The Elements of Chaos

by Mossbender

The Chaos War: The Rise of Harmony

A gentle breeze blew in the silence of the night. Fireflies lazily drifted about, seeming to have no direction and simply acting as sources of light in the darkness. Suddenly, the wind began to pick up speed. The fireflies scattered as a beam of white light appeared from above, with a whole army of ponies materializing shortly after.

"Urgh... my stomach doesn't feel too good," Hurricane groaned. "I'll... I'll be right back." Hurricane stumbled off towards the nearby forest and disappeared within its depths.

"Agh... my head..." Fudge mumbled. He massaged his head as he looked around at their surroundings. Star Swirl's teleport spell had fortunately worked and saved their lives, but it also came with some temporary side effects. The forest was directly behind them, but everywhere else was just flat land as far as the eye could see, covered in long flowing grass. "Bullion? Star Swirl? Clover? Is everypony alright?"

Bullion coughed and slowly stood up. "Yes, I believe I'm fine, but where is my daughter? Platinum? Platinum!"

"Right behind you father," Platinum replied. Bullion turned around to see Platinum lying down on her back and he sighed in relief. "Thank goodness! I was afraid that something had happened to you! Now where is Clover?"

"Over there Bullion," Fudge said and pointed towards her. Clover was busy holding another pony's hoof, which Fudge immediately assumed was Star Swirl's. "And I think she might have found our wizard friend. Come, we have no time to lose!"

Fudge galloped over to Clover's side, with Bullion following right behind him.

"Clover! Are you alright?" Bullion asked

Clover slowly nodded her head. "Yes I'm fine... but..."

"But what? Who's hoof are you—" Bullion looked down and saw Star Swirl lying face up with his eyes closed. The old wizard was unconscious and barely breathing. "Oh... oh no..."

Fudge stood next to Clover and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Clover, Star Swirl just performed a feat that saved all of our lives in the nick of time. By the looks of it, he just needs some rest. I don't believe he is ready to leave this world just yet."

Clover turned her head, her eyes meeting with Fudge's. "You really think so?"

"No Clover, I know so. Here, take this," Fudge replied. He reached into his saddlebag and brought out a folded woolly blanket which he gave to her. "Star Swirl needs it more than I do right now and we all need to get some rest, but first, Bullion and I must address our troops." He looked over at Bullion and he nodded in agreement.

Hurricane suddenly came stumbling back, his wings covered in leaves and twigs. "Hey all... what did I miss?"

"You didn't miss much Hurricane," Bullion replied. "However we were just about to go and address the troops about our current situation. Do you feel well enough to do so? Because to be honest, you aren't looking too great. At all."

"Yes I'm fine! I'm the leader of the Pegasi! I am the best of the best!" Hurricane puffed out his chest. "And don't you forget it!"

Fudge and Bullion both rolled their eyes. "Alright I get it Hurricane, just don't collapse in front of your troops," Bullion said. "That would probably tarnish your reputation."

The trio began to walk around and gather their disoriented soldiers until they had most of them standing at attention.

"Alright everypony listen up! We are fortunate to be alive, but we can't give up the fight just yet! Here is wh—" Fudge was interrupted as one of the soldiers began to heave. Most of the soldiers moved away from him as he collapsed to the ground.

A look of concern appeared on Bullion's face. "Is he okay? You! Soldier! Go check on him." A soldier cautiously walked over to the other collapsed soldier and poked him with his hoof. The soldier on the ground let out a weak grunt.

"Yeah he's still alive!" one of the soldiers shouted.

Fudge waited for them to haul the soldier somewhere else before he continued. "...Anyway, here is where we will make our final stand against The Endbringer, this self-proclaimed God of Chaos. Here is where we show the rest of the world our bravery and determination! Let him come!" Only a few tired cheers came from the assembled soldiers.

Fudge took a step back as Bullion stepped forward to speak. "Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth ponies. You know me as King Bullion, leader of the Unicorns, the keepers of magic. Every day and every night, we have a dedicated group of Unicorns that work together to raise and lower both the sun and moon. A month ago, I would have seen us all as enemies. Looking back on it now, all we succeeded in was harming ourselves. Only by cooperating can we stop this threat. By working together we can show The Endbringer that he'll never take away our freedom."

