//------------------------------// // Teleportation // Story: Choice // by zelkova48 //------------------------------// The Conversion Wars enters its final year as Equestria is left vulnerable after the fall of the barrier. Defeat is certain but unspoken. In an effort to escape humanity’s wrath the remaining princesses attempt to teleport Equestria to another world, just as they had before. It was noisier in Twilight's private laboratory than it usually was, and had been for some time now. Between the low humming of the science equipment and the crackling of electricity that arced across its numerous power nodes, the loud clattering of chalk furiously slamming against a chalkboard in an irregular rhythmic fashion drowned out the background noise as Twilight herself was unblinkingly focused on the task at hoof. The mare was a shell of of former self. Her slovenly emaciated appearance left a lot to be desired; with her matted fur, unkempt mane, sunken reddened eyes and unladylike stench making it hard to believe that this mad scientist was also a regal monarch. Even with her alicorn vitality the sheer strain of stress and worry had gotten to her, just as it did Cadance. Several chalkboards were set up in front of Twilight. Each one was scrawled from edge to edge with a dizzying array of mathematical equations, formulae and footnotes that were so small and poorly arranged one could easily mistaken the wall of numbers and iconography to be some form of advanced alien language. Beside her was a massive oak work desk which had various sheets of paper messily strewn across its coffee stained surface and a small pile of empty chalk cartons stacked on one corner. As for the rest of the lab, calling it messy would be an understatement. The place was a dump. Trash was everywhere. Discarded snack tins, decomposing food waste and other assorted nastiness overflowed from the wastebasket nearby, attracting flies and other skittering pests with its rotted scent and tiny scraps of tasty morsels. There was a spill that hadn't gotten cleaned up, some sort of foul smelling chemical that glowed disconcertingly in a viscous puddle. Nearly everything that wasn't covered up by a tarp or some sort of cloth had a thick layer of chalk dust coating it. Usually, it was Spike or one of the castle's housekeeping staff that would come in and help clean the place out for her. But due to the looming sense of finality in the war hanging over her head Twilight had deemed their efforts a distraction and closed herself off in an effort to concentrate better. For four exhausting months (or was it five? It was hard to remember anymore), Twilight had been working herself to the bone nonstop reading, writing, calculating, smashing and loudly cursing to herself throughout this entire strenuous ordeal in order to achieve the impossible: Crack the magical code of the Elements of Harmony themselves. In the war room of Castle Canterlot, the war council was in an uproar. In the wake of Luna's death and simultaneous unveiling of humanity's new magic killers, Equestria had experienced nothing but a near constant string of humiliating defeats one after the other. All that was compounded with the harrowing thought that the barrier, the creeping nigh impenetrable force field of death, that promised a guaranteed victory for Equestria had been fractured into glittering nothingness, leaving the homeland vulnerable to enemy action as demonstrated by the destruction of the Crystal Empire. The nuking of the Crystal Empire, along with the tragic deaths of Princess Cadance and Princess Flurry Heart, was by far the most devastating of the country's losses, having happened only a month prior. The wave of unrest that washed over Equestria due to that horrible event had put a massive strain on the already abysmal morale of the populace, forcing the crown to divert its efforts into maintaining the fragile stability of the nation in lieu of building their military back up to full combat strength or maintaining the war front. The stress of war time was starting to boil over and everypony was affected by it. Due to the mounting fatigue and overall state of recent affairs today’s meeting had not been going particularly well, with the entirety of the discussion had boiling down to heated shouting matches, stuttering excuses and blatant projection. It certainly didn't help that the council itself was radically different than it had been originally. Of the council's original members only Princess Celestia, Princess Twilight Sparkle and her personal assistant, Spike, Chief Director Hush Hush of the Equestrian Secret Service and Colonel Air Lift of the Pegasi Aerial Division remained. The rest were all newly appointed members with moderate to minor experience in leadership who had attained this critical position either through recommendation or direct succession after their predecessors resigned in shame or, more commonly, were killed in action. It was evident that the loss of Commander-General Shining Armor, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance and several other esteemed commanders had deeply impacted the military's overall aptitude. The entire chain of command was in shambles and it showed, with the rank and file having been reshuffled numerous times like a deck of cards at a Las Pegasus casino. Older, more experienced veterans were dying in droves out on the front line, leaving only fresh faced recruits and inexperienced civilian conscripts to replenish the ranks. As a result, the collective level of tactical knowledge and combat prowess spread out amongst their forces at large had begun to steadily diminish with each engagement and showed no sign of slowing down anytime soon. "Order, order!" Princess Celestia shouted over the fracas, telekinetically slamming a gavel on her desk. "I said, order!" "These reports are getting worse by the day!" General Six Shot yelled over Celestia, his own trepidations overpowering any fear he had for disrespecting his venerable princess. "The last of our forces have just completed their retreat from Indonesia! Along with the loss of the Philippines weeks earlier that means all of Southeast Asia is back under human control! All that precious pony blood spilled to claim those territories for Equestria, wasted!" He slammed his hoof angrily on the table. "We still have Oceania!" General Northern Winds rebuked. "Our forces are still holding strong! As long as we can maintain the war front we can still turn this disadvantage around!" "With what?!" Colonel Bulk Head jeered, shooting a glare in the others direction. "Nothing we do