"That's the icky junk you pulled out of Starlight, right Sunburst?" Pinkie scratched at her chin, drawing much closer to the solid object. Probably a little too close, if I was being honest.
"Yes, Pinkie. That's exactly what it is," he replied to the mare before turning my way. "Go ahead, Sunset."
"O-okay," I hesitantly nodded as I straightened up my posture and got ready. After closing my eyes and taking a deep, calming breath, I sent mana into my horn. As soon as my spell fully formed I used it to reach out to the stone. Using a spell for the analysis of a source of mana was a fairly simple feat for any learned unicorn. It only became troublesome when the mana one was evaluating could be as dangerous as whatever this was.
I had to keep myself at a safe distance. If it was a sentient spell and could somehow find a way to the source of my mana, to my soul... I could become infected. In such a pitiful event, it could mean anything from a negligible amount of pain to instant expiration. The barrier I'd set up should be enough to keep me safe, -- depending on just how strong the caster of the unknown spell was -- but just in case, I severed the link between my analysis spell and my self as soon as it was done with its assessment.
As information slowly flooded through my mind's eye, I knew almost immediately that my limited knowledge wasn't sufficient to come to any significant conclusions on the subject. The way my spell worked was by searching through every bit of data I had ever seen or heard in my life, even if my conscious mind had long forgotten said info. Unfortunately, in all my years, I'd never come across anything like this particular magic.
"What do you think, Sunset?" Trixie asked, forcing me to open my eyes.
"I... It's definitely not unicorn or alicorn mana and... from what little I know of changelings, I'd say it's not theirs either," I sighed, disappointed in the fact that I couldn't be any more helpful. "A-and..."
For some irritating reason I couldn't quite put my hoof on, there was a low nagging voice in the back of my mind that I couldn't shake. It whispered her name to me, over and over again. No matter how hard I tried to ignore it, the voice persisted.
"And what, Sunset?" Sunburst asked, though he appeared to have an inkling of the reason for my reservation.
"It's... It's kind of hard for me to explain, but..." I looked around at the trio, doing my best not to seem guilty.
I... I can trust them.
"For some reason that... stuff... reminds me... of... a friend."
...
None of them said a word, each looking down at the block of mana. Thankfully, no follow up questions were flung my way. They respected me enough not to ask who I was referring to, but I was pretty sure they already knew who I was speaking of.
...
"Barring that last comment," the stallion cleared his throat. "That's essentially what I thought, as well," Sunburst crossed his forelegs, tapping his chin with a hoof. "I know for a fact, it was not created by changelings. Still... there's something that's troubling me even more than its origin."
"What's that, Sunny?" Pinkie asked what the three of us were thinking.
"I couldn't find any traces of this substance in Trixie's mouth." The blue mare blushed at the stallion's words. "If I were a betting pony..." he looked at me. "I'd wager it wasn't in her drink... Rarity's either."
Then...
"Why?" I bristled.
"I couldn't say," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "But if it means what I think it does, then they're obviously prioritizing Starlight as a major threat. Maybe even moreso than you all," he lifted his head towards Trixie and Pinkie.
...
"That... makes sense," I spoke after the few seconds of silence. "Star is beyond talented... and absurdly strong."
If Chrysalis views anypony in the Empire as particularly dangerous to her plans, it's probably Star.
"I can see that," Sunburst agreed, a smile sprouting on his face. "But the Elements are a very... different kind of threat. I truly thought Chrysalis would've prioritized them over anything else."
"Maybe... maybe she doesn't know about us?" Trixie suggested.
"But if they didn't think you were important..." Pinkie's face screwed up in confusion. "Why would they try to poison you with their bug juice?" Trixie blanched. "Oops! Sorry, Trix!" Pinkie patted the blue unicorn on the shoulder.
...
"Maybe... maybe they..." I felt nauseous. "What if they're just poisoning any and every creature they can?"
...