A few more soldiers stamped their hooves on the ground in approval, cheering and shouting words of confidence. Bullion stepped back and Hurricane rose into the air, forcing the soldiers to look upwards to see him. "And I am Commander Hurricane! Ever since I was a foal, I knew that one day I would be destined for greatness! From my victories in the arena to the peace treaty with the Griffins, I have led the Pegasi to glory! But now, we have come to realize that it's not all about glory, but friendship and trust, like Fudge and I here! So follow me, follow all of us this one last time, so that others may learn that only by working together can anypony accomplish anything!"

That was all their soldiers needed to hear and they cheered one final time. Hurricane came back down and landed between Fudge and Bullion. "Well, that went rather well. These ponies would follow us to the end of time if they had to!"

"Except our time is coming to an end Hurricane..." Bullion said. "Our losses are too great. Think about those at home... the families that'll never see their mothers or fathers again."

"Bullion... while I understand where you are coming from, we can't keep running!" Fudge replied. "I believe we have a chance to stop this by finding those elements!"

Bullion sighed and closed his eyes. "We don't know where the elements are or if they even exist... but you're right Fudge. Running would only delay the inevitable. I'm sorry... I don't know what came over me."

Hurricane wrapped his forelegs around both Fudge and Bullion and brought them closer together. "Well, I for one know one thing we should do, and that is to get some sleep! I'll see you in the morning boys!" He quickly flew off to the other side of the group without another word to the two leaders.

"Hurricane is right Bullion, although he could have been a little quieter about it. Go. Be with your daughter. There is something I need to do still," Fudge said.

Bullion wearily nodded his head. "Yes of course. Goodnight Fudge, I look forward to seeing the sunrise." He walked away to find his daughter, leaving Fudge on his own.

I just need to have a little chat with Clover, Fudge thought. He carefully made his way pass the soldiers who had fallen asleep on the ground until at last he arrived to see Clover with her head resting on Star Swirl's side. "Clover." He gently shook her. "Clover... you need to wake up. Now!"

Clover awoke with a start and slowly raised her head. "Wha? Wh- who's there?"

Fudge walked over to the other side of Star Swirl so she could see him. "Clover, I need your help. It's important."

"Fudge... don't you know how late it is? The moon is already beginning to sink..." Clover replied and yawned loudly.

"It's... about the elements," Fudge replied, which caused Clover to suddenly be at full alert.

"The elements? What about them?" she asked.

"You are the last pony I can count on Clover to find them. Study that tablet of yours again. Maybe you'll find something that we missed," Fudge said. "But when the sun rises tomorrow, I want you and Star Swirl to get as far away from here as possible, along with Bullion's daughter."

Clover rubbed her eyes, trying to remove the weariness from them. "You do realize what you are asking of me right?" Fudge nodded. "Well... alright Fudge, I'll see what I can do."

"And do you promise to leave at the break of dawn?" Fudge asked.

"Yes general, I promise," Clover replied.

Fudge nodded his head again. "Good, thank you Clover for all your work. It has been an honour working with one so clever." Clover watched him as he walked away and disappeared into the night.

It must be hard to be Fudge right now, Clover thought. Losing your true love and having your wife betray you is not something you experience every day. She looked over at Star Swirl to see that he was breathing slowly. For once in these past couple of weeks, he looked almost at peace, something he hadn't experienced in a long time and she smiled. "Don't worry Star Swirl... we are all going to make it through this together."

Clover leaned over him to reach her saddlebag and brought out the stone tablet, being careful to not let it slip from her grasp. Now what could we have possibly missed on here? Star Swirl and I have both gone over this tablet multiple times before we showed it to them, she thought. Just need a little bit of light... Her horn began to glow, providing a light that allowed her to see the image and writing on the tablet. "Show me. Show me where I can find the power of Harmony... so that we all may live to see the end of tomorrow."

Clover held the tablet close to her and closed her eyes, feeling her heart slowly beat at a steady pace. Slowly, a faint blue glow began to come from the tablet, causing Clover to slowly open her eyes in surprise. "What? What is this?" She held the tablet away from her.

The tablet suddenly escaped from her grasp and she watched as it hovered in front of her, the glow becoming brighter. "Do not fear us young one..." the tablet whispered. The blue glow pulsed as it spoke. "For you have asked... and you shall receive."

