The cold marble floor felt like ice against his face as Star Bolt opened his eyes to find himself lying in what looked to be a grand hall. The first thing he did was pick himself up and frantically looked at his wounds on both his wing and chest. However, when he did, he found that the wounds were gone. After seeing that they weren’t there and there was no pain, Star Bolt could only sit down and sigh, “no doubt about it this time… I truly am dead, even I couldn’t survive a lightning orb like that… then there was the erupting volcano beneath our hooves.”
Star Bolt rubbed his head then started looking around the room as he admired the majesty of this great hall, “wow… this place is nice, it even puts Equestria’s throne room to shame. I wo…”
Before could finish, he realized what he just called the room as he slowly turned around and was shocked to see two great thrones sitting right behind him. In one, sat a great Alicorn king with a light orange body and a brown mane and beard. And in the other sat his beautiful alicorn queen with a pail body and a long red mane. As Star Bolt stared in awe at the royal ponies, The King stood up and took a few steps in front of his throne as he continued staring in Star Bolt’s direction.
As the king stood there with his expressionless stare, Star Bolt had no idea of what to do. He didn’t know if he was supposed to bow, or continue standing. He didn’t know whether he should speak first or wait to be spoken to, and if so, what would he say? For the first time, Star Bolt actually felt intimidated by the pony standing in front of him. And his intimidation rose as the king spoke, “Welcome! May I ask thee for thy name?”
Star Bolt hesitated as the king smiled pleasantly, then Star Bolt started to reply, “… um… M…”
“Greetings Milord, Milady. I don’t know if thou remember me or not… But my name is Professor Osiris.”
Star Bolt immediately turned around to see a Green Stallion standing behind him with a black mane and a spell book for a cutiemark. Realizing that he wasn’t being addressed by the king, Star Bolt stepped aside as the conversation continued with the queen smiling as she replied, “Yes, of course we remember thee. Twas you who solved the food problem last winter with thy advancements in agricultural studies.”
The king thought to himself then taped his hoof on the ground, “Ah, that’s correct. Now I remember thee. My apologies, for in my old age, memories of thee slipped from my mind.”
Osiris continued, “Nothing requires forgiveness milord. I know all too well that thy matters stretch far beyond the concerns of a simple peasant.”
The king felt concerned as his queen stood from her throne and replied, “Nonsense! For no matter will ever overshadow our subjects and their needs.”
The king nodded his head, “My queen speaks the truth. No matter how small, frail, or even weak a subject may seem, thou should never consider themselves peasants. Especially when thou have done so much for the kingdom.”
Osiris Bowed in respect, “You flatter me milord and lady.”
Smiling at the humble alicorn, the king spoke, “so what is it that would allow thee to grace us with thy presence?”
Osiris rose from his bow as he started to continue, “Well milord, I…”
“Mother! Father!”
“Mommy! Daddy!”
Both Star Bolt and Osiris looked off to the side as two little alicorn fillies rushed up to the Queen. When they approached her, Star Bolt couldn’t believe his eyes, “Celestia?... Luna?...”
Osiris smiled pleasantly as he stepped back and allowed the two fillies to approach their mother and hold up drawings on paper as Little Celestia spoke first, “Mother, Look what I drew. Tis Eden when we grow up.”
Luna stepped between her sister and mother as she spoke up, “Tis nothing compared to what I drew. It’s you, daddy, Tia, and me on the north tower. Isn’t it good?”
The queen smiled as she spoke, “Little ones please mind yourselves. A visitor has arrived and we mustn’t be rude.”
The Two Princesses looked at Osiris as they both faced him, bowed in respect, and spoke one at a time with Celestia speaking first, “How do you do sir.”
“Yes, how do you do?”
Osiris smiled as he bowed to the fillies, “Very fine thank you. Tis a good feeling to be welcomed by the young princesses so politely.”
As Osiris rose from yet another bow, the king asked, “Now, Thou spoke of a matter professor?”
Osiris singled towards the young fillies as he spoke, “Perhaps this isn’t a matter to be discussed in front of such innocent’s milord.”