is enough! Those magic killers the humans used have rendered our forces impotent! We must pull back to the homeland and re-strategize, Oceania is a lost cause!" "We can't pull out now, not without a proper evacuation!" Lieutenant Colonel Valkyrie argued. "Are you forgetting about our settlements? Our citizens? We need to do everything we can to get our people back home. It should be of the utmost importance!" "A full evacuation just isn't in the cards at the moment!" Bulk Head shot back. "If we're going to turn tail and run, I say we cut the dead weight. Only pureblooded ponies are allowed to come back. We can leave the Newfoals to rot." "You would abandon them?!" Valkyrie balked. "How could you consider such a thing!" "I'm with Bulk Head on this," Six Shot nodded. "Leave the Newfoals, they'd only slow us down. They don't deserve to come back. They were formerly humans, after all." "Formerly being the operative word!" Valkyrie seethed through gritted teeth. "Six Shot, Bulk Head, your suggestions are abominable! Scum like you isn't worthy of the chair you sit in!" "Lieutenant Colonel, you're treading on thin ice! You should know better than to insult your superio-!" Six Shot reprimanded, only to be cut off by Celestia interjecting and retaking control of the conversation. "ENOUGH!" Celestia commanded, the royal 'we' used to full effect. Everyone in the room flinched from her voice and immediately settled down, slinking down in their seats nervously as the princess swept an annoyed gaze across the room. Her sternness and irritated expression gave off the impression of a mother scolding her unruly foals. "...Now, I'm going to speak. And when I do, I expect all of you to behave yourself in a manner befitting of your station. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear." "...Crystal, your majesty," the group grumbled. "Good," Celestia breathed, pulling herself back onto her chair. "Now, as abhorrent as it is, Colonel Bulk Head and General Six Shot, in spite of their tactless way of putting it, are correct. Our resources and fighting force are spread thin as it is. Evacuation is our number one priority, but at the speed of the human advance we have no choice but to abandon the Newfoals." "But, your majesty!" Valkyrie began but lost her nerve to speak when Celestia locked eyes with her. "I understand your concern, lieutenant colonel, but this is war. As much as it pains me to admit it, we can't save them all," replied Celestia. "Their loss is tragic, yes, but as long as we hold strong their lives will not be in vain." "I... I understand," Valkyrie resigned herself to the princess's authority and settled back down. "...Permission to speak, princess?" Colonel Air Lift spoke up. "You may," Celestia nodded. "What is on your mind, Colonel Air Lift." "I would to inquire as to what our next move will be once the evacuation is complete." "What kind of question is that?" Northern Winds sneered. "We fight, that's what will do." "Yes, we will fight, but what then?" Air Lift looked over the room. "The Royal Guard are being beaten back, forcing us to abandon all of our territory. We can't win direct engagements, we can't hold key positions, we can't teleport in and ambush our opponents, we can't do anything." "What?" Bulk Head scoffed. "Do you suggest we surrender?" "No! No! Damn it all, no!" Air Lift snapped, baring his teeth. "We can't surrender, not after everything that's happened...! But all of you must realize, even you, Princess Celestia, that we can't win either." At the mention, Princess Celestia pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. Gauging her reaction, Air lift continued with his speech. "This war has been turned on it head. I don't know if any of you are willing to admit it, but things are looking bleak. The death of Shining Armor was a fluke, a mistake that never should've happened. That, I am willing to believe. But then..." Air Lift sighed, "Luna. Venerable Luna was killed in battle. I was there with her in Jerusalem. I fought by her side as a proud commander leading my pegasi to glory, only to witness an atrocity laid out before my very eyes. And just when things couldn't get any worse, the Crystal Empire, her majesty Princess Cadance and her young daughter were erased from existence in a single night." He paused, noting the subtle looks of fear and uncertainty that his colleagues possessed. "Five years. For five years I've fought and succeeded for Equestria. I killed the humans who dared to resist us, who dared to rebuke the will of harmony! I helped to retake this ill stricken world from their filthy blood soaked hands and build us the utopia that was always meant to be! But now, here we are. Being pushed back to our soil with almost little to no resistance! The world burns, my men are being slaughtered, our heroes and our rulers are being struck down one after the other! Humanity has proven themselves to be more than we can handle!" "...We pull back to Equestria. We lick our wounds, and then what?" He frowned, turning his head away in weariness. "...Then what?" "...It's not over," Princess Celestia finally spoke, breaking the pregnant silence that filled the air after Air Lift's defeatist rant. "We're still here. We are all still alive. As long as we live and breath this battle is far from over. I won't let us be defeated. Not now, not ever. Equestria has never bowed its head to any threat. Not to dark forces, not to megalomaniacal madmanes, and most certainly not to a bumbling horde of humans." She stood up and began circling the room, glaring at Air lift. "You disappoint me, Colonel. I expected more from a survivor of the original council." "Forgive me, my princess," Air Lift, hung his head in shame. "I... I just can't take it anymore. We were winning. Nothing could stop us. And now, we are the ones being culled. I just can't foresee a scenario where we aren't wiped out just like the Crystal Empire was if we keep losing all these battles. It would take miracle to..." His sentence drifted off to quiet murmurs. "...And a miracle we shall have," Celestia reaffirmed, causing the room to break out into confused mumblings. "Your majesty," General Six Shot cleared his throat. "You have something planned?" "You doubt me?" Celestia raised her eyebrow. "N-no! No, no, no. Of course not, princess," Six Shot hastily defended, putting on a sheepish grin. "I-I'm merely interested in what it is you have planned." "You mean: what we have planned," Celestia looked over to Twilight, who had been noticeably quiet throughout the entire discussions. "Twilight, if you will?" "Thank you, Princess