//------------------------------//
// Elements of Harmony 
// Story: Courage of Harmony 
// by Byrdhouse Fanfics 
//------------------------------//

Json couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Nightmare Moon, back to shine terror.
“Well H.H., things may be bad but there is one bright side here: our machine didn’t explode!”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” said Nightmare Moon. “You mean that machine that honors my sister?! Allow me to help with that…” Pegasus guards rushed up to her to try and seize her, but she conjured lightning bolts to swat them away…right before she made sure to send a bolt to Json and H.H.’s way.
“Me and my big mouth…” An explosion ensues the moment the machine is hit, blasting the two right out of Town Hall as Nightmare Moon exited stage left via the blue smoke she appeared from. He landed in a bush, eyes swirling. “And then the lights went out all over the land!” H.H. snapped him back in reality in time to see Twilight and Spike dashing away.
“What do you think she’s up to?” Rainbow Dash’s voice startled him, making him jump. “Oh, sorry! Forgot you do that sometimes!”
“Nah, it’s alright. I do spend a lot of time in lonely self-thought…and to answer your question, I’m not sure. But Twilight going up against Moon like that…do you think there’s something off about her?”
“Well, I think she might be a spy! How else could she have known and none of us have?”
“Well, she is studious…but come on, there are no such things as spies…” His eyes darted.
“Says the unicorn inventor.”
“Hey, spies and inventors are different!”
“If you two are done debating,” said Applejack as the rest of the group stood behind them, “why don’t we just follow her? There’s probably a perfectly logical explanation for how she knew about this.”


The group followed Twilight and Spike back to the Library before creeping up to a window, seeing the former rapidly looking through all the books inside to find what she could on what she read about.
“Elements, elements, elements... Ugh! How can I stop Nightmare Moon without the Elements of Harmony?!”
That’s when Rainbow Dash dashed in. “And just what are the Elements of Harmony? And how did you know about Nightmare Moon, huh? Are you a spy?” 
H.H. had to use his hands to pull on her tail, getting her to back off a bit.
“Again, Rainbow Dash, pretty sure she’s not a spy…though you still have to explain how you knew about all this…” Json’s words, accompanied by the other ponies moving towards her, encouraged Twilight to speak her truth.
“I read all about the prediction of Nightmare Moon. Some mysterious objects called the Elements of Harmony are the only things that can stop her, but I don't know what they are, where to find them; I don't even know what they do!”
“‘The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide’,” announced Pinkie after a few seconds.
“How did you find that?!”
“It was under ‘E’!” Pinkie’s sing-song voice made Twilight chastise herself before reading what was in the book.
“There are seven Elements of Harmony, but only six are known: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty, and Courage. The seventh is a complete mystery. It is said that the last known location of the six elements is the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters. The castle is located in what is now…”


“...The Everfree Forest!” The group, now a little terrified, was now standing on the edges of the Everfree Forest, where the Elements were said to be last seen. Everypony knows this forest as the spookiest, most unnatural, and most terrifying one this side of Equestria.
“Whee! Let’s go!” Of course, Pinkie didn’t mind, but Twilight did.
“Not so fast. Look, I appreciate the offer, but I'd really rather do this on my own.”
“No can do, sugarcube. We sure ain't lettin' any friend of ours go into that creepy place alone. We're stickin' to you like caramel on a candy apple.” Everypony agreed as they started to go in. Twilight only sighed as she went in.


