, these concepts don't sound like they could do anything.
But that's because the name alone is only a clue as to their true meanings, and the true concepts.
Let's start with Loyalty. On the surface, Loyalty sounds simple enough, yes? Never betray those close to you. Technically true, but not the whole truth. What happens when you're face with choosing between friends? What if, in order to save one, you have to sacrifice the other? What does the Bearer of Loyalty choose? Both. The Bearer of Loyalty isn't about being loyal to others. It's about being loyal to yourself, and the virtues you decide to uphold. The true Bearer of Loyalty would do everything in their power to save both friends, and damn the consequences.
Next we have Honesty. This one is easy. Never lie, right? Wrong. The Element of Honesty doesn't represent Truth. It represents Honesty. Honesty of character, Honesty of self, and Honesty of perception. The bearer of Honesty is one who does not lie to themselves, does not hide behind convenient excuses and lies, and does their best to never try and be any more or less than what they know they are.
The Element of Laughter. This one is by far my favorite. When you first think of Laughter, you probably think a person needs to be comedian levels of crazy and incapable of a bad thought, right? Well, here's exhibit A to the contrary: Pinkamina Dianne Pie. Laughter isn't about, well, laughter, not exactly. Laughter is about Hope. It's about giving hope to the hopeless, about being a light for those who need it to follow. It's about healing depression and uplifting spirits. And the best way to do this? Laughter.
The Element of Generosity is interesting. At it's core, generosity is easy to understand. Give, don't take. But what few people fail to realize is that you can't give what you don't have. Generosity and Ambition go hand in hand. The Bearer of Generosity will have big dreams, massive dreams... unreachable dreams... and in the end, they will be willing to give it all away for a friend, because it's the right thing to do. That's what being the Bearer of Generosity is about; shooting for the stars, and sharing the wealth from those endeavors.
The Element of Kindness is actually straightforward. It's not about kindness, exactly, but care. It;s about genuinely caring about those around you. furthermore, Kindness is about caring so much, but knowing when the kindness you give is hurting more than helping. Sometimes, the best kindness you can give is a stern face and strict words. The velvet-wrapped iron fist. That is Kindness.
Magic, believe it or not, has nothing to do with mystical power. The Element of Magic isn't about spells, runes, or ancient scripts. The Element of Magic is about bonds. The Element of Magic represents friendship at its very core, the bonds shared between friends, family, and lovers. it's about those connections, even the small ones. After all, great power comes to those who fight to protect the ones close to them, rather than fight for themselves. That is the Element of Magic, the source of true power.
This is why the Elements of Harmony are so powerful, because they represent things that, in hindsight, are incredibly powerful.
This is also what I use to determine people/ponies/things that could potentially wield the Elements of Harmony.
I feel like I may have posted something similar once. If I have, please let me know.
I got to ask then what fictional characters do you see being able to wield what element? Like which would: Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Captain Kirk (prime), Optimus Prime (any), Captain Jack Sparrow, Captain America, and Luke Skywalker wield?
4384817 That's a good question.
Superman would get Laughter right out the gate. The man is hope personified.
Batman... hmmm... I think Generosity. Mostly it's to play up the whole "Billionaire Philanthropist" side of things, but I also take into consideration the fact that he sacrificed his own peace of mind and a large portion of his sanity to become the Batman and help Gotham. That kind of sacrifice isn't easy.
Spider-Man gets Loyalty, easily. He's one of those do or die types, and he's just too much a of a badass to die. Permanently anyways. But seriously, Parker is the kind of person that absolutely hates failing to save people, so he'll give everything and then some to save everyone he can, even if it's supposed to be impossible.
Sadly, while I enjoy Star Trek, I'm from Patrick Stewart's generation. I know very little, beyond the most recent movies, of Captain Kirk. If I was to judge on the movies however, I would place Kirk somewhere between Generosity and Loyalty.
Optimus Prime would get Loyalty, easily. He refuses to let the innocent suffer, and even when faced with the choice between a close friend and an important individual, he'll try his absolute hardest to save both.
Captain Jack Sparrow would get Generosity. He has, on more than one occasion, sacrificed the wealth and power he could have had for the well-being of a friend... in one case said friend cursing his name for it.
I don't actually know too much about Captain America beyond what I've seen in the Avengers. And even that isn't really good enough to make a solid decision on.
Luke Skywalker... I honestly don't know. It's been so long since I saw the original trilogy that I can barely remember his character.
4385199
Cool. So which do you see Captain Picard as then? I kids view Spidy as more laughter because of his mouth, but Deadpool would want that title.
4385309 Spidy is a comedian, but that doesn't automatically qualify him for Laughter, same for Deadpool. Remember, Laughter is for the hope givers, the ones who can lift spirits just from their presence alone. and as awesome as Spider-Man is... he doesn't inspire hope. In fact, most of New York sees him as a nuisance thanks to Jameson. And Deadpool... let's not go there.
If I absolutely had to give Deadpool an Element though, I would, tentatively, give him Loyalty.
Picard is difficult. Stoicism is his bread and butter, and makes it difficult to determine a real characterization... but I think Honesty would fit him rather well. The few episodes i can recall off the top of my head has him being wise and never afraid to admit to his own faults.
4385338
So would you see Thing of the Fantastic Four as being worthy of magic?
I also would stop asking these questions as you could be busy writing the next chapter for Tartarus Forged or planning Harmony League's return.
4385417 The Thing? Not sure. I can recall that he sacrificed a normal life for his friends, so I guess Magic could fit him.