"The what?" Dawn inquired. She had long since stopped eating her rabbit to listen to the great dragon's tales, and only her growling stomach demanded that she keep eating.
"The Elements of Harmony." Spike stated, as-a-matter-of-factually, before smiling and shaking his head in realization. "How silly of me, I'm sorry. I supposed Discord would have done everything in his power to hide those and keep them hidden from the world." Spike stopped to catch his breath as he searched through his memories for more information. "For almost three thousand marks, I've been searching all over Equus for the Elements of Harmony."
"What are the Elements of Harmony?" Dawn sheepishly interrupted before heeding the demands of her stomach.
Spike took a moment to gather his thoughts, completely, before continuing. "They are six gems imbued with ultimate power, the likes of which can easily outmatch that of Discords'. But they require an unwavering connection between themselves and the Bearer of each Element, or else their full power cannot be unleashed." Spike explained. "I believe one of the old Bearers was... out of tune with their Element, so to speak, and they were unable to stop Discord all those marks ago."
"What kind of stuff could those Elements do?" Oort asked with a mouth half-full of rabbit.
"As far as I have learned, the Elements have only ever been used twice: once by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to defeat Discord the first time, and the second time to try and defeat him when he broke free of his prison." Spike explained. "I could not learn more than that in all of my travels; they seem to be the most mysterious objects in the world."
"So, where are they?" Dawn pressed, utterly entranced with the dragon and his tales.
"I do not know." Spike admitted. "I've only been able to find scraps of history here, some rumors there; I don't even know where the Bearers are or if they have the Elements with them."
"You said it's been three thousand marks." Oort interrupted, irritated. "How do you know these things, or the Bearers, even exist anymore?"
"Watch your tone with me, bird." Spike growled, causing the blue pegasus to shrink down under the dragon's menacing glare until he was but a clump of shivering fur. Spike took a moment to calm himself as he took a deep breath, and continued. "If the Bearers are killed, the Elements will locate new hosts. I've been all over the world and haven't seen anyone with the Elements stuck to their chest, so the Bearers are still alive, somewhere - likely under close watch by Discord, himself."
"And if the Elements were destroyed...?" Dawn sheepishly inquired, earning a scowl from Spike.
"If what I've learned is correct, that would be impossible." Spike explained. "Discord, with all of his power, could not even send them to the bottom of the ocean if he wanted."
Dawn shook her head in frustration before resting it on an upturned hoof, staring at the ground with a furrowed brow, deep in thought. "You talk like you know so much but, when we ask questions, you just dart around the subject." Dawn sighed.
"We dragons are straight to the point." Spike scoffed, proudly. "If you have questions, ask them."
"Why can't Discord destroy the Elements of Harmony?" Dawn asked.
"The Elements get their power from a much more powerful source, and this source protects the Elements from destruction or impassable containment." Spike answered.
"What source?" Oort piped up, hesitantly.
"I do not know. Nothing in this realm, that is for certain." Spike replied.
"You said some princesses used the Elements of Harmony to defeat Discord?" Dawn asked.
Spike nodded as he opened his mouth to explain. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were sisters who once ruled this land, uniting the three races of ponies and bringing them out of the First Era of Chaos into the Golden Age."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Oort interrupted in disbelief. "Three races of ponies?"
"Yes." Spike stated, flatly. "The unicorns, magical ones with horns on their head, the pegasus, you two, and the earth ponies, who had neither wings nor horns but were the hardiest of them all."
"I know about the unicorns in the north, but I've never seen an 'earth pony'." Oort explained, his voice riddled with confusion and doubt.
"I suppose they would have been easy prey for Discord's creatures." Spike mused. "No wings to fly away on, or magic to fight them off; it's likely they went extinct rather quickly into the era."
You said you've been all over the world?" Dawn asked, after a pause. "And other ponies live there? What's it like?"