Celestia," Twilight rose up from her seat and trotted to the front of the room, her expression stony but confident. Spike followed suit, holding a sheaf of paper in his claws. Once situated, Twilight gave a short presentation detailing Equestria's next, and most crucial, course of action. "Ahem," Twilight cleared her throat. "Esteemed members of the war council. Though it pains me to admit it, Colonel Air Lift is correct in his assessment of our current situation. These are dire circumstances, I will not lie. The humans have indeed proven themselves to be more irksome than we have originally surmised. But as Princess Celestia has also pointed out, Equestria is still standing in light of... recent tragedies." She looked morose for a moment but regained her composure. "Humanity hasn't won yet and we will see to it personally that they never will have that satisfaction." She nodded towards Spike, prompting the young drake to pull out several maps and diagrams before placing them in front of the table. "As it stands, it would be foolish to continue any form of direct or indirect engagement with the enemy. With the advent of the magic killers we've lost our greatest advantage over humanity and have been forced on their terms with little in the way of meaningful retaliation. Therefore, instead of needlessly throwing ourselves into the line of fire, it would be prudent to let the enemy come to us." She pointed to the map of Equestria. "I propose we initiate a full scale retreat, pull back all our existing forces into the homeland where we will consolidate our defenses and focus on fortifying our borders. While the loss of the barrier was... unfortunate, the combined might of Equestria's finest should be more than enough to repel any invasion force that seek to set foot on our shores. That is what we must do.” "...So, that's it? That's the master plan?" Northern Winds chuckled humorously, raising his brow. "We're going to pull our troops back, dig in, and fight it out? What would that accomplish?!" he grumbled. "What makes any of this different than what we're doing already!?" "The difference, general, is that we're no longer trying to win," Twilight replied coolly, earning several bemused murmurs in returned. "...Then what is it that we are trying to achieve by holding the line against a veritable wall of steel and hate, Princess Twilight?" Six Shot replied flippantly, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat. "Buy us time," Twilight declared. "Victory over humanity is all but impossible now. However, that does not mean we must suffer defeat. We still have an ace up our sleeves. Something that can end the bloodshed. Something that has never failed us before. Something that no pitiable human can ever hope to stand up to." Twilight's horn glowed briefly, and in a bright flash of magenta light, a set of familiar looking jewelry materialized around her. A series of gasps escaped the lips of the council members. They recognized the jewelry immediately. It was the Elements of Harmony. The sacred relics of Equestria orbited around Twilight, floating with a faint magenta glow as she placed them down on the table. "The Elements of Harmony," Valkyrie breathed, staring in awe before their magnificence. "The Elements of Harmony are the most powerful source of magic in existence,” Twilight began. "With them, Celestia and I intend to use its awesome power to teleport Equestria and our people away from this dimension, just as we have before." "...Are we abandoning the cause, princess?" Air Lift asked cautiously. "We are not abandoning anything," Celestia cut in, eyes narrowing into a stern gaze. "Enlightening others to the ways of friendship and harmony will always be our eternal goal. It is our sacred charge that has been entrusted to us ponies by life itself. Despite our best efforts, however, humanity has proven itself to be a lost cause. It was a mistake thinking we could help them. Our efforts are wasted here. As far as we're concerned, the humans and our traitorous ilk can quarrel amongst themselves on this wretched mudball of a planet all they like. Let them kill each other off, just like they were going to anyway before we showed up." "Hear, hear!" Bulk Head concurred. "I don't want anything to do with those damned dirty apes any longer! The sooner we return back to Equus, the better." "...We're not returning to Equus," Celestia admitted, causing the council to exchanged worried looks between one another. "What do you mean, princess?" Valkyrie asked. "Is Equus not our destination?" "We can't go back home, I'm afraid," Celestia turned away, hiding her face from her peers. "It was my modifications to Starswirl The Bearded's magical theory that allowed us to jump dimension in the first place. However, dimensional travel is tricky business. Due to an intangible form of cosmic interference, a return to Equus is simply not possible. Our only other destination is wherever the spell will land us. I'm sorry to relay to you this bad news, but that is the unfortunate truth of things," she lied through her teeth. "Your majesty, that sounds... risky," commented Six Shot. "What if the next world is just as bad as this one?" Northern Winds pointed out. "Harmony forbid the next specie we try to help turn on us too." "...Would you all rather stay here?" Spike quipped. There was a curt round of silence in the war room before a unanimous decision was made to evacuate Equestria from this dimension. "I thought so," he frowned. "Hold on, hold on for just a second," Valkyrie interrupted. "The Elements of Harmony are indeed powerful magic, it is capable of miracles. But..." she paused, wondering if she should say what needs to be said aloud. Steeling herself, she asked the obvious, "can they function without Flut-?" "She is irrelevant to this conversation!" Twilight hastily seethed, causing Valkyrie to be taken aback by the princess's flare-up of hostility. Frightened but curious, Valkyrie swallowed thickly and pressed the conversation. "Y-your majesty, I only assume this because it is a well known fact that the Elements of Harmony can only be used when all-" "We don't need her to use it! The Elements of Harmony is magic in its purest form, and like any form of magic it can be controlled, one way or the other!" Twilight snapped. "I was not the one who betrayed Equestria! I was not the one who helped our enemies to cause us such misery! I was not the one who foolishly believed there is more to those murderous monkeys than wanton violence and pointless conflict! I and those who stuck by me faithfully are the only ones necessary to tap