//------------------------------//
// Chapter 16 
// Story: When Friends are Said and Dun 
// by xenos29 
//------------------------------//

	The ponies had climbed no more than a step of the library staircase when they heard Quicksilver come galloping down the street.  She screeched to a stop and, unlike last night, was looking a little frazzled.
"Apologies for not finding you sooner, Your Highness.  We’ve just finished preparing a train.  It will take you all back to Canterlot as soon as you're ready."
"Thank you, Quicksilver," replied Twilight.  She turned to her friends.  "Come on, everypony, let’s get to work."  
The ponies entered the sparkling bibliothèque, taking in the majesty of the venerated bookshelves that towered above them.  Amethyst Maresbury, the librarian, appeared from behind a stack of books on the reception desk.  Though the old crystal pony looked the part with her scroll-shaped cutie mark and oversized reading glasses, she lacked the hermit-like solemnity so many otherwise friendly librarians tended to sport as she greeted them.
"Hello again, everypony.  Can I help you find something?"
Twilight reluctantly tore her attention from the shelves.  "Yes, we’re looking for any information on the Equestrian Knights.  Where can we find the archives?"
"Oh, no need to go searching there, girls.  We have plenty of history and references on them in our regular collections."
"Really?  That’s incredible!  The archives in Canterlot barely had anything."
"Is that right?  Hmm…how strange."
Amethyst led the ponies downstairs to the history section, where they began to peruse the shelves.  "Here we are," she said to Twilight.  "What exactly are you looking for?"
"We need to find out more about the Elements of Heroism.  One of the books in Canterlot said they were the source of the knights’ power."
"Not quite, my dear," Amethyst corrected.
"Huh?"
"Like plenty of ponies before you, it sounds like you first heard about them from one of those silly children’s books.  They were very popular back in the day, filled to the brim with overdramatic tales about the knights, but not many accurate depictions of who they were or what they did."
"What do you mean?"
"For starters, they didn’t just roam the world righting wrongs and fighting monsters.  Contrary to popular belief, they mostly protected the princesses and served as advisors.  In fact, one of them was a very popular musician here in the empire.  I wasn't a huge fan myself, but I remember there was always such an excitement whenever she came to perform."  Amethyst scanned the nearest shelf.  Instead of a book, she pulled a thick folder stuffed with oversized papers.  "If you’re curious, here's a collection of some of her most popular works, though I suppose it all doesn’t matter much anymore."
Twilight looked at the music, then at Alpenglow.
"It might…to some."
"You'll have your work cut out for you," continued Amethyst.  "You see, the Elements of Heroism were a bit of a secret among the princesses and the knights."
"We know.  Let's just say right now, we'll take any clues we can."
"Let me know if you find anything," she said before returning upstairs.
As books were pulled and covers pried open with quiet sighs, the morning began to truly shine in the new.  The sun hit the building precisely as the hour struck, causing the walls to sparkle, and things felt very much like four nights ago, when the ponies were doing research for the 'Remembering Our Roots' festival.  So after several tranquil minutes of searching, it was Pinkie who, unsurprisingly, proved to be the luckiest.
"Found it!" she shrieked, bringing everypony to the table in the center of the room.  As they all gathered round, Twilight examined the cover.  The title read Order of the Royal Equestrian Knights: Facts and Myths.  As Pinkie blew through the pages, she came to one filled by three elaborately-drawn symbols: a shield, a scale, and a cornucopia.
Twilight read the caption aloud, "The Elements of Heroism: Courage, Integrity, and Altruism.  Though the story of their creation is still unknown, the artifacts were said to be a small part of the unicorn contribution to the then newly-united Equestria, implying Starswirl the Bearded as one of its possible craftsponies.   Since their creation, they have passed from one generation of knights to another, and though the artifacts themselves contain a powerful magic, their actual power is said to come from the knights, as well as a closely-guarded spell.  Selection of these ponies falls solely to the Royal Sisters, and each was chosen for his or her ability to represent an aspect of the harmony early Equestria hoped to achieve.  The existence of only three elements means only one knight uses them at any given time, most often the leader of the cohort."
"Well that’s about an earful and a half," said Applejack.  "How ‘bout it, Alpenglow?  Any of this ringing a bell?"
"Yes," he replied, tucking his helmet beneath his wing.  "Starswirl told us that our elements were made specifically to counter evil and dark forces.  From what the Princess told me about the Elements of Harmony and your battles with Discord, I had the feeling that they're far more powerful than the Elements of Heroism, but lack something that can guarantee an immediate effect on Blight."
"How's that?" asked Applejack.
"It's the difference between breaking a rock with a tidal wave versus...a pick.  In just about every way, the wave's stronger, but the pick's design allows it to work better, but only in that one situation."
"So if you used them against Blight back then, why's he still around?" wondered Spike.
"And where are they now?" added Rarity.
Alpenglow looked to floor.  "I...can’t remember."
Rainbow Dash groaned in frustration, but Fluttershy quickly quieted her down.
Twilight placed a hoof on Alpenglow’s shoulder.  "I’m sorry, Alpenglow, but we have to find out."  Her horn began to glow softly.  "All you have to do is think back to when you defeated Blight, just for a second.  I'll do the rest."
