//------------------------------// // Ugly Truth // Story: Silver Spirit, Ghost of Equestria. // by Powerdrainer //------------------------------// Edited by Slayerseba, Halusm, and Clawder. Ugly Truth <<>><<>><<>> With a weak growl, the timberwolf Alpha stirred; flailing his legs in an unfocused attempt to push himself up, only really managing to roll to his side in the process. For a moment he remained in this unwanted position, anger building at the uncooperation of his limbs, while his vision colluded against him as well, only revealing blurry shapes at best.  Despite his unresponsive senses, his mind was as sharp as ever; and while he tried to determine what could have caused his current predicament, there was a persistent itch at the back of his mind; growing stronger the more he became aware of it, soon demanding the full focus of him as something demanded to be known. 'Remember what I said.' His eyes snapped open as the memories of that vision came back, too real to be a mere dream, yet too impossible to have actually happened.  "Ah, you are finally awake," an infuriatingly familiar voice demanded his attention. Willing his eyes to focus, he saw two distinct shapes just out of his reach. One a large white blur, giving him some pause whether to attack, or not. The other a small blur of black and white, with glints of gold present as well. Grunting, he willed his limbs to obey, and this time successfully putting his paws under him; pushing himself up into a sitting position first, then slowly back to his full height as his vision cleared up.  Now able to properly see who spoke, he recognized the robe wearing giant as she stood before him, glowing staff in hand, basking the room in the recognizable red light that allowed them to speak in one tongue. Shifting his focus near the giant's feet, he noticed the overly familiar zebra, who had clubbed her fair share of his pack members. What her presence entailed here, however, he could not begin to deduce.  "What manner of magic did you bring down upon me?" he asked with deep rumble, noticing numerous other wolves from his pack still down on the ground. "To my brethren?" "The kind that forces you to see and understand, instead of just stare and bite," the Elder answered simply, humming thoughtfully. "Now we come to the part where we find out if it actually stuck." The Alpha growled in response, ignoring the persistent voice from his vision, instead trying to assert his dominance over the giant before him. Not impressed in the least, the Elder stepped closer, forcing the wolf to crane his neck back to still be able to glare at her face, while she looked down with barely a hint of annoyance. "Do not think weak displays of imagined might faze me," she said simply, stopping just a step shy of the wolf; her much larger stature now casting a shadow over the Alpha who stubbornly held his ground. "I know who you are, what you once were. I know the fate that befell you, the curse plaguing you and your brethren. And I know what it was you did to deserve the fate forced upon you," her glowing eyes narrowed as she stared down at the wolf with intensity. "The atrocities you committed in search for something as meaningless as eternity. I may not always agree with 'He who cursed you', but I can not deny the poetic justice. Trapped in a body made of decay, forced to roam the lands eternal, undying. Given one simple, but grandiose task: Protect and maintain the constants you once upset. And yet, cursed as you are, reminded of your sins each and every day, you still hold on to the ways that led you down this path to begin with; claiming to uphold the task given to you, yet never acting on it unless it serves your own interest." The Alpha growled menacingly, his wooden claws flexing as he sought for an opening, but knowing on a deeply rooted instinctual level she had the upper hand… for now. "You know nothing of our curse; what we've gone through. Your words are hollow, just as your attempt at intimidation." "You killed without discrimination. Young, old, healthy, weak. All of them died by your and your brethren's claws. The reason for which, only making sense to you. Yet your reasons were lacking, and thus becoming more and more twisted as what you sought could never be found. And now, as a result of your decisions and actions, here you are. Still stuck in your own worldview and ignoring the voice of reason even as it's screaming at you this very moment," she pointed out, a minute twitch visible on the Alpha's face. "You say my words are hollow? Maybe they are. But compared to your pitiful existence, they still hold more weight than anything you could say, or do." Anger building at what the giant said, the Alpha growled again; cut off almost immediately as the Elder pushed the tip of her staff against his neck, leaning down a fraction as her glare bore into him. "Anger, hate, aggression. It is all you truly know. And because of this, you will never be able to best me. Blinded by your own insignificance, unable to rise up and become what so many others of your kind have done. But here is a chance to change that. A chance to, finally, become something more; something better than what you are now. Let go of your hatred, fueled by your unattainable desires and for once in your existence, listen to the voice of reason; remember what she said!" The Alpha's eyes narrowed threateningly, glaring back at the giant, when a pulse of light shone from her staff; his eyes flashing red for a brief instance as his vision blurred, the words of that young pony brought back in perfect clarity to the forefront of his mind.  **** "Why are you afraid?" the image of Sweetie Belle asked as she sat besides him, eyes locked on the unmoving form of Fenris after Danny had possessed him, pressing a hoof on the wolf's shoulder.  A spike of anger welled up, and instinctively he wanted to lash out at the insult. Yet, to his surprise, he didn't. The anger was there, true, but he didn't act on it. Instead, his body moved as if controlled by another as he sat down besides the young filly; realizing he did so without difficulty, his wounds gone as if they were never inflicted upon him.  Blinking, the young pony turned to look at him; craning her neck to see his face while he stared down at the child. With a rumble in his throat, he felt compelled to answer: "I fear nothing." Snorting, Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. "That's stupid. And not true. We all fear something, anything, you included." Again, anger welled up, yet again he did not act upon his impulses as he glared at the foal.  Undeterred, she merely raised an eyebrow. "Then if you're not afraid of anything, then why did you seek eternal life?" She waited a moment, giving the wolf a chance to speak. When he didn't, however, she continued herself. "Sounds to me like you're afraid of death; the unknown after life. Even now, as you are, you still don't know for sure what awaits on the other side and it scares you. So much in fact, that you sought out the means to avert the most basic truth of life. A way to stop the end from coming, even if you had to end the lives of so many others while you did. And worse still, this fear of yours spread like a disease with each body left at your feet; others joining either in fear of you, or the same desires to avert the inevitable. It was fear that drove you; is still driving you; hiding behind anger and rage, as these are easier to accept, lashing out at others because of it." One of her ears twitched as she paused for a short moment, giving the wolf another chance to speak his mind. But he didn't, as she knew he wouldn't.  Snorting, she looked back at the slightly swaying, but otherwise unmoving form of Fenris.  "You know what that makes you?" she asked, receiving only a restrained growl in answer. "A coward," she answered for him. "And some place deep down, you know this. It's why you aren't lashing out at me, because somewhere in that mind of yours, there is a small, small part that knows this is true, and is fighting to be heard." "LIES!" he roared. "Then prove me wrong. Attack me. Silence my words," and she spread her front legs to the side, presenting an open target. Moving with blurring speed, he drew back his claw, then slashed with all the strength he had, fully intend to cut the lying pony down. Instead of blood and bone, however, all he managed to scar was the ground in between them.  Shocked, confused, enraged, he tried again; met only with the same result and again there after. Confounded, he leaped back from the pony, who sat unmoving, still presenting herself as a easy target; uncertainty flashing in his eyes as he struggled to understand. Lowering her hooves, Sweetie Belle shook the dirt thrown on her from her coat and mane, looking at the wolf with a pitiful gaze.  "You see now? Even with an open target, not doing anything to stop you, you fail to land even one hit. Why do you think that is?" She slowly advanced towards the wolf, who took a half step away from her, before catching himself and forcing himself to stand his ground.  "You're afraid. Everything about you says so. Everything, except you yourself. Stop hiding behind misplaced anger and stubbornness, and admit the truth you've been avoiding for all those centuries. A truth that could have saved countless lives, including your own, if you had the courage to admit it." She didn't shout, or raise her voice, yet her presence dominated him completely with every word she spoke; stepping closer to the disgraced and cursed beast, who, against his will and desires, backed away just as fast; eyes locked on the small, white pony who suddenly seemed so much larger.  "You seek an end to your curse. A curse placed upon you, rightfully so, all because you wouldn't admit a simple truth: You are afraid!" She stomped a hoof for emphasis, leering up at him with hardened eyes. "You now stand at a crossroad," she suddenly said, backing off and sitting down again. "Either you continue your sad existence the way you always have; forget everything said and done, and always seek for a way to free yourself, but never be able to do so. Or accept the truth, admit it, to yourself, to those who followed and maybe, just maybe, find the redemption you've been looking for." "... And what makes you think such a thing is even possible?" he asked through growling breath, glaring at the child with uncertain anger.  "We all make mistakes," she answered simply, turning herself around to look at Fenris again as she patted the ground next to her, inviting the wolf to join her. "You, Fenris, Danny, me, everyone. And it is always so much simpler to blame another, but never yourself. Simpler, but much more damaging. But if you're able to look past the veil of self assured ignorance and see how things truly are; admit to them, and accept them, well…" she watched as Fenris' eyes started to glow a vibrant orange.  Confused but compelled for reasons beyond his understanding, the wolf slowly stepped closer. Then, against his better judgment, lay down next to the pony much in the same way as when he first met her; her hoof resting on his shoulder almost as if to assure he would remain where he was. "...If you can accept your failings, then anything is possible." The world around them started to break apart as the illusion holding them had ran its course. "Remember what I said," she said, then they, too, vanished. <<>><<>><<>> Shaking his head vigorously, taking a large, wild step back from the Elder and the slowly dimming staff, the Alpha panted through teeth while holding his head with a wooden claw; this fact confusing him even further, until realization kicked in and the pieces all fell back into place.  "So," the Elder drew his attention. "What do you choose?" Slowly dropping his hand, staring at the shifting wood, he slowly looked back at his still slumbering brethren; uncertainty weighing down on him strongly as, for the first time in his unholy existence he realized what he felt truly was.  It scared him more than anything had ever done before. <<>><<>><<>> Deprived of breath, but unwilling to inhale, lest she make a noise that could draw the horror that was this ghost to her, Twilight stood with her back pressed against the tree she hid behind, watching the ghost hunters fight, and lose against the very foe she was hiding from now.  Still, as much she tried, she could not resist the increasing burning of her lungs. With an explosive gasp, prompting her to clasp both hooves over her mouth to stifle the sound, she greedily sucked in as much air as she could; eyes wide and flashing from left to right, then up and down, hoping she hadn't been heard. "Is anyone out there?" A frightened squeak almost escaped her, while her heart leaped up, pounding like a jackhammer as she struggled to control herself. Realizing nothing bad had happened to her so far, the voice she heard finally registered as belonging to one of the hunters. Carefully and as quietly as she could manage, she slid around the tree trunk, keeping herself as small as possible while peeking past the curve until she could see the hunters; all four of them quite literally frozen on the spot. "A- are you alright?" she asked, still scanning around for any sign of the ghost. "Well, horse apples," Blue Ice swore as she caught sight of the purple pony peeking past the tree. "Not only did we get our flanks kicked to Canterlot and back, but it seems we've had an audience as well." "Can it," Rolling Stone grunted, pulling a leg in an attempt to break free with little success. "At least this ghost didn't catch sight of her. Had it gone after her, or worse, the situation would have been so much worse for us." "Yes yes, Element and all that," Ornate Charm muttered as she struggled to free herself as well. "Though this ghost's behavior is worrying in it's own right. It doesn't fit any known profile we've studied," she sighed out tiredly as she slacked her stance, unable to pull free. "Not to mention what it said. It wanted us to go back to the Princesses, tell them what happened here. And, honestly, it almost seemed like it wanted us to get better at hunting him." "That does not make any sense, and you know it!" Sound Wave argued back with a irritated growl as she attempted to break the ice surrounding and locking her hooves on the ground. "Exactly!" Ornate Charm agreed, then sighed out again as she looked at the sheet of ice trapping her and her team. "It doesn't make any sense, and that's what worries me. Just look at the position we're currently in," she stressed, frowning deeply. "I hate to say it, and I know you will hate me for saying it, but in a way that ghost was right. Clearly we have no idea what we're doing." This confession made Twilight gasp, reminding the hunters of her presence, even if their eyes remained firmly locked on Ornate Charm.  "I mean, just look at what happened. Four of us, two of them; one being an overactive dog that stayed on the sidelines while the other beat us down as if we were nothing. Four against one in our favor. And we lost, badly. And that's not even mentioning the issues we have with the scanners." "But what if that is its plan?" asked Twilight, much to the surprise of the hunters, and herself.  Again, all eyes were on her and she required a moment to compose herself. Then, stepping closer to the hunters, horn aglow as she prepared the same spell she used to thaw the frozen lake, she explained. "I mean, what if it wants you to think as such? I… saw the fight. Most of it, at least," she admitted, ears folded flat on her head. "This ghost, it… he was invisible the entire time. And you just said these scanners were giving you trouble… Maybe there were more ghosts than just the one you fought… and that dog? Maybe they helped, but remained quiet, invisible, creating the illusion just this one ghost fought and beat you, all to make you question your training and abilities," with a flash of her horn, the ice broke apart in a small explosion; the relative weak energy still coursing in the ice reacting to her spell's magic, and destroyed itself; showering all present in a mix of hot water and half molten chunks of ice. Shouting in surprise, mixed with a few grunts of pain when some of the larger chunks collided with the hunters, as well as a cry from Twilight as she was forcefully pushed back from the unexpected interference, a thick but dissipating layer of fog now covered them, leaving them fumble disorientated on the spot as they tried to regain their bearing. "Wh- what just happened?" asked Twilight as she shook her head, then pressed a hoof at the base of her unpleasantly tingling horn.  "A trap," Blue Ice grunted, a small streak of blood flowing from a shallow cut near her right ear. "I knew this was too easy. And nothing too serious either. Just enough to rub it in our faces." Grunting in irritation, Rolling Stone picked up the scanner that lay discarded on the ground; flicking his hoof to shake off the water clinging to the metal casing of the device before activating it; satisfied to see it turn on without problems. His sliver of satisfaction was short lived, however, when the scanner showed no signal of any spectral entity in the device's active range.  "Damn, nothing," he murmured, shaking his head. "And the way these thing have been acting, we can't say for certain if it's working properly, or not." "We've lost them," Sound Wave groaned her displeasure. "At least we have a lead with the Princesses old castle," Ornate Charm added.  "True," Rolling Stone mulled over that particular bit of information. "But it won't do us any good now. We've been there already and were clearly led away, thinking about it now. Whatever is going on over there, our presence must have set something in motion. Going back now, after what just happened, especially if miss Twilight's hypothesis is true. We need to regroup, plan our next course of action. And more importantly, find out where those fillies have gone to." "But what if they're held in the castle?" Blue Ice asked heatedly, flicking her ear while ignoring the stinging from the cut just below it.  "Then the last we must do is rush in without a plan. Especially after being defeated so easily," Rolling Stone countered swiftly. "True, but if we wait too long, things may only get worse as a result," Ornate Charm warned. "Actually," Twilight cut in nervously. "Things have already gotten worse. After you left Zecora's, something happened to Danny after he and Zecora stepped outside for a moment to talk. Neither I, nor my friends saw what happened. But we did hear Danny scream… He's gone missing now, too… And then a ghost revealed itself, forcing us to flee… though we lost Zecora in the chaos as well." Blinking, she looked around, realizing another important detail. "And it seems I've lost sight of my friends after we ran off into the forest." All four hunters shared a concerned glance over this new information. "You say this happened after we left?" Rolling Stone sought confirmation, to which the purple unicorn nodded once.  "Yes, just a short moment after. I… After Danny's disappearance, I even cast a shield over Zecora's home, but that didn't stop this ghost… But maybe it was already inside when I casted the spell?" Shaking her head, she glanced back in the direction where Zecora lived, biting her lower lip in worry.  "Sir, I'd say we don't have any time left to regroup and plan our next approach," Ornate Charm spoke up. "Whatever plan these ghosts have, it's clear by Twilight's account that our presence here has accelerated their time table. The longer we wait, the more we play into their hooves, or whatever appendages they have." "Agreed," Rolling Stone grunted. "Is there anything I could do to help?" Twilight asked as she took a nervous step forwards. "No," Rolling Stone shot her down immediately with a strong shake of his head. "Circumstances have changed, even more so than when my team and I first revealed ourselves to you. And it has become clear that this forest has become even more dangerous than it already was to begin with. Should anything happen to you, or your friends, rendering the Elements useless, there is no knowing what could happen," he looked down at the shorter mare with respect, but knowing what needed to be done. "Ornate, Ice, escort miss Twilight back to the village; look out for her friends and take them back as well, should you encounter them. Whether you find them, or not, send a message to the princesses informing them about the situation." "While you do what? Take Sound Wave to the castle on some half assed infil exfil opp?" Blue Ice asked incredulously.  "And even if so, you know any response from the princesses will take some time. Even if they use a mass teleportation spell, with the current situation over at Canterlot, our resources are spread thin," Ornate Charm voiced her thoughts to the matter.  "Wait, what happened at Canterlot?" Twilight asked, worried. She'd only returned from her home city a few hours ago.  "Nothing you need to worry about, miss," Rolling Stone told her, frowning deeply. "Like hay it is!" Twilight protested. "Canterlot is where I was born, where I lived most of my life and where my parents are as well. Furthermore-" she pressed onwards, only to be silenced as Rolling Stone put his hoof down, literally, thumping loudly on the forest floor. "Miss Twilight, while I thank you for your assistance freeing my team and I just now, this forest is no longer safe for you, or your friends. Nor do we have the luxury of time to stand and talk." He then addressed his team. "I have given my orders, now follow up!" he barked, leaving no room for argument.  ""Sir,"" Blue Ice and Ornate Charm saluted, then turned to Twilight, only to halt when they saw the no nonsense, determined glare she shot at them.  "I'll only say this once," she began, voice calm and leveled, but not concealing the frustration, and anger one bit. "I'm not going anywhere. Not without my friends! If that means I must remain in this 'dangerous' forest, which I have traversed numerous times already before today, so be it. But if you think I will turn my back on my friends when they need me most, clearly you don't understand the magic of friendship." "Don't think I don't understand what you're going through, miss," Rolling Stone stepped closer, his larger stature forcing Twilight to look up. "I had friends stuck in Baltimare, some of which I never saw alive again. But neither I, nor you can ignore the facts that these ghosts are able to sneak up on us, despite our best efforts," he paused momentarily, staring down at the librarian. "More importantly, my team and I are expendable. You are not!" "Wh- what!?" Twilight shouted, stepping back in shock. "It's the ugly truth of any guard, no matter the division. We're the first to enter battle, protect our fellow pony and give our lives if need be to ensure the safety of others. If harm were to come to us, others will take our place. If something were to happen to you, or your friends, we will lose one of this nation's strongest defences. And how long before a new, suitable bearer is found? No, protest all you want, but the facts speak for themselves. As does my duty." Backing down, he flicked an ear; signaling Blue Ice and Ornate Charm to move. "You're not a guard, so I can't order you to listen, but I can't let you follow us and put yourself at risk. Ornate, Blue, see to it she's escorted out of here safely. Sound Wave and I will proceed back to the castle, and, hopefully, find, and extract those missing." ""Sir,""Both ponies saluted again, then flanked Twilight, preventing her from stepping forwards in silent protest; mouth moving as if she wanted to say more, but failing to find the words. Eventually, having reached the conclusion that Rolling Stone was right, even if she didn't like admitting to this, she slowly closed her mouth.  These ghosts, as demonstrated earlier this night, proved that her magic did little to stop them. Her strongest asset. And even though she was an Element, to use this power required both her crown, as well as her friends, wielding their respective jewelry as well. As it was now, though, she was almost completely powerless. And not the kind where she couldn't find a friendship problem to solve, or worse, unable to find an answer to her problems in her books.  Nodding once, she sighed out in reservation, looking up at the ghost hunter's leader.  "Please be careful," she told him, to which he replied with a curt nod. "Of course, miss." Waiting a moment and watching to make sure Twilight was led away by Ornate Charm, and Blue Ice, Rolling Stone finally addressed the pegasus still beside him. "Prep our gear and make sure it all works. See if some of our weapons can be salvaged as well. We need them. We've got a castle to raid." "Sir, yes sir," Sound Wave saluted with a wing, a secondary thermos already in hoof. <<>><<>><<>> Wide eyed, Zecora stood on the other side of the portal, watching the white, frozen land before her, oblivious to the cold creeping up her legs, too transfixed to even notice as she saw the, not too distant, village and, even from this distance, massive forms of the giants going about their business.  Shaking her head to pull herself out of her stupor, she turned her head to look at the cloaked giant standing beside her. "Let me be the first to welcome you to my realm," the Elder spoke, smiling as she looked down at the amazed zebra. "True, the scenery is a bit lackluster, but it is home all the same." "I'll admit, I'm no stranger to ice and snow, but circumstances do differ in this improbable show," Zecora responded, no less amazed by what she saw. "Yes," the Elder nodded her agreement, looking towards her village with a fond smile. "Circumstances often dictate how we react to the world around us. Especially considering everything that has transpired this day. But please, follow me. There is much we must discuss and unfortunately, there is not much time for us to do so," she moved for the village, Zecora following after a moment's pause. "The ghost hunters will return shortly and I must be ready to receive them, lest they upset a very precarious balance of events unfolding." "I see how these hunters would pose a certain threat, but surely they could see reason and become a valuable asset?" "They certainly would, yes," the Elder agreed thoughtfully. "However, for them to see reason, they would also need an open mind and to allow us the chance to speak. As it is, however, with their history and other factors to consider as well, they would not allow us this chance… yet. Additionally, were you, the children, or even Danny to speak up, suspicion would only work against us. With you 'missing', as well as Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Danny, they may believe your minds are influenced to speak out for us ghosts, after being rescued from our clutches. No, for us to gain a chance to get through to them, more drastic measures are required. Not all of them for the better, I am afraid." "To change a mind, thoroughly set in stone, it would take drastic measures. Most often those for which one must-" Zecora fell silent, coming to a full stop in the middle of the village; many of the giants either passing by without much thought, though numerous looks were aimed at the small zebra in their midst. "Atone," the Elder finished for her with a sigh. "You wish for Danny's past to be revealed. Events from which he has only barely healed." "I can't say I wish for this to happen, but the path Danny is on now makes this all, but inevitable. The ponies will learn of his dual nature, this is a certainty. What makes this work for us, however, is what Danny has done and is still doing as we speak; all those he has helped, either as his human self, or more direct, yet invisible as his ghost counterpart." "Though I see your reasoning, experience has shown the ponies are easy to fright. His reveal will cause panic, or worse a fight." "True," the Elder looked out into the distance. "But, unfortunately, this too is inevitable." Wide eyed, Zecora gasped out.  "Please hold your questions, there is not much time left and much to discuss," the Elder picked up her pace, leading them through, and then out of the village. "Do know this, Zecora. Unknowingly, you too have helped forge this path we all walk on now. Now though, it is time for me to shed light on the path traversed and to show you where we are heading… if all goes well." <<>><<>><<>>   For a while the two walked on in silence, the Elder leading Zecora to a tall ice mountain, then through a perfectly concealed door leading deep into the heart of the mountain. There, once again taking Zecora by surprise with the seemingly impossible, stood a massive tree, illuminated by the light emitted from the ice itself.  It was here the Elder revealed to Zecora the depth of influence she and other spectral entities had over their magical world; events set in motion so long ago that time itself had faded away any knowledge which could be led back and only those who were there themselves able, but unwilling to tell their story.  