It was a warm, spring afternoon in Canterlot. The girls and I were watching as Rainbow Dash taught Twilight how to fly. I tried my best not to laugh at the latter’s crashes.
“I don’t see why she’s struggling so much,” Fluttershy said. “She didn’t have any problems when she flew after her coronation.”
“Maybe all that excitement gave her some adrenaline,” I replied.
“I don’t blame her, darling,” Rarity said. “Becoming a princess would’ve made anypony excited.”
“It seemed rather...easy for Twilight to earn her wings, don’t ya think?” Applejack asked. “All she had to do was rewrite a spell. Had we’ve known it was that simple, we would’ve done the same.”
“Well, you have to remember that it wasn’t just completing a complex spell from Star Swirl the Bearded,” I said. “We have done many heroic acts in the past with her. We defeated villains, saved empires, and so much more. All because Twilight was there to lead and help us. The spell was the cherry on top to complete everything.”
That’s when Twilight crashed into the ground. We cringed in pain.
“Lookin' good up there, Princess Twilight,” Applejack said.
“Applejack, you know you don't have to call me that,” said Twilight.
“Why do you protest so?” asked Rarity. “You've already given up wearing your crown all the time. The least you can do is embrace your new title.”
“If other ponies want to address me that way, I suppose it's fine, but not my friends. It just doesn't feel right. And neither does all this flying business. The Summer Sun Celebration is only two days away, and I'm never gonna be ready to perform my part.”
“Not if you spend all your time down here, you won't!” Rainbow declared. “Now get up there and show everypony the big finish!”
Twilight nodded and shot up into the sky. She looked like she got the hang of it, but then she lost control and fell again. She slammed much harder on the ground, turning the grass into a miniature ditch.
“Wow! That was a big finish!” Pinkie exclaimed.
“I don’t think it’s the kind of finish she has in mind...” I said.
“Maybe you should take a little break,” Fluttershy said.
Twilight agreed. As we all headed to the throne room, I noticed that this was when the events of “Princess Twilight Sparkle” took place. That was when the two princesses would get kidnapped and Ponyville would get covered in thorny vines from the Everfree Forest. Then the girls would have to give up their elements so that the Tree of Harmony could thrive. I doubt I could change anything significant here, but I bet I could let the girls know who was responsible for planting the seeds.
As we entered the throne room, I examined each of the stained glass windows. Each colored glass was an indication of the many accomplishments the girls and I have done ever since we came together. I noticed how some of them looked different from the show, like how I was included in Discord’s defeat. I guess this was justified given how I was getting more involved with the girls.
Twilight was right. I’m starting to become more of the main character in their story instead of the supporting character.
“You look amazing, darling,” Rarity said as the girls looked at the most recently made window.
I caught up with the girls to see the window. It had Twilight wearing the Element of Magic in her new princess form. What I noticed differently was that the rest of the girls and I were added at the bottom of the window below two books. This was probably because we helped her come up with the idea on how to fix the spell.
“They've really captured your regality,” Rarity continued.
“I suppose,” Twilight bashfully said.
“Oh, don't be so modest. It's everypony's dream to someday wear a crown and have their coronation ceremony preserved in stained glass for all to see.”
“I don't know if it's everypony's dream,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.
“Most of my dreams are about frosting!” Pinkie said as she licked her lips.
“Our inclusion to this window is a nice touch,” I said.
“We'd better get going. We don't want to miss our train,” Fluttershy said.
“Fluttershy's right,” said Applejack. “Don't know about y'all, but I've still got bushels to do to get ready. The official celebration may be here in Canterlot, but hoo-wee! Has the Mayor put us in charge of one heck of a party back home!”
Twilight stared down at the ground.
“Aw, don't look like that, sugarcube. You get to be right there with the other Princesses when Celestia raises the sun.”
“And I'm honored,” Twilight added. “Really, I am. It's just that the Summer Sun Celebration is what first brought us all together. It just doesn't feel right not getting to spend such a special day with my Ponyville friends.”
“Yeah, I agree,” I said. “It’s been almost a year since we’ve been together. For us to suddenly part ways on the day we’ve met is like...a punch to the gut.”
“It doesn't feel right to us either, darling,” Rarity said. “If the Mayor wasn't so desperate for our assistance, we'd most certainly stay here in Canterlot. And of course we do understand that your royal duties must come first.”
“The Summer Sun Celebration may have brought us together, but it's something much bigger that'll always keep us connected.” Applejack pointed to the window that showed the Mane 6 defeating Nightmare moon. “Exhibit A: The six of us are united by the Elements of Harmony. And not long after, Spike has been joining us whenever possible.” Applejack pointed at the Discord window. “He helped us find the elements used to defeat Discord, as evident by exhibit B. No amount of royal duties is gonna change that. Right, everypony?”
