//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 // Story: Virtues of Harmony // by SkylertKlaw //------------------------------// Chapter 15: Freedom and Revelations "SKY FIRE!" Rainbow shouted, trying her hardest to see through the smoke while the rest of the group coughed, "Sky Fire, say something! Where are you?" There was no response from him. Rainbow's eyes shrunk in fear at the silence. He couldn't be gone. He just couldn't be. Not after being gone for so long. They had just been reunited a month ago. How could their connection end so quickly? The group is quiet as the light from the explosion began to die down. Rainbow hung her head down, biting her lips tightly. "D-Don't be g-g-gone...please..." She stammered, fighting back tears with all her might. The group turned their gaze away from her. They didn't want to see her cry out in anguish. The war had just started and it seemed like a life was already lost to the cause. Rainbow fought back the tears in her eyes with all her might, but the urge to cry out was growing stronger and stronger. Her best friend was gone. Spike rubbed his eyes a bit, in an attempt to both block out the bright light and remove the dust in his eyes. When his vision cleared up, he noticed two silhouettes laying down in the bright explosion. His eyes grew wide in shock as he pointed towards them. "Look!" Rainbow was the first to rear her head back up. At first she thought it was the tears in her eyes threatening to fall out, but when she dried her eyes quickly a huge grin grew across her face. Sprawled out across the floor were two ponies. The first was Sky Fire, who despite his injuries from Storm Rider's attack on Ponyville, didn't look too damaged. Laying across from him was an unconscious pink earth pony. "Sky Fire!" The group shouted together as they rushed up to him. The white pegasus groaned a bit as his eye lids fluttered briefly. A smile came to his face when he glanced over to the second pony in front of him. "Told you...I'd set ya...free..." The rest of his body strength was nearly spent as his head nearly fell over from exhaustion. It didn't help that the injuries from his fight with Storm Rider weren't healed completely yet, but as far as he was concerned he was glad to have saved the pink earth pony. Before his head slammed into the ground though, he felt two front legs grab a hold of it. Barely having the strength to keep his eyes open, he glanced back to the owner of the legs. "Can't kill me that easily...Dashie girl." He said. Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie all shared the same smile together. Rainbow was trying her hardest to hide her forming tears in her eyes. He was alive. Thank the Creators above, Sky Fire was alive. She wanted to do so much to him. She wanted to hug him for being alive. She wanted to hit him for making such a reckless move. More or less, she wanted to do a combination of both of them. Instead though, she gently head butted him with a grateful smile. "You crazy idiot...I thought I was the daredevil of the group." She said, managing to hold back happy sobs. Luna walked over to the two pegasai, her horn covered in a warm healing light as she placed it onto Sky Fire's body. Slowly but surely, his injuries began to recover. After a minute of the spell's touch, the white pegasus' injuries were much more severe than before. A sudden groan came from the second pony, who had slowly began to stir. Her eyes slowly opened, barely able to sit up after the events of what happened. "Where...where am I...?" She asked, the group noticed her voice was soft. A large scar across her neck indicated why she had such a soft voice. Rarity nearly jumped out of her skin. "Ah!" She cried, "Ghoul!" "No, Rarity, she's not a ghoul." Twilight said, studying the scar closely. A confused look came to her face. "It looks like she was under control from Amducias..." The pink pony looked around the room in confusion. The she glanced back at herself, checking to see if she was still in her own body. Her eyes were full of shock as she came to realization of her status. "I'm...I'm myself again?" She asked, "The curse...is gone?" The pink pony inhaled sharply as she forced herself onto her knees. It was obvious to see that even if she was herself once again that she still was weak. She also looked like a mess. Blood stains around her scar still remained. Her tail and mane were also ruffled up and dirtied. She glanced to the main group, unaware of Sky Fire's presence. "That bastard kept me alive...turned me and the other five into his...'Queens.'" She pointed to the large stitched scar on her neck. She blinked a couple of times, not realizing that she was in an entirely different area. "Where...where is