With weary eyes, Alpenglow stared at Twilight.  A moment later, he nodded, and everypony unconsciously stepped back as Twilight's horn grew brighter.
Given the state of Alpenglow's memory, the scene formed around Twilight with surprising speed.  She was standing in an enormous cave, up to her knees in clear, glowing water.  In front of her hovered Alpenglow, his helmet off and eyes shut tight.  Facing him was Blight, who screamed words Twilight couldn’t hear.  A triangle of light floated between the two, and at each corner was a gem shaped like one of the Elements of Heroism.  Alpenglow grimaced as he opened his eyes; they shone a sickly green and oozed purple mist as a multicolored beam erupted from the triangle.  The gems shattered, and the memory came to an abrupt end.  Twilight opened her eyes and felt queasy, seasick.
"Whatd’ya see, Twilight?" asked Applejack.
"The Elements of Heroism...they’re dark magic," she said, causing everypony to gasp as she steadied herself.  "That’s why they work against Blight.  They use the exact same power his magic needs to work."
Applejack took off her hat.  She scratched her head, then said, "Now why in the world would something like the Elements of Heroism be dark magic?"
"I don’t know.  Alpenglow?"
Twilight turned around, and as everypony did the same, they froze.  Alpenglow was trembling, his forehead dotted with beads of cold sweat as he began to breath heavily.  His helmet clattered to the floor, scraping deep into the crystal tile.
"Alpenglow!" shouted Twilight.
The knight's breathing became a strained snarl.  The faintest purple wisps appeared on the edge of his eyes, and he began to bare his teeth.
"Snap out of it!" yelled Rainbow, who shook him like a heavily armored ragdoll.
With a violent shudder, the stallion's body reset to relative normalcy.  His breathing slowed, his posture relaxed, and as he looked at everypony, the purple haze dissolved.   "Sorry, I just…remembered something," he muttered, rubbing his left eye.
"What’d you remember?" asked Applejack.
"Nothing important; we found everything we’re going to here."  He scooped up his helmet.  The battered steel swallowed his head again, and the conversation was finished.
"So...what?  Do we know where the Elements of Heroism are now?" asked Rainbow.
"Not exactly," explained Twilight.  "In the memory, I saw the them being destroyed.  But with Princess Celestia’s help, we might be able to use the Elements of Harmony as a replacement."
"How?"
"When we were looking for the crystal heart our first time in the empire, Spike and I found this door blocking our way.  And when I tried using dark magic to open it, it triggered one of King Sombra's traps, which made us see our worst fears."
"I hope we never have to face something like that," commented Fluttershy.
"But, when I tried something else, it opened the door and showed us the way to the heart."  Twilight levitated the book above the table.  "I bet the Elements of Heroism work in a similar way."
"I don’t follow," said Applejack.
"The book said the true power of these elements comes from the knights themselves.  I'm guessing they draw their power from the magic inside a pony, then change it into dark magic to be used against others like it."
"That makes sense, I guess," said Applejack, "But how does that help us?"
"If we can find something- a relic, or some other item- that uses dark magic, we can channel the Elements of Harmony into a form that can stop Blight."
"Something tells me such artifacts are not simply lying around Equestria, are they?" Rarity pointed out.
"What about that box that Blight was in before?" suggested Applejack.  "That thing didn't seem quite right when we first saw it."
Twilight thought for a moment.  "I don’t know.  Maybe the Princess would know more.  If it is, it might work."
"And what about that spell?" said Spike, "Where're we gonna find that?"
Twilight’s shrugged.  "I have no idea.  It has to be important to all of this, but without knowing more about the box and the elements, there’s no way to be sure."
"At least we’re finally getting somewhere," said Rainbow Dash.  "I say we double-time it back to Canterlot.  If Discord’s got nothin’ for us, then we head to that observatory the Princess talked about.  One of ‘em’s gotta have the spell."
"No argument here," agreed Applejack.  "Why don't we stop by and check in with the princesses?  See if we can make this box idea work?  We’ll be heading that way anyway."
"Shall we ship out, then?" asked Rarity.
"We’re not taking a ship, Rarity; we’re taking a train!" said Pinkie.  With that, everypony went back upstairs to the library's main floor, leaving Twilight alone with Alpenglow.  She turned to him.
"Are you sure you’re alright?"
Alpenglow faced the bookshelves, shaking his head.  "Forgetting, then remembering it, even for just a second, was like...waking up one morning and realizing that you didn't know what you looked like.  You finally find a mirror, but then..." His gaze fell.  "...you don't even recognize what you're looking at."
"I’m sorry, Alpenglow.  I had to do it."
"I guess if I’d ever sent that letter to the Princess, that’s what she would’ve said too.  It doesn’t matter anymore, what’s done is done."  Alpenglow’s head swiveled up, and that razor-edge visor looked through Twilight.  "And when the time comes, I’m going to do the job she should’ve a thousand years ago," he spat before marching upstairs.  His plodding steps thundered in Twilight's stunned ears, shaking the beautiful, delicate shelves around her.