The king gave Osiris a concerned look, but when it was returned by a serious expression, he could only sigh as he replied, “Very well… Celestia… wouldst thou take thy sister into thy chambers to play for a while? Professor Osiris and I must discuss matters of great importance.”
The two fillies looked up at their mother who smiled as she nodded her head, “Run along little ones, we shall retrieve thee when the time is right.”
The little fillies turned around with a depressed expression as they slowly started to leave the room, but before they left Luna turned towards Osiris and bowed, “Twas nice meeting thee.”
Osiris nodded his head and replied, “Fair thee well young princess.”
As soon as Luna turned and followed her sister out of the room, the king used his magic to close and lock the massive doors as he and his queen trotted back to their thrones and sat down with serious expressions. The king then leaned forward and spoke, “If thou wish to discuss this in my daughter’s absence… then I could only assume that thou wish to discuss the rising darkness… Correct?”
Osiris nodded his head as he replied, “indeed I do milord.”
The king looked at his wife with concern as she looked back and nodded her head before he sighed as he spoke, “Very well… What has thou discovered? Has thou discovered when the darkness will come?”
Osiris shook his head as the king asked, “Has thou discovered what the darkness is?”
Osiris shook his head a second time as he replied, “No milord… the reason I’ve come is because I have found a way to fend off the darkness.”
“Fend it off?”
Osiris smiled, “Yes milord… if not fend… then destroy.”
The king looked at Osiris with an expressionless stare as he continued, “Explain.”
Osiris continued, “Milord… Milady… I have discovered a way to separate traits of emotions from another and channel them onto Gems for which he or she can use to fight off dark magic.”
The king was confused, “Traits of emotion… like happiness and sadness?”
Osiris nodded his head, “More specifically milord, anxiety and kindness. I could take thy jealousy and turn it into a stone from which you could easily use to vanquish any foe.”
The queen asked, “And how can this defeat the darkness?”
Osiris continued, “I have studied each and every emotion that our personalities allow us to express, and through my studies, I have chosen the purest and most powerful emotions of harmony that I could find. Laughter, honesty, loyalty, generosity, and Kindness.”
The king thought to himself, “and… this should work?”
“Osiris nodded his head as he smiled, “yes Milord I believe it shall.”
The Queen continued, “I hope you won’t see me rude… but, how does thou know this will work? Exactly what makes thee so sure?”
Osiris smiled as he replied, “Milord… Milady… when I combine these elements with the final, it will create a great force unlike that the world has ever seen. In fact if my calculations are correct… their power will over shadow… even you.”
Hearing the words and feeling slight concern, the king and queen looked at each other than nodded their heads as the king stood up from his throne. Thinking he said something wrong, Osiris quickly bowed as he spoke, “My apologies milord… I… I did not mean to offend… I… I spoke out of place, please forgive me.”
The king spoke up with a serious expression and tone, “Arise… I did not take offence to thee… however, I would like to know one thing if thou is so sure of this power.”
Osiris rose form his groveling as he replied, “anything milord… just ask and I shall answer.”
The king replied, “If I allow thee to create such power… what makes thee so sure that thou won’t use this magic against me?”
Osiris sighed in relief as he replied, “Impossible milord… the reason I chose such harmonious elements is because these elements can only be used for good. Any attempt at deeds that are unjust, will result without any actions what so ever…. However, to create these elements leaves a price.”
“A price?”
Osiris nodded his head, as his expression became serious, “Yes milord… for to create these elements I must drain them from a host.”
“A host? And what shall happen to this host once these elements are drained?”
Osiris sighed, “Well milord… first I will have to drain the five elements that make up the ponies emotions… but in order for the elements to react, I must also drain the host’s magic so that the elements will respond to each other. Once the elements are drained from the host, all that will be left is an enraged shell. But once the magic is removed, the shell will fade and turn to dust.”
The two royals looked at each other as Star Bolt mumbled to himself, “dust?... or sand?”