this?" She asked, "This isn't Rainyville..." Sky Fire, who was able to stand slight on his own now, glanced to the new pony. His lips turned into a large smile as his eyes began to water up. At first he thought he was hearing things, but now he knew. His hearing had not betrayed him. "Welcome back...Sandy." He said, gently closing his eyes again, leaning his head against Rainbow's hold on him. Sandra's ears shot up at the sound of his voice. A teary smile formed on her face as she turned to see him. "N-No way..." She breathed, "S-Sky you're..." Sandra couldn't take it anymore. As her tears welled up in her eyes, she threw herself at him, sobbing onto his neck as she held him tightly. "SKY FIRE! Thank the Creators...thank the Creators you're still alive! I...I thought I had..." Sky Fire said nothing as his own eyes welled up with tears, despite the warm smile growing across his face. He opened one wing and gently placed it around her in happiness. "I thought I had lost you too..." He said, "But the important thing is that you're back..." As the two friends reunited, the rest of the group had varried reactions to their reunion. Fluttershy was grinning ear to ear in happiness. Rarity had her hoofs in front of her mouth in shock and joy. Applejack had thrown her hat up into the air. Pinkie was openly bawling at the reunion. Twilight seemed content, and touched. Rainbow however, found herself the most conflicted of the group. She was very happy that Sky Fire's old girlfriend was still alive. But on the other hoof, she was...jealous? Why should she be jealous? The two pretty much deserved each other. It's not like she had any feelings for Sky Fire. At least, that's what she told herself constantly. But seeing him with another mare began to make her question her feelings. Sky Fire seemed to notice that she was watching. With a slight tap he and Sandra pulled away from each other briefly. He turned to the group, a relieved expression took over his face. "Everypony, this is Sandra. She's a very close friend of mine from what I was investigating Rainyville." The group walked up and began to introduce themselves one after another. After some explanation as to where they were, and what their mission was, Sandra nodded. She turned back to Sky Fire, still teary eyed as she hugged him again. "It was horrible! I...I saw the whole thing, I saw you fight and defeat him...but after you left he just got up and took me to...to..." She clenched her eyes tightly, tears streaming down her face, "I don't even know where! I don't even know how he kept me alive...but before I knew it I was that...that THING!" Rainbow walked up and placed a wing on her shoulder. The blue pegasus was not an expert at comforting, but she wasn't going to let a pony her old friend cared for relive the memories alone. "Well, all that's behind you now, Sandy." She said, offering her the best comforting smile she could give, "We won't let those bastards hurt you ever again." Sandra turned to her. Her eyes seemed to examine Rainbow briefly before nodding once. "You're...Rainbow Dash, right?" She asked, smiling as the former nodded. A knowing smile came to Sandra's face. "Thank you..." Luna smiled at the turn of events. Despite the horror they saw from their battle with Sandra in her 'Queen' form, things were not so bad. She once remembered her sister telling her that every little bit helps. Sandra's freedom might have been small now, but it would no doubt be a great asset in the future. She turned back to the large and small Diamond Dogs, who were still cowering. "Please show Sandra to a vacant room so that she may rest." She instructed. "Excuse me, Princess?" Sky Fire said, walking up, "If it's not too much trouble, I'll take her to a vacant room." Sandra smiled at his offer. The younger of the two princesses gave a simple nod of approval at his request. Sky Fire turned back to Sandra, helping her walk towards a vacant room that the mansion had on the bottom floors. The rest of the group began to head their separate ways for the afternoon. Fluttershy and Applejack went back to the kitchen to begin preparations for dinner. Rarity had begun galloping up the stairs to start warm bath water for Sandra. Twilight and Spike returned to the library to resume their studies while Pinkie Pie hopped back to her room to begin planning a return party for Sandra. Rainbow Dash stood alone in the foyer however. A sad smile had replaced the joyful one she had earlier. A new feeling had taken over her now. She saw how happy Sky Fire was around Sandra. It was clear in his eyes that he loved her. A single tear ran down her cheeks as she began walking towards the training room. "Good on you, tiger..." She thought, trying her hardest to stop