“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”
― Jorge Luis Borges
“So… what will be my reaction?”
“Excuse me?” Shining asked, pushing several bushes away to reveal a wooden trap door. The entrance to the hideout was quite clever and Shining thanked all the stars in the sky that it existed. The hideout had been designed 60 years ago during the brief 5 year span Princess Celestia had banned all cider. The hatch was concealed using natural fauna and a brilliant concealment spell. If one came towards the hatch in any way over than the direction Shining had taken, the trap door would appear to be nothing more than a patch of dirt. The magical nature of the Everfree made it impossible to tell just where the magic was coming from, thus preventing scouts from tracking it. Of course, Shining had taking the extra precaution of enchanting 20 separate sections of dirt within a 4 mile radius, just to throw off any patrols that might make their way through the forest.
Shining had only managed to find the hideout because he had been expecting it; a member of the rebellion was, as they would say, a rotten Apple, and had known about her family’s history and the dirty little things they had done to survive. Things that Applejack and the rest of the ‘honest’ Apples refused to talk about, even if such actions had managed to keep the family afloat.
Some would frown at the fact that Shining was throwing his lot in with some less-than-reputable characters. The captain’s answer to that charge was that when one was in war, they could not be picky selecting allies.
"I was wondering what my reaction would be to this rebellion you’ve started up," Twilight said as she slipped into the hatch. "Am I going to be shocked by how few ponies are on our side or how many managed to escape? Will my jaw drop in surprise?"
"Why are we even talking about this?" the stallion asked, mildly annoyed by how his sister was making light of their situation.
"It's a valid question," Spike said, his body twisting and shrinking as he let go of his desire and returned to his normal baby dragon form. "I mean, I want to have my facial expressions right. Should I groan? Slap my hands over my cheeks in shock? That is very important!"
Shining's right eye began to twitch and he wondered if their time away had left the two of them a bit more twisted than he had expected. "Are you making jokes?"
"Of course," Twilight said, dead serious. "I have to, Shiny."
"Why... do you have to?” He was trying real hard not to scream. He really was. He could feel all the frustration and rage and annoyance and all the other pent up emotions that had been building since the queens had rose to power bubbling up inside like tar, threatening to drag him down into their dark depths. The only thing that was keeping him calm was the memory of Twilight kicking his ass at his wedding... and that was BEFORE she had become an alicorn.
"I have to make jokes,” Twilight said softly. “Because if I don't laugh I'll cry.” The alicorn gave her brother a watery smile and slipped down into the darkened hatch.
Shining stared at his sister's retreating form, heaving a sigh as all the frustration drained from him. "I am getting tired of upsetting her."
"Not your fault," Spike said, patting him on the calf. "It's... it's just hard to swallow, you know?"
Shining Armor nodded and slipped down into the hatch.
~MC~MC~MC~
The Canterlot Royal Library.
If ever a fire were to claim the building, the loss of the library would be the greatest blow to Equestria. Not because it held wealth or jewels or weapons; no, the grand babbles that the library held were the books and scrolls and written history of Equestria. Every piece of published work was represented there, from the pulpiest of detective novels to the driest of scholarly research. It was a time capsule and a refuge from time’s long march, holding the records of all those that had come before for all those that would come after. If knowledge was power, then those that controlled the library were the mightiest in the land.
Which is why, unlike most libraries, this one was guarded by royal soldiers.
"Halt!" one of the overly bright guards called out, spreading his wing in an attempt to stop the stranger from entering. The metal upon his wing was no longer decorative; it had been sharpened and tempered so that with a flick of a feather any that dared to pass would find themselves without a head.
But it was no thief and revolutionary that tried to pass. In fact, if one were to try and describe the opposite of such mighty figures, the huddled form would be the first definition to come to mind. The figure looked to be very old, with a bent back and hobbling, limping gait. The hood of his cloak was pulled as low as his horn would allow it. His breath came out in wheezing gasps and every once and a while he would cough. The guards raised their eyebrows in unison and for a moment they considered that the old pony had probably wandered off.