The two royals looked back at Osiris as the queen spoke, “dust? And why would they do that?”
Osiris explained, “Without these elements of harmony, the body will become an enraged soul who would despise all. However, when the magic is removed, the body can’t hold itself together; therefore the body will deteriorate and fall apart. So, to place it simply… The host would meet his end.”
Star Bolt thought to himself, “So… to create the elements of harmony… somepony must die…”
The queen gave a nervous expression as she asked, “And… who will this host be? Has somepony volunteered for this?”
Osiris sighed as he replied, “I volunteer myself!”
The king nodded his head, “So… thou would sacrifice thyself?... For the kingdom?”
Osiris nodded his head and spoke with confidence, “I shall milord! I’ve deci…”
“NAY!!!”
Everypony in the room looked at the queen as she stood up and spoke in anger, “I shall not allow one of the lives I’ve created to sacrifice thyself for an unjust cause! Thou must find an alternative solution!”
Surprised by the Queens’s outburst, Osiris quickly bowed, “I… I beg thee forgiveness milady… However, there is no other way. I do not wish to kill another so it is only fitting that I volunteer myself. Please do not give thee the burden of selecting another host. My conscience could not bear such cruelty!”
The queen stood there giving Osiris and annoyed look as the king stood and approached his wife, “My love… It pains me to do this myself. Nevertheless, The Professor has offered a chance to save thy kingdom, and the only price to be paid has been offered by him. For the good of the kingdom, and our daughter’s future… I must agree with him when I say that this is our best option.”
The queen tried to hold back her tears as she replied, “But the professor’s wife… She is with foal. I cannot allow him to give his life when he is to be blessed with fatherhood soon.”
Osiris rose from his bow as he spoke, “I understand Milady… but I do this for that foal as well.”
The king stood next to his wife as he waited for her to respond, “… My love?”
The queen sighed as she sat back down in the throne, “I give thee permission… to sacrifice thy life… though it pains me so, I can only hope that these… Elements of Harmony can succeed in vanquishing this darkness.”
The king sat down in is throne as he continued, “You may use the lower chamber that resided below the castle. Your equipment will be moved there immediately and you will be granted every possible resource so that these elements will be finished properly and without fail.”
Osiris smiled as he bowed, “Thank you milord, milady I shall not fail you!”
The king sighed, “And professor... I would also like to inform thee, that due to thy sacrifice, the kingdom and all who reside in it will know thy name. For you will be branded a hero for every generation to know. And thy family will forever live without hardship. You have my word.”
Osiris bowed one last time as he replied, “And that still, is more then I deserve. I shale have the elements complete in one week’s time… I pray that it will be prior to the darkness’s attack.”
The king bowed his head as he replied, “I pray that you’re correct. Guards! See to it that Professor Osiris and his equipment are moved to the lower chamber below the castle. Give him anything he needs and grant him freedom to roam the palace as he pleases!”
As if they were created out of the shadows, a guard flew in from nowhere, landed next to Osiris, and bowed, “As you wish Your Majesty!”
The guard and professor both turned around and left the room as the queen looked down at the ground in shame. When the king saw this, he spoke, “My love… do not be so hard on thyself. For you know as well as I, that this was his choice.”
A tear rolled down her face as she replied, “But when a life takes its own… I can only feel responsible. Nopony should give thyn gift of life for another. It makes me feel as if we’ve failed as rulers.”
The king sighed, “no my love. The situation for one to give thyn life for another has never come to be before now. Just know that what life he gives, will ensure the future of his, and our daughters.”
The queen sighed, “I pray that you’re right.”
As Star Bolt couldn’t help but mumble to himself, “so… this must be Eden in the past… but ho…”
Before he could finish his sentence, his surroundings went dark as they slowly faded away and returned to reveal a dark chamber. When Star Bolt looked around, he noticed that this chamber was the same tomb that he fought Osiris in, only this time the walls, and the six pillars looked brand new. As Star Bolt looked around, four ponies entered the room, two guard’s, Osiris, and his assistant. As they approached a chest that sat in the center of the tomb, Osiris opened it and pulled out a spell book that he himself wrote, and six of the twelve clear gemstones that sat inside the chest. Then he closed the chest and sat them in front of him. Then Osiris looked at his assistant and asked, “Have you checked on my wife yet?”