into the power! There is a way and I know I can find it! By my will, I will unlock the secret to their power and use them to save us all!" She concluded, breathing heavily as she pulled back into her seat. "I-I... Of course, p-princess," Valkyrie conceded, shrinking away. "I-I should've known better than to question the Element of Magic herself. Please, forgive my insolence." "...You are forgiven," Twilight huffed, but kept the scowl plastered on her face. "Still, this begs the question," Northern Winds began. "How will you be able to utilize the elements as they are? They seem to have a mind of their own sometimes" "I'll figure it out," Twilight deflected. "Magic is magic, that's all there is to know. I'll find a way... I always do." Twilight couldn't be bothered to remember the rest of the meeting, only the specifics of it. In the time since she had buried herself in her work trying and failing to get the Elements of Harmony to work as before. When she wasn't trying to activate the elements, the majority of her time had been devoted to the ongoing fortification of Equestria. After an unnecessarily lengthy bout of deliberation, Twilight had finally managed to convince Princess Celestia to approve her long standing request to modernize their military. Celestia had made her dislike for human technological achievements known but even a stubborn luddite like herself eventually relented to the truth of their efficacy, loath as she is to admit it. Swords, spears and crossbows were not bad weapons by any means, but in the face of modern warfare where firefights were the norm and long range artillery barrages could wipe out entire regiments before they could even reach the battlefield, they were woefully obsolete. Relics of a bygone era that were better off in a museum than in the hands of a soldier. And so, Twilight's ambitions were unleashed upon the country as she ushered in a new age of industrialism and mechanization that was several centuries too late. Guns, automotive vehicles and other types of nifty gadgets were being produced en masse to be standardized among the military. With them, the improved might of the Royal Guard and their new equipment should be able to match humanity's strength. ...Or at least that's how the propaganda goes. As it stands, however, modernization was merely a stopgap measure. A metaphorical strip of duct tape used to hold together a crumbling war machine that was falling apart at the seams. Escape from planet Earth was the true end goal in light of Equestria's prodigious technological growth. Yet, no matter what she did or how hard she tried, the Elements of Harmony denied her at every turn. Twilight's first attempt to harness the power of the Elements of Harmony through alternative means was optimistic but mistaken. She had gathered what remained of her friends for the magical experiment, ushering them into the grand ballroom of Castle Canterlot where it had been cleared of all furnishing. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Pinkie Pie were all standing in a circle in the center of the room where runes, icons and other magical scripture were carefully drawn onto the marble floor with white chalk. These were not the same bright faced and jubilant mares from half a decade prior. They were ponies who were desperately trying their damnedest to maintain a calm visage, pretending that everything is gonna be okay in the face of certain defeat. Desperately clinging onto the slim hope of Twilight and Celestia succeeding in their miraculous plan was the only thing keeping them from dropping the mask of normalcy they practically had bolted onto their faces, lest their true anxiety be revealed. Rarity was the neatest looking of the bunch, although she wore much more makeup than was necessary and appeared distracted most of the time. The smile she wore was clearly fake, being mostly lipstick that had been expertly scrawled onto her face into a convincing facsimile of one. There was also a slight wobble to her stance. The heady scent of alcohol that tinged her breathe likely being the culprit for lack of balance and hazy state of mind. The loss of her son and husband had left her hollow, and no amount of wine, expensive jewelry or an inexperienced dragon's touch could fill the void. Pinkie was more or less the same as Rarity, having the decency to look presentable at the very least. But much like Rarity, her smile was fake as fake could be. It was happy smile, too happy, like it was frozen in place after being held in place for so long. There were clear stress marks forming under the fur that looked more like surgical scars really. It was a miracle the skin on the upper half of her head hadn't ripped itself off her skull and fly into the distance after being stretched taut for so long. Also, judging by the dilation of her pupils, it was possible she was on something. What, exactly, is anypony's guess. Rainbow Dash looked like she had a pretty rough day. Training rigorously with the Wonderbolts in preparation for the invasion had turned this once adventurous pegasus into a hardened soldier thirsting for human blood. Her attitude was more or less the same, albeit with a more darker disposition to it. Appearance wise she was dirty and unkempt, with a disheveled mane and matted fur all around. Her wings however were in pristine condition, having been preened in preparation for advanced aerial training. Applejack looked the worse out of the quartet by a wide margin. She always had this rough hewn look to her, coming from a family of hardworking farmers. But dealing with the constant and increasingly demanding tithes of the crown day in and day out for the past half-decade had molded her into an exhausted dirt encrusted mare of single minded devotion unable to think about anything other than supporting the war and her family. Until the war was over and Equestria was victorious she couldn't relax, not even when money was no longer an issue. They each wore their respective element, idly fiddling with the jewelry in a curious manner as they have not used them in the years since the dimensional jump. Power still pulsed from the elements, with imperceptible energies rolling out from its golden frame in gentle waves. If there was any way to describe the sensation, it was like being lightly brushed by smooth silk on a warm summer day. Joining them was Princess Celestia, who was supervising the experiment, and Spike, who curiously had Fluttershy's element around his neck. Eventually, Twilight arrived onto the scene wearing her element and carrying an odd assortment of supplies with her, the