//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: Elements // Story: Luna's Chosen Few // by Sanguine Eyes //------------------------------//                  The trumpets sounded and royal banners could be seen from the Unicorn's desk. He looked out and grit his teeth in annoyed anger. "So that is how it is then..." He looked up at the sun, still high in the sky. Taking a deep breath he put on his smile and looked back at the door to his office then rang the bell.         "You called Sir?" The earth pony looked up at the unicorn as if her fate was being judged by some God.         "One... or both of the royal sisters is at the gate, fetch my robe."         "The new silk robe sir?" The Mare tried to look as pleasing as she could but flinched as his hoof smashed down.         "No! The usual one... and as soon as you can, spread the news and make sure the other council members know. Lastly, go and tell the guards; there better not be a single spec of dust anywhere in this fort!"         The mare nodded quickly and dashed off leaving the unicorn stallion staring at the banners outside. ‘And just what tipped you off you little freak?’                  Opening the doors to the main hall Unicorn representative head Councilor Platinum Star stepped in dressed in what looked like a simple dark gray cloak. The guards, head to hoof in heavy armor all stood at attention save for one near the middle whose armor looked scuffed, it almost looked like he forgot to polish it so he just hoped that the ceremonial colored banners would cover it without anypony noticing. Star Phase would have torn the pony apart at the lack of detail, verbally of course, and perhaps physically as well. However, the doors boomed open and in strode a dark blue pony accompanied by royal guards with one of the most foolish uniforms he had ever seen. He made a mental note to make sure the foolish guard would be punished, but in the presence of all the brightly colored ceremonial guardsponies perhaps it was not a complete disaster, if the 'princess' of their new nation Equestria  had tastes this bad for armor far preferring form over function then even that pathetic guard was worth two of this fool's guards.         "Hello and welcome Princess Luna. I do say, I am quite surprised. Did forewarning get lost in the mail? We would have had a feast and celebration just waiting for you..."         Luna smiled and waved a hoof about leisurely. "Oh nonsense, I am the Princess of Equestria... I need to spend more time among my ponies do I not? I know I would not want a leader who thinks she can just KNOW by default what a nation needs while never leaving her home."         Platinum Star did his best to wear a smile. "But surely; you have other things you must do... for somepony as young as you, why would it not be your sister who would come?" In his heart he was thanking the moon it was not Celestia. Though these two were still not technically fully grown, Celestia was older and being turned into the most powerful leader under the tutelage of none other than Starswirl the bearded himself. If the witnesses accounts were true, Celestia was already on par with most masters of magic, not to mention the inborn alicorn power that let her chuck the sun across the sky. Luna was easily less dangerous.         "Oh my sister has control of everything back at our castle and our lessons have been going well enough, I am just taking a short vacation to see the ponies of my nation." She smiled leveling her sharp blue eyes at him.         "I see. Well, I guess we can sit and chat. I’ll call for dinner." he gave an overly illustrious bow and Luna smiled. With just a few moments notice half the guard was dismissed and redistributed to other stations. The tables were pulled out and a small feast was whipped up in honor of Luna's tour of the countryside.         The eating had only just began as Platinum Star glanced about to notice he was not the only pony who had not started to eat. Just a few places over in the circular piece of the table Princess Luna smiled over at him. "I must say even for my sudden appearance, your troops are tip top shape... not to mention a few other things around here. Just look at that bookcase; I can spot two or three I have been looking to attain for our own collection..."         Something did not sit right with Platinum Star, he was quickly catching on, but he entertained the game the young alicorn brought to the table as a few of the other nobles and 'important' townsponies ate happily. "Yes... I do have a taste for the finer things in life. Anything that can liven the place up to my expectations, not to mention my Mother's legacy."         "Your mother? Oh yes, I remember, the noble Princess Platinum of which was one of the founding members of the council... How is she?" Luna stated and patiently listened for a response.         "She is fine... retired from the world and handed this position off to me. Do not mean to boast but I have really taken to the council's duties and done very well alongside the other councilors... We have big plans to make. This new nation something nopony dare to consider anything but… perfect..." He grinned staring at her with calm unrelenting eyes.         "I see... a valid reason to take up the finer things in life then. If you surround yourself with the best you will in turn output the best..." Luna's eyes peeked up to spot a dark purple Pegasus with light skirmisher armor, though what concerned her was that it was not standard issue from the guards. It looked older. Her mind clicked and she placed it. It was the original General's armor from the Pegasus tribe. Due to the Mare's age being still on the younger side of adulthood Luna assumed it was more or less a symbol of tradition or more likely a hand me down.         "Indeed, I pay handsomely for rare books gems or artifacts whenever and wherever they pop up..."         Luna smiled and cleared her throat. "Oh... you must be quite well informed then... It is indeed difficult to pick out the meaning and purpose of ancient artifacts... especially the more powerful ones....if I may..." Star Phase tilted his head as he watched Luna dig through her travel bag. "I just recently got my hooves on this rare beauty... I cannot quite tell what it is, but it is an obscene amount of magical power pouring out of it. But my researchers cannot make heads or tales out of it... perhaps you can give it a look."         The back and forth had caught a few pony's attentions, even more so when she dropped a perfectly shaped vibrant red gemstone on the table. Instantly Platinum Star's gut wrenched into a knot. It too caught the Pegasus's attention drawing her closer to the balcony overlooking the makeshift dining area. How in Tartarus did she get it? I have to reclaim it, damn it all, they said they got Shaw back... why was this not with him?. Swallowing the obscene implications he forced his heart rate down and smiled playing a decent level of interest as he sipped his wine. "Oh... fascinating... I have quite a few tomes on similar objects... perhaps... yes... perhaps I can help... " His pale blue magic formed over the stone which was quickly and surprisingly overpowered with a dark blue glow.         "Oh.. be careful now... It is very powerful and we already had one researching experience quite a nasty trauma, a fit of some kind... So far I am the only pony able to hold it safely... Alicorn magic is just very powerful I guess..." She grinned staring into his eyes with the obvious message. Come, play, tell me more.         Suppressing a growl he wore his most convincing smile and leaned back. "I see... Well then, thank you for stopping me... that could have been quite a blunder... though my offer still stands... I would be glad to give it a safe look see with the best and brightest minds in all of Equestria...."         "Oh I would appreciate that... I do not suppose they can come to our castle?... I instructed them to put together a research center. As such I took the opportunity to go about the kingdom as I have previously stated, but also it gives them a chance to finish and tidy up the research center, and me time to look for some good hoof picked research ponies.... Though somepony back home actually thought we should use it as a weapon....silly foal... can you imagine it?" She looked at him, her grin spreading wider. "Of course wanting some obscenely powerful unknown weapon of war only years after our nation was formed is so foolish... only the most dense of ponies would try and destabilize the nation with something that would surely result in petty power grabs so soon after our beautiful nation was founded. Or maybe.... perhaps..." Her grin faded and she glared at him. "He was going to be even more of a foal and was planning on using it for himself... grabbing power directly to take MORE power... of course I put him in chains... Anypony plotting to throw our nation into chaos like that certainly deserves the gallows do they not?"         A few ponies present tried to keep up, but lacked the mental capacity. Some laughed it up at the idea of a single pony using an artifact to forcibly destroy their new nation and control it, as others frowned noticing the tension in the air. Platinum Star stared blankly at the Princess with contained anger. "My dear princess... it was fun for a while... but can we stop playing games?... I grow tired of it...." He grinned at Luna who grinned back. "You made a mistake coming here Princess... "         Luna snickered standing up. "We will see now wont we Platinum Star ..."         "That we will Princess.... Early Moon!" The Dark purple Pegasus shot down from the balcony with speed that would put anypony Luna knew to shame. She did not even get a chance to react as the blade at the mare's ankle shot out towards her face, then knocked to one side as one of Star Phase's own guards leaped up and force fed Early moon an armored hoof at nearly the exact same speed.         