//------------------------------// // To the Beat of a Drum // Story: The Darkest Hour // by Anemptyshell //------------------------------// "Star, explain, now!" Blueblood said. The poor stallion was somewhere between panic and rage. The whole not in the known thing hit too close to home. I raised my hooves in surrender, even if I had to hold back more laughter while doing so. "Someone's grumpy," I said. I was rewarded with a very unhappy Blue stomping over and jabbing a hoof into my chest. "What are these lights you and Sombra are on about?" Blue's questions were parroted by the solidarity of the others. All but Sabre, who seemed lost in thought. Sombra, for his part, seemed all too happy to let me explain. He'd had enough side-eye for one day. If I had to guess. "Well, they're not literal, if that helps." "Well, here I was, hoping my diet was working," Spade said. The pegasus offered a half-hearted wing flex before letting the limb fall limp. "Guess not." "Okay, point taken." I clear my throat. I wasn't sure how any of it worked. I know I'd been making jokes, but honestly. I only sort of got any of it myself. I wasn't even sure Sombra knew anything more than the basics himself. He may have seen them used, but that wasn't exactly the same as learning the ins and outs of their mechanisms or magic. "Okay, so as far as I can tell. The Elements are a set of magical items that can only be used by a chosen individual or group. That we can all agree on, yes?" A series of affirmative nods and grunts had me ready to continue. I clucked my tongue. "So, the important part and what Sombra was talking about is the requirements needed to activate them. You know, like a passcode or particular knowledge. Instead of those, it requires a certain set of character traits that they judge to become usable." I look to Sombra, who nods silently. We were on the same page so far. Let's see how long it takes for me to jump chapter, novel, and genre on this magical hoo-blah. "Six lights mean six characteristics to earn the Elements powers. Lights that have been clear to me, and Sombra as well, it seems. I didn't know what they were until now, but it all lines up in hindsight. I also, on some level, thought the lights were normal or there because of my visions or something. I was wrong, and I'm sorry for keeping it to myself." "Oh, poor, confused, mentally unstable, talks to voices in his head, Stargazer." Bright Pitch had come around and wrapped me in a back hug, patting me on the head as he went. I could feel my eye twitch as the others chuckled, snorted, grinned, and any combination of the three. I wanted to be mad, but it all boiled into just accepting Bright was too precious for this cruel dark world. He was also so socially oblivious I literally could not imagine this was half as condescending as it felt. "Thanks, Bright. Now please let me go." "Are you sure?" Bright asked with another pat on my head. "Yes." And just like that, Bright leaped away and glided over time back to his spot by the fire. I took a single deep breath and tried to bring back any authority I'd had on the subject not a minute prior. The grins of my friends did not help. "You saw us bathed in a strange light and thought nothing of it? Sabre asked. I scratched my head and scoffed. "When you say it like that, I feel kind of dumb." "It was, and you are. Though, it was hardly your fault. Why would you know about its importance? To any other, it would seem madness," Sombra said. It was the closest thing to the compassion I've gotten from Sombra yet. I might cry. "That's fair," Thorax said. The Changeling looked ready to jump. I bet the chat with Chrysalis will be interesting after this Elements talk. "Still, an omission that seems all the stranger. If we can use these Elements, that doesn't mean Nightmare Moon will make it easy. We are really in the thick of it at this point. It would be nonsensical to just assume we'll be able to skip right in and blast Nightmare and be done in time for dinner," Blueblood said. "Right, well, we've gotten a bit off track. So," I said. The others silenced themselves once more. All but Sombra huffed. I waved his way. He was the expert here, the oh so wise King of the North. "The first five are all known qualities. The known elements are, Honesty, Loyalty, Kindness, Generosity, and Laughter. Each is also accounted for if what I witnessed a millennium ago is any relation. Such frail emotions, but powerful nonetheless." "Okay, so if what you've been saying is correct, we embody these Elements well enough to use them?" Bright asked. "Each of you embodies a single Element. While