The rest of the girls nodded in agreement.
After we bid the girls goodbye as they took the train to Ponyville, I helped Twilight check off each thing on her checklist of royal duties. We were ahead of schedule, and I suggested we take a quick visit to Ponyville, but Twilight was too paranoid about what might happen in Canterlot if we did.
I should’ve known better than to pull an old Spike.
“These are the first royal duties Princess Celestia has given me,” Twilight said. “I can't risk letting her down!”
“And I'm sure you won't,” a voice said.
We turned to see Celestia entering the room. We quickly bowed out of instinct, though Celestia said that it wasn’t necessary.
“I must admit that it is wonderful to actually be looking forward to the Summer Sun Celebration,” Princess Celestia said.
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.
“For my subjects, it has always been a celebration of my defeat of Nightmare Moon. But for me…” Celestia sighed as she watched Luna raise the moon. “It was just a terrible reminder that I'd had to banish my own sister.”
“Well...you did what you had to do,” I said. “Luna couldn’t listen to reason when she transformed into Nightmare Moon, so you were left with no other option.”
Celestia nodded. “But now it has become a wonderful reminder of her transformation back into Princess Luna, and our happy reunion. I am so pleased that you two will be playing a role in the festivities. I know it must have been difficult to see your friends return to Ponyville without you.”
“Maybe a little...” Twilight said.
“It kinda was,” I replied. “I know that we might return sometime after the celebration. I mean, it’s not like Twilight’s gonna be assigned to rule Equestria and can’t see her friends anymore, but it’s still hard to take in.”
“You may no longer be my student, Princess Twilight, but I hope you know that I will always be here if you need me,” Celestia said. “Just as I hope that you will always be there when I need you.”
The two princess ponies nuzzled. That’s when I noticed a messenger pony coming in.
“Uh, Twilight?” I asked. “I think he needs you.”
“A message for Princess Twilight,” the mailpony said as he handed Twilight an envelope.
Twilight opened the envelope and out came confetti.
“A letter from Ponyville, I presume?” Celestia asked.
“Never mind. It's not important,” Twilight said as she put the letter down. “Spike, where were we?”
“Rechecking the checklist?” I asked.
“You’ve read my mind.”
“I’ll leave you to it,” Celestia said as she left.
“Look out for any stray vines!” I called out.
“Stray vines?” Twilight tilted her head.
“In case she wanted to take a stroll through the garden,” I lied.
“Oh, Spike, you know the Canterlot garden is always highly maintained.”
“Anyway, did you want to look over the checklist again?”
Twilight and I spent a few minutes double-checking we did everything. While we were doing that, I couldn’t help but think about what happened that day when Twilight and I visited the human world.
How did I get those powers? I wasn’t an Element of Harmony or anything, so why was I…?
“Spike! Spike!” Twilight clapped her hooves in front of me. “Earth to Spike! Can you hear me?!”
I rapidly blinked. “S-Sorry Twilight!” I picked up the checklist. “What...where were we?”
“Seriously, Spike. What’s going on with you? I thought you’d be over these episodes of staring off into space.”
I sighed. “Do you remember when we turned into humans?”
Twilight nodded. “Yeah. And how we saved Sunset from herself.”
“I was thinking, why did I get those powers when we were in the human world? For you girls, it made sense since you were part of the elements, but I don’t have an Element of Harmony here. So...why did your crown give me powers?”
“Well...maybe...maybe there’s another element of harmony? Maybe there’s one that only my crown knows. One that’s almost never mentioned in the books or legends. One that has not been acknowledged yet. A hidden one.”
“You mean...a seventh element?” I remembered how some bronies back in my old world would theorize the possibility of one. “Then what do you think my element could be?”
“Well...” Twilight scratched her chin. “It could be helpfulness, since you’ve helped us deal with certain problems in the past. It could also be preparation, since you seemed to be prepared for almost any event.”
“Or it could be luck, given the circumstances.”
“You know, there’s a saying I’ve once heard: ‘luck favors the prepared.’ I’ve always taken it to heart.”
“Which is why you always make a checklist for everything,” I added. “I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
Twilight nodded. “Speaking of checklists, let’s go back to what we’re doing before.”
After we finished the checklist, I decided to take a quick nap. A few minute later, I felt something shaking me.
“Huh? What?” I slowly woke up.
“Spike, wake up! We’ve got a problem!” Twilight shouted as she shook my bed.
I rubbed my eyes. “What do you mean? What time is it?”