Clover quickly stood up and slowly began to back away, the tablet following her as she did so. "Wh- what is going on? What are you?" she asked, a hint of fear in her voice.

"We are the ancient ones..." the tablet replied. "We have waited... and now it seems the time has come to use our greatest creation... the elements."

"The ancient ones? Wait... I'm confused. Why is The Endbringer here in the first place? How are you here?" Clover asked.

"Follow us young one into the woods... we will answer what we can along the way to the tree," the tablet replied and it quickly began to hover towards the edge of the forest.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Clover shouted. She picked up her saddlebag and threw it over her back before she galloped after the tablet. The tablet disappeared into the depths of the forest, with Clover following shortly after.

The tablet was waiting patiently for Clover as she approached it. She followed alongside it as they delved deeper into the forest.

"We are the ancient ones, those who have fought against The Endbringer across many worlds," the tablet said.

"Soooo why did you stop here?" Clover asked.

"Because we had been greatly weakened by our battles with The Endbringer. Our previous battle with him had left him wounded, but we knew that it would only be a matter of time before he followed us," the tablet replied.

"And now he has..." Clover whispered. "Then... this is all your fault!" Her voice began to rise in anger. "Our people have been dying because of him. Towns wiped out! Forests destroyed! And it's all because you brought him here!"

"Yes, and for that we are deeply sorry and forever will be," the tablet said. "We will never be at peace, even if The Endbringer is destroyed, for we have killed millions in our struggle. But this world... there is something different about it. Although your kind was mere primitives at the time, we saw great potential in all of you..."

"And what potential was that?" Clover asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The potential... to bring complete harmony to the universe..." the tablet replied. "Come, we will arrive at our destination soon..." Clover continued to follow the tablet until they came across a gorge. "There are some steps near here... ah, here they are." The tablet hovered over to a set of stone stairs that Clover wasn't too sure of going down.

"Are you sure these stairs are safe?" Clover asked and she thought she heard what sounded like a laugh come from the tablet.

"Of course... the odds of anything falling down these stairs is a million to one, and they would have to be clumsy to not look where they are going," the tablet assured her and hovered down the steps.

"Alright, if you say so... I guess," Clover replied. She carefully began to descend the steps. Fortunately she reached the bottom without any danger and continued to follow the tablet. A faint glow began to appear from up ahead and she squinted to get a better look. "Hey, what is that?"

"That... is where your kind and the rest of this world's salvation lies," the tablet replied. "Inside the cave... you will find what is depicted on this very tablet."

"The... the elements?" Clover asked. She felt her heart begin to race. This was it. This had to be.

"Yes young one, the elements. Or as we like to call them, the Elements of Harmony," the tablet said. They quickly reached the glow, only to find that it was coming from a cave. However, what Clover saw inside the cave made her eyes widen in awe.

A beautiful crystalline tree stood before her. Crystals glittered and provided light throughout the cave, but what drew her attention the most were the six unique coloured gems that adorned it.

"This... is our first and last gift to the universe young one," the tablet said. "The Tree of Harmony was made using the last of our power... which required us to sacrifice our physical forms. It is up to you now, young pony, to use these gems against The Endbringer, for they shall bring about the end of his reign of chaos, as well as protect this land, this world, and the universe for many years to come..."

"Wait! How am I to use them?" Clover asked. "And what will happen to you after I take them?"

"The elements will require at least one of you to wield each one... unless the power of the elements decides otherwise," the tablet answered. "As for what will happen to us... we shall cease to exist, for if one of those six gems are removed from the tree, we shall no longer be the guardians of balance. Good luck young one... we shall watch you remove the first one."

Clover gulped and cautiously approached the tree. As she did so, she noticed the sun and moon underneath the center of the tree. I wonder what those are meant for... she wondered when suddenly, the middle of the tree opened before her, revealing a magenta-coloured gem. Clover looked behind her to see the tablet floating silently before she returned her gaze to the gem. Alright Clover... you can do this. For Star Swirl! For Equestria! She reached forward and pulled the gem out of its socket, causing the tree to gently shudder.

"Thank you young one for taking on this burden..." the tablet whispered. "Thank you..." The blue glow disappeared from the tablet and Clover heard it fall to the ground. It shattered into hundreds of pieces as it did so. She didn't waste any time gathering the rest of the gems and carefully placed them into her saddlebag.

