//------------------------------// // Chapter Three: The Elements of Harmony // Story: Dawn of the Crusaders // by VietNinja220 //------------------------------// [Element Sanctum] The four ponies couldn’t believe their eyes. This old tower that stood in the center of Canterlot for several centuries was one of the most beautiful structures they have ever seen. The ceiling was equipped with an array of jewels, ranging from rubies to diamonds, shaping into a seemingly flat surface. Seven stained glass windows decorated the round walls of the round room. The window on the very left showed Princess Celestia and Princess Luna flying around a draconeques, more than likely Discord. The next window clockwise showed Princess Celestia and Princess Luna on the left both firing a rainbow colored beam at the icy ground. The ground had been split apart by this and a large black unicorn with metal armor and a red cape and horn was shown falling through the hole. The next stained glass window showed Princess Celestia blasting who seemed to be Nightmare Moon. The next window showed the original “Mane Six”, or so they were called, firing a rainbow colored laser onto Nightmare Moon. The next showed the “Mane Six” once again, all lined up at the bottom shooting a rainbow beam at Discord. The next was showed the Canterlot Royal Wedding between Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, which the Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle were lucky enough to be able to attend. It showed Shining Armor and Princess Cadance connecting horns with a pink beam blasting the Changeling Queen, who Princess Celestia had called Chrysalis after that event due to Chrysalis trapping the Princess in a chrysalis during this event. There was a shockwave created by the beam shaped like a heart, showing the love between the two. The last window was a window of Spike holding up what seemed to be a crystal heart. There is also a large white shockwave and what seemed to be a red horn flying in the distance. The walls were consisted of pale pink bricks and large pale purple columns were scattered around the ground floor. The floor was decorated with different colored tiles, each decorated with a solid gold border. A collection of sky blue, deep purple, pure red, pure orange and forest green tiles were scattered around the floor. At the center of the building was a single lavender tile decorated with a six pointed star surrounded by six smaller white stars, also with six points apiece. “Wow. This is amazing!” Sweetie Belle yelled. After disagreeing with the idea of sneaking into the tower, it was clear that she had now regretted arguing with the Cheerilee and Apple Bloom in the first place. The four stood in awe, almost forgetting their original mission. They ran around the giant room, looking around every pillar and under every window for any trace of the Elements of Harmony, a switch to show where they were, or even some etchings of what relationship the Elements had with the ancient magic. After about thirty minutes of looking, nothing was found. Every brick was sealed tightly into place, no secret buttons were found anywhere nearby, and even every tile seemed to be the same.. all except the one tile in the center. “Maybe that tile with Twilight’s cutie mark will do something.” Apple Bloom suggested. She then started poking and prodding the tile, but it was to no avail. “Despite all the readings, none of the books ever said anything about the inside of this tower, only what it looked like.” Cheerilee added. “Even if this tile was to cause something, what would it do? Would it send down a flight of stairs to lead us to the top of the tower, or is it a trap and it was made just so we thought we did the right thing but ended up being teleported straight to Princess Celestia herself?” Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Cheerilee started searching the room for clues, hoping that one of the bricks on the walls would have some description on how to activate the tile. Sweetie Belle decided to stay back at the tile and simply thought about it more carefully. “Twilight was the element of magic..” Sweetie Belle thought aloud. “So maybe that means that the tile can be activated through magic!” Sweetie Belle went along with her hypothesis and pointed her horn to the tile. A small spark shot from Sweetie Belle’s horn and a small green light followed afterwards. Her horn started to become engulfed in her own green magic as she concentrated all of her magic onto the tile. Exhausted from earlier, she was struggling with a simple levitation spell and even some sweat started to dampen her coat. “Boom!” A sound shot from above the four ponies. The jewel ceiling shook with every second that passed by. Then, the pillars started shaking just as violently. The pillar opposite of the entrance started changing colors, from the pale purple to a bright pink. At the base of the pillar, a magical explosion was unleashed, dissipating just as quickly as it started, revealing a small section of a rough diamond staircase. Another explosion happened just ahead of the stairs, revealing another portion of the staircase, then another explosion, and another! A chain of magically set explosions rocked the room and the four ponies were almost knocked off their feet. At the end of the rampage, a full spiraling staircase was built, made of roughly cut diamonds. The stairs led up to a large black hole, which seemed to lead into nothing. Despite not being able to see what was ahead of them, the four decided to go for it and explore. “You did it again, Sweetie Belle!” Scootaloo cried in glee. “Yeah, but I’m not sure I can handle that much more magic. I’m exhausted..” Sweetie Belle gasped with a smile on her face. “Anyways, let’s go! Who knows what’ll be up there!” Apple Bloom yelled, still bouncing with enthusiasm. The four climbed up the stairway, first Apple Bloom, then Scootaloo, then Sweetie Belle, then Cheerilee. One step at a time, the ponies ascended to the top of the giant tower. Every step they took, the more their hearts would beat in excitement. What was beyond the void? What will the elements hold? What kind of magic did the ancient ponies have? All of these questions were swimming through all of their minds as they climbed closer and closer to the top. After what seemed to be forever, Apple Bloom had finally set hoof on the highest step of the giant stairwell. “This doesn’t seem like a hole, guys..” Apple Bloom started. “This seems more like a portal!” “A portal? Interesting..” Cheerilee added, not being very helpful as she was so engrossed in finding the elements. “I think we should go in. I’ll go in first to make sure it’s ok. If I get sucked in forcefully, don’t follow me, ok?” Scootaloo told everyone, forgetting that she even had wings and could fly up the stairwell in the first place. She jumped off the stairs and started slowly rising up. “Wish me luck!” She put her right foreleg into the portal first, not feeling any resistance whatsoever. “ I think it’s safe. I’m going in!” Scootaloo jumped straight into the portal. The other three, speechless at Scootaloo’s bravery, decided to follow her and hope nothing would happen to them. [Inner Element Sanctum] The four popped out one at a time. Scootaloo spun out of balance and landed on her back after a few seconds of being airborne. The other three came through slowly, knowing that jumping through would mean bad things, as Scootaloo had just mentioned. The room they had just entered looked similar to the room that they just exited, except with a ceiling slightly higher than Princess Celestia herself. The walls were again pale pink brick and the floor consisting of sky blue, deep purple, pure red, pure orange, and forest green. In the center stood a small alter, just a tad shorter than the ponies were. The alter was a bright gold and shaped like a birdbath, except with a royal blue flat top rather than a cavity like normal birdbaths have. On this alter rested a blue treasure chest adorned with five smaller gems surrounding the chest, each gem sharing a different color of the floor, and a larger magenta gem on the top, similar to the tile that activated the staircase. “Here it is guys. It’s the Elements of Harmony!” Apple Bloom yelled. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo ran towards the Elements with great joy. After all this trouble, they have finally reached the Elements of Harmony. The three looked at the treasure chest with great awe. In front of them stood the Elements of Harmony, the same elements that helped save the world many times over. They never bothered to look back, too busy examining every detail of the treasure chest and the altar. “So… what now?” Scootaloo asked. “Miss Cheerilee, you were going to talk to us about the elements right?” Scootaloo asked. No answer. “Miss Cheerilee? Hello? You there?” Scootaloo asked again. “Thanks for getting the Elements of Harmony from us, Cutie Mark Crybabies!” A familiar voice echoed across the room. “That voice.. it can’t be!” Apple Bloom yelled. The three turned around to see three other ponies surrounding Cheerilee. Two being familiar faces that they knew all too well.