//------------------------------// // Elements of Harmony // Story: The Pony Beast // by HareTrinity //------------------------------// A filly was crying as she sped through the castle, calling a name over and over. "Sister Gem, Sister Gem!" A cream-coated pegasus pony with dark turquoise hair came rushing over, catching the white filly in a warm hug, "Celestia! Goodness, whatever is wrong?" "Cord and I, we were playing in the garden, and the statue of- oh Sister Gem I AM SO SORRY!" The pegasus sighed, a smile playing on her lips as she realised all this fuss was about some garden ornament. A few of the Canterlot guard had come into the corridor at Celestia's shouts. The pegasus waved for them to move on before she patted her princess on the back. "Now, now, Celestia... It's okay..." "NO IT IS NOT!" The cry echoed around the corridor. Celestia, crying hard, her eyes screwed tightly shut, waited for her Sister Gem to reply, to insist it was indeed fine. Instead she felt Sister Gem's reassuring hug slip away, followed by a soft thud... The princess opened her eyes to see Sister Gem lying on the ground. Around her the corridor's guards were frantic, somepony was yelling for a Sisterhood member to be fetched, but Celestia was deaf to these cries. She was staring at her Sister Gem, who had fallen down. There was something very, very, wrong with her eyes... They were far, far, deeper than they should have been, like wells, and something seemed to be shining at the bottom... "CELESTIA!" That voice made Celestia start and she looked up to see an elderly stallion; Brother Gold Fleck. Before she could speak he was holding her with a firm hug. A screen had been set up by the guards around Sister Gem. "Are they taking her away...?" "Just for now, Celestia..." "But..." "Celestia, nothing has happened, don't dwell on that... Has something upset you?" The white filly thought back, "The garden... The statue broke... Cord and I, we were playing and-" "Him again? We told him not to come back here..." "But Brother, he's my friend! He's..." "Celestia, listen to me. He is nothing but a spirit of chaos. A mess, a monstrous thing." "But it was me who-" "CELESTIA!" Brother Gold Fleck moved back to look her sternly in the eye, "Celestia, listen to me. He's a creature of chaos. He brings that with him. You have done nothing wrong, it's him. He's never been anything but trouble. He corrupts things close to him. Now say it." Celestia looked off to the side. The stallion sighed and nuzzled Celestia's neck softly, "It's okay, Celestia... That's just how some things are... Please say it, for me?" The white filly looked back, sniffling a little before she stated clearly, "He is a creature of chaos. The statue was not my fault. He is a monster. He has always been trouble. He should not exist." "Doesn't that feel better?" Celestia nodded a little, smiling, "Yes... It does..." Later that night Sister Dewdrop, a bright pink unicorn pony with purple curls, was with Celestia in the royal's bedroom. Since the incident with Sister Gem the day had been uneventful, at least for the princess, and Dewdrop was charged with helping her ready for bed as well as an unusual task. The young unicorn, having heard the news of Sister Gem, had tried her best to get out of being involved, but it had already been decided. Now here she was, pausing uneasily, at the point where she'd normally leave the room so that Celestia could retire in peace. Dewdrop cleared her throat and used her magic to bring over a polished dark wood box, the princess watching with evident curiosity. The young unicorn forcing a smile as she presented it to the white mare, "Look what Mr Stoneworth made you!" Celestia let out a delighted squeal as the box was opened to reveal a set of stone orbs, each engraved with a symbol, "I KNOW those markings! I've drawn those!" "That's right! Now that we've cleared up that Discord mess the Sisterhood thought we should tell you about how you did it. You may not have realised it at the time, Princess, but you are a very special pony- aha, well, THAT you should know... What I mean is; you have control over some special forces. They're called the Elements of Harmony..." Sitting on the soft carpet Celestia listened in wonder as Sister Dewdrop told her about these balanced powers and how, using them in ways the Sisterhood could not fathom, she'd banished Discord. "...And so we thought maybe it'd help all of us to understand if you could SEE the elements... So we researched them and we think we've now worked out how you called upon their power! You see, they're all very important qualities that you have, princess..." The white equine nodded eagerly, "So as long as I have these I'll be strong and can protect Equestria?" "That's exactly right!" Celestia giggled excitedly and Dewdrop listed the Elements of strength Celestia possessed... "Honesty, because a kingdom must know where its princess is and you