one might possess the qualities to use more than a single Element like Luna and her infernal sister did, the same is not currently the case. One Element for each of you." "So, who is who?" Thorax asked. I tut the poor Changeling. "That's easy." "Is it?" Sabre asked. He pointed a hoof in my direction and then leveled it at the others one by one. "Then you won't mind me taking my own guess, right, sir?" Sabre dropped the 's' word like a sledge. I flinched and submitted his request. I'd be surprised if he got them wrong. They weren't that subtle. Sabre pointed to Bright Pitch first. "Kindness." His hoof moved to Thorax. "Generosity." Then he moved on to Spade. "Laughter." His hoof moved to Blueblood. "Loyalty." Finally, he pointed to himself. "That would leave me with Honesty." The others look between each other. I exchanged a look with Sombra, and Sabre turned back to me. "So, how close was I?" I grin. "One out of Five isn't bad, all things considered. I at least get where you're coming from." "Only one, really?" Thorax asked. "Yep." Sabre exhaled hard and relaxed a margin. I suppose with that stick up his butt, deflating must be one heck of a feat. Spade had taken to whispering to Bright, who was snickering to himself. Sombra looked pleased all around, which I was undecided on. It that was a good thing. "So, who was the correct one?" Bright asked. "Spade." Spade held up a hoof in laxidazical victory. "Yay me." "So, if Spade is Laughter, which boggles the mind. Whom are the rest of us?" Blueblood asked. The unicorn was holding himself in a diligent manner like you might in some fancy noble party. His shaking hooves on the other hoof spoke of a different Blue. A Blueblood who was a hair's breadth away from a panic attack. The stress of this whole discussion was way out of proportion. Yet, here they were, glowing lights and all. "Okay, so following Sabre's lineup. We have Bright Pitch. Who is the one and only Element of Honesty? Then we have Thorax, our resident Element of Kindness. We have Spade's already detailed. Blue." The stallion shook in place. "Is the Element of Generosity. "Blueblood seemed dazed as he mumbled under his breath. Then that leaves Sabre." "Loyalty," Sabre finished. "Bingo, and thus the five have been revealed. Oooo, so spooky and prophicial. Look at me and my ability to see your very soul." I devolved into laughter as the others digested their decreed Elements. Sombra seemed ready to continue, as did Blue, who swapped between whatever was going on in his head and a child who wanted to ask a question to which he didn't want the answer. "That leads us to the sixth." Sombra looked into the fire. The rest of us sat in deep silence. The excitement or mystery of the Elements is replaced with a question beyond the first five. The truth was, I needed to figure out what or how one is supposed to discover such a thing. No dream or glow had given any hint on that account. That along with Sombra not knowing either meant we were going in blind. "The sixth Element is said to be the key to accessing the Elements in full. The other five cannot be used without the sixth. This means we will have to discover its secrets before we reach the Everfree. We will only have a single chance." "True, Nightmare Moon, is vain and paranoid. We will only get this opening before she retaliates and deals with such a threat in the most gruesome manner." Blueblood's face sagged. In the light of the fire, the stallion looked a decade older. Whatever thoughts were plaguing him, were not helping. The others looked to be doing better. Bright was scribbling on a notepad, and Spade might have fallen asleep. I expected that, if not yet, Thorax would recount the conversation to his queen. I'm more than positive Chrysalis or Shining would have thoughts. "Luna," I said. None of the others acknowledged my thought. Sombra barely moved, his breath short, the air slightly steamed in the winter winds. I was beginning to think the only reason I was here was to play messenger between the waking world and the dreamscape. If not me, then who? Luna seemed suspicious of Sombra at best. The others didn't have these dreams or the voices. Two of which were now named, both Sombra and Luna having already given face to their dream voices. The third though, that one was still a complete dud. Since the fall back in the Crystal Empire, that voice had gone completely silent. "So, we wait for our possessed princess to solve our problems? I can't say I agree with such a plan. What are we if we are reliant on others to move forward? Solemn, bless his soul, Chrysalis and Captian Armor, Luna, and the