“It's the middle of the night! But it could be morning. That's just it! I can't tell!”
Twilight and I looked out the window to see the sun and the moon up in the sky at the same time.
“What’s going on? Is it gonna be a solar eclipse?” I asked.
“Come on, Spike, we have to find out what's going on!”
Twilight and I dashed out of the castle to see all of Canterlot in a frenzy. The second they noticed us, they bombarded us with tons of questions.
“I'm-I'm sure it's just...Well, there's certainly a logical ex…” Twilight tried to stay calm, but she kept trailing off each sentence.
“Your Highness,” one of the royal guards called out. “You must come with us.”
As we were escorted into the castle, the scene played out like in the show. The guards told us that Celestia and Luna vanished. They need orders from Twilight, since she was the only princess available. Twilight ordered them to search for the two princesses before the crowd outside panics. The guards obliged.
“Way to take charge, Twilight,” I said. “Maybe you could be qualified to run Equestria.”
“I don’t know, Spike,” said Twilight. “Princess Celestia—”
“Your highness! News from Ponyville!” Another guard announced as he came in. “The Everfree Forest appears to be...well...invading!”
Twilight and I gasped.
“We gotta head to Ponyville right away!” Twilight declared. “Keep everypony safe and indoors until this is all sorted out.”
The guard saluted and went out of the castle. Twilight and I hurried to our room to get her crown. We then ran back down the stairs and to the train station.
“What did the guard mean by the Everfree Forest invading?” I asked, though I secretly knew what he meant.
“I don’t know!” Twilight replied as she put her crown on. “Whatever is going on, I'm sure we're going to need our friends and the Elements of Harmony to stop it! I just hope we haven't missed the train.”
“Wait, can’t you fly?”
Twilight quickly halted, and I did the same next to her.
“We could head there faster if you fly, right?” I asked.
Twilight looked at her wings. “Good idea, Spike.” She then used her magic to levitate me onto her back. “Let’s go.”
Twilight took off wobbly with me riding on her. It was then I regretted suggesting the idea. As we were nearing Ponyville, I felt like I was on a roller coaster with a broken safety bar. I quickly wrapped my arms around Twilight’s neck.
Twilight wheezed, “You’re choking me! Release your hold, Spike!”
I quickly removed my arms. “Sorry!” I then wrapped around Twilight’s stomach. “What’s with the thorny clouds I’m seeing?!”
“They must’ve come from the Everfree Forest!” Twilight said. “I’m betting those weird vines are the same story! Maybe that’s what the guard meant by the Everfree Forest attacking!”
“But I never saw them in the Everfree Forest before!”
“That’s why it’s concerning! We gotta get the elements and find the girls!”
Twilight dove for the library, but as she prepared to land, she flailed around. Suddenly, her horn glowed and she teleported into the library...without me.
“Twilight!” I shouted as I flapped my arms.
The window was approaching me fast! With quick thinking, I stuck my leg out in kung-fu style and hoped for the best. I kicked the window wide open and somersaulted across the ground before standing straight up.
“And that’s how it’s done,” I said as I slapped my fist on my chest.
Fluttershy lightly applauded. Twilight appeared from a pile of books.
“Spike! Twilight!” Rarity exclaimed. “Oh, thank goodness!”
“Oh, I hope you know we wouldn't normally go through your books without permission,” Fluttershy said.
Pinkie zoomed up to Twilight. “I dunno if you've noticed, but the Everfree Forest is just a teeny-tiny bit out of control.”
That’s when her tail twitched and she quickly ducked. A vine smashed through another window and knocked Rarity out of the way.
“Guess it turned out you were missin' something here in Ponyville after all,” said Applejack as she closed the window. The vine snapped off like balsa wood.
Rarity rubbed her head and said, “But perhaps you already know what's causing all of this calamity. Has Princess Celestia sent you to dispel it posthaste?”
Twilight rubbed the back of her head.“Not exactly. You see, Princess Celestia is, well...she and Princess Luna are both…”
I sighed sharply. “They’ve vanished.”
The rest of the girls gasped.
“I don't know who has taken them,” Twilight said, “but I've got a hunch we're going to need the Elements of Harmony to get them back.”
Twilight went to the display case and gave each girl their respective element. I then looked through the shelves.
“C…D…E…where’s the Elements of Harmony reference guide?” I asked.
Rainbow Dash handed me the book. “You think it’s got something in there to help us?”
“No, I just didn’t want to be left out. You girls have your Elements of Harmony, and I have the book that helped you get them.”
“Movin’ on,” Applejack said. “We now gotta figure out who to aim these bad boys at so we can get Celestia and Luna back and keep the rest of Equestria from becoming plant food! Any ideas?”
