Forging Harmony

by LunaSilverscale

Twilight's Idea

The Golden Oaks Library stood sentinel over a calm summer’s day in Ponyville. The afternoon sun shone down brightly, its beams playing with the leaves before slipping inside to glide over the polished wooden floor. At least where it could still be seen under the haphazard piles of books – half-forgotten remnants of the occupant’s latest study spree.

The beams came to rest on top of a crystalline glass case, causing prismatic displays to dance over the bookshelves, book piles and the study table.

The display, while pretty, disrupted the reading of one Twilight Sparkle. The recently crowned Princess of Equestria sighed in annoyance. She had claimed sanctuary inside the library from the endless congratulations and well-wishing of the inhabitants, hoping for a quiet moment to adjust to her new duties and status.

Her eyes slid over to the cause of the dancing lights, and found her irritation dissipating as the contents sparkled under the sunlight. She smiled, as she remembered her friends and the trails they had gone through together. Without them, she wouldn’t have been able to recover the Elements of Harmony, discover the true meaning of friendship and realise what she had been missing out on while absorbed in her studies.

She walked closer, pondering the five necklaces and crown - her crown – that rested on a velvet bed within. She marvelled at how much power that was contained within such simple – and beautiful – artefacts.

Resting a fore hoof on the case, Twilight started to wonder how much was truly known about the Elements. Even with all her reading, she had only seen them mentioned briefly. Once in the story of Nightmare Moon and her return as told in Predictions and Prophesies. The other was in The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide.

“Spike, will you find me the copies of Predictions and Prophesies and The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide please?” Twilight asked her dragon assistant.

A grumbling reply came,
“I already promised Rarity I’d help her out this afternoon….”

Twilight muffled a giggle, she knew Spike had a crush on Rarity and was just trying to find an excuse to see her.
“Find those books, and then the rest of the day is yours.”

The young purple and green dragon perked up and found the requested books in record time, despite the mess that was the result of Twilight’s examination of the Equestrian Judicial System.

“Here they are.” Spike passed them into Twilight’s magical grip, eager to get going.

“Thank you, Spike, as promised you’re free to go.” Twilight said, already going into research mode, barely noticing as Spike dashed out the door.

Turning first to Predictions and Prophesies, Twilight read the fateful words that had begun her journey.
‘Elements of Harmony: see Mare in the Moon.’

That isn’t really helpful – it’s only listing a section to reference, Twilight thought as she turned over the pages to reveal the section indicated.
‘Mare in the Moon: Myth from olden Pony times. A powerful pony that wanted to rule Equestria, defeated by the Elements of Harmony and imprisoned in the moon.’

It was more than a myth….

‘Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape and she will bring Night-time Eternal.’

Twilight raised her gaze to the sun-lit room, only part of that came true – Nightmare Moon did escape – but she did not bring eternal night. Thanks to my friends – and the Elements – Princess Luna was redeemed.

There not being any further information on the Elements within Predications and Prophesies, Twilight turned to the second book - The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide.

‘There are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty and Loyalty. The sixth is a complete mystery.’

Not to me….. The sixth is Magic. Twilight couldn’t help but observe.

‘When the five are present, a spark will cause the sixth Element to be revealed. It is said that the last known location of the five Elements was in the ancient castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. It is located in what is known as the Everfree Forest.’

Twilight continued to read and then looked across at the case containing the Elements.

Well that is certainly no longer true, the Elements – after recovery - were held in Canterlot. Then they were transferred to Ponyville – where the Bearers reside. This information is out of date.

Twilight placed the books to one side and paced in front of the case. The lack of information – worse the little there was of it being outdated - irritated Twilight Sparkle to no end.

“The Elements of Harmony are important artefacts. Not just for their historical value, but for the defence of Equestria!” exclaimed Twilight, her pacing getting faster, almost aided by her fluttering wings. “How can the Princess justify such an oversight?”

She took a deep breath, criticising the Princess was a step too far.