The tale of origin, the shared nature of her world with ghosts and humans, to the spectral nature of the timberwolves, and the ghosts who faded away into legends, to myths, to stories shared at a campfire, yet who continued to linger in the shadows of ignorance, watching, waiting. Yet for all she revealed, there was even more, deliberately left in obscurity. Though proven to be trustworthy, knowing what still had to happen, what must happen no matter what, the Elder could not reveal those things, so intricately woven into the threads of Destiny, to Zecora, lest everything would unravel, as a thought, an idea she accidentally planted would spell disaster.  No, when the time came that the world in general would come to know these individuals, that what was set in motion could no longer be stopped and the fates of two worlds would hang in the balance.  Still, there was one thing, one immensely important subject which had to be brought to Zecora's attention. "Which brings us here," the Elder said as she came to a stop, looking up at the Tree of Life. "Know this, Zecora. Everything I told you, as important and world shaking as it is, still doesn't compare to the significance of what is happening here, for those events lie either in ancient past, or transpire as we speak, but this, this is about the future." Looking down at her, she waited a moment to allow the gravity of it all to settle in on Zecora. Once it had, Zecora nodded once for her to continue. "You know about your friends, Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, the power they wield?" "The Elements of Harmony, of this I do know. Are they somehow involved as well, in this crazy show?" "Aren't we all?" the Elder said cryptically, shaking her head. "What I want to know from you: do you know where the Elements of Harmony originate from?" "They're objects of ancient times, with magical powers untold. But to their origins I have sadly been blindfold." "The Elements of Harmony are the creation of a powerful entity known as Tree of Harmony; planted in secrecy on your world where the barrier between life and death is at its weakest. The seed from which the Tree of Harmony grew, however, came from here… from her," the Elder revealed, looking up at the massive tree they stood under. "Zecora, meet Tree of Life, mother of Tree of Harmony, grandmother to the Elements." Zecora, expectedly shocked by this revelation, took several steps back, mouth opening and closing with half formed rhymes, and disbelief, eyes flashing between the frost giant, and the tree from which, supposedly, some of the most powerful artifacts of the magical world originated from.  "So you see," the Elder continued, "though ghosts haven't actively shown themselves, we still have a strong presence on your world. One which continues to evolve even as we speak." Zecora, completely at a loss for words, merely looked at the Elder with an almost pleading look, desperate for answers.  "The Elements are immensely powerful due to their nature; created by someone grown not just in the soil of your world, but its magic as well. Yet for all their might, they are not all powerful. They can fail, become dormant, nothing more than useless chunks of rock. This too is a part of their nature; embodying a single virtue of friendship, split five ways to create a spark of magic. A powerful bond, which can also be its undoing should it break. Something I understand has already transpired at least once. However, there is a force more powerful than these Elements embody: Life itself. And with it, death as well." Again, Zecora gasped out, shocked. "Life changes who we are through the experiences we gather during this time; sometimes causing friends to drift apart. And death, well… That truly is one of the more obvious flaws of these Elements, though this has more to do with the fact no one chooses to remain as the thing they fear and hate the most. But even more importantly, life and death are the different sides of the same coin; joined together no matter what. And they form a power far greater than these Elements of Harmony could possess."  Looking up and reaching out, the Elder gently brushed away some of the leaves obscuring the seeds from view.  "And that is where the children come in. You see, Zecora, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom have been chosen to become part of something much greater than themselves. These seeds Tree of Life grows is testimony of that. Seeds that grow in response to the growth of the children as they learn their place in the world and forging bonds that transcend the limitations of the Elements of Harmony. They are chosen to become life and death; bridging the two, and healing a scar so old no one even remembers its existence." Suddenly, a bright flash caught them unaware and one of the seeds glowed brightly, as it grew in size; its branch hanging down from the increased weight while Zecora gasped out, witnessing the event as she stood besides the Elder; eyes wide and unblinking. "And so another grows into their destined role," the Elder hummed proudly.