//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: Stopwatch // by N o - F a c e //------------------------------// Seize her!” The mayor demanded, “Only she knows where the Princess is!” The guards were shocked out of their stupor and began to surge towards Nightmare Moon. “Stand back, you foals!” She laughed, a bright and wicked gleam in her eyes. Lightning struck from the storm of her mane, causing the guards to shy away, and stunning those who were hit into falling. As easily as she had commanded the lightning, she turned into a puff of smoke and whisked herself out the door, into the streets. In a panic, ponies scattered. Whirl attempted to give chase, but Applejack, well aquatinted with his rash nature, restrained him long enough that by the time he broke free, the cloud has sped away into the forest, which was too precarious for him to navigate quickly enough to catch up. “Fuck.” He said. His fur still stood on end from static and the urge to pick a fight. Whirl glanced up at the sky with unease. As much as he liked the stars, he knew enough about science to understand that an eternal night was a very bad idea. Motion caught in the corner of his eye. It was the purple unicorn, Twilight, taking off in a sprint with a determined look on her face. Whirl decided to follow. ——— “Elements, elements, elements... Ugh! How can I stop Nightmare Moon without the Elements of Harmony?” In her hurry, Twilight treated her books with uncharacteristic disrespect, throwing them about. Whirl neatly dodged one with a “Watch it!” causing the unicorn to yelp at the intruder. “Rainbow Dash?!” She exclaimed, eyes wide. “What are you doing here?! I’m busy!” “I thought you’d know something about all that...” Whirl waved a hoof, “Evil mad-mare thing - you seemed like you knew something! So what’d’ya know, huh?!” Whirl prodded the purple pony purposefully. “Simmer down, Sally.” Another voice called. Twilight peeked over Whirl’s fluttering wings. Applejack emerged from the doorway - which had been left open in Twilight’s hurry. Three others followed behind her. “But, she sure knows what's goin’ on. Don’t ya, Twilight?” Applejack continued, staring expectantly at the unicorn mare. Twilight eyes turned downward, ears folded back slightly. “I read all about the prediction of Nightmare Moon...” Twilight turned back to them “Some mysterious objects called the Elements of Harmony are the only things that can stop her, but I don't know what they are, where to find them; I don't even know what they do!” She wore a distressed face. “‘The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide’” a voice chirped suddenly in response. All eyes turned to find Pinkie Pie, head tilted to the side as she read the spine of a book on one of the shelves. Her poofy mane bobbled as she turned to look at them, a smile on her face. “How did you find that?!” Twilight exclaimed as she rushed over. “It was under ‘E’!~” Pinkie sing-songed as she hopped back to the group. “Oh.” Twilight blushed. Shaking her head, the unicorn found the mentioned book and opened it with her magic. “There are six Elements of Harmony,” She began. “But only five are known: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty and Loyalty. The sixth is a complete mystery. It is said, the last known location of the five elements was in the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters. It is located in what is now... um.” She paused in her reading. “...The Everfree Forrest.” “Wait, we’re going there?” Whirl questioned. “I mean - it’s no problem for me but it might be for you guys.” He motioned in particular to Rarity, who was looking somehow paler than her coat. But all of the ponies looked wary, including Applejack “Are ya sure it’s the only way, sugar? Them woods are awfully dangerous.” “It’s our only choice! Do you know what eternal night means?!” Twilight’s resolve firmed. There was silence for a moment. “Then I guess we’re going!” Whirl said eventually. “‘We’? Look, I appreciate the offer, but I'd really rather do this on my own.” Twilight frowned. She made her way to the door, intent on starting her journey alone. “No can do, sugarcube.” Applejack said firmly, following her out. “We sure ain't lettin' any friend of ours go into that creepy place alone. We're stickin' to ya like caramel on a candy apple.” The rest of the group followed behind them, making noises of assent. “Especially if there's candy apples in there!” Pinkie blurted. “What? Those things are good.” Twilight sighed as she excepted her fate. ——— And so, the group made their way into the Everfree. Known for its mysterious properties they found it even more treacherous than they expected - seeming to find danger at every turn. Said danger took the form of everything from collapsing cliffs, to witchy willows, sobbing serpents, and killer kitties. Each danger had been surpassed due to the virtue of a group member. Whirl didn’t think about this however as he flew across the broken bridge, rope held in his maw. Hefting the length of it up over the cliff, he began to wrap it around the post when he heard a whisper. Distracted, he fumbled and dropped the rope, cursing as it slipped from his hooves. “Rainbow...” a voice sounded quietly. “What?!” He turned towards the voice, irritated and wary. “We've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the best flyer in Equestria.” Three figures emerged from the fog as the one in the middle spoke. They were grey pegasi with blue hair dressed in dark bodysuits. The goggles they wore held an odd, enrapturing glint. “Huh?” Whirl