The Assistant nodded his head replied, “yes professor… But I’m afraid she has gone into labor. Wouldst thou like to postpone till afterwards?”
Osiris shook his head, “nay… The ceremony to unveil the Elements of Harmony has begun and his majesty shall need the elements to be completed so he can present them. Although… it seems fitting. As one life ends… another shall begin. Shall we get started?”
The assistant nodded his head, “yes professor… Explain what must be done, and I shall do it.”
Osiris nodded his head as he spoke, “first separate the gems into one group of three, then a group of two, but leave the last one by itself.”
The assistant used his magic to do as he was told then Osiris continued, “Now let us begin, first I shall extract Kindness, laughter, and honesty. And take heed, once these elements are removed from me, then the kindhearted pony you see before you will be no more. So please, do not take what I say to offence.”
The assistant nodded his head as he replied, “Understood professor.”
Professor Osiris stepped towards the first three gems as he bowed his head and focused on his spell. As the professor focused, the gems began to glow along with his horn. After a brief moment of silence as the professor used his spell, Osiris opened his eyes and jerked his head back, screaming in agony as he griped his head and fell to the ground jerking his head back and forth as he tried effortlessly to stop the pain. With the screams echoing through the chamber, Star Bolt backed up until he was against the wall in shock as the professor’s body jerked back and forth as if he were dying on the spot. The assistant rushed to Osiris’s side as he spoke, “Professor! What’s wrong?”
Osiris spoke through his pain, “L-leave me… Be… Th-this is what’s… supposed to happen…”
All of a sudden, the gems started to hover in the air as they slowly changed color from bottom to top as if they were being filled up with a colorful liquid. Finally as the top of the gems changed to their final color, they each fell to the ground as Osiris stopped screaming and laid on the ground breathing deeply.
The assistant looked at Professor Osiris and then back at the glowing elements, “Did… did it work?”
The professor gave him a dirty look as he replied rudely, “Nay… it didn’t. The gems just magically changed color because they felt like making a change… Of course, it worked insolent buffoon! Now when thou has finished making sure they don’t retreat from my sight… then thou can make thyself useful and retrieve the next set of gems… tis a sad day when my assistant proves his uselessness!”
Both Star Bolt and the lab assistant couldn’t believe the change in Osiris’s personality. It was as if he was a completely different pony now. Knowing that this was expected, the assistant went to retrieve the other elements as he replied, “Is thou sure that thee doesn’t require rest? From your screams of misery, it seemed like you were in great pain.”
Osiris sneered at his assistant as he replied, “really… are thou sure… tis natural for me to fall to the ground screaming in agony when thou feels something that amuses thee… why must I have an assistant who seeks to prove that the only art he studies are that of the imbecilic?”
One of the guard’s approached the finished elements and placed them inside of a chest that the other guard was carrying as, the assistant asked, “Which elements wouldst thou create next?”
Osiris sighed in hopelessness as he replied, “Though it isn’t thy concern… I shall create the elements of Loyalty and Generosity next… then; I shall create the final and most powerful element of all… Magic. Now step aside.”
The assistant stepped aside as Osiris repeated the first few actions as the last, by bowing his head, closing his eyes, and focusing on his spell. Shortly after, just like before Osiris jerked his head back then fell to the ground screaming, only this time, not only did the colors on the gems begin to change… but so did Osiris’s appearance. First, his mane, which seemed like normal hair, began fazing away as if it were vaporizing. Then his body that was Light green slowly began to darken as his cutiemark faded away completely. After a few more seconds, his darkening pelt had turned to a dulled blackish green while another cutiemark had appeared in the place of his old. Only this time, the cutiemark wasn’t a spell book… but the symbol of the Elements of Harmony. Just as his screaming stopped and the elements have finished changing into their new color, Osiris stood up as Star Bolt looked at the pony in complete shock, “Its… its… The Dark alicorn?... He!... He created the Elements of Harmony!... No… it’s impossible!...”