Early Moon knocked back violently but found her hooves as the nobles and other ponies who gathered began to run in panic. "I thought it was you... only Moon name I know attached to the council... Early Moon... the daughter of general Hurricane of the Pegasus tribe..." The armored pony cast off his helmet and smiled, casting his red irises into her eyes. "Its always good to meet a pretty face... the name is Shadow Strider it will be a pleasure killing you love..." He grinned as absolute chaos erupted in the room with them.         All of Luna's guards instantly engaged all the guards present, and to their great surprise, what the Royal sister's guards had in form was more than made up for in the excessive enchantments on their armor. Instead of 100 lbs of steel strapped to each pony, they had a small outfit enchanted to coat the entire body in an aura that would deflect nearly anything any normal pony could throw at them from 360 degrees. However, these fully armored ponies could still smash one of the guards in the face with a heavy mace and it would not exactly tickle.         Luna did not even bother standing up, instead when Platinum Star leaped across the table when another of his guards exploded out of his armor and swung a blade down between them. Fully dressed in the armor of the night guard Waking Glory smashed his blade in down in his path in defense of his princess who calmly tossed the red gem up and down like a toy in her hoof.         "Nice try you little freak... but you have no idea what you are messing with..." There was an odd pulse from Platinum Star's cloak, Waking's vision blurred and he began to receive a horrible case of deja vu.         To this Luna instantly responded, leaping up onto the table and wrenching waking from his place as his facial features went blank then were struck with horror. "Children! he has one of the artifacts on him!"         His magic flared and he threw a hoof foward as if to commanding the spell to come forth from his horn. A massive blast rocked the room and Luna skid to a halt cradling Waking in her hooves quickly digging into his mind with her magic. A small red gem spun in the air and landed in Star's waiting hoof. "Two now... lets see how much power this gives me...."         He cast his eyes over towards Early Moon to see her clashing with her foe violently. He weighed his options and cast his gaze on the downed Luna who had not gotten up. "I guess I’ll just stomp out this problem right here...."         The blade of an ahlspiess punched into Star's back, his reaction speed enhanced by the artifacts, he managed to roll to one side avoiding what would have been a lethal blow, but he cursed in pain and annoyance as he saw the knight with the dirty armor he spotted earlier. From under the colorful banners across his back sprouted massive bat wings. "You won't lay a hoof on her.... Not now, not EVER!"         There was a soft twang and he jumped again being skimmed by a crossbow bolt as a little brown bat pony glared down from the rafters nearly hissing as she spoke. "Stay away from my mommy! I’ll cut your mother bucker… Ill cut you to the bone!"         Star growled looking at the two, trying to work himself into a position where he could keep an eye on them both. He took up the gem and prepared to take it into his body with a spell that would literally meld it to him. However, at that moment he noticed that the object in his hoof was a carefully carved stone with a rapidly diminishing glamour charm. He could still feel the gem's power but he could not pin down the location.         On the other side of the room Shadow met Early Moon's moves blow for blow. She glared in anger obviously enraged that he could keep up. He kept the same soft smirk still feeling the gem below his armor as his body fed off its power.         He remembered seeing the air blur then everything started to go dark. Then it hit him like a runaway carriage. He could feel every last bit of it.  He saw her face, the mare he admired from afar. The pain after his moment of weakness. He thanked the moon that he failed, but the pain on the inside was more than he could bare. He felt sick, he searched for his blade as she continued screaming. No matter how tightly he clenched his eyes he could not stop seeing the actions of his foolish young self. Desperately reaching and trying to find a weapon to stop the pain. If the images would not go away he would cut them away. Whether it was his eyes or his throat, he was confident he would stop seeing the pain he caused if he slashed out one of those two.         Like a strike of lighting a voice boomed. "ENOUGH!!!! Waking Glory.... come to me... I am your Princess... COME... I demand it... come to me!.." He struggled trying to find his way, stumbling and falling. He could feel her on his hooves, it made him retch. He fell to his knees and refused to move. The memories were too much, all he wanted was an escape. Even if it was the freedom of death. Quite suddenly there was a burst of light that filled him with strength and Luna's voice broke out again. "Take it!....take it and be whole... THAT is not who you are... You are my right hoof.... you are the righteousness... you know the pain of the darkest paths a soul can tread....you repented, you became pure... you understood the pain it caused and did what was right.... now you are mine.... you are sworn to do what is righteous... be that righteousness..."         