replied, blinking. “You, Rainbow Dash. You are the best flyer in Equestria.” One by one the fliers took to the air and began slowly flying around the blue pegasus. “Well, yeah, I’m definitely up there.” Whirl smirked. “Glad to see you noticed!” “We’re the Shadowbolts and we definitely have noticed. We want you as our captain.” One of them purred. It was a different one then before, but had the same voice. Whirl didn’t notice, too distracted by the gleam in their googles. “How much is the pay?” Whirl queried as he turned his head to follow them. Maybe it was the fog, but he suddenly felt a tad dizzy. “As our fame grows, so will our fortune. It will all be yours, Rainbow.” Another whispered. “I can finally have it again?” The bodysuits looked more and more enticing and ethereal by the moment. “Of course. You can have anything.” This was whispered gently in his ear. Whirl backed up slightly before he could be touched. His hind hoof brushed against the rope on the ground. “Alright!” Whirl laughed. “Just let me finish this up real quick -“ he turned back to the bridge, which he’d nearly forgotten. “No! It's them or us.” The Shadowbolts hissed. Whirl blinked. His ear twitched as he heard a voice from across the chasm, but when he turned his head, it had disappeared and the fog was thicker than before. Turning his head back towards the Shadowbolts, Whirl pursed his lips and squinted at them. Taking a moment to think it over, Whirl stared at them. A light reflected off the goggles again, momentarily glaring in his eyes. Whirl shook his head. When he opened his eyes his head felt clearer and he felt more resolute in his decision. “Nah, I’ll pass.” He said with finality. “What.” The Shadowbolts stated in unison. “It’s sounds like all my dreams come true - that just doesn’t happen for me.” Whirl turned back to the bridge and began to tie a knot. “And hey, I said I’d help the gals save the world or whatever.” He mumbled through a mouthful of rope. When he was finished and turned around, they were gone and the fog was slowly clearing. He took a deep breath, and flew back across to his new friends. “Rainbow! You did it!” They cried out, cheering for him. “Hell yeah, I did!” He said with a laugh. “Now c’mon! Let’s go!” He ushered them across as he fluttered above them. The group left another bridge behind them as they entered the abandoned castle. ——— Held on a large podium in the center room of the castle, was five large stone orbs. Twilight gaped at them. “Come on, Twilight. Isn't this what you've been waitin' for?” Applejack encouraged her. “The Elements of Harmony, we've found them.” Twilight spoke reverently. “Careful, careful!” She exclaimed as he pegasus friends began to gently lift the Elements down. One by one they were set down in a circle. “One, two, three, four... There's only five!” Pinkie counted. “So where's the sixth?” Whirl gently poked one of the stones. “The book said: when the five are present, a spark will cause the sixth Element to be revealed.” Twilight mumbled, staring at the Elements. They might’ve once been crystals, judging by the facets carved into them, but they were currently dull and lifeless, likely until the sixth was revealed. “What in the hay is that supposed to mean?” Applejack said skeptically. “I'm not sure, but I have an idea. Stand back. I don't know what will happen.” Twilight laid down by the circle of Elements, channeling magic through her horn. “Come on now, y'all. She needs to concentrate.” Applejack ushered the rest of the group away and outside. However, just as they gathered at the entrance to the castle, they all heard a yelp from inside! “Twilight!” They cried, rushing back through the door. They arrived just in time to see her and the Elements disappear in a blip of magic. The five ponies burst into chaos as they began calling for their friend. “Twilight!” Applejack cried “Where are you?” “Look!” Rarity pointed out the window to a another tower in the castle, which was gleaming with magic. ——— Twilight coughed and hacked through a lungful of dust, which began to settle after the teleport ended. When she looked up with teary eyes, she found a cackling Nightmare Moon directly across the room from her. At the mad mare’s feet were the Elements Of Harmony. Growling, Twilight stood up at pawed at the ground like a bull. “You're kidding. You're kidding, right?’ Nightmare said flatly. Twilight didn’t answer with anything except the glow of her horn and the start of her charge. Obliging to the challenge, Nightmare Moon lowered her head and began her own charge, her horn poised to puncture. The sound of stomping hooves on brick sounded throughout the chamber as the two ran full force at each other. However, just before the two could make contact, Twilight disappeared in another blip of magic - this time caused by herself. Nightmare Moon made a noise of shock. Groaning from the strain of the teleport, Twilight shook her head and focused on the Elements now in front of her. “Just one spark.” She muttered as she began to channel magic into the stones. “Come on, come on…” Enraged, Nightmare Moon teleported into the circle of stones, interrupting the spell and causing the backlash to fling Twilight away. When Nightmare moved to step out of the circle, it momentarily blocked her, causing her to gasp. This gasp turned to relived evil chuckles when the magic fizzled away. Twilight gasped “But... where's the sixth Element?!” Nightmare Moon’s laughter continued, as with a great stomp, she shattered the Elements Of Harmony into worthless little shards. They fell lifelessly to