Matrixwing was dumbfounded. He had heard of the six Elements of Harmony, and even then it was because he was dating one. But he had never imagined that there was a seventh element. He was not alone however, as Twilight was just as confused as he was; she looked up at Celestia for an explanation. Celestia saw the looks on their faces and began to tell them of the tale of the seventh element, the expression on her face becoming deadpan as she struggled to remember:
"There were originally seven elements of Harmony, the ones we know of today: Kindness, Honesty, Genorosity, Loyalty, Laughter, and Magic. Then there was another, one that was very important to us all: Hope. The element of Hope was one of the few elements that could ward off the dark creatures that would live off the fear they instilled into ponies' hearts. The pony that owned the element was named Corefire. We were at war with the creatures of the dark, and we were losing when Corefire was assassinated. He had been trying to boost morale into our soldiers to help them to fight, to win. He had lived just long enough to witness their cheer, when he was run through by a dark creature: the Shadow himself. I saw the element of Hope hit the ground, and immediately I knew that Corefire had passed... After the battle, I banished the Shadow along with King Sombra shortly after we mopped up the rest of his minions. Unfortunately, shortly after Sombra had escaped, so did the Shadow. He had not been seen since. The rest of the elements and I mourned the loss of Corefire and we hid the element separate from the others in the hopes that another pony would have the strength to use it... That pony is you, Matrixwing."
"How could I be the element of Hope?" Matrixwing was uncertain as to how he'd be able to give anypony hope. Celestia explained it quickly, using the situation from just an hour ago as an example.
"I heard what you had told the Shadow whilst I was trapped in the great hall and right then, as you were retaliating against it, I knew right then that the words were from your heart, and that your virtue was hope."
She paused for a moment,then handed Matrixwing a map. It was a highly detailed map of Equestria with major cities and many minor areas labeled. Princess Celestia then 'highlighted' a location on the map using her magic, and began to explain to Matrixwing why she had marked such an unremarkable location.
"The edge of Whitetail Woods?" Applejack questioned incredulously as she came up to the map with the rest of the mane six to see the glowing dot on the map. They all had mud on their garments (much to Rarity's distaste) and leaves in their manes, as if they had chased something through the garden...
Celestia told the ponies that had just joined them about the gravity of the situation, and what had to be done. Rainbow Dash said in a very confident voice: "We'll get it done ma'am!" She snapped her hoof to her forehead in a salute, until she noticed that Celestia was shaking her head.
"I'm afraid not Rainbow Dash. For as you can see, if the Shadow were to attack Canterlot, Phillydelphia, or even Ponyville, the Elements of Harmony may be the only ones that can protect us until Matrixwing can get the seventh." Fluttershy walked slowly up to Celestia and whispered something into her ear.
The two ponies then walked a little ways from the rest and engaged in a conversation that lasted for fifteen minutes, then they came back to their original positions. Celestia then announced what she and a Fluttershy had conversed about. "Fluttershy shall go with Matrixwing. No arguments, please," she told Rainbow Dash this, who had geared up to do just that, "now, I think we all deserve a rest... Off to bed, the lot of you."
Many ponies still had questions, but they contained them and went into the castle to settle into their rooms. Matrixwing was given his own room, and he wasted no time in settling in. The Shadow's attacks had drained him, and he drifted off to sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
Matrixwing had a fitful sleep. Nightmares of death, destruction and shadow haunted his mind as he attempted to rest. Once or twice, he woke screaming at imaginary monsters, and a few ponies from next door would rush in to find him thrashing at his pillow in anger and fear. Eventually, he drifted off into a dreamless sleep, and he finally awoken again to sunlight streaming through the windows, making the fear of darkness seem like a distant memory.
Matrixwing got out of bed drowsily to go look out of the window, and to think. He wasn't sure of what was in store for himself and for Fluttershy, but he did know one thing: no harm was going to befall her whilst they journeyed, nor anytime else. Not while he still breathed.
Matrixwing then went to meet with Princess Celestia and the rest of the Mane Six to decide what to do. As he walked out, he glanced at the garden. An inky black substance tainted the spot where the Shadow had first emerged. Matrixwing realized right then that if he didn't find the element of Hope, then all of Equestria would become like that patch of soil.