“What business do you have here?” a guard demanded.
The decrepit figure slowly plodded into the wing, his head lightly pressing against it. He back up, let out a cough, and shifted, now bumping into the guard’s barrel chest. The guards realized the old stallion was blind and near deaf.
' Why are you blocking his path?'
‘He isn’t a threat’
'You could get in trouble'
‘Just an old pony who wants to pass’
'It isn't harmonious to be so mean'
'What if he reports you?'
‘You need to help him’
'Can't let him report you'
'Let him through'
"My... my apologizes, sir," the other guard said, shrinking away from the cloaked stallion. "Please go ahead." The figure nodded, shuffling in as fast as his lame body could. The guards listened, letting out twin sighs of relief when then heard a snort, followed by a body plopping down on the ground. “Poor old bugger… fell asleep.”
“Tired himself out.”
‘What were you thinking?’
‘You didn’t get him a blanket’
‘he is old and frail, he could die from the cold!’
‘The floor is no place for a pony to sleep!’
‘He needs a blanket!’
‘Go get it!’
'Hurry now!'
‘NOW!’
Hurrying forward, the guards raced down the hall, their post forgotten as they went to get the old stallion a blanket. Had they taken a moment to turn their heads, they would have seen a curious sight: the old creature stretched up, extending his neck and shaking his head. His legs were no longer bowed and his back straightened and became strong. The unsure steps he had been taking became a confident trot as his ebony hooves clicked against the tile floor. The hood fell back and the face that was revealed was not ancient but young; yet the eyes were older than the mountains and the sea and within them held eons of pain and struggle and victory.
Thus it was that Faith, the silver alicorn, lord of the gray, and one of the elements of harmony, found himself alone in the bastion of Equestrian knowledge.
He had worried about facing more of a challenge sneaking into the library, but had found that the queens had long abandoned Canterlot. The great city had been emptied save for the guards and a few occupied buildings; the queens kept it as a museum piece, to show all in Equestria how things had been under Celestia and Luna. The city was made an example of how living without harmony could lead to division and opulence and class warfare.
Faith snorted. Those things had existed throughout time and always would; as long as there was free will, there would be those that held themselves as better than the rest. It was a sad truth but denying it was even sadder. Any ruler that believed their society would be above that was a fool.
The silver alicorn’s horn glowed and he selected the tome he knew he needed. It was an old work; not as old as him but still well aged. The acorns of the acorns of the tree that had been used to make its pages had long been reduced to dust. He brought the text to a table and, under the glow of his horn, began to read.
'The Diary of Clockwork the Curious, Student of Archmage Clover the Clever, Student of Archmage Starswirl the Bearded
May 5th- The princess has asked me to select a field of study. I have chosen the Elements of Harmony, with which her glorious highness used to banish Discord, the spirit of dishamony and one of the lords of chaos. She was surprised at my selection, for much has been written about the elements. I fear that she believes me to be like many of the fortune seekers that vainly travel across this land in search of them. But it is not their value I care about.
My dreams are plagued by visions of the six. I see them now, even as I set quill to scroll: six perfect orbs, each stamped with strange symbols. And yet something tugs at my heart... a voice whispers there is more to the elements. Could it be that they are more than mere stone? I must learn the truth, for I fear allowing this question to linger will lead to madness.'
Faith filled through the journal to the next passage, not surprised by what he found.
July 15th- The voice I have spoken of is clearly something not of this world. Where it hails from I cannot say but I know, to my great relief, that I am not insane. I have determined this because the voice presses me to question many things: the princess, my mentor, my lessons, our history… all save my sanity. Always I feel reassurance that I have not gone mad... far from it, I have the sense that the whispers feel I am the last sane pony in Equestria.