“Perhaps only the public version is short of information. That must be it. After all, it wouldn’t do for the wrong hooves, or claws, to know everything about a powerful means of defence.” Twilight stopped pacing, the Elements twinkling in the corner of her eye;

“Although they were effectively lost for a thousand years.... if they are needed in the future, who can tell if those new Bearers can find them with out of date information.” Twilight’s mind started filling with visions of a future where Equestria fell to darkness, due to lack of accurate documentation.

Her mane frizzed as nameless evils laid waste to the cities, unknown legions decimated the crops while unidentifiable laughter haunted the survivors as the remains of pony kind fled into the chaotic, unforgiving borders of former civilisation.

Twilight shook her head vigorously to dislodge the images.

“No. I can’t let that happen. I am going to create The Complete Guide to the Elements of Harmony. It will contain every detail anypony could possibly want to know about the Elements.”

Now eager, with a task in mind, Twilight rushed to clear a spot at the study table. I’ll need parchment, quills and lots of ink.

The instruments gathered Twilight started on the work ahead. Let’s start with what I already know. Quill in her magical grip, Twilight dipped it into an open ink well and began scribing.

‘There are six Elements of Harmony: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty and Magic. Each of these Elements are aspects displayed in a true friendship. To be a Bearer of an Element, one must embody the ideal of that Aspect.’

Twilight paused to refresh the ink on her quill.

‘The first five are self-explanatory and only a brief description will follow.

Kindness: To lend a helping hoof wherever it may be needed, being a gentle source of strength for your companions.

Laughter: To spread good-will and smiles to all that you meet, even when those others are feeling low.

Generosity: The ability to share what you have with those around you, without thought to your own gain.

Honesty: To always be truthful to yourself and to your friends – however much it may hurt.

Loyalty: The ability to stick with your friends, no matter what obstacles or desires are placed in your path.

The sixth Element: Magic, is harder to define. Magic is what grows inside when you have made lasting friendships. It is the most elusive of the six – yet it is always to be found where the other five are present.’

Twilight levitated that piece of parchment to one side. That takes care of the basics…. Another piece of parchment took its place. The quill was again dipped into the ink. Her mane settled into a more ordered style – though a few fly-away strands still existed – as she settled even further into her task.

‘The Elements have been used multiple times in the past with various results.

The first known use of the Elements was against Discord, ending the period known as the Era of Chaos by turning their target into stone. Incidentally, this same effect would be observed when used again on Discord in later years.

The next incidence of use is only speculation – it is unknown for certain whether their power was harnessed in the fall of Shadow King Sombra. He became without true form and was sealed within the northern ice fields of the Crystal Empire. If the Elements were used, it is also the first (and only) case of an adverse side effect on those in the area – the whole Empire disappeared for over one thousand years.

They were later turned against Nightmare Moon – banishing the dark alicorn from Equestria and sealing her within the moon for a thousand years.

Arguably the banishment/imprisonment of Princess Luna, the host vessel for Nightmare Moon, could be considered an adverse side effect of the Elements of Harmony. However it is believed that the bond between the host (Luna) and the symbiote/parasite (Nightmare Moon) was too strong to be broken so soon after its forging. The nature of Nightmare Moon and the other targets will be discussed in more detail in a later section.

A long period passed before the Elements were used again. First against Nightmare Moon- this time releasing Princess Luna from the dark being called Nightmare Moon.

Not long after this, Discord broke out of his stony prison and the Elements were used to return him to stone.’

Parchment was switched for a new piece.

‘At some point between Nightmare Moon’s banishment and the prophesised return, the Elements of Harmony were forgotten and left in the Royal Sisters’ palace. The location had fallen to ruin and had been surrounded by the woods known as the Everfree Forest.

I, Twilight Sparkle, entered the Everfree to find the Elements. Five other residents of Ponyville: Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash also joined the search.

As a group, we made our way to the ruined castle, facing obstacles on the way.

On arrival only five Elements were present – the sixth having lost physical form at some point during the period of ‘storage’. The Elements appeared as round stones.

It was at this point that I became separated from my companions.

The first attempt to awaken the sixth Element failed, and their physical forms were shattered by Nightmare Moon’s armoured hooves.

However the arrival of the other ponies that accompanied me provided a second chance – one that was more successful.

The broken shards of the Elements resonated with the spirits of the ponies that would become the Bearers to reform – and allow the sixth to be restored.