the floor, scattered like shards of glass. Twilight watched helplessly as the dark alicorn stepped on the brittle shards, crumbling them beyond repair. “You little foal! Thinking you could defeat me? Now you will never see your princess, or your sun! The night will last forever!” Nightmare said with glee. Twilight, even as helpless as she was, heard something in the distance and couldn’t help but twitch her ear that way. Her eyes dilated as she realized it was her friends. She also realized something else. “You think you can destroy The Elements of Harmony just like that? Well, you're wrong, because the spirits of The Elements of Harmony are right here.” Her friends burst into the room to stand beside her just as she finished. With that, the shards of stone that were once the Elements began to rattle on the ground, eventually floating upwards. “What?” Nightmare breathed. “Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the spirit of... honesty! Fluttershy, who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of... kindness! Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of... laughter! Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift represents the spirit of... generosity! And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desire represents the spirit of... loyalty!” Twilight said with pride. With each declaration, the remnants of the Elements began to gather around Twilight and her friends. “The spirits of these five ponies got us through every challenge you threw at us.” She said finally. “You still don't have the sixth Element! The spark didn't work!” Nightmare Moon said desperately. The floundering mare’s eyes darted from pony to pony. “But it did!” Twilight said, turning to her friends. “A different kind of spark. I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all... are my friends!” And with that, a light appeared above their heads. Looking up, Twilight found it to be the sixth element, floating proudly and intact. Her head turned back to the alicorn. “You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the... the spark, that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the sixth element: the element of... magic!” A near-blinding flash shined across the room. As the sixth Element revealed its power, the shards of the others coalesced together, quickly forming shiny golden necklaces and a single crown on the group of friends. And with that, a beautiful, double-helix rainbow emerged from their collective energies, and was sent spiraling towards a shocked Nightmare Moon. “No! Nooooooo!” She cried as the light engulfed her. ——— “Ugh, my head…” Whirl groaned as he came to, rubbing his head. “Everypony okay?” Applejack asked, worriedly looking around. “Oh, thank goodness!” Rarity stood, flaunting her now intact tail. “Why Rarity, it's so lovely.” Fluttershy complimented. “I know!” The white unicorn snuggled her purple tail. “I'll never part with it again!” “No. Your necklace.” The yellow pegasus pointed to it. “It looks just like your cutie mark.” “What?” Rarity glanced between the two. “Ooh. So does yours.” Fluttershy looked at her own necklace with a startled smile. “Look at mine! Look at mine!” Pinkie Pie giggled as she shook her chest, showing off her necklace. “Fucking cool!” Whirl grinned, admiring the shape of his own. “Gee, Twilight!” Applejack commented. ”I thought you were just spoutin' a lot of hooey, but I reckon we really do represent the elements of friendship.” “Indeed you do.” A voice sounded, startling the group of friends. To their awe, the sun began to rise - and with it, a shining light descended through one of the windows and into the center of the room. All except Twilight and Whirl began to bow when the light formed the shape of a certain alicorn. “Princess Celestia!” Twilight gasped, rushing up to meet her. “Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student. I knew you could do it.” The pony princess gratefully nuzzled her charge. “But... you told me it was all an old pony tale.” Twilight frowned as she pulled away. “I told you that you needed to make some friends, nothing more.” Celestia asserted. “I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return, and I knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her, but you could not unleash it until you let true friendship into your heart.” Student and mentor smiled at each other. “Now if only another will as well…” Celestia turned. ”Princess Luna!” Across the room and unnoticed until then, a small blue alicorn gasped. “It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this.” The white alicorn said as she walked across the room to Luna. “Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, little sister.” “Sister?” Twilight and Whirl said, incredulously. “Will you accept my friendship?” Celestia asked with damp eyes. There was a moment of tense silence, the sisters staring unblinkingly at each other. “I'm so sorry!” Luna eventually choked out, standing on shaking knees. “I missed you so much, big sister!” The two of them embraced each other, tears running down their faces. “I've missed you, too.” Celestia murmured into her little sister’s mane. Whirl sidestepped away from Pinkie Pie as she began to awkwardly wail with them. Despite that, Whirl barely resisted when his friends pulled each other into a group hug, watching with stifled sobs as the two sisters reunited. How long had it been since he’d seen his own loved ones, he wondered as he allowed himself to bury his face in one of his friends shoulders. He hoped it would never be that long.