//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Enigma of Veiling // Story: The Legend Of Harmony: The Eternal Eclipse // by Radiant Eclipse //------------------------------// The heroes were close to their goal. The only thing between them and a power to stop whatever might happen, at least they believed they would find that, were some high rocks covered in snow. Or was there something more? Good old Heart’s Warming Eve. A history about some ponies learning about friendship and its true capabilities. A history of cohesion, affection and, to no one’s surprise, love. But also a history of an etherealness that feeds upon the blind spleen of their prey, devouring all what is good, leaving their bodies behind, frozen in ice crystals, maybe for all eternity. Let us see if the story behind these creatures really had come to an end in the past millennium. ======== The only thing that seemed to exist in the realm they had to cross was pure, white nothingness. The chain of mountains they had to travel through was covered in a flogging blizzard. A thin mist of steam encumbered the visibility of the ponies drastically as they walked along the precipitous path they had to walk. The ground was covered in a hoof-high snow-layer, the rampant wind made it impossible to fly for the two pegasi and even the sky seemed to exist of nothing but greyish-white clouds. But not just the area, but even the ponies and the little dragon themselves seemed to be just another part of the environment. Their upper halves were turned into coverlets made of white crystals, their eyelashes covered in frozen teardrops and their fur as well, because of iced perspiration. Their manes and tales were stiff because every single hair froze up into one unit, like they had been transformed into crystal ponies, again. But even the blizzard in the Arctic was just a gentle breeze compared to this. Giving consideration to the possibility that they might fight a pony, this whole adventure was really like the adventure they had in the Crystal Empire, but fare more hazardous, wasting and essential for the future. “Looks like the princesses don’t search for us after all!” Twilight shouted to her friends who walked behind her in a straight line, but Spike, who, like usual, sat on her back. “I really don’t get it, guys! When the princesses don’t hunt for us, why didn’t they just tell us about what is to come?! This makes no sense to me!” Applejack discomposedly pointed out her opinion about this whole situation. “Never doubt the princesses’ wisdom!” Rarity, as usual, taught everyone else who doubt the princesses’ actions. “Oh come on, Rarity! Stop backing them all the time! Even Twilight thinks that there is something iffy about them, right Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked her, though she already knew the answer. Twilight did not say anything. She was not unsure about her answer, but it was unnecessary to speak it out. The situation was too tense for Pinkie Pie, so she tried something to lift everyone’s spirit. She stopped and slammed her face into the snow layer. When she lifted it up again, she formed the snow on her face to a long, fluffy beard and began to role-play a very famous stallion. “Ho-ho-ho-ho! Marry Heart’s Warming Eve my little ponies! Santa Colt is here with many presents for you good fillies! Ho-ho-ho-ho!” All out of the sudden, she took a glass of milk and some cookies from behind her back and devoured them in an instant. “Ho-ho-ho!” She said when she burped her beard away. “Oh! Falling out of hair. Wait, I fix that!” She said and again, she slammed her face into the snow and formed another beard, but this time, it was a French beard. “Mesdames. It would be endearing to savor your congenial simper.” She said with an outré artificial accent and indeed; her friends enjoyed this amateur performance. All out of the sudden, the blizzard seemed to calm down a little, like their laughter would chase the bad weather away. Now, the wind blew softly of the fur of the ponies, the fog faded away and even their manes and tales defrosted, as well as their fur. But because the snow still fell in heaps, they were still covered in snow, but definitely less than before. “Amazing.” Fluttershy pointed out, being surprised by the immediate change of the weather. “It’s like our mood would change the storm.” “Like me, this doesn’t make any sense!” She shouted while shaking of her beard. “But when it worked, I don’t care!” She said with much self-esteem, walking forward while the others still stood, because of the wonderment the current situation had caused. Still sitting jovially on her back, Spike turned to Twilight. “Couldn’t she share some of her cookies with us?” But all he got was a