most perplexing of which was the large chalkboard levitating beside her. She went on to set up a miniature science post before joining up with her friends in the circle. "Good afternoon, everypony," Twilight began, radiating an air of noble professionalism. "I would love nothing more than to chat and catch up after being so preoccupied in my duties, but as you may know time and basic pleasantries just isn't a luxury we just can't afford right now. So please, forgive me for being so blunt especially after summoning you all on such short notice. This is, after all, a matter of dire importance." "Oh, it's nothing, daaarling," Rarity replied with a slight drawl. She audibly smacked her lips and righted herself, maintaining a questionable air of attentiveness. "The fate of Equestria hangs in the balance. What kind of pony would I be if I refused the call?" "...A traitor, that's what," Rainbow Dash muttered bitterly beneath her breath, drawing uneasy looks from her peers. "Well, unlike she who will not be named," Applejack spat, adjusting her hat, "we're loyal and reliable. I know we'll be able save Equestria if we work together and power the Elements of Harmony. Then we can get off this Goddess forsaken rock." "And then it will finally be over!" Pinkie exclaimed a bit too cheerfully, nervously rubbing at her shoulder with her hoof. "No more fighting! No more war! No more death! Just living! Living life to the fullest!" "I wouldn't have put it in such a saccharine manner but I share the sentiment all the same," Twilight nodded along. "Now, I'm sure I briefly mentioned it in the letters I sent out, but does anypony need a quick refresher on the experimental process and what we're about to do?" Spike raised his hand, a sheepish grin on his face. "Um, Twilight. You never explained what I'm here for, or why I'm wearing Flut-er, the Element of Kindness." "Ah, forgive me, Spike. It must have slipped my mind but let me fill you in on everything," replied Twilight, tapping a piece of chalk against the chalkboard. "I would suggest everypony else pay attention as well, this is important." She gestured to the series of diagrams and charts she had laid out earlier in preparation for this moment. "As you all know, in order to activate the Elements of Harmony all the element bearers must be present and fully willing to tap into their defining friendship trait, thus triggering their incredible power for use in our righteous purpose." She tapped upon another section of the board and continued with her explanation. "But the elements are like a chain, all linked together to form a single unbroken bond that holds that power. With a missing link, the elements cannot be used. However, I hypothesize that we can circumvent this flaw by filling in the gap, so to speak." Twilight then gestured to the floor. "These runes and glyphs have been copied straight from Starswirl's collected notes and theories on the subject of universal magical affinity. With them they will act as a conduit for us and complete the circuit if we introduce the missing element." Twilight turned to Spike, smiling warmly at him. "You, Spike, will be that missing element." "M-me?" Spike pointed to himself, suddenly feeling the weight of the world on him. "N-no way, I can't do it." "Of course you can," Twilight reassured. "We need the Element of Kindness. And you are one of the kindest person I know. After all, there's no other dragon like you here or anywhere else in the world. You may not be the biggest dragon, but your heart more than makes up for that." "R-really?" Spike mumbled, nervously scratching the back of his neck. "You're only saying that because we've known each other forever." "That's not true," Twilight shook her head. "Just ask everypony else. They know you're a good dragon." Her response was met with several hums of approval from her friends. "She's right, you know," said Applejack. "You stick with your family, that's something to be proud of." "You're always there for everypony, and that makes you just as awesome as me," said Rainbow Dash, always feeling the need to make a comparison to herself. "It's true," Rarity agreed, struggling to look at the young drake in the eye. "You're the next Element of Kindness! Isn't that great?" Pinkie bellowed. "I... I guess it does feel kind of good," Spike coughed, blushing in embarrassment. "But, Twilight. What makes you so sure this will actually work? The elements can be fickle when they want to be." "Equestria is in danger, they will work. They have to," Twilight replied promptly, adamant in her assumption. "Now, everyone please step into the circle. The sooner we succeed with the experiment, the better." Everyone nodded along and complied with her demand, eagerly taking their place upon the magic circle. Once they were situated, Twilight and the gang closed their eyes and began to channel their innate power into triggering the Elements of Harmony by focusing on the various moments throughout their lives that defined them. Even Spike, who was still unsure of his newly adopted position as the Element of Kindness, combed his thoughts for times where he had acted out unconditionally. He was shocked to recall so many moments where he was unwittingly selfless in his actions, and the warmth that brewed in his chest from those memories was matched by the warmth of the artifact tingling around his neck. Thin wispy threads like spider's silk or incense smoke emanated from out of the large jewel of each element, steadily culminating into the center of the glowing runic circle as it began to coalesce into an abstract shape. Light danced and twinkled around the group, accompanied by a gust of wind that caused the drapery to flutter about in the breeze. Slowly, each of the element bearers rose from the floor, floating several inches off the ground as the coalescing shape warped and shifted itself into a more comprehensive state. "I... I think it's working, Twilight!" Celestia shouted over the winds, her heart pounding in her chest from anticipation. "Keep concentrating! I can feel the power from the elements rippling throughout the air!" "You heard the princess!" Twilight exclaimed. "Everyone, let's give it our all!" There was a round of vigorous acknowledgement from the group as they screwed their eyes shut even tighter, wringing out whatever amount of magic that they could squeeze from the elements in a final push to unleash its true incomparable might. But at the height of the experiment, right when it felt like a dam was about to burst, the magical force permeating throughout the air flickered and died, causing the