herself from breaking down. XxXxX "Elements...elements..." Twilight mused as she flipped through what could have been the fifth teeth book she had grabbed from the library's selves. There had to be an answer within these books. Answers about what the Elements of Virtue were, how they could fight back against Amducias' powers, and maybe just maybe, how they could prevent war from ever consuming Equestria again. So far though, she was not having any luck in finding those answers. Each book she read seemed to not have any information that she was not familiar with. Barely any of the books had mentioned the Elements of Virtue at all. And even those that did just spoke of them briefly for only a few sentences. She had a feeling though. This book would be the one where she'd finally get some answers. She had absolutely no doubt that she would find them within this new book. Her faith was not unrewarded. Halfway into the book, a new page spread out for her. She grinned at the title. "Ah ha!" She said in triumph, reading it immediately, "The Elements of Harmony and Elements of...of...argh! She threw her front hooves up in frustration. "It's too blurred! Where's a magnifying glass when you need one?" Spike poked his head out from his basket at his best friend's frustration. He had known Twilight for all his life. Whenever she got this frustrated, the rest of the night would have been a nightmare listening to her look for a simple item. With a slight sight, he got up from his basket. Where would she be without him? "Hang on, I think we have one in the satchel." He said as he began rummaging through their satchel. "Ah ha!" He pulled out the best magnifying glass that they owned. A feeling of pride welled up in his chest. Then he noticed the slight crack in the lens. "Er..." He stammered, "It's got a bit of a small crack in it, but it should still work." Twilight smiled a little as she nuzzled Spike gently. She took the magnifying glass with her magic and placed it towards the blurred word. "Come on...please..." She begged, trying her best to see the word. When she gained the right angle, a smile grew across her face. "Yes! I found the right book!" Spike instantly jumped up in joy at the news. He always knew that she would find the answer. If there was any pony that could, it was no doubt Twilight Sparkle. "What's it say?" He asked, hopping up on a stool beside her. Twilight began reading out loud from the page. "The Elements of Virtue, the counterparts of the Elements of Harmony." She began, "Each element exists as a balance to the other, and together the elements that correspond to one another are a powerful force." She looked towards what appeared to be a list of the elements together. Using her magic to zoom in on the mostly blurred words, Twilight continued to read aloud. "The following is a list of which Elements work best together. Each element is paired with their appropriate counterpart. The Elements of Honesty and Trust, the Elements of Generosity and Acceptance, the Elements of Kindness and Courage, the Elements of Laughter and Joy, the Elements of Loyalty and Leadership, and finally, the Elements of Magic and..." Twilight squinted her eyes at the last word. But try as hard as she might, she couldn't make out the word. The unicorn let out another cry of frustration as she slapped her forehead with her right hoof. "The last word is too hard to read! It's almost invisible!" Spike grabbed the glass and placed his eye closely to the blurred word. Certain enough, the word couldn't be read. He scratched his head in confusion. "Hey, you're right. It's like whoever wrote this didn't want anyone to read it. Kinda goes against the purpose of a book if you ask me." Twilight groaned as she reached for a glass of water. Her young ward however, did not move from his spot. The more Spike tried to figure out the invisible word, the more he found himself drawn into it. His eyes seemed like they were about to vanish. His head began pulsing in pain as what felt like time passed by. "Spike!" Twilight called out, shaking him slightly, "Spike, what is it?" "Uh?" Spike's eyes looked mesmerized briefly before he shook his head. "Whoa, I think I just saw through time or something." Twilight tilted her head in confusion. "Through...time?" "I...I dunno." Spike admitted, "I was trying to figure out what the word was and all of a sudden I just got a headache..." Twilight placed a hoof to her chin. The puzzle was getting more mysterious by the second. She remembered being told the Elements of Virtue before when they had moved into the mansion, but the events from today had happened so fast that she was having a hard time remembering the last one. Just as she was about to give up on naming the