My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
'Chevalier'
Chapter 8: Whatever You Imagine (Wendy Moten)
I had Gilda at my mercy, and my blade. The tip of my sword was at her throat. My friends looked on in horror, but I did the right thing. I put my sword back in it's scabbard. So why is the Seventh Element so important you may ask? Because the Seventh Element that binds the Six Elements of Harmony together. I opened up the ornate chest to find a steel gorget with a diamond cut in the shape of a heater shield. Gilda looked up in awe as I embraced the power of the Seventh Element, "I'm sorry, what I did was wrong,"
"You have nothing to be ashamed of, Gilda," I said walking up to the griffin accepting defeat, "Courage is what binds all Six Elements, it is the one that builds the foundation of friendship, the courage to love, the courage to be honest, the courage to be loyal, the courage to laugh, the courage of magic, and the courage of generosity, even now you showed courage, though misguided you faced me in battle," Gilda dipped her head down, "don't be ashamed, for you are a griffin, hold your beak up high and proud,"
I laid my sword down at my talons, "Gilda, lay down your blade," I requested of her, and she slowly followed. I held out my right taloned hand to her, "Gilda, will you accept my friendship?" I saw Gilda sniffle, and a tear fell from her eye and she hugged me. I held the griffon in my embrace, and nuzzled her, "I am no different from you, you are my friend, we will be friends from now until the end of our days," Pinkie Pie was crying waterfalls of tears at our moment, "let us leave, we need to call off the troops, Gilda,"
"Right," said Gilda with a nod, and we ran out of the cave side by side with our swords in our sheaths. We galloped up to the top of a hill where I could see the blue flags of the armored knights, and the banners of the Griffonstone Army. The marching of the two armies shook the ground like an earthquake, and the sounds of armor and weapons sounded like thunder, "Let's go Countess, the last thing I want to see is anybirdy getting hurt," said Gilda. I nodded to her in agreement as we flew down to the battle scene.
The two opposing armies were about to clash when Gilda and I flew in to stop the fighting just in time, "STOP!" yelled Gilda as we flew between the Griffonstone soldiers and the Westland Armored Knights, "drop your weapons!" she demanded. Swords, lances, and other weapons began to fall from the soldier's hands like the first drops of rain in a rainstorm, "listen all of you, Griffon, Pony, Hippogriff all of you, this is all my fault, I dragged you all into this mess because...because all I wanted was power, I needed it!"
"After meeting the Countess, I soon found out that what I was doing is wrong, I was misguided, I did not know what I was doing, my greed got the best of me," Gilda confessed, "I have come to realize that she may have hooves, she may have a title, and she may have bigger flanks than me, but she is my friend, and she always will be," I had made a friend in Gilda, and none of us were harmed in the making of our friendship. Well, not seriously. The armies picked up their weapons, and left the battlefield.
"Thank you, Countess," Gilda said as my friends gathered around us.
"That is what friends are for, Gilda," I replied, "by the way, what was that you were saying that I have bigger flanks than you?"
"Uh...I don't know," Gilda blushed,
"You're not very good at public speaking now are you?" I asked,
"No," Gilda told me,
"Well, nopony is perfect," I said as we parted ways. Gilda went back to Griffinstone, and I went back to Ponyville. The next morning, I was summoned to Cantorlot to bring Princess Celestia and Princess Luna the gorget holding the Seventh Element of Harmony. When I came to Cantorlot, I saw King William the Noblewing in attendance as well as all of my friends, including Gilda. I smiled, and nodded to her. She smiled back as I presented myself to the Princesses and my King, bowing to them in utmost respect.
"Wilhelmina, Countess of Faucon, you have served well both Equestria and the Westland, let it be known that your deeds have brought peace between the Westland and Griffonstone, not since your mother has the Westland ever birthed a warrior quite like yourself, you have done your clan and your family proud," said the King, "for your deeds for both Griffon, Pony and Hippogriff-kind, I now bestow unto you the Westland's highest honor, the Golden Laurel," the King placed the laurels on me like a crown.
There were cheers from everypony that gathered in the Great Hall, "I could not have done such a deed without their guidance," I said turning to my friends, and hugging Twilight Sparkle which soon turned into a group embrace from all of my new friends. A camera-pony from the local newspaper times asked if he could take our picture. I nodded yes to him. I had to pull Gilda away from the refreshments table so he took our photograph. This was the happiest moment of my life, and one I will never forget.
"And not only have you found the Seventh Element, but you have also found friends, Countess," said Princess Celestia placing a gentle hoof on my armored shoulder, "all ponies can be kind, generous, laugh, possess magic, honest, loyal, but in order to act upon the Six Elements, it always takes a little bit of courage, and that even the most unlikely of creatures can make a difference, congratulations, Countess, rise now Knight of Equestria, and knight of the Westland Kingdom," she announced to all gathered.
Princess Luna then stepped forward after Princess Celestia, "You have found the Seventh Element of Harmony, with this Element there can now be peace to all for who call Equestria home, for one has to judge the soul of another rather than the look of them," stated Princess Luna, the gorget was removed from my armor, and placed among the Six Elements of Harmony, "surely, it would be an honor to have such a fine warrior among the ranks of the hallowed Royal Guard," Princess Luna suggest, I shook my head.
"If I may have a request, your Majesties, I would very much like to stay in Ponyville, I do not think I have had a better set of friends than the ones with me as we speak," I replied, Princess Celestia nodded in understanding. When I first came to Ponyville, I was only there to work and not much else in between. But I go to know each pony as the days went by, I felt my bond with them growing stronger. I wanted to stay at my position as constable of Ponyville. As the saying goes, I am what I am, somepony has to be.
"Granted" said Princess Celestia with a light and caring smile, and walked alongside my friends out of the chamber that held the now Seven Elements of Harmony, "I am impressed, not even the best scholars were able to solve the mystery of the Seventh Element," Princess Celestia stated, but I got by with a little help from my friends. One never goes through life alone. If somepony needs a hoof, all you have to do is ask, "as the wisest of ponies would say, if you can dream it, chances are it might just be real,"