shrug. “Yeah… that is Pinkie. Always not thinking about her actions.” He replied, obviously having a strop on. As the rest of the group followed Pinkie Pie, it seemed like it would became colder again. The wind slashed their faces and the snow fell with a faster rate. Pinkie took an instant break when her friends caught up and looked discomposedly into the greyish sky. “Something is just plain wrong with these mountains.” She pointed out, turning to her friends with an unsettled gaze. “Be careful guys. I fell my pinkie senses go off.” The others nodded, knowing that she was right, moving along with an uncertain mood. The longer they climbed up the mountain, the more circumspect and unconfident their mood become, fearing another threat, a threat they may not vanquish; and with that, the blizzard became more intense. The group struggled through the galling blizzard, barely able to see their own hooves in front of their eyes, when they suddenly heard a relative silent scream. “Help!!” Fluttershy shouted out loud. The rest of the group turned around without hesitation and rushed towards the yellow Pegasus. “What is it, Fluttershy?!” Rainbow Dash asked her rashly when she saw one of her hoof completely frozen in a layer of ice, and the others were appalled by what they saw. Fluttershy puled because of fear, but the more she was afraid of what is going to happen to her, the faster the ice crawled up her body. “Somepony! Please help her!” Pinkie Pie shouted, running scared and jumping all around the place when she suddenly was not able to move anymore. “Guys. Why can’t I feel my hooves anymore?” She asked while slowly looking down, realizing she shared the same wicked fate Fluttershy did. “Ok, ok! Everypony keeps calm and quiet. Just leave it to me!” Spike averred when he jumped from the back of Twilight and went to Fluttershy. “Stay calm, Fluttershy. I will melt that ice with my fire breath, ok?” He asked her, only getting a very uncertain approval. Spike breathed in deeply and moved his head closely to the lower part of her body, breathing a constant blaze out of his mouth, slowly melting the ice. “Excellent, Spike!” Twilight cheered him on. “He is a glamour boy.” Rarity commented about him. “Way to go, Spike!” Spike smiled at her charming words, but he was not finished yet, so he focused again on melting the ice that still covered Fluttershy’s legs. “Please, Spike. Hurry up. I am begging you.” She said timidly, jittering stronger in her ice. “I do my best… but something’s wrong. The ice grows back!” He pointed out, knowing that his efforts where futile and slowly stopping his actions. “I am sorry. It won’t melt off.” “Never mind! Twilight, can’t you use magic?!” Rainbow Dash asked her, unable to think of any other way. “Yes. I will give it a try.” She said while beginning to do the exact thing Spike did, but only with her horn and magic energy, to melt the ice away. But like Spike, the longer she took, she faster the ice grew back. Knowing that this was completely futile, she gave up as well. Her spirit was broken once more and her friends knew that. Just in that moment, ice started to slowly consume everyone else, too. They screamed in horror as the ice slowly crawled up der bodies, already covering their knees. “This can’t be! What is this ice?! This… ice…” She said while Twilight slowly immersed herself into her thoughts. She turned around and looked at Pinkie Pie. She just stood there smiling, staring into space while dithering a bit. “Pinkie! Why didn’t the ice already consumed you?” Twilight ask in perplexity. “I have no idea!” She replied happily like she always does. Twilight began to think about this phenomenon. Somehow, Pinkie Pie seemed to be immune against the constant growing ice. “This doesn’t make any sense. Everyone is afraid of being frozen and Pinkie... she isn’t… Could it be? Her happiness protects her? Yes, yes of course! The blizzard calmed down when she made us laugh, but started again when Spike complained about her behavior. Fluttershy is already an insecure pony, so she got first. Our shock and inability to help her made us share the same fate. Of course! The ice, our condition and Pinkie Pie. All of that makes sense now!” She awoke from her daydream and yelled into the grey sky. “Windigos!” She shouted, immediately getting the attention of everyone else. “Windigos! They are the reason for this.” She explained, but Spike was not quite sure about her explanation. “But Twilight, I thought they would only freeze ponies when they are angry; not scared or hopeless. “Seems like these horses changed their shoes.” Applejack replied. “Yes. But it doesn’t matter because we know what their weakness is.” Twilight remarked with much self-esteem. With her magic, she