“Hmm...” Twilight scratched her chin.
“What about Discord?” I asked. “All of this could be his doing, you know. The plants, the sky, the clouds.”
“Spike, how could you say that?” Fluttershy asked. “Discord’s reformed now. He promised not to do anything chaotic to the town again!”
“Besides,” Pinkie said as she colored her coloring book, “the clouds would be pink and have chocolate rain! Not black and thorny things!”
“Girls, Spike may have a point,” Twilight said. “Discord may be reformed, but that doesn’t mean he can’t do crazy stuff. We better summon him in order to get to the bottom of this. Come on.”
The girls and I walked outside onto a clearing that wasn’t covered by thorny vines. Just like when they released Discord from his stone prison, the girls went through the glowing elements and rainbows process to summon him. After a swirl of colors, Discord appeared washing himself in a bathtub. I quickly shielded my eyes with the book.
Ugh, if I wanted to see an old man showering, I would’ve gone to my community pool’s locker room.
“Oh!” Discord quickly put a towel on. “Now, Twilight, you know Princess Celestia said that you were to give me a heads up before you summon me with that little spell she gave you.” He drummed his fingers on Twilight’s crown. “In case you haven't noticed, I was in the middle of a particularly invigorating shower.”
“Enough!” Twilight barked. “Release Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and stop the Everfree Forest from invading!”
Discord chuckled as he wrapped himself around Twilight. “Why, whatever are you talking about?”
“Don't you play dumb with us, Discord!” Applejack retorted. “We know you're the one behind all of this!”
“Don't get me wrong.” Discord appeared from behind a house and took some pictures with a camera. “I absolutely love what you've done with the place, but I couldn't possibly take responsibility. I'm reformed, don't you remember?”
Fluttershy had a guilty look on her face.
“Who’s to say you didn’t do this before you were reformed?” I asked. “What if you planted some chaos seeds ahead of time so you wouldn’t be blamed when you get reformed?”
“Now why would you come up with a ludicrous idea like that, Spike?”
Because it’s the truth...which I can’t prove without it sounding ridiculous.
“This has got your cloven hoofprints all over it!” Rainbow shouted.
“I’ll have you know I have one cloven hoof,” Discord said. “Such accusations. And here I thought we were friends.”
“Drop the act, buster!” Pinkie shouted. “We’re onto you!”
Discord held his finger up to Pinkie’s mouth. “Ladies, ladies, I'm innocent. Would I lie to you?”
“Yes!” The girls retorted.
“Uhm...maybe?” Fluttershy asked.
I just shrugged.
“Well then, it seems we've reached an impasse,” Discord said. “I'm telling the truth, but you think I'm lying. What do friends like us do in a situation like this, Princess Twilight? Congrats, by the way, on the promotion. You totally deserve it. Though I wonder whether or not Celestia was right about you not being immortal...”
“I say we blast him back to stone!” Rainbow declared.
“Works for me,” Applejack agreed.
“Here, here,” said Rarity.
The three ponies’ elements started glowing again, but Fluttershy quickly stopped them.
“We can't do that!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “What if he really is telling the truth?”
A halo appeared around Discord’s head.
“Well, finally! Somepony willing to give me the benefit of the doubt,” Discord said as he hugged Rainbow Dash. “The rest of you could learn a lot about friendship from my dear friend Shutterfly here.”
“Um, it's Fluttershy,” Fluttershy corrected.
“Oh, right, whatever.” Discord let go of Rainbow and hugged Fluttershy.
“If you're not the one responsible, then help us figure out who is!” Twilight yelled.
“I suppose I could, but after all the hoof pointing and besmirching of my good name, I just don't know if I'm up to it.” Discord summoned a pair of knitting needles and proceeded to knit an arrow with the vines. “Why don't you ask your zebra friend if she knows anything?”
Just as Discord asked that, the arrow pointed to Zecora walking out of the Everfree Forest with most of her belongings.
“Zecora!” Twilight called out. We hurried over to her.
“From my home, I have had to flee!” Zecora cried as we removed the stuff from her back. “The forest has grown too wild, even for me!”
“Any idea why all this is happenin'?” Applejack asked.
“I'm afraid it is a mystery to me as well, but I may have something that, if combined with a spell.” Zecora rummaged through the cart and pulled out a gold-plated flask filled with purple liquid. “I do not dare to use it myself, the results would be tragic. It only responds to Alicorn magic. Princess Twilight, you can turn the potion from purple to white. After a sip, you may see why the sky is day and night.”
Using the same kind of magic she used at the Crystal Empire, Twilight cast some magic onto the potion, turning it into a milky white. She then levitated the flask close to her lips. She took a long sip before setting the flask down.