coalescing shape to fade away into nothingness and sending the group stumbling onto the ground. Everyone struggled to regain their bearings, muttering amongst themselves exasperatedly about what had happened on the very cusps of salvation. "No!" Twilight cursed, stamping her hoof in frustration. "We were so close, so close! I felt it! The power of the elements, they were right at our hooves! We were right on the brink of saving Equestria! Gah!" "Calm yourself, Twilight," soothed Celestia, stepping in. "You can't have hoped to achieve the impossible on the first try. The experiment failed, yes, but it has provided up with valuable data. Your theory of completing the circuit has merit, but it appears there's more to this than simply filling in a missing piece." "Grr... That's true," Twilight huffed, letting her shoulders slouch dejectedly. "I just..." She sucks in a breath and lets out a long winded sigh. A sigh that has been held in for far too long. "I just want this nightmare to end." "We all do," Applejack joined in. "Let's try again later, once you've finished all your fancy mathematics and such." Though Twilight and the rest left the ballroom that day with a sliver of hope, this will only be the first of many failures. The next several attempts all ended the same way; with success so close yet just barely out of reach. Each time Twilight made various adjustments to her experiment, taking into account possible key variables like rewriting the magical scripture, focusing the magic through an external foci or employing the application of other magical artifacts. And throughout it all, she still held onto the conviction that she will succeed in the end, even as the evidence to the contrary was beginning to mount. So focused was she on her goal that she was blinded to the widening rifts that formed between herself and her friends. Later failures would demonstrate that rift by having the group take their anger and disappointment out on one another, putting blame on whoever they felt didn't pull their weight for their lack of faith or belief in the cause, preventing the Elements of Harmony from activating in their entirety. "What the hell, Rarity!" Rainbow snapped, getting up in latter's mug. "That was your fault this time, not mine! Your head's not in the game! I told you to quit it with the drinking you damn booze hound!" "Excuse me?!" Rarity bit back, prodding at Rainbow's chest. "I've been sober all day! How do I know it isn't you?!" "It can't be me! I'm always giving it my all! Rainbow Dash always gives two hundred and ten percent!" "Would you two shut yer yaps!" Applejack interjected, getting in between the two. "How do you know it ain't both of you?! You two are some of the most self absorbed ponies I know! Maybe your egos are getting in the way! Need I remind you the fate of Equestria is on the line here, or was it not obvious?" "Well, what about you!" Pinkie Pie cut in, pointing towards Applejack. "You're always worrying about the next tithe delivery and traitors in the midst! You don't think about anything else! Maybe you're the one who isn't concentrating!" "Am I really being accused by the most scatterbrained pony in all of Ponyville?!" Applejack snorted. "I don't think you've taken enough of whatever it is you're on, you junkie! Why not top a few more 'sprinkles' onto those special smoothies of yours, maybe then you'll finally be able to sit still for a single second instead of hopping around like a dang jackrabbit in the middl-!" "That's enough!" Twilight bellowed, slamming both her hooves down and shaking the ballroom with her might. "I don't care who it is or why they can't help activate the elements! What matters is that we try again! Don't forget, the humans are coming and they will not stop until everypony is dead, enslaved or worse, so no more mistakes! No more screw ups! And most importantly, no more excuses!" She seethed, flaring her nostril. "Do I make myself clear?!" Taken aback by Twilight's outburst, everyone begrudgingly mumbled an acknowledgement, stowing away their resentment for another time. They each returned to their spot on the runic circle, grumbling lowly as Twilight fiddled with a strange mechanical apparatus that was hooked up to the elements with a look of aggravation etched on her face. Throughout it all, however, Spike kept quiet. He was relieved to have avoided blame, but always felt like he should've said something. Each time the urge to open up grew stronger and stronger, and each time he fought fang and claw to bury that feeling. It had begun with Shining's death, the death of his brother, then it escalated with Luna's death and the destruction of the Crystal Empire, the city he once saved so long ago whose people revered him as a hero of legend. The experiences have been happening far too many times for his taste and he was beginning to wonder he should ask if Twilight should abandon the experiments and focus solely on fortifying Equestria. In his most private moments he contemplated to himself whether or not he should take a more assertive stance, but every time he deferred the decision making to others. After all, he was a dragon among ponies. His opinions, while valid, usually came second to ponies. There was also a matter of seniority among other things. He was no child, but he was the youngest of the group. In the past, any ideas he'd have would have been met with condescending scrutiny. He doubted it would be any different now. Swallowing thickly, he ignored the pangs of doubt that bubbled in his fiery gut, ultimately deferring to Twilight's wisdom. Eventually, confidence gave way to desperation and newer more drastic measures were being undertaken by the princesses, both of whom were reaching the end of their ropes. After some thirty or so failures and precious days spent like the common bit, Twilight and Celestia had elected to abandon the original idea of letting the bearers trigger the Elements of Harmony, dismissing the girls and Spike so that may continue their focus on supporting the war effort. In a fit, Twilight was forced to dump several weighty notepads that had been scrawled to the edges from front to back with useless hope filled information. Now, they had resorted to unconventional methods to achieve their goals. Together, Twilight and Celestia had painstakingly gathered what ancient artifacts they could find and, in some insane bout of logical gymnastics, attempted to use them as a sort of catalyst to power the elements. Things like the alicorn amulet, Starswirl's enchanted enchiridion and more were collected like mundane trading cards to be used