teleported the whole group very close to each other, knowing that most body parts were already imprisoned in the cold crystal. “Let us display our friendship.” Twilight explained when she stretched her a bit. Her friend did as well, making them touch each other and feel the remaining warmth. Twilight began caressing her best friend Spike, who in turn caressed Rarity, eventually causing everyone to smilingly enjoy the bond of affection they share. And Twilight was right about her idea. The blizzard began to fade away once more and the ice melted away like an iced-lolly in a sauna. The ponies and Spike were now fully able to move again; and knowing that the threat may not be over, they once more displayed their affection by embracing each other in one big group hug. The energy of their friendship flushed through the air, driving all hatred, fear and insecurity out of the surrounding area and the hearts of every single one. As quickly as the storm came, it ultimately cleared away again, because of the act of affection they did. The group ended their embracement and beheld the new, peaceful appearance of the environment. There was no wind, no snowfall and the clouds were restored by a splendid, blue sky. “We did it!” Fluttershy called gently. “Never underestimate the power of friendship.” Twilight noted jokingly. “Hey look! Over there!” Pinkie Pie yelled, spotting some unknown entities in the distance while pointing at them. “Do you think these are the ponies in power?” Rarity asked the group in bewilderment. “Let’s find out.” Twilight responded self-assuredly. The group walked towards the standing figures and realized, to their surprise, that these beings were really the cause for what have happened. The three horse-like creatures just stood there in peevedness, unable to accept their defeat against some mere teenagers and a child. Both camps faced each other, just standing there and observing the opponent. Like most of the times, Fluttershy hid behind Applejack, Rainbow Dash was ready to attack and Pinkie Pie did not take anything too serious. To the surprise of everyone, the three Windigos just walked past the group, snarling in wrath while trying to prevent any further disgrace. But just as the three walked along, Applejack dealt an extra blow. “Hah! Nice try, jackasses! Next time, give it your best shot!” She insulted the Windigos, leading her friends to laugh at them and they in return fly away in a freezing wind gust. The group breathed another sign of relief, knowing that they succeeded this trial as well, especially to the pleasure of Rainbow Dash. “Hehe. You know guys, I have nothing against nostalgia, but having to humiliate every single foe another time is a bit over the top, isn’t it?” “Don’t worry about that” Twilight replied quiescently. “We should be close to our goal. Besides, remember what you promised.” “No worries, mam! I won’t cause any trouble!” “Great. Then let us continue and finally get it over with.” “After this, we really have to care for us in the spa.” Rarity remarked exhaustedly. “A long, hot bath would be appropriate right now. All this struggling soiled us. --------------- It was about noon when the group stood in front of something that looked like a big, closed gate that has been carved into the mountains. “No wonder no pony has ever found this place. It is on the other side of the mountains.” Twilight claimed as she analyzed the structure in front of them. They stood on a little, round stone plateau that has been built in the middle of one of the mountainside and that has been decorated with many engraved images of ponies and magic symbols. The most notable was a very big image in the middle that displayed a demonic looking pony caged in a crystal like vessel, surrounded by two alicorns, obviously the two princesses. But there were also five other ponies of different races who stood at the bottom; showing a pose that resembled praying. All of them carried an Element of Harmony, with the exception of the princesses, who carried both the Element of Magic. “Astonishing…” Rarity raved about the images that obviously displayed the events that happened in the past. “Hey! Come here!” Twilight shouted and with that, they did as tasked. She pointed at holes in the big gate that resembled a familiar shape; the shape of the Elements of Harmony. They understood and put the respective element into the respective hole. Finally, Twilight put hers into the hole and the group backed off some meters. The formation resembled the familiar round shape; the Element of Magic in the middle while the others surrounded it. “Is it working?” Spiked asked Twilight, wondering why nothing is happening. “Wait and see, Spike. Wait and see.” She replied, focusing