element, it came back to her. She had to be sure if she was right though. Spike had a better memory that she did when it came to keeping a list. "Spike, what was the last Element of Virtue Luna mentioned before?" She asked. Spike blinked a couple of times before he scratched his chin in thought. "Uh...love I think." His eyes widen, "Wait...oh don't tell me..." Twilight beamed. "That's gotta be it! Magic and Love!" She pumped her right front leg in victory, "I think we can confirm at least on possible Element is among us, don't you think?" Spike wasn't paying attention. He had slapped his face with his hand. He was confused as to why he was chosen to join them in the mansion, not that he wouldn't have joined them, but now he just felt stupid. The Princesses believed that he was a Bearer of an Element? "What are you hiding your face for now?" Twilight asked, looking rather annoyed. Spike chuckled neverously. "Oh, nothing." He lied. The baby dragon cursed in the back of his mind though. "Me, have an element? Gimme a break..." Twilight quirked an eyebrow at her ward. A coy smile grew across her face as she leaned in close to him. "Hold on there, are you thinking that you might be a bearer of an element now?" She asked. Spike immediately got defensive. "Huh? Well, I-I mean there was that aura and..." The baby dragon shook his head, "NO! I mean, yeah, of course I don't have one! Especially one as mushy as love! Yuck!" Twilight smirked at his attempt. But it did not convenience her. She poked him lightly in his chest. "Look who's talking!" She said, "You get all tongue tied whenever you see Rarity walk into the room!" Spike blushed in embarrassment before he cross his arms over his chest. She just had to go there about Rarity. How could he argue that point with her? She always found a way to be right around him. "Ah well, you know..." He finally said. But it sounded really forced. Twilight's smirk disappeared from her face. Concern for her best friend grew. Whenever Spike forced some kind of answer out, it was never a good thing. She placed a hoof on his shoulder. "What's wrong, Spike? You've been kinda sensitive on that kind of subject since the incident at the tree library with me and the goblin..." Spike locked his eyes with her own. He hated when she would make him talk about what was bugging him. But at the same time, he couldn't imagine her not being concerned. She always was there for him since day one. He trusted her. And she trusted him. He sighed. If there was anypony that could understand, it had to be her. "Well..." He started, scratching the back of his head nervously, "You see..." "Twilight? Any luck?" A new voice said, interrupting their moment. Spike exhaled quickly in relief. He was never more grateful to see Luna walk into a conversation. The situation would have turned awkward if she hadn't. "Oh!" Twilight quickly composed herself, "Luna! Great news! I found the pages about the Elements!" Her horn glowed briefly as she brought the book forward to them. Luna smiled as she watched her sister's student blow some dust off the book carefully. When Twilight was certain it was completely clean she handed it over to Luna, who took it very carefully. "Let's see..." She mused, looking at the text, "Hmm...wait, the text seems to trail off at the end. Odd..." "Well, we managed to put two and two together from what you told us." Twilight said, "You remember, right?" "Yes." Luna nodded, lifting her head up from the book. "Trust, Acceptance, Courage, Joy, Leadership, and Love. Based on the attack yesterday, the six of us that were targeted most likely possess either the Elements themselves, or the means to locate them." She placed a hoof to her chin in thought. "The question is who has which, and how are the Awakened?" Twilight frowned as she stood beside Luna, reading the page alongside her. "That's what we've been trying to figure out. Though from what we've seen here in the text, each Element seems to be partnered with the ones of Harmony. We already know that at least one element might be in the group already." "Oh? Which one?" Luna asked. Twilight pointed to the Elements and their counterparts on the page. "We think that Sky Fire might have one element. Leadership. So it is logical that if he has this element, that his partner is Rainbow Dash, who Bears Loyalty..." "Yes, that's true." Luna smiled, "It also goes hand in hand with their feelings as well." "You think so?" Twilight asked, "She thinks she hides it well, but I saw how jealous she was when he was hugging Sandra." "Trust me, Twilight Sparkle, when you've been around along as I have, you tend to know when two ponies like each other." Luna said with a smile. Her eyes glanced to the table where the black book