other voices in Star's visions. I, for one, am sick of being a passive party in this fight. I will not be powerless! I will not fail again!" There it was. Blueblood was red in the face and all but snarled by the end. The rest of the group was taken aback. Some more than others, I'm looking at you, Sombra and Sabre. I swear sticks up the rectum was becoming contagious. More than that, Blue had a point. What heroes would we even be if the mind-controlled princess was the one pulling the strings? A mind control inception for one part. We knew what we had and what we needed. Luna may or may not know what we didn't. But does that mean we should rely so heavily on her knowledge? In some recess of my mind, the idea that Luna was a ploy still wriggled and writhed. "The cartographer is correct. We will not be mindless sheep led by a potential wolf. I have played along with these visions long enough. If I must, I will best this petulant monster, this supposed Nightmare." Sombra was up and attem. He stood tall and proud, looking down upon us like the royalty he was. My friends and I bested Cadence, but who was it that led an army? Who was it that had, up until our arrival, undermind everything Nightmare thought she had? Both Sombra and Blueblood were done bowing to the will of others. I couldn't help but smile. "I will not fail Candace a second time. I promised myself she would be free of this horrid Nightmare that plagued her, that plagues us all. I will not play prisoner anymore." Blueblood had stood as well and emulated Sombra to a tee. The two of them no longer feared the dark. The shadows writhed and twisted even now, but the light would not fade. I stood and nodded to the two upstarts. It seems Luna will have to wait. "Agreed. We have too much riding on this to let the final steps be taken in our stead," Sabre stood hoof on the hilt of his favored blade. He lacked the regality, but the crisp well-practiced salute stood ear to ear with the others. "Sounds good. I've always preferred doing everything by hoof anyway. If you do it yourself, you won't have any regrets. I give the dead what they are owed. Every grave dug, every tombstone chivvied. I suppose it's time the living got the same." Spade almost looked severe. His vocal range could use a little work, but he stood firm at the trees that once covered the acres his cemetery now inhabits. He flexed his shovel on one shoulder and gazed up into the stars. "Oh, I'm so excited. Here comes the climactic finale. Time to kick some butt," Bright cheered, taking to the air and hovering about like a hummingbird on the hunt for nectar. His smile seemed to glint in the fire, and the shadows seemed to dip slightly lower. "For the Hive, for Equestria, and for Pharynx. I might not be a good fighter. But I'm still a captain, just like Sir Armor. I'm gonna do them proud, no matter what." Bright had pulled Thorax into a hug, as the Changeling bordered on tears. That settled it. It was unanimous. From here on, we did this our way. We were a team. We got this far. I wasn't about to stumble at the finish. Not when I had so many shoulders to lean on. It was one thing to look for answers, one thing to let others guide your actions. Tonight, we carved those answers ourselves. We took our own steps forward. My body was shaking. I could feel it in the air. It was time to change the world or die trying. "Tomorrow is a brand new day. No more nights. The dawn is coming," I shouted into the frosty night. Let that travel on the winds right back to Nightmare. Let her know we're coming. Let her know we aren't afraid. "Well said," Blue added. "So, all that being said, how do we figure out the last Element?" Spade asked. I shrugged. "I don't think we need a name for the Element as long as someone embodies it. Ya know?" I asked. "The fact both you and I can see whatever power pours from those who possess such a talent. It will be much more of a game of whom than what. Though a thought returns to me. A clue perhaps?" Sombra asked, a little too loud. "Really?" Bright asked, flittering over Sombra and staring at him upside down. "A spark, I believe it was." "The Fire?" Bright asked. "No, not the fire. A spark that will ignite whatever it is we are searching for." "What makes you think that?" Spade asked. Sombra shook his head. "It's just a hunch, right?" I asked with a wink. "Something to that effect. It will remain to be seen. But it is more than nothing. Thus, a goal to strive towards." "Then, a spark we shall find," Blue said. The others consented in the affirmative. A spark? A light? A guiding star? Oh hope so fickle, I wonder where you are?