"Unfortunately..." Sunburst sighed. "I'd have to say that's a very real possibility, Sunset." A much more tense quiet replaced the contemplative one that had just taken place.
...
"Where is Twilight Sparkle?" He asked the question out of nowhere, but I had an idea why he wanted to know the information.
"If she's where she's supposed to be, then with her older brother," I answered. "But Star was supposed to be with them too, so... I'm not really sure."
"Could that be why she was targeted?" Trixie interjected. "Because she was alone? Or, at least, away from her friends?"
"Could be," Sunburst tilted his head. "But at least, If Twilight is with Captain Armor, then thankfully, she's in the safest place she can be in the entire Empire."
"Why do you say that, Sunburst?" I was genuinely curious.
"Captain Armor is... he's a very accomplished soldier," he looked solemn all of a sudden. "Since he's become Captain, his magic is what has kept the Empire going safely for as long as it has. If anypony can ensure Twilight's safety, it's him."
That was good to know. Twilight could take care of herself in most situations, but this was different. I glanced at Star's slumbering form. It was reassuring to know that Twilight's older brother was more than capable of keeping watch over her.
"Then we're all safe," I nearly let out the breath of relief, but the looks of worry on Pinkie and Trixie's faces made me decide to do otherwise.
"Not all of us," Sunburst lifted the orb into the air before teleporting it away. "But I can understand why you might be feeling relieved."
I shamefully lowered my head. I knew I was being selfish, but I really was happy they weren't in danger. "What are you going to do with it?" I asked, trying to change the subject and hoping they'd overlook my heartlessness.
"Sending it to Princess Celestia," he rubbed his head with a hoof. "If anypony knows what it is or where it came from, it'll be Her Highness."
...
"So... what now?" Trixie asked.
"Now? Now I think it's best if we consolidate our forces," he stood to his hooves.
"How do we do that, Sunny?" Pinkie tilted her head.
"First things first," he walked over to Pinkie, standing behind her and placing his hooves on her shoulders. "I think Sunset needs to know how the six of you function if we want to stand any chance against Chrysalis."
"How they 'function'?" I lifted my head.
"There are six Elements of Harmony, Sunset," he laid a hoof on Pinkie's mane. "Pinkamena, or Pinkie Pie, as we so affectionately refer to her," he patted her head eliciting a giggle from the pink mare. "Is the Element of Joy."
The Element of... Joy?
"So what she's... extremely happy?" I really didn't understand how a pony could be an element. Elements were things like fire and wind, not creatures.
"YES! I AM!" Pinkie shouted enthusiastically, laughing hysterically.
"The Element of Joy finds her strength in joy," Sunburst chuckled moving over to Trixie. "The more joy Pinkie feels, the more power she has at her disposal."
"Power?" I stared at the bouncing pink mare. I couldn't really debate his claim, -- I'd seen first-hoof just how immense her 'power' was -- but I still didn't understand what kind of power she'd used. It certainly wasn't unicorn magic.
"I can't really explain it myself," Sunburst shrugged, though his lack of knowledge didn't seem to bother him much. "All I know is that each of the Elements derives their strength from a particular... quality they possess, is probably the best way I can put it."
"I see," I didn't completely get it, but I think I had a better understanding than before.
So then Pinkie's ability comes from how joyous she's feeling at any given moment.
While that could be a great boon, it could also be a terrible bane. If she lost that spark -- like she had before finding me in the great hall -- she'd become completely powerless.
"And what about Trixie?" I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me. The azure mare had displayed no strong qualities thus far, other than nervousness, at least from what I could tell.
"Ah, Trixie!" A wide smile came to Sunburst's lips. "The strongest of the Elements."
"S-Sunburst!" Trixie turned a dark shade of red, much like a ripe tomato. She stared down at her hooves, wringing them together uncomfortably. "I asked you to stop with that nonsense."