"There are other species in the world, but they are not all ponies." Spike informed. "To the north west, across the ocean, lies Khoyor Tuuari; the land of the minotaurs. But they no longer walk their sacred grounds, though I believe they continue to survive in relative safety, far underground. To the east, across the other ocean, lies Zebrica; the desert nation of a race similar to you ponies, but with black and white stripes and no horn or wings; zebras. Their land is empty, as they left the dangerous wastes to better survive in the lush forests of their neighbors, the minotaurs. All have suffered under Discord's reign, and they will continue to suffer until there is nothing left if something is not done."
"Then let's do something!" Dawn pipped up, standing and stretching her wings, completely energized.
Spike simply stared down at the eager pegasus with his cold gaze until she understood and sheepishly sat down, once more.
"The journey I have planned is far too dangerous." Spike explained. "You will likely die if you follow after me."
"We'll die, anyway." Oort grumbled, having overcome his fear and channeling it into bitterness at being made a fool of in front of Dawn. "If Discord's monsters don't get us, we'll either die old trying to survive or starve."
"Oort's right." Dawn explained. "There's nothing for us, here."
"And what do you think you have to gain if you follow me?" Spike asked, quietly; his stoic features hiding his genuine curiosity from the ponies.
"It's not about what we have to gain." Dawn spoke, with a sullen gaze back into the watchful green eyes of the dragon. "I lost my family a few hours ago, and Oort gave up his to help me; they'll kill him if he goes back. You said you've been all over the world, and you've seen what its like for the zebras - what about the minotaurs, gryphons, and the unicorns? I don't want anyone to have to go through what Oort or I had to; surviving is hard enough as it is. I want to help them."
Spike sat in silence as he considered the golden mare's words, before he finally spoke. "You want to help those who you have never met, those who would sooner turn you away with a scowl and a kick than give you their last berry?" Dawn gave a determined nod as the dragon turned his head to Oort, beside her. "And what about you?"
Oort stared silently, longingly, at Dawn, who kept her gaze with Spike and did not notice her friend.
A small, knowing smirk found itself across Spike's snout as his eyes flicked back to Dawn. "Of course." he said, to Oort.
Spike quietly weighed his options within his mind as he ran scenario after scenario through his head, before he finally turned his eyes skyward just in time to catch the last rays of sun disappear between the two mountains in the distance. "Then sleep." Spike ordered as he settled his head into his claws. "I'm leaving as soon as I can see the sun, whether you are ready or not."
Before long, Oort and Dawn found themselves listening to the gentle snores of the great dragon before they, themselves, settled into the ground.
"Dawn?" Oort whispered as he settled next to his friend for warmth. "Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, I know it's this or trying to survive until we just die, but there's no telling where he'd be taking us or what we'd find there."
"You can stay if you want to." Dawn replied, gently as she pressed against her friend. "But I'm going. The world needs to change, for the better, and I want to help change it."
Oort did not respond, and he soon found himself listening to Dawn's own gentle breaths as she slept before he, too, fell into darkness.
"Come on, wake up, silly bean!" a bubbly, cheery, feminine voice sounded and caused Dawn to pull her eyes open, revealing a pink blur before her. "There you go! You just fell asleep on the side of the road, are you alright?"
Dawn took a moment to blink several times and rub her eyes as she tried to make out the blurry shape before her, but it remained defiantly undefined. "What? Where am I?" Dawn asked as she rose to her hooves and shook her head clear of leaves.
"Wow, you must have been really out of it." the pink blur mused with a concerned tone before returning to its happier, bouncy tone. "You're in Ponyville, silly! Are you here for the Summer Sun Celebration?"
At the mention of Ponyville, Dawn turned her gaze from the headache-inducing blur and took in her surroundings: all around her were structures much larger and better built than the slanted wooden shack her family had once lived in; these structures appeared built with patience and care, and one could see the love poured into the creation of the structure in each sturdy wall, built to last. Ponies like her were flying through the air, carrying ropes with little square and triangle pieces attached to them, each brightly colored and imposing a sense cheer and celebration to Dawn as she watched them being set into place. Unlike the pink blur before her, Dawn could clearly make out the features of these ponies, from their manes and coats to strange symbols adorning their flanks.