We have our salvation... we can win this war... and we can finally not live in fear! she thought with joy. She galloped towards the exit of the cave, but stopped next to the remains of the tablet. "Thank you... for believing in us and giving us a chance." She then left the cave, eager to get back to camp and break the news to the leaders.

A faint white glow suddenly appeared from beneath the ground at the base of the tree. The Endbringer cannot be destroyed with only six... my brothers... you are fools for not telling her. My time will soon come... Only a champion of considerable power shall wield me... and then I shall prove who is the strongest! The glow disappeared as quickly as it had come.

---

"Psst! Hey! Hey Blue Cloud! Wake up!" a voice said. The one called Blue Cloud stretched his wings and rolled over. "No not roll over! Get up! We're needed!"

Blue Cloud groaned and slowly stood up. "What does the commander want at this hour?" he asked, yawning shortly afterwards.

The other Pegasus shook his head. "Not the commander Blue! It's Clover and Smart Cookie! Apparently they found a way for us to beat The Endbringer and have asked us to follow them!"

Smart Cookie? I thought she died earlier from her wounds... Blue thought. "This sounds suspicious. Didn't Smart Cookie die earlier?"

"Yeah, most of us had thought so too! But apparently Star Swirl and Clover helped the doctors save her! Come on, we are going to be late!" the Pegasus shouted and flew off, following the others that had also decided to follow Clover and Smart Cookie.

"I may not be as smart as a Unicorn, but I know when something doesn't feel right," Blue muttered. "I'll watch from a distance... hopefully the others will come to their senses." He stretched his wings once more before he lifted himself off the ground and into the sky. Fortunately a large majority of the soldiers had decided to stay. He followed the ones who were leaving at a safe distance from the ground.

It wasn't long until they had gone some distance away from the rest of the army. A torch had been lit on the ground, showing the ponies where they needed to gather. Blue took some of a nearby cloud and brought it with him closer to the group. His plan was to use the piece of cloud as cover so that he could listen in without being caught by the others. As soon as all of them had gathered, Clover and Smart Cookie appeared before the soldiers in a flash of light, a puff of smoke rising shortly after.

"Welcome everypony! I am so glad that all of you could make it! Isn't that right Smart Cookie?" Clover asked.

Smart Cookie's eyes glowed green before it disappeared. "Yes," she replied, her answer sounded like she was bored and devoid of any emotion.

"Wonderful! Now you all know why you are here at this hour, correct?" Clover asked.

"Of course we do!" one of the soldiers shouted. "You said that you found something that would enable us to win no matter what!"

Clover nodded. "That I did my dear soldier! However, I would say it's more of a gift than something we found..." She turned to look at Smart Cookie. "...and I believe it is time we gave it to all of you! Now Smart Cookie!"

Smart Cookie's eyes glowed green again. "As you wish," she said and raised a hoof. A green ball of dark energy erupted from her hoof, landing in the middle of the group and creating a shield around them. Blue Cloud pulled himself away just in time, but he was no longer able to hear what they were saying.

"Hey! What are you doing Smart Cookie?" one of the soldiers at the front yelled when his eyes narrowed. "Wait... I've seen this magic before! Both of you are filthy traitors! You won't get away with this Clover!"

Clover threw he head back and laughed. "Clover? Oh no my dear soldier, I am not Clover, nor am I filthy! You'll soon learn not to speak to your new queen that way!" Her body began to shift until it revealed her true form.

"C- Cotton?" another soldier exclaimed in surprise.

"Fools! I am not Cotton! I am Chrysalis! Your new queen!" Chrysalis yelled. "Come! Embrace the gift the master bestowed upon me... do not fight it..." Shadows began to swirl around the small group when The Endbringer suddenly appeared before them, causing the soldiers to finally break into all out panic mode.

"You all shall serve a greater purpose now!" The Endbringer roared and he raised his arm. The palm of his hand began to glow green and shone a foul light upon the soldiers, causing them to stop and cry out in pain as the power corrupted their hearts, minds, and very souls. The glow from his palm faded and he snapped his fingers, causing them all to stand at attention. "Now... kneel before your new ruler!" He pointed down at a beaming Chrysalis.