"But you are, Trix!" Pinkie sidled into the azure mare, nuzzling her affectionately. "We've all seen it with our own eyes." It was clear Trixie wanted to object to their words a second time, but she thought better of it. Instead, she simply lowered her head further. Sunburst nodded my way, wordlessly encouraging me to say something to her.
"What Element are you, Trixie?" I asked gently, not wanting to exacerbate her sullen mood any further.
"I'm... I-I'm humility," she covered her face with her hooves in embarrassment, her coat growing an even more intense maroon. Sunburst laid a comforting hoof on her mane while Pinkie affectionately wrapped her forelegs around the mare's midsection.
"That's... that's AMAZING, Trixie!" I gushed, lifting myself up by my forelegs onto the bed. "That's a really admirable quality!" Despite my level of excitement and just how impressed I was, the blue unicorn's mood didn't improve at all. Her head remained on the decline.
"Th-thanks, Sunset," her reply was nearly a whisper, causing me to fall back down onto my rump. "I... I appreciate it."
I looked Sunburst's way for an explanation. I received a shrug that said, "it is what it is" back.
"Trixie's power is wholly dependent on her friends," he explained. "The stronger they are as a collective... the stronger their bonds grow, the stronger she becomes."
...
"Wait a second, Sunburst..." I lifted a hoof, shaking my head in disbelief. "What exactly do you mean by 'wholly'?"
"It means I'm useless without them," Trixie answered, a distinct sorrow in her words. "It means... It means I can't do a SINGLE THING on my own!"
There was enough frustration in her to cause Pinkie to squeeze her tighter. My mouth fell open into an O, a wave of realization washing over me.
That must be why Sunburst had to look for one of the other Elements earlier...
Trixie, on her own, wouldn't have been able to do anything to help Star.
"I can see how that could be... troublesome," my words drew the azure mare's gaze to me. There was a lot of pain behind those violet eyes. An all too familiar pain. "But... I think it's really amazing, too."
"A-amazing!?" she looked utterly bewildered. "How is it amazing!?"
"I haven't always had friends," I glanced at the slumbering lilac mare. "But, I'm beginning to see just how important they are," I turned back to Trixie, the vivid smile on my face causing her lips to lift slightly. "The bonds Twilight, Star, and I have built with one another aren't that powerful yet... but they're only going to get stronger with time."
"Which means?" Sunburst chuckled, his question directed at Trixie.
"Which means I'll just keep getting stronger..." she teared up, a breathtaking smile coming to her face. "Why didn't I- I couldn't-" she laughed, shaking her head. "Thank you, Sunset... for helping me realize"
"Anytime, Trix," I grinned.
The four of us shared a laugh.
++++++++++++++++++++++
After assuring me -- and then reassuring me countless more times -- that Star was safe inside our room due to the barrier he had erected, Sunburst made the decision that the four of us should seek out the other Elements within the palace.
I needed to speak with them, needed to create a rapport with the group so that we would stand a fighting chance against Chrysalis and her changelings. As the supposed leader of my group -- I'm assuming because I was Celestia's pupil -- and soon to be protector of the queen, -- at least, for the wedding -- I was apparently the best candidate to meet with the Elements.
Not to mention Star is completely out of it right now, Twilight is busy helping her brother with the guard, and I have literally nothing to do until I get a chance to speak with the queen or Cadenza again.
It was an easy decision for him to make.
Trotting through the palace -- hundreds of eyes on the four of us -- was supremely unnerving knowing what I knew now. There could be dozens of changelings operating amongst us and we'd no way to recognize the difference between them and non- combatants.
Each and every time a stranger gave me an unnerving stare a wave of discomfort surged through me. While I was doing a terrible job of hiding just how on edge I was, the others seemed to be doing just fine.
Sunburst had a glowing smile on his face as he spoke with Trixie who -- although looking absolutely flustered at the moment, I was beginning to see that was how she looked more often than not -- did not seem to be worried about her surroundings.
Pinkie... Pinkie was literally bouncing her way through the palace, more than a spring in her step and a wide grin plastered on her face.