from before was placed after her near faint experience awhile back. Her eyes shrunk in fear. "Wh-Where's that book?" Twilight's face paled when she asked that question. She glanced to where they had placed the book before, but it was gone. "T-The book is gone?" She asked, looking around frantically with Luna. The younger princess looked absolutely terrified at what was happening. "I-I don't understand! I had it placed here where it couldn't cause any more trouble!" Her eyes flashed briefly, causing her head to rear back. "Something's happening...something...oh dear Creators...NO!" The moon princess ran out of the library. Twilight quickly following after her. Whatever was happening now might have been even bigger than the battle with Sandra in her monstrous form. XxXxX "This time I'm sure to get it right!" Rainbow said as she bounced two balls at once. One on her head and another on her hind leg. She had to do something to get her mind off of Sky Fire and Sandra. Trying to the world ball bouncing record was a great help. It helped her focus on something other than her best friend's girlfriend returning from the dead. She was getting close now, she was just about to break the record at long last. A piece of her mind though could not stop thinking about him. Rainbow was slowly beginning to realize what this feeling was inside her heart. She cared for Sky Fire more than she cared for any other colt she knew. Hell, she could as well love him. They knew each other since they were just kids, they had always joked around with one another before, but she never once thought that their relationship could have been something more than friendship. She sighed as she continued to bounce the two balls together. Her goal of breaking the record was nearly complete. This time, there was absolutely no distractions. "998...999!" She said, her eyes widening in excitement as the two balls fell towards her. BOOM! An explosion of dark blue mist suddenly appeared in the room. The force of the explosion caused Rainbow to topple over, throwing her off balance and stopping her from breaking the world record. She glanced to the mist, quirking an eyebrow in confusion. "What the?" She asked, but her mouth nearly dropped in shock at the form the mist took. "No way...NIGHTMARE MOON?" Rainbow was half correct. While the creature looked exactly like Nightmare Moon, her eyes were pure white. Unlike the original Nightmare Moon as well, she was more feral and dangerous than her original counterpart. The Nightmare Moon copy growled lowly as it lashed out at Rainbow with misty tendrils. The blue pegasus was took shocked by the sight of the copy that she couldn't react in time! "Dash!" A familiar voice called out. Sky Fire flew past the Nightmare Moon copy quickly before turning his good side to take the hit from her misty tendrils. Rainbow nearly jumped up at the sight of him taking a hit. He had already pushed himself enough today, she couldn't even think of him pushing himself even more. "HAHAHAHA!" The copy laughed, "DIE DIE DIE!" Before she could attack again though, Luna's voice called out form the hallway. "STOP!" The young moon princess blasted the copy with her magic. In one shot, she destroyed the copy to dust. She began panting heavily as both Sky Fire and Rainbow looked at her in confusion. "What the hell WAS that?" Both asked together. "I...I don't know...some sort of clone...I think..." Luna said, falling to her knees as exhaustion suddenly took her. "Luna!" Twilight cried, rushing in and helping her stand back up some. "What happened?" "Some weird clone of Nightmare Moon appeared out of nowhere and attacked Rainbow." Sky Fire grunted, but a smile overcame his pain. "Her attacks were weak like no tomorrow though.." "The book...its involved, I know it." Luna mused, before turning her attention back to Sky Fire. "It...it was weak you said?" Rainbow quickly glanced over his body. "Hey yeah, he's right." She confirmed, "There's barely any nicks on him at all." "Hah..." Luna laughed, "She was an imperfect clone then...Twilight, go to my room and prepare my mirror. We need to tell Celestia of this immediately." Twilight nodded as she trotted to Luna's room to retrieve the mirror. Sky Fire quickly bowed his head towards Luna, a grateful smile on his face. "Thanks for the timely arrival, Princess. I owe you one." "It was no trouble." Luna smiled as she walked back towards her room. Leaving the two pegasai alone together in the room. Rainbow coughed a bit as she glanced away from Sky Fire. "So...I guess you gotta get back to Sandra?" She asked. Sky Fire sighed however as he turned to her, gently turning her face back to his. "Actually...I came here to talk to you about something..." To Be Continued...