July 23rd- My research goes slow. Much of what I find about the elements is little more than fairy tales. The princess remains cagey and my teacher asks me to put my knowledge to better use; she suggests Starswirl's time spell. I considered such a thing, if only to travel back to the time of Discord and learn of the creation of the elements.
Sep 30th- I am now sure that the elements are more than mere stone. In the last two months I have traveled to the site of Discord's fall and what I have felt simply could not be the lingering effects of some spell. Could it be that the elements are alive? If so, then much I have experienced is explained and, more frightening, questions arise. Were the elements once ponies? Or were they some other lifeform? Did they sacrifice themselves to defeat Discord? I know already that they were not the same then as they were when they defeated Nightmare Moon. Something changed, altered a piece... more research is needed.
Oct 12th- As I set these words down I know that I am admitting to something that will shake Equestria to its core. The elements are alive... and I have been in contact with one. The whispers that have haunted my dreams are clearly the voice of one. I believe them to be that of the 6th element, the one whose name is lost.
...
As I set down those words moments ago something flashed in my mind. As offending as it might sound I felt like a dog being rewarded by a beloved master. I am still smiling at the feeling. It is now clear that the voice is the 6th Element… and his voice is glorious.
I find it sad that this voice, so full of life, is nameless. I have thought about it long and hard and I have decided upon a name, at least till I can help it find its own. The element has pressed me to question all I was taught and not to accept what others hold as truth.
Thus, I name the voice Doubt.'
Faith shut his eyes, letting out a shuddering breath. He had gone to many in the thousand years he had dwelt upon Equestria. Many he had cared little about... they had known his warmth and his protection but they had been tossed aside when they proved themselves weak or arrogant. They had been useless things that had served as little more than distractions.
But Clockwork... Clockwork had been one of the good ones. Faith had stayed with him for 107 long years and it had been the abstract's gift that had led to the unicorn's long life. Still, like all mortals he had passed and Faith still mourned the loss of the pony who had given him his name. Clockwork could have been a bearer, had fate been so kind and for a moment the silver alicorn wondered what life would have been like with the smart little stallion had saved him.
Twilight and Clockwork would have gotten along beautifully.
Taking as long as he could afford to honor his long gone friend, Faith’s horn glowed and he flipped to the section he had been looking for. While most of the diary detailed the mage’s quest to find out about the 6th element, he had included a small amount on the other 5. Back then, when he had been Doubt, Faith had cared only for his name and had paid little heed to the other 5 elements. Now he had come to regret that decision.
He flipped to 3 years later. He knew of this section mostly because he had avoided it. The other pages he recognize but this part, since it was not about him (and he was ashamed by that streak of egotism… but what was one to expect from a stallion that made his wings from mirrors?) he had ignored.
March 19th- My attempts to gaze into the past have left me confused and bewildered. What I have seen is impossible to understand and yet I feel as if the words I now write will serve a purpose, even if I myself find them foolish.
Any other scholar would be thrilled to look upon the sighting of one of the elements and crow with joyous glee. I am not one of them. My search is to find more about Doubt and his origins and I care little for some cackling mare than forever changes the color of her flank and whose hair twists and reshapes itself like a cloud in the hands of a pegasus sculpture.
I shall make my way to Froggy Bottom Bog next, to-
Faith shut the diary and used his magic to ensnare it. He considered, if only for a moment, placing it back on the shelf. Visions of the queens deciding to burn it (as such things had been done in the past to lesser libraries) stopped his hoof and he placed the diary in his saddle bag. Its uses could still be found, as it had already provided him with the answer he sought, even if it wasn’t the one he desired.
Faith shut his eyes once more and forced himself to accept what he had already expected.
The Elements of Harmony had taken control of the bearers. Twilight's friends were innocents that were being used much like the guards and the CMC. The true villain of the tale Faith now found himself in were the other five Elements of Harmony.
The Elements of Harmony… the abstracts... his older brothers and sisters.
His family.
"Bugger."