Humility and Joy...
Different sides of the spectrum, and yet, they seemed to be really close friends.
Next is Applejack, the Element of Honesty, I recalled Sunburst's words prior to leaving our room. We should be able to find her in the kitchens.
Honesty was nothing like joy or humility, at least, not from what I could gather. While it made sense that Pinkie could bolster her joy through her experiences and Trixie's power could be amplified through her friends, I had no clue how Applejack could utilize honesty.
What can she do, just tell the truth a bunch and it'll make her stronger?
That sounded... unlikely.
"We're here," Sunburst plucked me from my reverie, opening the doors to the kitchens in front of us with a telekinetic spell.
"Thanks a ton, Rare! I'd be in a whole world of hurt if'n y'all didn't come an help me out!" The southern drawl coming from the orange earth pony standing before us was devastatingly thick. The stetson sitting atop her head was also a dead giveaway of her upbringing.
She was definitely raised on a farm, I smiled to myself. A lot of ponies native to Canterlot would find that fact appalling, but I wasn't like them. I wasn't exactly the most diligent worker myself, so anypony who was had my respect.
"Think nothing of it, darling," the voice of the white unicorn was the polar opposite of her orange counterparts. "You know I'd travel through Tartarus and high water to aid you in any and every endeavor you may face."
The second mare carried herself like the typical Canterlot noble, though I could sense an undercurrent of sincerity in her that none of the nobles I'd met before possessed.
The pair was standing before countless trays of food covering dozens of prep tables. It was evident they were simply preparing the delicacies to be cooked the day of the wedding. Such a massive amount of food had to be prepared in advance, and from the looks of it, they'd done an amazing job.
"You're here, Rarity!? Great! Now we don't have to find you too!" Pinkie bounded in front of us, drawing the pairs attention away from the platters before them and onto our motley crew. "Hey Applejack! How goes the food prep?"
"Hey Pinks!" The orange mare, Applejack, lit up at the sight of her friends. "Been busy, huh? Trix, Sunburst," she tilted her hat at each of the others.
"Hey, Applejack," Trixie replied, though it was a tepid greeting at best.
"Afternoon, Applejack," Sunburst's reply was much warmer than the blue mare's.
"Then..." she looked at me. "that must make you one of Twilight's friends. Rare told me all about you."
I recoiled, the force of her displeasure at both seeing me and saying her name, nearly enough to knock me onto my rump.
"Now, now, Applejack. We've already spoken at length on this," the white mare patted Applejack's shoulder with a hoof before stepping by her and towards us. "It's an honor to meet you, Sunset Shimmer," she bowed her head slightly to me. "My name is Rarity and my temperamental friend here is Applejack."
"N-nice to meet you too," I smiled back nervously.
The Element of Generosity is named Rarity, I recalled Sunburst's words once again. She has a... flair for the dramatic, but you won't find a more giving pony in all of Equestria. That magnanimity fuels her.
I wasn't expecting to meet her so soon, but the sweet smile she'd given me had completely disarmed me. Applejack on the other hoof...
"The feelin' ain't mutual." The stink eye the orange mare was giving me said enough for my smile to dissolve away.
"I... I'm-"
"Come on, Aj," Pinkie leapt to her friend's side, using her hooves to force a smile onto the farm mare's lips. "Sunset didn't do anything wrong."
"Maybe not," Applejack lowered the pink mare's forelegs, never taking her eyes off of me.
"Darling, please," Rarity tried to calm the earth pony, but it was clear nothing short of a miracle was going to stop her now.
"No Rare! Any friend of that... unicorn ain't somepony I can trust!"
...
None of us made a sound for the longest time, Pinkie, Sunburst, and Rarity shifting and fidgeting uncomfortably. Applejack was steadfast in her conviction, staring daggers my way. I'd merely dropped my head, her wrathful gaze too much for me to handle.
I had no idea what to do, what to say, to make up for whatever Twilight had done to them.
