//------------------------------// // 2:1 The Elements of Harmony // Story: My Little Pony: The Shadow Games // by raven618 //------------------------------// Friendship is Magic Part 2 The Elements of Harmony Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie. Let me get you up to speed. Today is the Summer Sun Celebration, the longest day of the year. It’s supposed to be a fun and enjoyable holiday. But Twilight Sparkle learned that this really mean pony, Nightmare Moon, was going to return tonight. She tried to warn the Princess, but instead she was told to oversee the Celebration preparation. That was how she, her Dragon assistant Spike, and her classmate Moondancer met: Applejack, an apple farmer with a big family, Rarity, a dress maker with an eye for all things fancy, Fluttershy, a shy Pegasus who can talk with animals, Rainbow Dash, a totally awesome flier and duelist, and me, Ponyville’s party planner. When Twilight told me about Nightmare Moon, we started looking for clues about the one thing that could stop her, the Elements of Harmony. But I think we're out of time... Nightmare Moon’s laughter reverberated throughout Ponyville Town Hall. Bursts of lightning struck out from her mane over the cowering civilian’s heads. “Seize her!” Mayor Mare commanded, “Only she knows where the Princess is.” A trio of Pegasus guards appeared out of nowhere and flew to arrest the intruder. “Stand back, you foals!” Her eyes glowed white as the lightning struck the guards, throwing them to the ground. Her mane and tail then recollected around her in mist that snaked its way out of the building, her haunting laugh reverberating in its wake. Only now did the screaming start. Panic quickly spread as ponies started running around wild. Rainbow Dash broke free of Applejack’s hold and flew after the escaping cloud. “Come back here!” She shouted, but the mist had already vanished from sight. “Nighttime, forever?” Rainbow repeated the black Alicorn’s words. True enough, the now flawless full moon remained high in the sky. The stars which should have been disappearing as the sun rose instead seemed to only be growing brighter and more numerous. Even the sky itself seemed to be darkening, going from a gentle purple to an emptier black. ‘But, how? Why? Who was that?’ Rainbow asked herself, oblivious as the panic spread outside the Town Hall as ponies ran screaming to their homes. ‘She said she was Nightmare Moon. But Nightmare Moon is just a story. Something to keep foals from staying up late on Nightmare Night.’ Her eyes strayed downwards, and she caught sight of a pale-yellow Unicorn carrying a tiny purple and green dragon leave the building, followed closely by a white Unicorn and a familiar yellow Pegasus. “Now where do ya’ll suppose they’re goin’?” Applejack asked as she trotted under the blue Pegasus. “I don’t know, but I intend to find out.” She said before flying off after the fleeing ponies. “Apple Bloom!” Applejack called to her little sister, “Run home and tell Granny what happened, stay there until I get back!” Applejack then followed the Pony train into town. = = = Nightmare Moon’s smoke-like form moved through the strange town. She had intended to make her grand debut in her old castle; only to find it abandoned and rotting away as the wild nature moved in. Instead she located the nearest village, and wouldn’t you know it, she had found her dear sister. And while she would have preferred being welcomed back as befitting royalty, she had at least hoped that the populace would have at least some idea as to who she was. No matter, she would just have to inform them of who their new queen- A bright light shone from within her vaporous form, dispersing it. The light was golden, yet strangely cold, and it came from the eye in her chest piece. ‘My amulet? Why does it speak now?’ The light fell on a near-by market stand. From that stand, a number of small, tough leaflets of paper came flying out and hovering before her. Many of them tore through the odd purses which held them in the process. The leaflets began to glow as spectral figures materialized around them. Nightmare Moon quickly realized she was surrounded. “Back, spirits!” She commanded as she took a defensive posture, “Whatever you are, you stand no chance against me!” One of the spirits stepped forwards. “Oracle of the Night.” It said in a hollow, echoing voice. “We will serve you.” To her great surprise, the spirits began bowing before her, then fading as the leaflets stopped glowing and fell to the ground. Nightmare Moon picked one of them up, the image on it was of a green pony with dark red armor covering their decaying flesh. The backside was a plain brown background with a black oval shape in the center. Nightmare Moon chuckled to herself, “Well well well, somepony who recognizes true power.” = = = Back at the Golden Oaks Library, Twilight and Pinkie had made no progress in their search for any material regarding Nightmare Moon or the Elements