His eyes snapped open and he saw he was face to face with Luna. A gold colored gemstone pressed against his chest by her hoof. "I found it when that stupid guy was blabbering at dinner..." He looked over at cookie who beamed with pride. "There was three of em in there...."         "Yes..." Luna stood up helping Waking to his feet. "Righteousness..." She smiled looking down at the golden gem that looked like it had melted into his armor. "... Honor..." She gestured at Dart who stood ready for any other attacker who would show up, a dark cats eye gemstone in his chestplate. He seemed very focused on standing ready for combat but only one fight was still going in the room.         But before his eyes could make out what that was, Cookie happily pushed into his view with a small necklace adorned with a white gemstone. "I found the preservation one... it’s mine!... MINE!!! it’s so pretty" She giggled happily as Waking looked back past Cookie and Luna at Shadow fighting the purple mare.         "You have Shaw's gemstone don't you?" She breathed in short ragged gasps. She was used to fast bursts of skilled combat, as was he though he was older and much more conditioned for prolonged combat.         "Violence.... yup... and you have Revenge.... which means your boy toy who just ran off a few moments ago has the last one.... it will be all the funner when I gut him and wrench it from his cold dead hooves..."         She growled and whipped out another hoof blade. Gathering all her stamina and surging into the power of her element she lunged with a roar. Though he did not so much as flinch as his blade past through her foreleg and wrenched to the side causing the most pain he could, her roar turned to a scream and died in her throat as his other hoof lashed in a perfect line severing her windpipe. Her eyes had not even stopped blinking when his hoof smashed through her armor and tore out the purple gem.         "The interesting thing... these puppies were meant to be used by ponies who embodied their power... you never lost a damned thing in your life... you can never properly represent Revenge.... hence why they had to bind it to you for you to even touch its power... and why you still could not use it to even a fraction of its actual glory..." He turned about and bucked her hard, knocking her down where she would never return to her hooves, then slipping the gem into his armor, he took off even faster than before ignoring Luna and the others as they called for him to wait up.         "Shit!... moon damned freaks.... Early moon had better have stalled them for at least a minute." He pushed the door open and cursed even louder. His safe was open and the other elements were gone. Now, out of six he had only the one. He unfolded the neck of his cloak to reveal the pitch black stone.         "Moon damned freaks!.. what can I leave with now?... I’ll have to leave Equestria entirely, years of planning up in smoke..."         "You can start by leaving the castle... but I think it will be one piece at a time...." Platinum Star looked up to see Shadow staring down at him with a smile on his face.         Star wasted no time instantly activating his gemstone and launching the attack. Shadow's eyes blurred but his body crackled with energy from the other two stones and he laughed. "I didn't even need the elements I have...you may be able to use that element... but let me tell you little foal....Nopony in Equestria understands the element of Abomination better than me...." His glare was accompanied by a heavy grin that carved utter horror into Star's gut.         "Wait! wait.... just hear me out...I think I know you... you are the assassin... you kill for money... do a lot for money.... it just so happens th-"         "Let me stop you right there little one....I don't kill for money.... Money is just a happy coincidence...I kill because you lesser creatures took my family...ponies like you made me into who I am... I am just returning the favor... and boy is it sweeter than honey...."         Star seeing it was obvious that he would never make it out alive any other way, lashed out with his magic. The assassin may have been many times more powerful and capable of using the elements but this was HIS castle, HIS house, and HIS room. His magic tore out his researching supplies from their carefully packed up spots, Iron oxide met powdered aluminum. A spark from his horn and there was a blast of heat that instantly ignited every flammable substance in the room. Shadow grunted in pain that would make any lesser pony scream and leaped back using the new power in him to halt the damage, repair what he could and further himself from the blazing inferno. This was made all too easy with how much he desired to get revenge, violent bloody revenge. Everything that strengthened his place with the elements of Violence and Revenge.         