“Doesn’t seem to be doing anyth—”
Suddenly Twilight’s eyes widened and glowed white. The girls and I gasped.
Twilight suddenly shook her head and looked around. Her eyes still remained white.
“Where am I?” Twilight asked.
“Y...You’re still in Ponyville, darling,” Rarity replied.
“Princess Luna?” Twilight turned to Rarity and approached her. “I don't understand. Where are we? Why did you and Celestia disappear?”
Rarity and the others looked around. They didn’t see Luna or Celestia.
“Twilight, it is me, Rarity. Did the potion affect your vision? Are you alright?”
“Precious light?” Twilight asked.
“No, I asked if you were alright.” Rarity waved her hoof in front of Twilight. “Twilight, please answer us.”
Twilight cringed and then stared at the sky in fear. We all looked up, but didn’t see anything.
“What’s goin’ on with Twilight?” Applejack asked. “What in tarnation did that potion do?”
“It gives the user a vision of the past,” Zecora replied. “I do not know how long it will last.”
“Luna! Think of how long you were banished to the moon!” Twilight cried. “You'll give us no choice but to send you back there if you don't stop!”
“So she’s seeing when Luna turned to Nightmare Moon?” I asked.
“That might be it,” Fluttershy said.
“Celestia!” Twilight cried as she crouched. “No...why would Luna do this? Why now?” Tears ran down her eyes.
“Okay, either she assumes Celestia got defeated by Nightmare Moon, or Luna didn’t finish her cupcake before throwing it away.” Pinkie said. We all looked at her. “What? Don’t tell me you all have a heart of stone when it comes to throwing away unfinished goods.”
Twilight slowly looked up. “You're all right. You're all right! Princess Celestia?”
“I’m starting to wish we drank the potion as well,” Rainbow said. “So that we could see what Twilight’s seeing.”
“Are those the Elements of Harmony?” Twilight asked. “But that's how they looked in...the past. This is the night you banished her.”
After a few minutes, Twilight’s eyes stopped glowing. She rubbed them and then noticed us.
“Twilight? Can you hear us?” I asked.
“Yes,” Twilight replied. “Why are you all looking at me like that?”
“It's just... you were mumblin' to yourself…” Applejack said.
“Ooh! And don't forget the uncontrollable sobbing!” Pinkie added.
“We were really worried about you,” said Fluttershy.
“It was really awkward how you were talking out of context,” I said. “It was like those moments were we’d sing without music.”
“I for one found it delightful,” said Discord. “Sort of a one-pony theater piece, if you will. You should really consider taking it on the road.”
“Did you find out whose rump we need to kick and where we can find them?” Rainbow asked.
“I saw something from a long time ago,” Twilight said. “But it didn't explain what's happening now.”
“Perhaps farther back still are the answers you seek,” Zecora concluded. “Another sip of the potion will give you a peek.”
Twilight took another sip like Zecora said. Her eyes glowed once again. She looked around in confusion.
“So where and when is she now?” Fluttershy asked.
“Certainly before Luna became Nightmare Moon,” I replied. “That’s for sure.”
“This must be when they turned Discord into stone,” Twilight said.
“Ah, the golden years,” Discord said as he touched one of the vines, which turned itself into gold. “Too bad someponies were there to end it.” He then poofed up an oyster shell. “The world used to be my oyster, but then the pearl got stolen. Ooh! Someone should write that in their fanfic.”
Twilight then shook her head and widened her eyes.
“The Tree of Harmony?” Twilight asked. “My cutie mark!”
Twilight’s eyes ceased their glowing once more.
“So, what did you find out?” I asked.
“I still don't know what's happened to Princess Luna and Princess Celestia,” Twilight said, “but I think I know why the Everfree Forest is acting this way. Something's happened to the Tree of Harmony.”
The rest of the girls were confused.
“The tree of what now?” Dashie asked.
“It's where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna found the Elements. I think it's in danger.”
“Well, all right then!” Applejack declared. “Let's go save a...tree. Uh...where is it exactly?”
“I think it's in...there.” Twilight pointed to the Everfree Forest.
The girls widened their eyes.
“I’m gonna need more popcorn!” Discord singsonged.
The girls and I carefully approached the entrance to the forest. Even its vast openness was covered by those vines.
“Seems like only yesterday we were heading into these woods to find the Elements of Harmony,” Rarity said.
“Seems like only yesterday I was foolish enough to think I should go after them on my own,” Twilight said.
Seems like only yesterday that I came to this world to help alter the entire MLP storyline.
“I don't know what we're going to face in there.” Twilight adjusted her crown. “But whatever it is, I know we need to face it together.”