Osiris stood up as he mumbled to himself, “there… I hope thy ungrateful ruler thinks this to be amusing… tis a waste of time to continue… but if thou wishes it to be… then thou shall get his precious elements.”
Like the last completed element, the guard’s approached and secured them inside the chest with the rest as the assistant retrieved the final gem and placed it in front of Osiris, “Here Professor… the final element still required thy creation.”
Osiris rubbed his head then looked at the final gem that sat in front of him as he mumbled, “the precious king still needs his precious little trinket does he… tis a foolish game he plays on me. Yet if anything, I am a stallion of my word. Although… perhaps, the element can work with only a sample of thy magic.”
With Osiris speaking too softly for the assistant to hear, the assistant stepped back to give Osiris room as he bowed and placed his horn against the final Gem.
Osiris closed his eyes and focused on using the spell one last time as the gem began hovering in the air and began to glow brightly as it started to change its color, but this time, Osiris didn’t start screaming, in fact he only stood there smiling as the color of the gem continued changing. However, just as the gem had reached the third quarter of its change. Osiris stopped his spell as the gem fell to the ground and faded into its original color. As soon as the gem hit the ground making a clinking sound, Osiris’s body melted away into a large pile of sand as the assistant called to him, “PROFESSOR!!!”
As the assistant rushed to his mentor’s remains, the element on the ground started to glow for a few more second before changing fully to the color it was supposed to during the final spell. The assistant sifted through the sand as frantically as he could hoping to find that what he witnessed didn’t happen, but no matter what he did, the only thing he could find in the sand, was the stone floor below it. As he realized his efforts were futile, the assistant stood up as he sighed, “Rest in peace Professor… I hope thy sacrifice won’t be in vain.”
The assistant turned around and approached the final element as he observed it closely, “tis a strange sight… this element isn’t as bright as the others, yet it’s supposed to be the most powerful?”
As the guard approached him and opened the chest, the assistant laid the element inside and was amazed to find that when the element was placed with the others it glowed as brightly as the rest. He could only mumble to himself, “I assume that they must be together for the final to work properly… tis a strange new science that the professor has left in his wake. Perhaps these elements of Harmony require further study.”
One of the guards spoke, “Perhaps later… by order of the king, we must take this upstairs so that they can be revealed to the waiting public.”
The assistant nodded his head, “Very well… I suppose I shall retrieve the late professor’s remains. Even they deserve a proper burial.”
As the guard’s left the room, the assistant began cleaning up the remains of Osiris as Star Bolt could only sit and mumble to himself, “this is the past… but why am I here? If I’m dead, why am I se…”
“Um… Pardon thy intrusion… but tis this the laboratory of Professor Osiris?”
Star Bolt stopped as he and the assistant looked at the door to see an alicorn nurse standing there. As the nurse entered, the assistant replied, “Yes… however I believe the experiment that the professor has been working on has already claimed his life… I’m sorry but he cannot see his foal.”
The already sad expression on the nurse’s face got worse as she lowered her head and replied, “Then… tis a dark day indeed.”
“Pardon?”
The nurse raised her head and replied, “I regret to inform thee that during the delivery of the Professor’s foal… there were… complications.”
The assistant looked concerned as he replied, “Complications?… what does thou mean?”
The nurse continued, “well… during labor, the mother stopped breathing.”
“What?”
“Tis unknown what caused it, but in our efforts to revive her… I’m afraid; she and her foal… have passed from this world.”
The Assistant sat down in disbelief as Star Bolt mumbled to himself, “Passed… meaning, they died?...”
the assistant could only sigh in disappointment as he continued, “I… I see… please… inform his majesty of this tragedy. I would understand that he would want to know immediately.”