One by one the soldiers slowly knelt on the ground, their eyes all glowing a bright green before changing to a bright blue. Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth ponies alike were unable to escape his power. "Hail Chrysalis! Hail the queen!" they shouted in unison.

The Endbringer turned to face Chrysalis. "Now... you have your own soldiers that shall follow you to the very end, just like you wanted. When the sun rises for the last time on this pitiful world, I shall give the ponies one last chance... I know the ones I'm after are here somewhere..." He disappeared in an eruption of green flame, leaving Chrysalis, Smart Cookie, and the enslaved soldiers behind.

"Now... what shall we call ourselves..." Chrysalis wondered out loud. Suddenly, one of the soldiers changed, briefly appearing like the one next to it before reverting back to normal. "Ah yes! I think I shall call us... the Changelings! What do you think Smart Cookie? Has a nice ring to it doesn't it?"

Smart Cookie just blankly stared ahead of her. "Yes," she replied and Chrysalis laughed.

What the hay... this is not good... not good at all! The others must know of this immediately! Blue thought and he quickly flew back towards the army, his heart racing as he did so.

---

"Smart Cookie... I never meant for this to happen..." Fudge mumbled in his sleep. "Smart Cookie what are you doing!? No... no! AHG!" Fudge awoke from his nightmare and quickly stood up, looking for his attacker. He brought a hoof to his stomach to find that there wasn't a wound there and he sighed in relief. Oh, it was just a nightmare... but it felt so real! Smart Cookie... I'm so sorry...

The sky was beginning to brighten as the moon began to disappear beneath the horizon. The final hour was almost upon them. I wonder if Clover was able to find anything, Fudge thought. It's almost time for them to leave this place. Fudge had fallen asleep somewhere just outside the perimeter of the army and he began to make his way back to the center where he last saw Clover and Star Swirl. "Clover! Are you awake yet?"

A nearby soldier rolled over and covered his ears. "Do you have to be so loud general?" he asked. Fudge ignored him and continued to call for Clover, much to everypony's annoyance. It wasn't long until he found Star Swirl, who had at last regain consciousness.

"Star Swirl! You're awake at last!" Fudge said as he walked over to him. "Have you seen Clover by any chance?"

Star Swirl brought out a pipe from underneath his hat and with a wave of his hoof he lit it. "No general, I have not. Come, sit down and watch the sunrise with me."

Fudge quickly complied with Star Swirl's wishes and sat down next to him. The two sat in silence for a while until Star Swirl finally spoke again. "So Fudge... it looks like we might not see the moon rise this evening," Star Swirl said but Fudge shook his head.

"No Star Swirl, you will, along with Clover, Platinum, and those back home. It will be Hurricane, Bullion, our troops and I that won't be seeing the moon," Fudge replied. "We will buy you as much time as we can so the three of you can get to safety... I won't let any of you die."

"But you are willing to see your own troops do so?" Star Swirl asked. "They have families too general, surely you don't think of them any lower than us?"

"What? No! That's not what I meant Star Swirl! That's not..." Fudge trailed off, having trouble coming up with a response. "It's just... I wish this war never happened... so many good ponies have died Star Swirl."

Star Swirl placed a hoof on his shoulder. "Listen general, being a leader means making hard decisions, and sometimes they'll never be for the best. I've witnessed this many times before. You just need to keep moving forwards."

"So what should I do then Star Swirl? If we can't stop The Endbringer here, who will?" Fudge asked.

Star Swirl took another puff of his pipe and sighed. "I can't answer that question Fudge, for some questions are better left unanswered. But speaking of your question regarding Clover, here she comes now."

Fudge looked towards the forest to see Clover galloping towards them as fast as she could. "Clover! You're back!" he shouted and stood up. Star Swirl did the same shortly after and they waited patiently for her to arrive. Clover slowed down as she neared them and paused, breathing heavily.

"St- Star Swirl, Fu- Fudge," she said in between breaths.

"Yes Clover? What is it? And what happened to you? You look like a complete mess," Fudge said.

"Ga- ahem, gather Hurricane and Bullion and come back here. I found something that all of you might want to see," Clover said.

Fudge nodded. "Of course! But what is that you found? Wait... can it be? The elements?" he asked and Clover nodded. Fudge's eyes widened and his heart began to race. "I'll be back as soon as I can!" Clover watched Fudge as he galloped away to find Hurricane and Bullion.