The girls and I nodded in agreement. We stepped inside and did our best not to get tangled in any of the vines.
“Why do ya still need to carry the book?” Applejack asked. “You do realize it doesn’t produce magic like the rest of the elements.”
“Well...I’m starting to think it’s my ‘iconic hero item’, as it were,” I replied. “That stained glass window depicted me holding it when we stoned Discord.”
“I’m just sayin’ it could get damaged. It’s just a book, ya know.”
“Hey, this isn’t just some random hardcover book that’s made of paper and cardboard. It is the ultimate book. It contains everything anypony can know about the elements, it’s made of pure leather and brass, and it has the classic Golden Oaks Library-y scent. Just ask Twilight.”
The girls looked at Twilight funny.
“Come on,” Twilight groaned. “I can’t be the only pony who sniffs their own books.”
We approached a murky pond. The smell alone reminded me of my high school’s public bathroom.
“We can use those to cross,” Twilight said as she pointed to the rocks in the water.
“Twilight! No!” I shouted. “Those are...”
But it was too late. Twilight hopped onto them and what emerged from the pond was…
“A cragadile!” Rarity shouted. “Run for your lives!”
We quickly split up to escape the rocky reptile. The beast targeted for Twilight. Applejack quickly snapped off one of the vines and lassoed it around one of the cragadile’s legs. The other girls and I helped her pull it back. Within minutes, the cragadile was all tied up.
“That was close,” Twilight sighed.
“A little too close, if you ask me,” Applejack said. “You sure you're alright?”
“I'm fine. I just can't seem to get these new wings to do what I want them to do when I want them to do it.”
Rainbow shrugged. “You'll figure it out eventually.”
“‘Eventually’ isn't soon enough.” Twilight continued through the forest.
“You have been having an awful lot of trouble with those things,” Applejack pointed out. “And, well, who knows what else is gonna to come after us? You know...maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea for Twilight to go back to Ponyville and let us look for the Tree of Harmony without her.”
I raised my eyebrows.
“What?! Why?” Twilight asked.
“For starters, you just about got eaten by a cragadilly.”
“We all did. He wasn't after just me.”
“Sure, but...well, the rest of us aren't princesses.”
“What's that got to do with anything?”
“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are gone. If something happened to you, I just don't think Equestria can risk losing another princess.”
“Applejack does make a valid point,” Rarity said. “Even if we manage to save the Tree of Harmony, it won't necessarily mean Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will return. Equestria will need somepony to lead in their absence.”
“But the Tree of Harmony! I'm the only one who has seen it and knows what it looks like,” Twilight said.
“Huge tree, cutie marks on the trunk, probably being attacked by something hideously awful? Yeah, I'm pretty sure we'll know it when we see it,” Rainbow said.
Tears started to form in Twilight’s eyes. “All of you feel this way? Feel like I shouldn't be here?”
“It is probably for the best,” Fluttershy softly replied.
Twilight slowly walked away.
If only I could...wait...I can!
Quickly, I grabbed Twilight’s tail. Twilight jerked her head around.
“We’re staying,” I said firmly.
“Spike?” Applejack asked.
“Twilight has the most important element of all: Magic. It’s what brought all of us together. We are not sending her away.”
“Spike, what are you doing?” Twilight asked as she removed her tail from my grasp.
“Helping you.” I held up the book. “The reason why the elements in the past did what they did was because they...we were all together. Without even one of them, Equestria would fall apart.”
“But Spike, you’ve heard what we’ve said about the princesses, right?” Applejack asked. “Equestria needs one in case...”
“What if something were to happen in there and Twilight and I weren’t there to save you?” I replied with a question. “It’s bad enough we can’t find Celestia or Luna. We can’t risk losing five more friends. If we’re gonna find that tree, we’re doing it together.”
“But if we don’t...” Rarity said.
“...then at least ponies will know that we died trying!”
“Spike! Language!” Twilight firmly said.
“My mouth’s the least of our worries, Twilight. Tree or no tree, if you were left to rule Equestria, then it would be pointless without the girls or the other elements by our side helping us. If we all have to sacrifice ourselves, then so be it. Equestria can find a way to keep everything under control without the royals. At the very least, they would know we did it for the greater good. Besides, how do we know for a fact that the princesses are gone for good?”
I took the crown from Twilight’s head.
“I’m going to ask you one question, Twilight. In a game of chance, would you go all in when you realize what’s at stake...or would you fold, and risk the world plunging into a state of despair?” I held out her crown. “What do you think you should do?”
Twilight looked at the crown and then to the girls. She then took a deep breath.