The nurse replied as she turned to leave the room, “Very wel…”
Before the nurse could finish her sentence, the sand beneath the assistant’s hooves began moving on its own as the assistant quickly took a step back as the nurse rushed to him and hid behind him in worry of what she was witnessing. Slowly the sand started to bundle itself up and take the form of an alicorn as the dark creature’s body solidified into the flesh that he was before. As the assistant stood in disbelief, he started to approach the dark alicorn as he asked, “P-Professor Osiris?... can it be?”
Osiris opened his eyes and gave his assistant an unconcerned look as he spoke, “tell me… is the words of that mare true? Has my wife met her end?”
The Nurse nervously nodded her head as she replied, “Y-yes… I’m afraid professor, that we couldn’t save her… or the filly.”
Osiris looked at the ground in disappointment, “I… I see… I suppose the Queen’s power couldn’t save them… could it.”
The two looked at each other in confusion as the assistant asked, “Pardon professor?”
Professor Osiris replied as he shook his head, “I gave thy life, so that this kingdom can resume safely… and the queen, who is responsible for creating life, denies my foal and claims my wife in the process.”
The nurse tried to stand up for the queen as she stepped forward, “That’s not true! Everypony knows that the queen can only give life. It’s the body’s actions that sustain it. This was a medical accident that claimed their lives. Not the actions of the qu…”
Before the nurse could finish her sentence, a glass spike quickly shot out from below her as it pierced her chest and killed her on the spot. As soon as he had witnessed the action the assistant jumped back from the dead mare’s body as he fell to the ground in fear, “what? What was?... how?...”
Osiris made the spike melt away as he replied to the nurse’s argument, “Nay… does thou know what I think… I think that his and her majesties are nothing more than fakes. They flaunt their immortality about claiming them to be superior to others… through my studies; nothing has been able to explain their immortality amongst our mortality. Therefore, they can only be one thing… a sin against nature. And we all know what must be done with sins… don’t we?”
The assistant started backing up to the door, “P-professor… has thou lost thy senses?”
Professor Osiris smiled at his assistant as he replied, “on the contrary, I have more sense now than ever before. But if thou still feels unsure … then perhaps thou shall be eliminated as well.”
With that said Osiris pointed his hoof at his assistant, only to have a glass spike shoot out it as it flew across the room and pierced his assistant’s chest. As his assistant fell to the ground dead, Osiris approached him and rolled him over to look at his lifeless face, “Pity… you served me well. Nevertheless, if thy rulers corrupted the pony race enough to never allow a rebellion… then perhaps I shall take nature into thy own hooves and eliminate this abomination, and their followers.”
After that was said the room went silent as a faint sound of royal trumpets could be heard above. As the recognizable sound was made, Osiris looked at the ceiling and smiled, “and what better time than the day that my elements are revealed to the world. Tis a special day indeed.”
With that, said Osiris’s body melted away into sand as it slithered up the walls like many black snakes before creating extremely thin cracks in the ceiling and leaving the room through those cracks.
As Osiris vanished from Star Bolt’s sight, he could only think to himself, “this was the day… that the king and queen were killed on… so… why am I here then?”
Star Bolt looked over at the book of spells as it sat next to the chest in the center of the pillars. As he approached the book, he decided to look through it to see exactly what was inside. Looking through the pages Star Bolt noticed that this book seemed like any other spell book he had seen before, but when he got to the final page, he could see in full detail exactly what was required to create the elements of harmony. Sadly, it didn’t change from the scene he had just witnessed, it took six colorless gems, and a host that would sacrifice personality traits that would painfully be removed from his very soul and implanted into each individual gem leaving the sixth gem empty to place the host’s magic in. And in bold print, it said very specifically, “in order for the elements to properly bind, the host must sacrifice every bit of magic his body contains, otherwise the remaining magic will be corrupted in darkness and hatred.”
As Star Bolt looked over the page he could only sigh as he mumbled to himself, “Darkness and hatred… that explains everything.”
Then without him realizing he was being watched, a voice came from behind him, “Hello… Commander Bolt…”
Knowing the voice well, Star Bolt turned around and glared at his company as he closed the book, “Hello… Professor Osiris.”