on the big, stony gate. Eventually, her patience paid off. The objects glowed without any apparent reason, but the crystal amulet did as well. It floated, shrouded in a luminescent veil, to the middle of the big image in the middle of the plateau, right above the demon pony’s body. A sudden, bright light blinded the group and covered the area in a flashy light. The light merged into the elements and caused them to react like the heroes would use them. A rainbow beam dashed right into the amulet and it absorbed all of it. As all the power was focused into the crystal of the amulet, it was canalized into one, thin beam that pierced the image of the dark pony. An unexpected earthquake took the group by a surprise, but predictably, the gate slowly opened and the group gained access to whatever may lie behind that 10 meter tall gate. The group jumped for joy, but was also proud of what they managed to do. “Now, nopony can stop us!” Twilight shouted out loud, beaming with pride and joy, affecting her followers in a way that made them feel like she did. They put their respective element on, displaying their confidence in a way never seen before, and put the amulet back into the saddlebag Twilight carried. “I can’t believe we did it.” Fluttershy commented wonderingly. “Believe it, my dear.” Rarity replied, insuring the victory they have just achieved. “First the timberwolves, then the hydra and finally the Windigos. That was one heavy ride for a week, eh?” Applejack noted with a confident grin on her face. “Going the whole hog and surpassing the own limits? That is something I like.” Rainbow Dash added haughtily like she always did. “Time to finish this and return to the party!” Pinkie Pie bawled while she jumped into the dark tunnel the gate has revealed. “Well, seems like our adventure comes to an end, right?” Spike asked Twilight, but he did not seem to be as happy as everyone else. He had his arms folded and looked askant at the black path they will soon have to walk. Twilight saw him in this precarious mood and tried to console him. “Don’t worry. It will be fine. You will see; everything is going to end well like it always does.” “Yeah, I guess you are right.” He replied doubtfully, following Pinkie Pie with a calm pace; and so did the rest of the group. --------------- “I can’t see anything; it is too dark in here. Twilight, Rarity; Can you bring your horns to glow?” Pinkie Pie asked them suppliantly, and so they did. The tunnel, in contrast to the plateau, was not decorated with anything. It was just a coarse, slim and cragged tunnel that seemed to lead into the core of the mountain. But at least, there were torches that had been attached on the brusque walls. Twilight levitated one of the torches in front of Spike and he breathed a small flame out, causing the dry straw, the fuel of the torch, to burn and light the bleak corridor up. “Much better.” she replied to the actions that have just occurred. Without any further interruptions, the group silently walked through the seemingly endless tunnel, but their patience and endurance paid off. A dozens of meters wide, round room unveiled itself before their eyes. They beheld the beauteousness of this unique, magnificent place they have just entered. The semi circled room, but the ground they were standing on, was covered in uncountable, gorgeous crystals and jewels that emitted a restrained light in all imaginable colors. “Like a rainbow in the dark.” Spiked commented, seemingly amazed by this view like the others, while breaking one of the jewels away and devouring it. “Tasty.” But they took their time before they realized the true majesty of this realm. At the center, there was a ginormous, diamonds-shaped, lavender colored crystal. It was mounted on a podium that stabilized the crystal with small ramifications made of solid stone that enmeshed the lower quarter of it. Everyone was once more astonished by this sight, but they kept moving, heading to the center. Only as they reached the podium, they realized that the crystal was at least two floors high, probably more; and that is seemed to be particularly fractured. “Wow. This crystal has many cracks. It surprises me that it didn’t collapse already.” Rarity pointed out in bewilderment, while the cracks seemed to become bigger, like the crystal could break any minute. “Well, looks like we have made it just in time.” Twilight replied, focusing on the inimitable structure she regarded In front of the crystal, there was a stone tablet that resembled a familiar shape. Like the gate, it had the forms of the elements concaved in it. Like before, they put in their respective element into the fitting hole and waited for what is to come. The gigantic crystal began to glow