“So, none of you have been in here before?” Twilight’s question was answered with the same description given above: spooky, unnatural, and terrifying.
“Folks say it don’t work the same as Equestria.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nopony knows. You know why?” Despite Twilight trying to get her to stop, Rainbow continued. “‘Cause everypony who’s ever come in has never come out!”
Her attempt to spook the others works, if not for the cliff suddenly giving out, causing everypony except Rainbow and Fluttershy to fall. The two pegasi then proceeded to fly down and save their friends, with Rainbow saving Pinkie, and Fluttershy saving Json and Rarity, with H.H. lifting her as they flew towards the ground.
“Wait, your, um, friend there can lift me like that?”
“Yup. Hoovey Helper is tougher than he looks…” Both he and the titular bag were looking bashful as everypony noticed Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy carrying Twilight down.
“Sorry girls. I’m not used to holding anything more than a bunny or two.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m not really a lifter myself. H.H. definitely is though.” Applejack found a way to reach the bottom, allowing everypony to advance to the next leg of the journey.


“And once Pinkie and Rarity were saved, whoosh... Me and Fluttershy loop-de-loop around and WHAM! Caught you right in the nick of time.” Rainbow Dash loves to brag, and was never really…humble about it. Twilight got the message.
“Yes, Rainbow, I was there, and I'm very grateful, but we gotta-” She was interrupted by a sight. Everypony recognized what it was: “A manticore!”
“We gotta get past him somehow…”
“Don’t you have any gadgets or something that could help?!”
“Hmm...maybe I do…” H.H. dug through the saddlebag he was in to try and find something while everypony else tried to fight the beast…and Fluttershy was trying to get everypony’s attention.
It wasn’t until she yelled that everypony stopped fighting. To their surprise, she just went up to him and calmed it down. Once the manticore stopped, he showed her why it was so angry: he had a thorn in his paw. Poor thing…
“This might hurt for just a second…” She then pulled the thorn out with her teeth, making him roar for a second, before licking her. “Aw you're just a little ol' baby kitty, aren't you? Yes you are, yes you are!” Everypony was shocked at how brave she was, given her typical personality. Once the manticore was calmed down, they advanced, with Twilight being curious about one thing.
“How did you know about the thorn?”
“I didn’t. Sometimes we all just need to be shown a little kindness.” Twilight smiles as she catches up to everypony else.


The next leg of their journey had them entering dark tree territory…
“My eyes need a rest from all this icky muck.” That was when they entered the said territory, with the moon being blocked. “Well, I didn't mean that literally.”
“That ancient ruin could be right in front of our faces and we wouldn't even know it.” Everypony started murmuring as they bumped into each other since it’s so dark. Applejack then felt something on her hoof.
“Ugh. I think I stepped in somethin’…” Fluttershy screamed, seemingly at her. “What? It’s just mud.” Applejack turned and saw why she was screaming: trees in the form of demons…
Everypony was screaming at how creepy and scary the trees were. Well, everypony except Pinkie who made funny faces.
“Pinkie, what are you doing?! Run!” Twilight tried to get her to run, but she couldn’t.
“Oh girls, don’t you see?” Music then started playing as Pinkie shared her secret.
When I was a little filly and the sun was going down…
“Tell me she’s not…”
The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown…
“Yup, she is.” Json knew of what Pinkie does.
I'd hide under my pillow
From what I thought I saw
But Granny Pie said that wasn't the way
To deal with fears at all…
“Then what is?”
She said, "Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall
Learn to face your fears
You'll see that they can't hurt you
Just laugh to make them disappear."
Ha! Ha! Ha!
Her laugh worked. The laughs vanquished the fears! So Pinkie inspired everypony to do the same.
So, giggle at the ghostly
Guffaw at the grossly
Crack up at the creepy
Whoop it up with the weepy
Chortle at the kooky
Snortle at the spooky
And tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna... hahahaha... heh...
Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuugh!
Everypony was on the ground laughing after that musical interlude.