as common batteries. Each of the wondrous items were gathered together and stacked up high in a thoughtless heap like ordinary trash. No care was taken at all. Twilight and Celestia simply grabbed what was nearest to them and callously dumped them in the center of the room where it was surrounded by more scripture and runes that formed a complex hexagram. On each point of the hexagram was an element. The idea was to power the Elements of Harmony through a ritual that involved transferring the latent magical powers of the collective artifacts towards the elements and jumpstart them. In spite of her tireless research and theorizing, Twilight and Celestia wasn't even sure if the experiment would work. At this point in time they were both throwing everything at the wall just to see if it would stick. "This has to work, it just has to!" Twilight muttered frantically, throwing the last of the magical items onto the pile. "We've exhausted damn near every possible avenue into order to activate the elements. This has to be the solution!" "Worrying won't help, Twilight," said Celestia, placing a reassuring hoof on Twilight's shoulder. Though she didn't show it, inwardly she was just as irritated as Twilight was about every experimental dead end they've come across in the past few months. "We must persevere. Now, ready the ritual." With a rude tsk and an uncouth grunt of acknowledgement, Twilight moved on with the experiment. She and Celestia met on opposite sides of the hexagram, their horns alight with magic. Together, they each weaved a concentrated spell as the artifact pile glowed with a dim iridescent light. The runic scripture on the floor later followed suit, glowing brightly as it formed a sort of mystic cage around the pile. The weaves of magic bent and rippled in the unseen winds, forming into elongated tendrils that reached forward and began leeching magic from out of the artifacts and feeding it towards the elements. As if being age at an accelerated pace, the artifacts slowly but surely began to wither and rot away into decrepit junk. Smooth lustrous metals grew faded and mottled before cracking apart into small chunks of powdery rust. Magic tomes and enchanted books that were blessed to be immutable became bleached and frail as if caught underneath the heat of a blazing sun, slowly crumbling away into dust. One by one each of the items rotted away into nothingness, and the magic that dwelled from within their frames was fed to the Elements of Harmony. Greedily, the elements drank the magical essence like a fish in water. With each artifact ruined the elements pulsed with great power, growing stronger and stronger with each passing minute. Finally, after what felt like an eternity. The elements rose from the floors, thrumming with the same familiar power that has saved Equestria countless times before, only this time it might be even stronger. As they floated in the air, they began to orbit the room one after the other in a swirling pattern of glittering light and magic. "I-it's happening! It's finally happening!" Twilight exclaimed gleefully, her earlier exasperation all but forgotten. "Come on! Come on!" "Keep concentrating, Twilight! Don't let up!" Celestia urged, forcing herself to pour more magic into the ritual. "We're almost there!" As the magic grew, so did the speed at which the elements soared. They rocketed around the room, twirling and spinning like a golden hurricane before eventually bursting with magic. A powerful force crackled across the air of the room and shook it to its foundation, causing the drapery to whip wildly along the side of the walls, the floor to tremble and the doors to swing open and slam itself shut repeatedly as the colors of the rainbow erupted from out of the elements in a palpable ribbon of pure magic. "Just, grr... a little... more!" Celestia grunted out, biting on her lower lip to the point of drawing blood. The colors twisted and warped in shape as a writhing mass of intangible essence before forming into a bright white amorphous entity that vaguely resemble a massive tree that towered immensely over the princesses. The Elements of Harmony was free at last, and its indomitable presence was as glorious as it had always been, perhaps even more since it had been so long since the last time they were used. The air was heavy with the aura of magic and the atmosphere was one of tense calm. Twilight and Celestia stared in awe of the Elements of Harmony's unfettered magnificence, upon a form that they were familiar with. They released their hold on the ritual and took in the sight, being brought to tears now that all their efforts, all the frustrations and sleepless nights, had finally bore fruit. "Yes! Yes!" Celestia cried euphorically, feeling the weight of the world being lifted off from her weary shoulders as the thought of Equestria finally being freed from Earth's hellish grip caused her to openly weep. Even Twilight couldn't help but bask in the moment, being equal parts relieved and unbelievably ecstatic that she was able to do what nopony throughout history has every done before. "We did it, Twilight! We finally did it! Equestria is saved once more, thanks to the Elements of Harmony!" In the midst of Celestia's mirth, one of the branches of the tree began to move it its own, lowering itself down as though trying to reach something. "What?" Celestia breathed, interpreting the movement as a sort of divine sign. She brought a hoof forward, attempting to touch the branch and be blessed by the Elements of Harmony themselves. Twilight watched from nearby with bated breath as the moment played out before her. She will burn it into her memories as a sole witness to what she considers to be nothing short of a miracle. With an anticipative smile on her face and hot tears streaming down her face, Celestia stepped forward. She could feel the ambient energies of the Elements of Harmony bathing her in its gentle warmth, holding onto her like a mother would to a newborn. The sensation had brought to surface memories of a better time in her life, before her and Luna's ascension to alicornhood, before being chained to the weight of responsibility for centuries. Images of her mother and father flashed in her mind, of their quaint little home out in the open plains of old Equestria. The memories made her heart grow heavy with nostalgia, and for a single moment Princess Celestia was no more. In her place was a carefree little filly who became a victim of the cruel fates all those years ago. Swallowing thickly, she took a another step forward and leaned her hoof towards the branches