What could she have possibly...
"Applejack..." I took a deep breath, steeling my resolve and lifting my head. The orange mare didn't flinch. I had her undivided attention. "What did she... what did Twilight do?"
The question sent a visible tremor through the orange mare, as if it was an attack on her body itself, her eyes widening in disbelief.
"Ya mean to tell me that mare had the audacity to attack me and my friends," she scoffed. "And she didn't even think it important enough to mention it to ya?"
My eyes shot open, my legs feeling like they'd suddenly been turned to rubber.
Attacked... them?
Telling the truth can be... a little brutal. After all, a well meant white lie can go a long way in alleviating pain. However, that's anything but honest, Sunburst's voice rang out in my head. You'll get nothing but the truth from Applejack. That truthfulness multiplies her strength.
It took everything I had in me not to collapse on the spot.
But, Twilight wouldn't-
No. She would. She definitely would. In fact, she had. There was no doubt in my mind that Applejack was being honest. When Starlight pushed her a little too hard, she'd nearly killed the mare.
Twilight...
I lost my balance, no longer able to hold myself up, but...
"I've got you, Sunset."
"Tr-Trixie!?" The azure mare had her forelegs wrapped around me, holding me up.
"Applejack... we already discussed this," the blue unicorn's voice was low, barely above a whisper. I didn't know if it was because she wanted to be quiet or if it's because she was nervous. "Twilight apologized. She-"
"Do ya honestly think that's enough, Trix!?" Applejack turned on the mare, her glower remaining strong.
"Was it not enough when Trixie did it!?" Trixie's voice was loud, much louder than I'd expected. A scowl was plastered on her face, the unicorn clearly angry.
"Trixie, you know w-"
"No, Rarity!" Trixie wasn't having any of it, glaring at the white unicorn for a moment, but returning her full attention to Applejack quickly. "Trix- I want the truth!"
...
"Trix," Applejack sighed, her anger finally abating. "Ya know it was. We all forga-"
"Then why isn't it enough for her!?" Trixie wasn't going to back down, her eyes brimming with tears as she moved aggressively toward her friend. "Or is Trixie the one you refuse to believe!?"
"Trixie..." Pinkie wrapped a foreleg around the azure unicorn, her ears flattening atop her head.
"Trix... I'm... I'm sorry," Applejack removed her Stetson, pressing it against her chest. "Ya know I'd never... I..."
My heart stirred, aching for the farm pony and for the blue unicorn.
"Tr-"
Sunburst lifted a hoof in front of my face, cutting me off and drawing my attention. He shook his head, though the action was barely perceptible.
"They'll handle it," he whispered softly to me. "Trust them."
"Applejack..." Trixie's head fell. "If you don't
trust me-"
"That's enough, Trixie! I swore. We all did!" Applejack moved closer to her, determination on the earth pony's face. "I do believe ya, it's just... it's just I'm still angry is all."
"Darling..." Rarity pulled the orange mare even closer to the blue and pink duo. "That's why we all agreed we'd speak with Twilight as soon as possible. Holding a grudge will accomplish nothing."
"I know, I know," Applejack relented, placing her Stetson on Trixie's head. "I'm sorry sugar cube."
"It's okay, Aj," Trixie's meager smile was back. "You'll see. She really did regret it." The four ponies embraced one another drawing a smile to Sunburst's lips.
...
"Alright then," Applejack stepped through her friends, approaching me with a grin on her face. "Let me do this the right way then," she stood in front of me, lifting a hoof my way. "Sorry about all that, I'm not usually so fussy. The name's Applejack."
I stared at her hoof for several seconds, stunned into a stupor. I wanted to take it immediately, to shake it vigorously and smile along with the rest of them, but...
I don't deserve to...
I lowered my head, bowing to the earth pony.
"I'll... we'll make it up to you," I looked up at Applejack, determination flooding my veins. I looked at the four of them. "We'll make it up to all of you. I swear!"