The combined power of the Elements purified Nightmare Moon’s darkness, and restored Princess Luna to Princess Celestia after a thousand years apart.

The new forms of the Elements are as follows: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty and Loyalty took the appearance of golden necklaces, with a central pendant that matched the Bearer’s Cutie Mark in shape.

Magic took the form of a gold tiara – the central jewel of which matched the central star of my cutie mark in shape and colour.’

Twilight thought carefully and re-read her work as she collected more ink on her quill and retrieved fourth piece of parchment while placing the third alongside the first two.

‘After retrieval, the Elements were held in the Royal Vault at Canterlot. They were then stolen from there by Discord after his release, recovered again and used to turn Discord back into a statue.

About a year and a half passed, and the Elements were rehoused once again – this time in Ponyville. Princess Celestia decreed that the Elements should be with the Bearers, while they performed another task – reforming Discord.

The reformation was not brought about by use of the Elements, but by Fluttershy extending her friendship to Discord. The Elements were only a fall-back should Discord’s reformation not go to plan.

Since then the Elements have been stored in Ponyville Library – aka Golden Oaks Library – contained within an enchanted theft-proof crystal case.’

New parchment floated over. Now to detail the targets of the Elements…

‘Discord, the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony:

A natural opposite of the Elements, Discord was the first to meet the Elements. A draconequus by race, Discord is a chimera of a lot of animals: including – but not limited to - pony, dragon, eagle and snake.
Discord as the Spirit of Chaos, is often mischievous and likes to spoil order out of boredom. Although recently, since Fluttershy extended her friendship to him, Discord has managed to quell his more extreme tricks of magic. Only time will tell if he can continue that way though….

Sombra, the Shadow King of the Frozen North:

Sombra was a powerful unicorn who enslaved an entire kingdom and caused it to disappear on his defeat. It is unknown how Sombra came to power, as records of that time were hidden and are still being uncovered.
It is known that Sombra disabled the Crystal Empire’s defences by removing the Crystal Heart – the focus for the main shield’s power – and hiding it during his rule.
His shadow form was broken and scattered when the Crystal Heart was restored to its rightful position. It is unknown if he survived in any shape or form.

Nightmare Moon:

Nightmare Moon’s nature is a troubling one. This being was created from Princess Luna’s jealousy and feelings of inadequacy.
From what I have learned from my mentor and Luna herself, Nightmare Moon is a both a separate entity and part of the Princess.
The separate entity had no real power on its own and required a host to function fully. It seemed that Luna’s feelings and thoughts attracted it – and it bound itself to her. It fed off her and then took over completely once it had gained enough strength to do so.
As such, Luna became the entity. While Nightmare Moon was dominant, the bond couldn’t be broken. However, the same process used by the parasite/symbiote could also be used by the host.
The thousand year banishment allowed Luna to restore her power sufficiently to cast Nightmare Moon out of dominance. It is hoped the Elements of Harmony removed all trace of this being, however due to the mind melding involved – it is uncertain whether it has gone or whether it is resting.’

Twilight frowned and placed the quill to one side. Four and a half pages….. That really isn’t a Complete Guide. I need more information, perhaps the previous Bearers- the Princesses would know more…

More parchment was called for, this time for a letter to Princess Celestia requesting further information on the Elements. Twilight took a deep breath – remembering that she could now write as an equal not just as a student. The calming breath didn’t help. Focus Twilight – all you’re doing is asking for information. Information that could be a State Secret…. That you’re intending to publish…

Twilight’s mind recalled the section of the Judicial System that dealt with state secrets and the secrecy act. As well as the punishment for breaking that act.

Publishing State Secrets is treason. Treason is punishable by various sentences based on the severity of the action deemed treasonous. The sentence could be: lifetime imprisonment, banishment, undergoing a complete memory wipe and starting over from scratch – schooling, everything.

Twilight tried to reassure herself that she wouldn’t be sent back to Magic Kindergarten, with little success. Her mane re-frizzed, making her look like she’d been dragged through the Everfree by a forested feline. Forested felines being distant relations of the Timberwolves, despite that similarity both were natural rivals for territory.