"Whoops, look out you silly!" the pink blur interrupted, gently pulling Dawn out of the way so a large box on wheels accompanied by a gray mare with a black mane could pass. Dawn stared in amazement as she took in the features of this pony, who had neither wings nor a horn; was this an Earth Pony? "You really need to get focused. Are you feeling alright?"
"Y-yeah." Dawn stammered, quietly. "How did I get here?"
"I dunno, but you're here, now!" the pink blur replied as she slowly began bouncing away, beckoning Dawn to follow. "If you're lost or looking for somepony, I can help you."
"Where are Oort and Spike?" Dawn asked, looking around expectantly.
"Oort?" the pink blur inquired. "I don't know anyone in this town named Oort, and I know everyone! But I know who Spike is, want me to bring you to him?"
"Please." Dawn insisted, hesitantly, as she began to feel overwhelmed and unnerved from her surroundings. All around her, ponies talked and played, set up decorations or bustled about to do things in other parts of the town. Ponyville was surging with activity, and all of the commotion made Dawn apprehensive of those who gave a friendly wave to her as she passed.
Truth be told, this whole experience was strange. How did she get here? Where exactly was here? Perhaps the better question is when was here? Dawn had little time to think about her situation before she bumped into the pink blur rather suddenly.
"Didn't ya hear me?" the blur playfully teased. "I said we're here!"
Dawn stepped to the side of the pink blur and was greeted by the sight of a large tree that had been turned into somepony's home; complete with a front door, several windows, and a balcony. Before she could further react, the pink blur bounced up to the large red door and gave a few excited knocks as she pressed herself against the wood. "Spiiiiike! You have a guuuueeeest!"
Dawn eyed the pink blur with confusion and distrust as she called for Spike. Although the tree was large, Dawn was not stupid and knew that there was no way the massive dragon she had met could fit inside of the tree. Before long, she could hear the soft patter of small feet on wood for a few moments before the door opened, and Dawn's eyes were dragged down as the door opened to a small purple and green figure standing on two legs.
Static sounded as the small purple and green thing addressed the pink blur, before he turned to wave at the golden mare. "Hey, Dawn." he said, his voice sounding far higher but just as smooth as the words that had come from the much larger dragon. "I appreciate you coming to see me, but it's time to wake up."
"Dawn!" Oort whispered urgently as her eyes flicked open, and she found herself standing in the grassy field far from the river where they had slept. She turned to see Oort standing beside her with a concerned and scared look in his eyes, and the large dragon sleeping where the two had left him next to the river, a few yards behind the blue pegasus. "What are you doing?!"
Dawn blinked in silence as she turned her gaze back to where a tree had once stood in her dreams. "I was dreaming." she said, after a pause.
"You were sleep walking?!" Oort asked with a heavy, irritated sigh. "I thought you were just leaving us! I'm glad I caught you before you got too far."
"I'm sorry, Oort." Dawn apologized as she shook her head clear of the fading feelings from her dream before turning back to follow Oort to the river. "But... it felt so real."
"Dreams tend to do that." Oort shrugged.
"No, I mean, I was there." Dawn explained. "I was in Ponyville. I saw earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns... I saw Spike, but he was so small."
Oort gave his friend an amused look as she tried to explain her dream, her words failing to force anything to become realized by either of them before they reached the river once more and settled down. Dawn gave a tired, frustrated sigh as she tried to make sense of her dream, and Oort pressed his head against her side, comfortingly, as he was lulled back to sleep by her gentle breathing.
As Dawn put her head in her hooves to try and sleep, once more, her eyes locked with the giant emerald orbs of Spike's, and Dawn noticed a rapidly fading trail of light purple mist from his mouth. "What did I see?" she asked, quietly.
"You saw Ponyville in the Golden Age of Equestria." Spike whispered, careful not to wake Oort. "You saw ponies living and working together in harmony. Remember that when we begin our journey, tomorrow."