never let us worry!" An announced predator takes no one by surprise. She must talk to us. "Loyalty, like how we all stay together!" Our princess must not leave us. With her Canterlot is invincible. "Laughter, as you bring us all so much joy!" The darkness of her mind brings her darkness onto us. Keep her happy. "Kindness, like you show to every subject you meet." Stress her good nature. Emphasise its importance. "Generosity, because you are our princess and your kingdom is wonderful." Remind her that we rely upon her. She must feel some responsibility. There was a pause. Celestia looked at Dewdrop, "Well?" Dewdrop smiled, "What do you think, Celestia? I'm sure you already know what your last power is." The princess wrinkled up her nose in thought... Humour her. This story lacks credibility unless at least one is a power she truly feels. Make her name the last element. "A power I possess... Oh! Magic!" Dewdrop forced a smile, "Of course!" Her mind replayed the news of Sister Gem. "See, Celestia? You knew about the Elements of Harmony long before these were presented." Celestia gleefully cheered for herself before looking over the stone orbs, happily trying to work out which was which. Dewdrop, forcing herself to keep focused, congratulated Celestia every time, making a mental note of which symbol was which so that the "old scriptures" would agree with the princess. When this task was finally completed Dewdrop praised the princess' intuition once more, wished her good night and moved to exit the room... "I think I saw my sister today..." My sister? Dewdrop turned, "Excuse me, your highness...?" Celestia didn't look up from the stone orbs, "My... Real sister... Her... I thought I saw her around when... When I banished Discord... Do... Do you think she was helping...?" "I..." Dewdrop didn't want to pause too long, she didn't want to be in this room anymore, "I'm sure she was. Goodnight princess." Having shut the door behind her Dewdrop broke into a gallop. She had more than expected to tell the Sisterhood... In her room the princess listened to the hoof beats fade away and sighed. Extinguishing the lights she looked out of the window to the cool clear night and its dark sky. Yes, her sister... Another as old as she who was never going to grow old or disappear before her... True family. And Celestia knew where she'd been hiding. She could see her right now. She'd been told it was an old mare's tale that the Mare in the Moon was a real pony but Celestia knew better. Every night before she slept she could feel her sister's presence. All this time she'd been hiding in plain sight... She'd done terrible things, but she did mean well, didn't she? She was sorry? She didn't mean to... Be involved... With what happened... She hadn't meant... Celestia closed her eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep with the feel of her sister closing in all around and the hope that the Sisterhood could... Help her... "...No, then her position as ruler of the kingdom would be questioned. It must be her YOUNGER sister, a dark mare... We can make this work." Some of the others present in Canterlot Sisterhood's council chamber were less than impressed with their elder's words, the candlelight revealing more than a couple of worried and sceptical expressions. "This is nonsense, everypony will notice! Why have they never SEEN this second princess?" "Our princess Celestia brings the day, her sister must bring the night. Ponies sleep in the night. That is why they missed her." "Oh for rut's sake..." "Watch your tone!" snapped the elderly mare, "We WILL make this work, and this is how we will do it!" Another mare chimed in, "This aside, what about her Sisterhood companion tomorrow?" "Brother Gold Fle-" "He followed Gem to the infirmary. I don't think we'll talk him into coming back anytime soon." "Dewdrop then." The named pony stifled her shriek and looked desperately to her mother who, seeing her daughter's terror, opened her mouth to respond, and was cut off before she could start. "It WILL be Dewdrop, no discussion. We CANNOT fall apart now, this is NO TIME to get cold hooves! Just remember your training young filly, Gem's case is a tragic one but rare. Be strong. We will find you a replacement soon." Dewdrop doubted the elder's words but held her tongue. Unless she intended to flee the kingdom it was clear that she'd be spending the next few days with Princess Celestia... As the sun rose the next morning Dewdrop trotted into the bedroom as casually as possible, bringing the princess her breakfast, "The Sisterhood wish to meet with you today, Celestia." The princess yawned before looking over to the unicorn with a hopeful smile, "Is it about my sister, Sister Dewdrop?" "Yes, Princess Celestia." "She... She went too far, didn't she..." Dewdrop meant to pick her words carefully, to be ambiguous, but before she could she heard her own quiet response, "Yes... Yes she did..."