of Harmony. The delay of the sunrise had only expedited the search. Still nothing. “Uhg! This is hopeless!” Twilight groaned in frustration. “We don’t stand a chance against Nightmare Moon without the Elements!” A violent knocking startled the two mares. After catching her breath, Pinkie opened the library’s door, admitting Moondancer, Spike, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Applejack into the illuminated interior. “Pinkie! Miss Twilight! It’s terrible, absolutely terrible!” Rarity exclaimed. “What happened?” Twilight asked, quietly. “The Celebration seemed to be going fine, then this evil lookin’ pony appears out a’ nowhere, callin’ herself Nightmare Moon, and says she’s going to make the night last forever. Now the moon’s stopped moving and no one can find the Princess anywhere.” Applejack explained. Twilight closed her eyes in both sadness and guilt, “We’re too late.” “You knew!?” Rainbow Dash asked, anger building. “I feared!” Twilight yelled, tears flying as her eyes snapped open. “I learned Nightmare Moon was going to return and I tried to warn the Princess! I tried…” The Unicorn fell to the floor and started weeping. Spike, Pinkie and Fluttershy went to embrace the broken mare. “She warned the Princess?” Applejack asked. “Oh yeah, she didn’t tell you. Twilight is Princess Celestia’s apprentice.” Moondancer explained. “What does that mean?” Rainbow asked. “It means she was the Princess’s private student.” Rarity explained. “Learning from her face to face, one on one.” That seemed to register to the blue flier. Pinkie walked towards the others, “Twilight told me she found an old prophecy foretelling Nightmare Moon’s return, and that the Princess was able to stop her one thousand years ago using something called the Elements of Harmony.” “Then what are we doing standing around here?” Rainbow took to the air, “Let’s go get these ‘Elements’ and stop Nightmare!” “Hold it right there, fly-girl!” Applejack grabbed her rainbow tail in her mouth before the pony could go racing off without a plan. “Where are these, Elements?” “I don’t know!” Twilight said, standing up shakily, “Nothing I read had any details. I don’t know what they are, or where to find them. I don’t even know what they DO.” “Are you talking about these Elements of Harmony?” At some point, Rarity had moved over to an untouched bookshelf and taken out a red book with gold bindings on the spine. She had opened it to a page and turned it towards the others, displaying an illustration of five hexagon shaped gemstones, all of different colors, over a gold compass design while a sixth gemstone sat in the center. “How did you find that?” Twilight said as Rarity gave her the book. “My sister and I were here about a week ago. She found this book and I remember reading about these legendary stones called the Elements of Harmony.” “Why didn’t you put the book back in it’s spot when you were done?” Moondancer asked. “I did! I put it back in with the ‘E’s, for Elements.” Moondancer stared, bewildered. “Is, is that not how libraries are organized?” “Our librarian left town, and we’ve apparently been using the library wrong ever since.” Pinkie explained. Moondancer felt a great deal of contempt for these ponies. “Barbarians.” Twilight skimmed through the pages of the book, before finding a promising passage. “There are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known. Translated from the old Ponish, their names are such: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, and Loyalty. Tantalizingly, all records of the sixth have been lost, or are purposely vague. It is said that the last known location of the five known elements, was in the castle of the royal pony sisters.” “The who?” Rainbow asked, before getting shushed by everyone else. Twilight kept reading, “It is located in what is now-“ Twilight stopped reading. Even she knew the dangers of this location. “Where? Where are they?” Pinkie asked. “The Everfree Forest.” “THE EVERFREE FOREST!?” The other ponies each shouted together. “Whas that?” Spike asked. “It’s a dangerous stretch of land that no pony in their right mind would dare walk into.” Applejack explained. “All kinds of strange and unnatural stuff comes lurking out of there and causing trouble in town.” “So, it’s right next to Ponyville?” A few nodding heads said yes. “Well that’s convenient. Let’s go.” “Oh no! You are going straight to bed.” Twilight grabbed the Dragon in her magic and carried him upstairs into a bedroom. “What? But we’ve got to stop Nigh-Yawn!” Spike’s protest died in his throat as a massive yawn overtook him. “Spike, you’ve been up all night. You’re still just a baby Dragon.” “But I want to help.” He said as he was placed in the bed. Twilight found a fresh bedsheet and tucked him in. “Spike, this may be dangerous. I’ll feel a lot safer knowing you are here, safe.” She kissed him on the head. “Can you do that for me?” Spike didn’t say anything as sleep quickly over-powered him. “Thank you, my number one assistant.” Twilight returned downstairs. The other ponies watched in silence as she took the book and added it to the other two already in her saddle bags. As she did, she caught sight of the duel deck she had been given. She considered removing it, but some feeling told her to keep it. ‘It’s too small and light to be of any bother.’ She told herself as she put her saddlebags on. “Moondancer. Look after Spike while I’m gone.” “Be safe, Twilight.” She turned to the other ponies, “Thank you for your help. I wish you all well on your journeys home.” “Uh, we’re coming with you.” Rainbow said. “What? But why?” “I know we’ve only known you for a day, and none of us have ever been in the Everfree Forest before.” Pinkie said. “But you are still our friend. And as your friends, we are not about to let you go and risk your life without us.” She didn’t let Twilight counter her as she quickly left the library and began walking away, probably towards the Everfree Forest. “Besides,” Rainbow added, “I want a shot at that Nightmare Moon jerk. She comes into Ponyville and thinks she can just push us around; she’s got another thing coming.” The mare flew off after the pink pony. Rarity, Fluttershy and Applejack followed her. Twilight watched them leave, then shook her head and turned back towards Moondancer. “I guess we will be back as soon as we can.” “Good luck.” Twilight smiled before closing the door and running after the other mares. While not how she had originally planed it, she was nonetheless glad the others where coming with her. Weird. = = = The Everfree Forest. Located on the south side of Ponyville, a small stream was all that acted as a defense against the mass of trees. It truly looked like a wicked forest out of a fairytale; thick gnarled branches, dark leaves and heavy vines that obscured the sky, rocks and mushrooms sticking out of the ground randomly. There didn’t even seem to be a discernable path they could walk on. “Last chance if anypony wants to back out.” Twilight said. “No can do, sugarcube.” Applejack retorted, “We’re sticking to you like caramel on a candy-apple.” “Did you have to say that?” Pinkie groaned. “Now I’m hungry.” With that, the six mares entered the Forest. Twilight had never gone hiking before, but she was pretty sure it wasn’t supposed to be like this. Roots sticking out of the ground, waiting to trip her up. Branches hanging too low, whacking her in the face. Random dips in the ground causing her to slide. It was a challenge just to walk, finding The Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters was looking to be next to impossible. “So, none of you have been in here before?” “Ugh, heavens no.” Rarity said, trying to maneuver around a patch of green mushrooms. “Just look at it. It’s dreadful.” “And it ain’t natural.” Applejack added. “Folks say it don’t work the same as Equestria.” Twilight suddenly realized that the whole landscape had changed. What had been dense vegetation had suddenly become an empty path on the side of a cliff, with a great drop below them. “What’s that supposed to mean?” She couldn’t keep the fear out of her voice. “Nopony knows.” Rainbow said, slowly stalking back towards the other ponies in a ‘spooky’ fashion. “And do you know why?” “Rainbow! Quit it!” “Cause everypony who’s ever come in.” She continued, “Has never, come, OUT!” “AAAHHH!!!” The valley below was filled with the ponies’ screams. “All right! That’s enough!” Applejack chastised the Pegasus again. “We’re all jumpy enough without you scaring everypony!” She turned her attention to the pile of quivering mares. “Now don’t ya’ll listen to her. My Granny Smith comes into this forest almost every year, and she told me that most of the stories folks say about the Everfree are just that, stories.” “But, they can’t all just be stories, can they?” Pinkie asked. “Now listen here, I’m not gonna lie to you and say that everything is fine and that there’s nothing dangerous in this here forest. But I am gonna tell you that if we don’t keep moving forwards, then that Nightmare creature is going to take over Equestria, and we’ll never see the sun again. Now, ya'll can either go back home and stay safe, no one will think any less of ya. Or, you can keep going, and help us stop this evil night.” Twilight wasn’t sure this blunt honesty was going to work, but to her surprise, Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy all let go of each other and continued trotting. “That was amazing!” She said, “How did you know…” “That telling them the truth would work? I didn’t. But it’s better that they know the truth than putting their faith on a lie to keep them calm.” Twilight could see the logic in that, and she now had a deeper respect for this mare who before this had seemed like just a simple country girl. She trotted after the other five, feeling like there was some hope for their little band after all. She didn't hear the low roar coming from down below in the valley.