“The right thing,” Twilight replied.
She then placed the crown on her head and approached the girls.
“I don’t know if Equestria can handle losing another princess,” Twilight said. “But it can’t be worse than having it covered in all these vines. We need to find this tree together. Like what Spike said, my element is the most important out of all ours. We’re not leaving the forest until we find this tree!”
“Yeah!” Pinkie shouted. “Come on, everypony!”
“Wait, you believe them?” Rainbow asked.
“Spike was right about one thing,” Fluttershy said. “Twilight’s element is important, and we can’t just send her away like that. It’s better if she was with us instead of being alone out there.”
“But what if there won’t be a princess to rule Equestria?” Applejack asked. “We can’t risk that.”
Rainbow scratched her chin. “Yes, we can! We didn’t get assigned the Elements of Harmony by turning down every chance we had. And now that Spike mentioned it, I’m starting to think that the princesses are still alive somewhere.”
“Look, we are burning daylight, darlings...and moonlight,” Rarity said. “As much as I hate to admit it, I say we let Twilight and Spike join us and see whatever happens. Besides, nopony said she had to use her wings. We just need to find this tree before the vines turn Ponyville into a vineyard, and not the grape juice kind.”
While Applejack was reluctant, she decided to agree with the girls. We continued our path to find the Tree of Harmony.
“Thanks for all of your help back there, Spike,” Twilight whispered. “I’m starting to think that helpfulness really is your hidden element.”
“You’re welcome, Twilight,” I replied. “I didn’t want the girls to separate from you again, like they did back at the wedding.”
Applejack tilted her hat. “Yer never lettin’ that go, are ya?”
“Nope.”
After what seemed like hours of wandering, we spotted Celestia and Luna’s old castle on the horizons.
“Anypony else starting to think this is a lost cause?” Rainbow asked. “We're almost at Celestia and Luna's old castle. Maybe whatever Twilight saw when she took that crazy potion wasn't real.”
“I’m sure that the tree was real,” Twilight said. “Why else did the potion show me it? It showed Nightmare Moon and Discord’s defeat after all.”
“Maybe it's right down there!” Applejack called out.
We hurried to the gorge to see Applejack pointing at a glowing cave down below.
“That has to be it!” I exclaimed.
“How are we supposed to get to it?” Rarity asked.
Suddenly, we heard the sound of a pony falling down a bunch of steps.
“Take the stairs, silly!” Pinkie shouted at the bottom of the gorge.
“Oh, how convenient,” Rarity said.
We hurried down the long flight of stairs, jumped over the vines, and approached the cave. There, we saw a giant tree made of crystals. However, thanks to the vines, the tree’s crystal-like texture looked more like steel. I noticed two piles of vines near the tree.
Boy, the vines were pretty determined to grab Celestia and Luna and take them all the way back here.
“That must be the Tree of Harmony,” Twilight said. “But that’s not it’s original color.”
“I think it's dying!” Fluttershy cried.
“So let's save it already!” Applejack retorted.
AJ quickly tried to pull on one of the vines, but the roots snapped her away. Rainbow tried to do the same, but achieved the same result.
“I’m starting to think I should’ve brung an ax instead of the book,” I said.
Twilight stared at the tree for the longest time. She then turned to us.
“I know how we can save the tree,” Twilight said. “We have to give it the Elements of Harmony.”
The girls widened their eyes. Some of them protested on giving them up.
“Twilight,” Applejack said “The Elements of Harmony...they're what keep us connected no matter what.”
“The Elements of Harmony did bring us together,” Twilight said. “But it isn't the elements that will keep us connected. It's our friendship. And it's more important and more powerful than any magic. My new role in Equestria may mean I have to take on new responsibilities, and our friendships may be tested, but it will never, ever be broken. There's no time to lose. Everypony ready?”
“Ready!” The girls and I shouted. I quickly held the book up.
“Keep the book, Spike,” Twilight said as she pushed it down. “We only need the confirmed elements for now.”
Twilight removed the elements from each of the girls’ necklaces and her crown. She then placed them in each slot on the Tree of Harmony. Suddenly, the tree itself glowed brightly, and the vines that encased it soon disintegrated. The other vines followed suit. The piles next to the tree were the last ones to go. Celestia and Luna emerged from them. Our faces lit up seeing the two alive and well again. Twilight ran to hug them.
“We know how difficult it must have been for you to give up the Elements,” Celestia said. “It took great courage to relinquish them.”
That’s when we noticed a plant growing from one of the roots. Its flower opened up to reveal a blue chest. The chest that contained a special power that was used to defeat Tirek. A special power that was used only once in the show for some reason.
“What's inside it? How am I supposed to open it?” Twilight asked.