"Clover? Is this true?" Star Swirl asked.

"Yes Star Swirl! Look in the saddlebag!" she squeeled, unable to contain her excitement any longer. She reached behind her and took the saddlebag off, placing it gently on the ground before them. Star Swirl carefully opened the saddlebag, only to shield his eyes because of the brightness coming from within.

"Close it! Close it!" he shouted and Clover quickly closed the saddlebag, causing the light to disappear. "I don't know how you did it Clover... but how?"

"Well... it's a long story Star Swirl," she said but Star Swirl waved his hoof.

"Don't tell me yet, let's wait for the others to arrive," he said. No sooner did he say that when Fudge appeared, followed by a tired Bullion and Hurricane.

"So Fudge..." Bullion yawned before he continued. "What's this about the elements?"

"Clover said she found them! I don't know how, but she found them!" Fudge shouted in excitement. "Clover! Show us the elements! Quickly!"

Clover opened up the saddlebag again, releasing the light of the gems once more. Fudge and Bullion shielded their eyes, but Hurricane had fallen asleep again while standing up. "That's amazing..." Bullion whispered. "So the wizard was right after all. Where did you find them Clover?"

"It all started earlier this evening. I was looking at the tablet again when—" Clover was interrupted when Fudge stamped his hoof.

"That doesn't matter right now! Dawn is almost upon us and The Endbringer will more than likely make his move soon. I don't know why he has spared us thus far, but with these elements on our side, we shall be victorious!" Fudge shouted.

"They are actually called the Elements of Harmony general, if you had given me time to explain," Clover said.

"How do we use them Clover?" Fudge asked. "What does it need us to do in order to stop The Endbringer?"

"Well, from what I can remember, at least six of us need to be present to wield one gem. One pony can't do it on their own unless they had met certain requirements, but I don't know what those are," Clover said.

"Wait, how did you come to learn all of this?" Bullion asked.

"The tablet, if you remember it, told me how," Clover replied. "It said that with all the elements combined, The Endbringer will surely be destroyed once and for all."

"Then we have no time to lose Clover," Fudge said. "Bullion, Hurricane... Hurricane!" Hurricane immediately woke up and looked around at the others.

"Whoa! Hey! Wha? What did I miss?" Hurricane asked.

"We have the elements Hurricane, the final hour draws closer with every second that passes," Fudge said. "It is time to gather the troops to help defend us while we use the elements, and in order to do so, we need six of us."

Hurricane counted how many of them there were and rubbed his forehead. "Uh, I'm not sure if you are aware of this Fudge, but there are only five of us," he said.

"Well, then bring Pansy along with you! But first, is everypony here willing to take part in this?" Fudge asked. He looked around him to see them all nod in agreement except for Star Swirl. "Star Swirl, are you with us?"

Star Swirl sighed and he slowly nodded his head. "Yes... I suppose so. But I must warn everypony that is present. We do not know what these gems, these elements, are capable of. We must use them wisely and with caution."

"COMMANDER!!!" a voice shouted and a Pegasus crashed into Hurricane, sending both of them crashing to the ground.

"What in the- Blue cloud!? Just what in the hay were you thinking private!" Hurricane yelled at him. He lifted a dazed Blue Cloud off of him and stood up. "Explain yourself!"

Blue Cloud jumped up and saluted Hurricane. "Commander! Enemy forces have captured some of our soldiers and they... they did something to them!"

"Did what exactly to them?" Fudge asked.

"They... they changed them... into slaves! Their eyes glow blue, and they can change forms!" Blue explained.

The group stood there in silence, having a hard time believing what they were being told. "Cotton... she did this didn't she?" Fudge asked

Blue nodded. "Yes Puddinghead! She had taken on the form of Clover in order to lure some of our troops away. And... Smart Cookie was there too."

"That's impossible! Don't you dare bring her up again!" Do you hear me!" Fudge shouted.

"Fudge! Let go! You're hurting him!" Clover cried out. Fudge noticed that Blue was now on the ground, his hoof slowly crushing Blue's neck and he stepped off.

"I... I'm sorry, please don't take this the wrong way Blue. Thank you for letting us know," Fudge said.