Star teleported out and dashed forward blazing his trail in fire. Trying to get out of the castle grounds as fast as possible. Though this became difficult when an arrow he barely managed to dodge made him aware of the two stallions blocking his path. "Guards!!! to me!" His calls were answered by the various ponies coming out of the woodworks to answer the call of their leader. One by one they began to drop dead with a crossbow bolt in their necks from above as cookie fired from the safety of the clouds. Those who did get past her aim were quickly engaged by the young mercenary Abyssal dart. His desire to honor his oaths, to fight for what was right, all fueled his element.         Platinum Star cursed loudly staring at the only enemy he now had, the dark armored figure of Waking Glory. "I thought I snagged you in the illusions of your greatest pains?"         "You did... but you did not account for how badly I desire only to do what is right and just..." He tapped the gem planted in his chestplate.         "You degenerate little freaks don't know when to quit! Your kind should have stayed in their damned caves... you and your freak leader... We did not ask to be ruled by some petty disgusting THING.... we the three Tribes did that just fine!"         Waking zoomed up faster than he knew he could and delivered a hefty headbutt, Platinum Star shrieking in pain as cold steel crashed against bone. The Unicorn barely had time to react before  an armored hoof slammed into his jaw sending him flying.         Star growled as he raised himself off the ground and swore, “You damned guano brained freak!” His horn glowed violently before he unleashed a beam of raw magic at Waking Glory, “DIE!”         The beam struck the dark knight square in the chest and erupted out his back. Star grinned triumphantly, assured of his victory. At least until the hole in Waking’s chest began to glow and disperse into motes of light, the bat pony’s body dissolving away.         “W-What?!”         Waking’s voice echoed from every direction as Star began to realize his fatal error, “Rosa tried to explain it to me, but I never did understand how you Noble Ponies could be so overconfident all the time.” The world around Star twisted and shifted, in every direction the panicking unicorn looked there was only one thing, Waking Glory.         The infinite Waking’s looked at Star and smirked, “You remember now right?” He asked from all directions, “Who I am?”         Star replied with a high pitched wheeze as tears of fear began to stream down his cheeks, realization having long since embedded itself. His mistake? Making eye contact.         Waking’s voice boomed with righteous fury, “I am Waking Glory, first of the House of Glory. Duke of Glory-Rosa! Right Hoof to Our Princess Luna, Last of her Dream Walkers! The Righteous Sword of Equestria! I am a Pony! I AM A THESTRAL!!”         In an instant Star screamed from the depths of his soul as countless Waking Glory’s descended on him from all sides.         As Waking Glory returned to the world of the awakened he turned his gaze to his opponent. Platinum Star was nothing more than a twitching, drooling mess on the ground. The Price of losing a Dream Duel was one’s mind, the strain would cause the mind of even a seasoned Dream Walker to shatter if they lost. And once shattered that mind could never be restored.         Although the body lived, Platinum Star was dead.         Waking stared down at the fallen foe with pity in his eyes. “... We, Luna’s chosen few, we are the children of her night, and so long as we draw breath we will protect her night from monsters like you.”         He turned about and smiled at Luna who arrived freshly at the scene, Cookie came down from her cloud settling on the ground next to Dart whose smile was bright. However, it was short lived.         “...S...Shadow?...” Dart’s voice was stuttered with uncertainty and as soon as it had echoed Waking came about.         He stood over the body of Platinum Star. Driving his hoof blade into his still beating heart he grinned. Fresh burns over his forelegs, chest, neck, and face. He seemed to derive a great deal of pleasure defacing his fallen foe’s corpse. But the thing that drove fear into the young Dart and uncertainty into Luna herself was Shadow’s eyes.         The red iris bled into the whites until they were perfectly round crimson discs, soon the pupil began to expand. The cloak on the dead unicorn rippled and shed from the corpse like fluttering bats, latching onto its new user, the power seeped into him. The power of three elements coursed through him. The dark black of his pupils loosed an inky darkness that bled into the crimson of his eyes and he smiled. Looking at his brothers, sister and new mother. He simply smiled, taking one step forward Waking stepped firmly between Shadow and Luna.         