of Harmony, towards her salvation. She began to tremble as space between their touch slowly diminish, she could practically feel its magic course through her. She was so close, so close, and then... The branch stopped a mere inch short of Celestia's hoof. "Huh?" The hopeful smile on Celestia's face was gone, replaced immediately by one of confusion. She took another step forward, reaching out for the branch. The branch flinched from her advance, recoiling as if burned. It began to pull itelf away, causing Celestia to break out into a panic. "N-no! Wait, stop!" Celestia leapt forward, determined to receive Harmony's blessing, only to touch empty air. The branch recoiled again, this time violently whipping back as if it had been struck. "No! No! Please, no! Stop!" Celestia, full of dread, took off from the floor and flew straight towards the tree, only to be knocked back by an unseen force. She was sent tumbling to the ground where Twilight rushed over to help her back up. "Princess Celestia!" Twilight cried in concern. "Are you alright?" "...I almost felt it, Twilight," Celestia declared in a hollow voice, bringing up her shaking hooves. "Harmony. True harmony. It was right in front of me..." The winds suddenly grew violent, turning their attention to the tree. It's shape began losing coherency, violently tripping out as the room was bombarded with a flurry of crashing sounds and epileptic flashing lights. Twilight turned away from the sight, but Celestia watched with wide eyed horror as the power they had worked so hard to harness began to fizzle out right before their eyes once more. "No! NO! NOT AGAIN!" She screamed over the cacophony of sound and jumped onto all fours, frantically pouring magic into the cyclone of essence in a vain attempt to stabilize the Elements of Harmony. "WE'VE COME TOO FAR! I WILL NOT BE DENIED ANY LONGER!" She roared defiantly, struggling to hold everything together as they fell apart for the umpteenth time. "HOLD! HOOOOOLD!" She held on with every ounce of willpower she could muster, only to be dealt a harsh rebuke by the Elements of Harmony themselves. The resulting backlash from the two conflicting magics conjured up a bolt of searing hot magic from out of the air that unerringly struck Celestia dead in the chest, knocking her back and sending her crashing into Twilight. The two alicorns swiftly scrambled back onto their hooves in order to restore the balance to the magical flow, but it was already too late. With a thunderous boom, the power of the elements dissipated in a brilliant flash of polychromatic light, showering the ballroom in flittering sparkles that disappeared into the aether. When the elements finally dispersed, the jewelry floating about came to a sudden stop in the air and unceremoniously fell to the floor, clattering loudly as it did so. Hope died that day, along with whatever chance Twilight and Celestia had at utilizing the elements. That was the last time Twilight had been able to get the elements to start. Since then, she had nothing to show for her diligence but an emaciated frame, a terrible mood and a trash heap for a lab. Nothing she had done was enough. Nothing her friends had done was enough. Not even Princess Celestia's effort were enough. With a roar of anger, Twilight clutched at her head and callously swept away the pile of papers that had formed atop her desk, scatter them about in the air. "Damn it all!" Unsatisfied, she turned around and bucked at the chalkboards, sending them crashing into one another and breaking apart with an audible crack. She raged and ranted across the room, knocking over anything unfortunate enough to be in her path and breaking everything she could get her hooves on. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! And then she saw them. Held within a plain glass cabinet was the object of her torment: the Elements of Harmony. Growling, she stamped forward and ripped the doors apart, flinging them to the side as they shatter into little shards upon contact with the ground. She reached in and pull out her tiara, holding onto it with a death grip as she stared disdainfully down at the artifact. Once upon a time, the Elements of Harmony were hers and her friends to control. These jewelry of immense power were the bane of all evil, and the bulwark that shielded Equestria from all threats, both foreign and domestic. Now, they were silent like the inanimate objects they were. Worthless trinkets best left in a foal's toybox. Feeling her rage boil over, Twilight unleashed all the fury and frustration she had bottled up across the last four months. "Why?!" She screamed, glaring at the fractured reflection of herself that gleamed across the surface of the six pointed jewel. "You chose me and my friends! You chose us as you sacred bearers! We're worthy! I'm worthy!" She scowled, tightening her grip on the tiara. When there was no response, she continued her tirade against the silent trinket. "The humans are preparing to invade and they seek to destroy us! Equestria is on the brink of destruction! Your people are dying! We need you now, more than ever. So why won't you work!? Why! Won't! You! Help us!" She shook the tiara vigorously. "What must I do to receive your aid?! TELL ME WHAT I NEED TO DO! TELL ME! TELL MEEEE!" As she screamed at the tiara, she didn't feel the metal bend in her hooves before it was too late. There was a quiet screech as the fragile tiara was bent out of shape, causing the jewel to pop from out of its socket and clatter upon the floor. Twilight's pupils shrank to pinpricks when the severity of her action finally hit her. "No! No, no, no! I didn't mean to-!" Panicking, she clumsily collected the jewel and attempted to mend the tiara. "I can fix this, I can fix this!" It took a bit of time and a fair bit of precise magical assistance but she had managed to restore the tiara back to its former state. There were still flaws, of course, but apart from Twilight herself they weren't obvious to the average onlooker. Her anger all but deflated she hurriedly placed the tiara back into the cabinet and trotted over to her desk where she promptly collapsed atop it and quietly wept to herself. The members of war council will likely have questions for her, pointed ones at that. She could not blame them for it was she who had given them hope to Equestria's survival. It would take some time for her to find the resolve the break the bad news to everyone. Until then, all she could dwell on was where it all went wrong. If the Elements of Harmony would not respond, even in Equestria's darkest hour, then what hope was there?