Once they all calmed down, they continued on, coming across a raging river. Pinkie stopped the group as they all took note of the river.
“Looks like we’ve reached the next stage. How are we gonna cross that?”
They all started hearing sobbing, which would give them an idea of how and why the river is raging. One peak over a bush and they saw a large sea serpent, splashing about in sadness.
“Oh, what a world, what a world!”
“Excuse me, sir,” said Twilight, getting his attention. “Why are you crying?”
“Well, I don't know. I was just sitting here, minding my own business, when this tacky little cloud of purple smoke just whisked past me and tore half of my beloved mustache clean off, and now I look simply horrid!” The serpent wailed once more, this time unknowingly splashing the group.
“Oh, give me a break,” said Rainbow Dash, a little annoyed that his mustache is the reason for the raging river.
“That’s what all the fuss is about?”
“Why, of course it is,” said Rarity, answering Applejack’s question. “How can you be so insensitive?” She then walked over to him. “Oh, just look at him. Such lovely luminescent scales.”
“I know…”
“And your expertly coiffed mane.”
“Oh, I know, I know.”
“Your fabulous manicure.”
“It’s so true!”
“All ruined without your beautiful mustache.”
“It’s true! I’m hideous!” The serpent’s despair made the white unicorn determined to help him.
“I simply cannot let such a crime against fabulosity go uncorrected.”
Rarity’s way of helping him was pulling off one of his scales, which made him wince, and lifting it up, which made Twilight a little confused.
“Rarity, what are you-” Her question was abruptly answered when Rarity cut off her own tail and hovered it to the serpent, using it as a replacement for his mustache. He’s ecstatic at this.
“My mustache! How wonderful!”
“You look smashing!”
“Oh, Rarity,” said Twilight, “your beautiful tail…” Rarity was generous enough to give it up, which caught Twilight’s attention.
“Oh, it’s fine dear. Short tails are in this season. Besides, it’ll grow back.”
“So would the mustache.”
“Rainbow Dash’s comment aside, the others were now able to cross the river, with the serpent acting as a bridge for them to bounce on.


The ponies have trekked for about 10 episode minutes, but now, they can see it in the distance: the ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters. Twilight exclaimed her excitement at finally making it, as did her friends.
“We’re almost there!” Twilight runs as the others followed suit, but there’s one thing that they didn’t count for: an untied bridge. Twilight almost fell off the side before catching herself.
“What is it with you and cliffs today,” quipped Applejack.
“Now what,” pondered Pinkie Pie, before Rainbow Dash reminds her of her wings. “Oh yeah.” She flew down and grabbed the other side of the rope bridge and then flew to the other side. Twilight noted how quickly she flew.
“Wow, I knew she could clear a whole sky in 10 seconds, but…”
“Yup,” said Json. “She’s actually one of the fastest ponies in town. She also happens to be one of the most helpful.”
“Really? No offense to her, but she seemed a bit…”
“Yeah, I know. She can be a bit of a bragger, but she’s good at what she does.”
“And the best part about her is,” said Fluttershy, “she can be very loyal when push comes to shove.”
Twilight paused in thought before noting how long Rainbow Dash is taking to tie the bridge.
“Rainbow? What’s taking so long?” She called out to see what she was doing before noticing a pack of pegasi in dark clothing. She puts the two and two together before gasping. “Oh no…Rainbow!” One of them notices and fogs the ravine to keep the group from interfering. “Don’t listen to them!”
“What’s going on,” asked Applejack.
“So everything that’s been going wrong during our journey…I think I have a pretty good idea of who’s doing this.”
‘You don’t mean…” Applejack stopped and saw Rainbow Dash flying across the now-tied bridge as the fog cleared and everypony cheered for her.
“See? I’d never leave my friends hangin’.”


The ponies finally reached the inside of the ruined castle, seeing a large spire of six stone spheres centered around it.
“Come on, Twilight,” said Applejack. “Isn't this what you've been waitin' for?”
“The Elements of Harmony…we’ve found them.” The two pegasi and H.H. all went up to grab the stones, two for each of them, as Pinkie Pie counted the six stones.
“There’s only six!”
“Where’s the seventh?”
Twilight then recalls what the book said about the Elements: “When the six are present, a spark will cause the seventh Element to be revealed.”
“What the hay is that supposed to mean?”
“I’m not sure, but I have an idea. Stand back. I don’t know what will happen…”