Blue stood up and rubbed his neck. "Yeah, no problem..." he said. He gave Fudge an uneasy look before he walked away.

"Jeez Fudge... I know you're upset still, but you have to let her go," Hurricane said. "You'll only hurt yourself even further."

Fudge closed his eyes. "You're... you're right Hurricane. I apologize for what I did. It won't happen again."

"Never mind that!" Bullion yelled, brushing the incident aside. "Part of our army was taken from us! By the looks of it we lost about a sixth of our fighting force!" He quickly turned to face Fudge. "We must rally up whatever we have left and prepare to fight to the bitter end, and hopefully regain our soldiers in the process!"

Fudge nodded in agreement. "Yes, round them up so we can tell them what they'll be doing. Hurricane, Bullion, round up everypony, whether they be your troops or not. We fought this war together, we end this war together. We should no longer confine ourselves to leading our own kind."

Bullion and Hurricane looked at each other and they both nodded. "Yes, of course Fudge," Bullion replied. "Come Hurricane, we must hurry!"

The two leaders galloped off, calling out for their troops to rise from their slumber. Star Swirl placed a hoof on Fudge's shoulder. "Although you all may have come together to form Equestria Fudge, this final battle shall truly show that everypony, no matter what kind, will forever be connected, despite what they thought in the past." Star Swirl removed his hoof from his shoulder and picked up the saddlebag. "Come Clover, we must prepare the elements for use, although I'm not sure how we will go about doing that." He began to shuffle away towards an empty spot in the field.

"I'm right behind you Star Swirl!" Clover said and followed alongside him, leaving Fudge alone.

I think one last speech is in order, Fudge thought. No matter what happens today, I will personally see to it myself that The Endbringer is eradicated!

It wasn't long until Hurricane and Bullion finally gathered everypony and Fudge found himself at the front standing between them once again. "The sunrise is almost upon us Fudge," Bullion whispered. "Whatever you have to say, say it now. Let these soldiers know that despite the enemy we face, there shall always be hope."

"Do we have everypony we need to use the elements?" Fudge whispered back.

Bullion nodded. "Yes. If you noticed, Pansy is standing right next to Hurricane."

Fudge looked to his left to see that Pansy was indeed next to Hurricane, but he also noticed that she was trembling. Not exactly the bravest one... but I hope I'm right about having her along, he thought. "What about your daughter? Is she safe Bullion?"

Bullion laughed at the question. "My sweet Platinum? She is safe in the woods. I told her to stay put unless she wanted to watch some demons get blown up!"

"Alright then... it's time," Fudge said and he stepped forward. He raised a hoof, causing the soldiers to fall silent before he began. "Unicorns, Pegasi and Earth ponies, hear me now! It has been the worst three weeks of our lives. We've lost great friends and many loved ones, but their deaths shall be avenged! The Endbringer seeks to end us all, but that shall not come to pass. A day may come when our courage fails, but it is not this day! This day we fight! Stand with me now ponies of Equestria, for we shall never again stand alone!"

As Fudge finished his speech, the soldiers began to stamp their hooves in applause. "Well done Fudge," Bullion said. "After all of this is over, how about a drink on me?"

"I'll take you up on that offer!" Hurricane replied. "I can taste that bitter, oh so very bitter apple cider now..."

Fudge turned around to face the horizon and watched as the sun slowly began to rise, its rays of light bathing the land in its warmth. A deep booming laughter suddenly echoed across the field. "So... it all comes down to this..." the voice said and The Endbringer faded into sight about roughly fifty feet away from their fighting force. "A touching speech general, but I'm afraid you only wasted your breath. But... your kind has put up quite the fight, and for that I have a proposition for you..."

"We will never bargain with demons!" Fudge shouted in anger. "And you will never win!"

"Are you sure you don't want to hear what I have to say general?" The Endbringer asked. "I will let you live! I can grant you power beyond your imagining! Join me ponies of Equestria, and together, we can rule the universe!"

Fudge shook his head. "I will never believe a word you say demon! Do you know what we would have to give in rreturn for an offer like that?"

The Endbringer threw his shadowy head back and laughed. "Why yes... you would only have to give up... everything! As well as tell me where the ancients hide!"

"Ancients? Our own free will? Heh, I'm sorry... not really, but I'm afraid you are asking the wrong type of ponies!" Hurricane shouted.