The Princesses make the law - therefore cannot be tried for Treason. I’m a Princess now…though that didn't stop Celestia banishing her own sister. What if I get stripped of the title so I can be tried?

What if I lose my alicorn wings in the process? What if I lose the horn?
What if Celestia believes I'm no longer a worthy Bearer for the Element of Magic?

Twilight’s gaze was drawn to the Element case, the jewelled artefacts gleaming with an inner light.

No, as a Bearer and as a Princess of Equestria I am entitled to know about them. But that doesn’t mean I can commit that knowledge into writing that anypony can read… that would break the State Secrecy act. My title may not be enough to protect me from the consequences.
Twilight’s circular thoughts would have overwhelmed her – if Spike had not chosen that moment to return. His angry slam of the door forced her out of her reverie by making her jump.

“Spike, I thought you were helping Rarity?” Twilight queried, the last time Spike slammed a door was when I refused to show up Trixie…..

“Rarity didn’t need my help.” Spike groused, “In fact, I was only ‘getting in the way’ while she was finishing up an ‘important’ order.”

“Oh Spike! I’m sure Rarity didn’t mean that and was only stressed about work.” Twilight tried to comfort the dragon. “You remember how I used to be – before coming to Ponyville? I got irritable at anything that wasn’t conductive to my work. Even your reminders to me that I should eat something met with hostility.”

“Yeah, you were a real pain in the scales back then.” Spike agreed, though still visibly upset at Rarity’s dismissal of him. He turned big puppy dog eyes on Twilight, wanting to feel needed by at least one other – even if it meant work. “Please tell me there’s something you need me to do?”

Twilight couldn’t resist Spike’s adorable gaze, and swept him up in a hug.
“You’ve already done so much for me, Spike. Although, there is one thing you could do for me?”

“What’s that?” Spike pulled back from Twilight’s hug to look up at her.

“Would you take a letter for Princess Celestia? And send it – like old times?” Twilight asked, still not used to her elevated status.

“Certainly,” Spike said, sliding out of Twilight’s grip to pick up an inked quill and some blank parchment from the desk. It looks like Twilight has been very busy while I was out.

Seeing Spike ready, Twilight took a deep breath and started to dictate her letter. Spike scribbled away, experience allowing him to keep up.

With a final flourish, Spike signed the last line and rolled it into a sealed scroll. Spike sent the letter on its way to Canterlot. Green wisps of magical dragon flame faded into the distance.

“Done and done.” Spike commented and prepared himself for the reply. Replies always felt like indigestion. We really need to stock up on some ant-acid for magical heartburn.

Comments

[Soft Shell]

Hmm well if you wanted to know you could have asked me.
Long ago before ponies came to equestria,
There were only changelings,
Over time us changelings grew tired of our base forms,
and decided to change into various different creatures.
And for many years there was piece.
For no matter our shapes or sizes,
all changelings were united under our love of muffins.
And at the peak of our civilisation was the all powerfull,
McGuffin Muffin.
However this peace would not last,
For one day a mysterious creature came to equestria,
Unlike the peacefull changlings he was a being of pure evil.
We called this monster The Muffin Man.....
He stole away our precious muffins and attempted to take the McGuffin Muffin for himself.
In our desperation we split the McGuffin Muffin into 6 pieces,
And with them the brave elements of muffinosity
Basnished The Muffin Man to another dimention,
All was at peace once more... or so it seemed....
However like the McGuffin Muffin itself, the changelings split apart,
With each branch of changeling taking on different forms,
and spreading out across the world.
After several thousand years, the history of the now oddly named,
Elements Of Harmony, was lost forever, and the changelings themselves,
Just a long forgotten memory.

[LunaSilverscale]

3401398 I don't think Twilight thought of asking a friendly Changeling.

Silly Twilight

[Soft Shell]

3401441
Friendly?
I am no Friendly changeling!!
I am Soft Shell!
Scurge of Equestria!
Bane of Peace and Harmony!
Destroyer of......
*Spots a muffin on the table next to him*
You know what...
*Grabs the muffin and takes a bite*
Mabey im friendly after all, just for today anyways.