The six other ponies stepped back and let Twilight try her idea. However, as she tried, a blue smoke sneaked into the room and circled the stones, something that did not go unnoticed by Twilight and the group.
“Wait, that’s not supposed to happen! There was supposed to be a spark!” Twilight’s growing fear was set as soon as the smoke reformed itself into Nightmare Moon.
“Aww, what’s the matter? Your little spark didn’t show?”
“Nightmare Moon…give back those Elements!”
“Oh, now why would I want to do that? Unless you actually want me to stop my beautiful night…” She then cackled as she took the time to say some personal words. “You little pony was no closer to stopping me than you were at the Celebration! Face it: you will never defeat me…” Those words did get to Twilight as Moon laughed and vanished with the Elements. The group saw all of this as Json walked over to Twilight, who was currently a little distraught.
“This whole journey was for nothing…”
There was nothing Json hated more than seeing someone give up so easily so he took the time to help her out, with H.H. consoling her.
“Twilight, look at me. We managed to face off against everything that she threw at us! Think about it: when she made the cliff give out, we got through it. When that manticore was angered, we got through it. When those trees gave us a fright, we got through it! When that serpent wailed through that river, we got through it! And when we came across that rope bridge, guess what?”
“We got through it.”
“We got through it! Now, I’m not sure how we are going to defeat Nightmare Moon. Heck, this is probably the first time any of us have ever been in a situation like this, but you can be sure of one thing: we’re still gonna try!”
Twilight listened to his entire speech and realized something: he’s telling her to show courage despite the odds. And that led to her having a realization as she gasped.
“You’re right! We can’t give up now! In fact, everypony, follow me!” Twilight dashes up the stairs, which led to everybody else following suit.


As they reached the top of the stairs, they saw Nightmare Moon standing upon broken shards of the six spheres.
“Sorry to burst your bubbles, but you’re all too late. Your precious elements are destroyed! Now you’ll never see your princess or the sun! The night will last…forever!” Moon cackles at Twilight and the group as she only smirked.
“You think you can destroy the Elements of Harmony just like that? Well, you’re wrong. The spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here!” The shards then glowed and began to hover, much to Moon’s confusion.
“What?”
“Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the spirit of…honesty!” Some of the shards grew orange and circled around her, to her surprise. 
“Fluttershy, who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of…kindness!” The same happened to Fluttershy, only pink. 
“Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of…laughter!” She felt ecstatic as blue shards circled her. 
“Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift, represents the spirit of…generosity!” Purple shards circled around her. 
“Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desire, represents the spirit of…loyalty!” Red shards circled around her as she was in flight.
“And last, but certainly not least, Json, who inspired us all to face off against you despite the odds and your words, represents the spirit of…courage!” Green shards circled around him and H.H. as he looked proud at her for showing courage like that.
“The spirits of these six ponies got us through every challenge you threw at us!”
“You still don't have the seventh Element! The spark didn't work!”
“Oh, but it did! A different kind of spark.” She turns to her friends for this part. “I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all…are my friends!” One final sphere appeared before the ponies and floated above Twilight. “You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the... the spark, that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the seventh element: the element of…magic!”
All of the shards that floated around each of the other six ponies transformed into wearable necklaces, with the sphere that was floating above Twilight turning into a tiara. The power from all of them created a magic rainbow that circles around Nightmare Moon, causing her to scream in terror. The final blow was done by Twilight’s eyes glowing…