“Six locks, six keys,” Luna said.
“I do not know where they are,” Celestia said. “But I do know that it is a mystery you will not be solving alone.”
As the girls and I left the cave, I realized something.
“Excuse me, your highness,” I said to Celestia. “But could I ask you something?”
“As you wish,” Celestia replied.
“Has there ever been a seventh element of harmony?”
Celestia and Luna turned around and looked at me. They then looked at each other.
“If there is one,” Celestia said. “It would have to exist beyond our knowledge.”
“Why do you ask such a question?” Luna asked.
“Let’s just say something happened a while back that made me wonder,” I replied.
“The possibility of a seventh element would be rather small,” Celestia said. “Even a hidden one would have been acknowledged by us. I suppose that is another mystery from the tree.” She then turned to Twilight. “We will meet you back in Canterlot soon.”
She and Luna flew away. The girls and I walked out of the forest.
“So what was with that seventh element question?” Rainbow asked. “Jealous because we mares got to have one?”
“It’s not that,” I said. “Something happened in Sunset’s world that made me think...I could be included as part of your group. Elements-of-Harmony-wise, I mean.”
“Wait...” Pinkie gasped. “I know what’s in the box! It’s the seventh element! That’s why Celestia and Luna didn’t know about it! Aww...now I’m gonna be disappointed that I didn’t build up the excitement for when we open it.”
“Pinkie, while your theory is somewhat sound, I doubt the box would contain another element,” Twilight said. “Why would it be hidden in the first place instead of joining the other six?”
“Perhaps it is not a new element at all,” Rarity said. “The princesses said it would take more than you to open the box. It could be something for all of us.”
“Either way,” Twilight said. “I get the feeling we are going to need all the help we can get to open that chest.”
Once we exited the forest, signs and streamers appeared out of nowhere. Discord showed up with a foam finger and flag.
“Bravo, ladies and Spike! Bravo!” Discord cheered. “How ever did you save the day this time? Blast the beastie with your magic necklaces, I presume?” He then scrutinized AJ’s neck. “Where are those little trinkets of yours? You know, the ones you use to send me back to my extremely uncomfortable stone prison?”
“Gone,” Applejack replied.
“But our friendship remains,” Fluttershy boldly said. “And if you want to remain friends, you'll stop thinking whatever it is you're thinking and help us clean up.”
Discord then appeared in a maid uniform. “Fine. But I don't do windows.”
“One thing I don't get,” said Applejack. “Why did all this happen now?”
“I have no idea. Those seeds I planted should have sprouted up ages ago.”
“What did you say?!” Twilight barked.
“Oh, why should I try to explain it when you can see for yourself?” Discord handed Twilight the flashback potion. Twilight quickly drank it.
“Wait, but when Spike brought up the idea, ya said that it was ludicrous,” Applejack said.
“Was it ludicrous? Yes. Was he wrong? No. My plunderseeds should have stolen the magic from the Tree of Harmony and captured Princess Celestia and Princess Luna thousands of moons ago. Alas, it seems the tree had enough magic to keep the seeds from growing up big and strong. Until now, that is.”
After Twilight’s eyes finished glowing, she asked “You realize this is information we could have used hours ago?!”
“And rob you of a valuable lesson about being a princess?” Discord pinched Twilight’s cheek. “What kind of friend do you think I am?”
“Do you really want me to answer that?” I asked.
On the night of the Summer Sun Celebration, the rest of the girls arrived at Canterlot to witness the celebration first hand.
“I thought you were busy with your plans back in Ponyville,” I said.
“Well, given all we’ve done to save Equestria lately,” Applejack said, “the mayor didn’t want to put too much work on us. She gave the jobs to some other ponies and let us travel to Canterlot to see Twilight.”
The trumpets blared as Celestia and Luna appeared onstage.
“Citizens of Equestria, it is no longer with a heavy heart but with great joy that I raise the summer sun! For this celebration now represents not the defeat of Nightmare Moon, but the return of my sister, Princess Luna!”
The crowd cheered as Luna lowered the moon and Celestia raised the sun. Once the two celestial objects passed each other, Twilight zoomed by creating a blast of magic shaped like her cutie mark.
“Woo-hoo! A Sonic Twiboom!” Pinkie shouted. “Twilight should trademark that!”
“Hey, I was the one who did it first!” Rainbow rebutted.
I chuckled a bit and looked up at the sky. It was still unbelievable that I have been in this world for over a year now. Looking back, I have made a lot of significant changes from making sure the girls enjoyed the Gala to throwing Chrysalis in prison. I hoped by the next Summer Sun Celebration, I would continue to make more.