Luna’s voice spoke sternly but she could not hide her concern or fear for her child. “Shadow!... Shadow please.. Listen to me, those are too powerful for just one pony. They will hurt you and everypony you care about.” She strode forward much to Wakings disapproval. He tried to keep between them but she intentionally moved closer ignoring his actions. “Shadow, my child, please… listen to me.”         Shadow’s eyes stared with a disturbing calmness as he appeared to measure and weigh the value of this new power versus the loyalty he swore to the princess of the night. When he moved, all flinched. But in both relief and in confusion his movement was not violent, nor was it immediately obedient.         Shadow kneeled before Luna. “Thank you mother, you took me, a lost soul with no meaning or value. And you made me alive once more.” He pulled the chestpiece off and lay it before her. On the inside the red gem had fused and on the outside the dark purple gem had as well. Though he did not remove the cloak adorned with the black gemstone. “I cannot change who I am any more than you can mother, I am the element bearer for these elements, and so long as my heart beats, it beats for you, I will serve your well being with all my power.         Luna breathed easy once more, as did the others. Dark rushed up, still a little hesitant but none the less very grateful that his brother did not betray the family. “Whew, I thought we lost you there for a moment.”         “I won’t lie Dart, you almost did… the elements have a powerful pull…” Dart grimaced at the thought that followed his brother’s words, but he distracted himself quickly.“Oh right, I was meaning to ask, what in Tartarus are these things?” He tapped the cat's eye gem in his breastplate. All he knew was that when Cookie had come back out and gave it to him, he could move faster and stronger, overall he simply felt more at ease on the battlefield and had much more confidence in his every move.         Luna smiled and patted his back pulling the elements of revenge and violence to her with magic. “This is revenge… the element of revenge, the never ending cycle of retribution. And violence, the element representing force and aggression, two of the three pieces of darkness…”         Shadow tapped his black gemstone. “Abomination…. The will and intent to do whatever can be done to force a victory, no matter the cost. Dark intent without moral restraint to shock and fear the enemy into submissiveness or fear so they cannot conjure the strength to fight back. This completes the darkness…”         “Then why are you wearing it if it's so damned evil hrmm?” Cookie gave him the stink eye.         “Because it’s who I am, I did not choose this path, but nevertheless it is mine. He sighed deeply running a hoof over the element.         “And these things?” Dart gestured to himself, Cookie, and Waking.         “Preservation, the desire to protect everything held dear, perfect for the little filly whose sole desire is a family.” He smiled patting her head. He was rewarded with a happy Squee. His eye shifted to Dart next. “Honor, abiding by the codes, morals, creeds, and oaths of the warrior's way. The standard of a proper warrior. To NEVER surrender or give into temptation or despair. Made all the easier for a naive sucker like you, I’ll bet you never bucked a pony while they were down in your life” He laughed and was rewarded with another stink eye, this time from Dart.         He gestured to Waking but he spoke before Shadow could. “Righteousness. Never letting go of what is right and just. No matter the cost, no matter the state of the world, right is always what is right, and wrong is always what is wrong. And I will fight and die for what is right no matter how trivial. Only in death does the duty of the righteous end.”         Shadow smile extending his hoof to his brother who smiled and followed suit. They had spent days, even months in half trust. Though now it felt like they could trust each other.         “But what could possibly be so contradictory? What has this much light and this much darkness? What is so evil and at the same time so good?... these are elements, yeah… but what the buck are they elements of?” Dart’s question was pushed out in aggravation. Though Luna quickly answered.         “War. War is neither good nor evil, while at the same time it is both evil and good. You can be honorable in war, and you can be righteous, you can protect or you can commit acts of abomination… violence and revenge...It is one of the oldest and most powerful sets of artifacts our world has ever known… I don’t know how they got their hooves on it but it is now safely in our keeping where they will never be abused again.”         “The legends said a lot about the elements and the aspects they belonged to.” Shadow stared at Luna in with his half question still hanging in the air.         Luna looked about and sighed. “A story for another time…” The other guards began to emerge from the fort now fully on fire from Platinum Star’s previous escape attempt. “We have some business to attend to, and I feel that this is not nearly the last of this family’s adventures.” She smiled and four smiles returned to their most loved mother of the night.