Everypony was now on the ground, a little banged up by what just happened.
“Ugh,” said Json, as everypony started to get back up. “Is everypony okay?”
“Oh, thank goodness,” said Rarity, seeing that her tail was back.
“Why Rarity,” said Fluttershy, “it’s so lovely.”
“I know! I’ll never part with it again!”
“No, your necklace. It looks just like your cutie mark.”
Rarity noticed that her diamond-shaped necklace did indeed look like her cutie mark.
“Ooh! So does yours!” All the ponies looked at their necklaces and saw that they indeed looked like their cutie marks, with Json’s necklace taking the form of a cog gear.
“Gee Twilight,” said Applejack. “I thought you were just spoutin' a lot of hooey, but I reckon we really do represent the Elements of Friendship!”
“Indeed you do.” With the defeat of Nightmare Moon came the rise of the Sun, just a little while too late. And with this rise of the Sun came a figure that materialized in front of everypony. This figure was beloved by all of Equestria, being its ruler. This figure was Princess Celestia, whose presence prompted everypony to bow before her.
“Princess Celestia!” Twilight, however, dashes over to hug her, as Json admittedly looked a little confused.
“Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student. I knew you could do it.”
“I told you that you needed to make some friends, nothing more. I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return, and I knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her, but you could not unleash it until you let true friendship into your heart. Now if only another will as well.”
Princess Celestia walked over to another pony that was lying on the ground, weakened.
“Princess Luna!” She immediately looks nervous. “It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this. Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, little sister.”
“Sister?!” Everypony was taken back by this specific development.
“Will you accept my friendship?” Celestia’s question had everypony on the edge of their hooves until…
“I’m so sorry!” Princess Luna snuggles her in regret. “I missed you so much, big sister!”
“I missed you, too.”
The sight of the two sisters reuniting was enough to make Pinkie cry…for a few seconds.
“Hey, you know what this calls for?”


“A party!” The Summer Sun Celebration is finally taking place, with everypony gathered in the Town Center just in time for the two Princesses to ride in on horse-drawn carriages. They were gathered to see Json and H.H. try their invention again…this time on a ball hanging in the middle of the Center, and without the threat of a corrupted, eternal night-causing pony. The two bowed as the Princesses came up to them.
“Your highnesses.”
“Json. Hoovey Helper.” Princess Celestia knew exactly who the two were, though Princess Luna didn’t.
“Princess Luna. This is Json, the town’s resident scientist. And the saddlebag is named Hoover Helper.”
“Oh. Nice to meet you…two.” Luna did look a little awkward at the sight of a saddlebag that had, well, what is not seen in Equestria, namely hands.
“Oh, it’s perfectly okay if you don’t feel comfortable. H.H. gets that a lot. Anyways, I am ready to start if you are.”
“Yes, please.”
“Okay, here it goes.” The machine boils the water inside and evaporates it, prompting H.H. to press the large button to shoot out a ray at the large ball. The ball glowed as bright as the Sun as everypony oohed and stomped their hooves. Json, meanwhile, was happy that the machine worked and was very ecstatic, hopping around in excitement.
“It worked! It worked! It worked!” He got the attention of everypony close to him and blushed. “This was the first time since H.H. where one of my inventions worked.”


As he blushed while being praised, Princess Celestia saw Twilight Sparkle looking a little glum.
“Why so glum, my faithful student? Are you not happy that your quest is complete and you can return to your studies in Canterlot?” Json and H.H. saw the two talking as they, along with his other friends, came over. 
“That’s just it. Just when I learned how wonderful it is to have friends, I have to leave them.” That was when Celestia got an idea as she had Spike take a note.
“‘I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that the unicorn Twilight Sparkle shall take on a new mission for Equestria. She must continue to study the magic of friendship. She must report to me her findings from her new home in Ponyville.’”
Everypony cheers now that the unicorn who previously didn’t see the point in making friends was now able to stay with her new friends.
“Oh thank you, Princess Celestia! I'll study harder than ever before!”
Twilight’s friends came over to hug her, with the camera pulling out, with the expectation that this was not going to be exactly like-
“Isn't this exciting? Are you excited cause I'm excited I've never been so excited, well, except for the time that I went [deep gasp] but I mean really-”
Sorry, Pinkie can be a bit chatty. Anyways, now it’s time to see how the Element of Courage will fare with a new friend and a new mission to fulfill his Element...