once, then once more and so on; faster and faster until it was a constant light. Twilight, as the leader of the group, wanted everyone else to pay absolute attention. “Well then, guys! Prepare to see something no pony has ever seen before since more than a millennium. A power most ponies don’t even know about. This is the most powerful thing ponykind knows. Take your hats off to this, because it will help us to save the world.” Everyone but Rainbow Dash did demonstrated respect as tasked, but also with pleasure and voluntarily. Applejack actually took Twilight literally and put her Stetson off her head, holding it in one hoof. Twilight’s smile got bigger and bigger as the light became brighter. She was too excited and only stared at the glowing crystal, while her friends looked away so it would not blind them. But suddenly, a thought she blocked out flushed her mind. It was something the princesses have said. “Together, we were able stop Pariah just before he could finish his plan to drown the world in darkness and we were able to banish him into eternal crystal.” “Pariah has been defeated and now rests in eternal crystal, sealed away from the rest of the world in a distant place nopony has ever reached.” She looked to her saddlebag and stared right at the historical tradition. Finally, she remembered something she said. “No matter how, he will find a way to return to finish what he once began… shortly before the fiftieth eclipse will arise.” Her eyes gapped in horror, holding her breath while turning back to the crystal. “I misunderstood it…” “What?!” Spiked asked her loudly because the light created a constant, loud sound, but also a heavy wind. She turned to Spike and the others. “I misunderstood the context of the book. We are not revealing a power that helps us stopping Pariah.” She swallowed and took a deep breath. “We are releasing… it…” “What?!” They shouted, having an obvious horror that garnished their faces, but before they could act anymore, the crystal exploded and the blast wave sent everyone flying and slamming into the wall. In midair, the saddlebag with the amulet and the historical tradition in it detached from twilight and got buried under the jewels that shattered into pieces and fell on the ground. The heroes were lying there, tarnished by the impact and the raised dust. The only thing they were able to comprehend in this moment was a loud, shrill and vicious scream coming from the center. Twilight looked at it, still not able to stand up again, grasping that she just did the exact opposite of what she intended to do. She apparently did not save the world; she doomed it. “I… I failed.” --------------- It was midday and the party in the park caused the ground to heat. The princesses, but also the three Cutie Mark Crusaders, were sitting on blue pillows on a hill, keeping a discreet distance from the party. An easy earthquake took the ponies by a surprise, but it faded off again, so they simply continued to dance to Vinyl Scratch’s funky rhythms. But the princesses and the three little fillies knew that there was more behind this earthquake, starring at the distant mountain at the edge of Equestria and thinking about what is happening over there. “Do you think they are alright?” Applebloom asked Celestia. “But of course. This was probably the effect of the power they used to overcome Pariah and seal it back again.” “Awesome!” Scootaloo yelled, beaming with joy, but Sweetie Belle put her hoof immediately on Scootaloo’s mouth. “Shush!” “Oh, yeah. I am quite as a mouse.” Though the three foals were joyous about the apparent victory of their friends, the princesses did not share this joy. In contrary, they were stressed and suffered in trembling uncertainty. “So it has begun?” Luna asked her sister quietly while the fillies were jumping for joy. “Yes.” Celestia replied fearfully. “It has.” ======== What a shocking surprise. The most intelligent, apt and gifted unicorn made a mistake. She looked for a power to stop an enemy that threatens the whole planet, but accidentally, she released the foe. What dramatic irony. Hehehe. To err is pony, but the consequences in this case were far from bearable; that is what she thought at that moment. Celestia and Luna acted amiss as well; twice to be precise. First, she thought that keeping my return secret was the best to be done. She should have prepared them for what is to come. Second, she answered Luna’s question incorrectly. It was not a beginning, it was just a continuation. But in the end, I guess all of that did not matter that much. Maybe, their faults were even the things that pushed them forward, letting them fight until the end. Maybe these mistakes were not mistakes at all. But this is too forward-looking.