"Very well then... if that is your final answer..." The Endbringer said and he waved his hand. Green flame covered the ground in front of him, revealing his demon horde, as well as Chrysalis and the enslaved soldiers. "...Then you all shall perish. Minions! Destroy them while I create a force powerful enough to destroy this pathetic land they call Equestria!"

"As you wish my lord," Chrysalis replied. "Forward! Leave no survivors!"

"Stay strong soldiers! Give it everything you got! Charge!" Fudge yelled and he pointed at the oncoming horde.

"FOR EQUESTRIA!" the soldiers shouted in unison and they charged past him, knowing that the outcome of this battle would decide their fate on this world.

"I think it's time to give The Endbringer a little parting gift, what say you three?" Fudge asked.

"I agree with Fudge! Let us be finished with this demon once and for all!" Hurricane shouted. "And speaking of our little gift, here it comes now!" He pointed a hoof towards Star Swirl and Clover who were both carrying three gems each towards them.

"I hope we're not too late!" Clover said. "These elements proved trickier to learn about than we thought, I'm sure we haven't even dented the potential of these things!"

"What have you learned?" Fudge asked. "How do we decide who gets which element to use?"

Star Swirl shook his head. "To be honest, we don't know. All we have managed to learn in the short time we had is that each of them holds a different power, but they all seem to link to this one here." He held out the magenta-coloured one. "I'll be using this one, but the rest of you have to decide now which ones you'll be using."

"I call red!" Hurricane shouted and grabbed the red one from Star Swirl. "Because red always means first!" Nopony noticed that the red gem began to give off a faint glow.

"I'll keep the yellow one," Clover said, "Because to be honest, yellow is my favourite colour!"

"I believe I shall take the purple one then my dear," Bullion said and took the purple gem away from Clover. "It reminds me of my daughter Platinum."

"Um, is it okay if I take the green one commander?" Pansy asked. "Unless you want it Fudge."

"Oh no Pansy you can have it. I believe I'll take the blue one. It reminds me of the blue skies of days long gone when Smart Cookie and I were playing as young foals," Fudge replied and he smiled at the thought. "Star Swirl? The blue one please." Star Swirl gave him the blue gem, and Hurricane nodded at Pansy, indicating that she could take the green gem.

"Here you are Pansy! Wield it well!" Clover said and gave Pansy the final gem.

"Th- thank you Clover," Pansy replied.

"Don't thank me yet Pansy. Our soldiers are buying us the time we need, we have to act now!" Clover shouted. "Everypony, face The Endbringer in a single file line! Star Swirl will be in the middle!" They quickly got into position when dark clouds suddenly began to form overhead, blocking the sun's rays and covering the land in darkness.

"Do you feel that chill running up your spines ponies? Nothing will mourn your passing... you will be forgotten like everything else I have destroyed!" The Endbringer roared.

"Ignore him everypony! Hold out the gems in front of you and hope something—" Fudge stopped talking, not believing what his eyes were seeing. "Smart... Cookie? No... what have they done to you?"

Smart Cookie slowly shuffled her way towards him, her eyes glowing green and her head tilted to the side. "Why... did you kill me Fudge?" she said. "I thought... you were my best friend... my true love..."

"I am Smart Cookie and I forever will be!" Fudge cried.

"Fudge! Snap out of it!" Hurricane yelled. "Hold up your gem! We need you!"

"Don't hold up your gem Fudge... come join me... and we can be together forever..." Smart Cookie said.

Fudge closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Smart Cookie... I'm sorry... but I'm afraid I can't do that," he said and held up his gem, his hoof trembling as he did so. "But I will always remember... the times we shared." The blue gem began to pulse rapidly and the other gems did so as well. "Laughter..." he whispered, his eyes turning a bright white.

"Wh- what's happening? Why do I feel like I'm not... L- loyalty!" Hurricane shouted.

"Honesty!" Clover shouted after him.

"Generosity," Bullion stated.

"Kindness..." Pansy whispered.

"And magic..." Star Swirl said.

The six ponies slowly began to rise, all of their eyes having turned a bright white and emitting a light that lit up the battlefield, causing the fighting to stop.

"Hah! You think you can beat me with pathetic light?" The Endbringer shouted. "Taste the wrath of chaos!" and he fired a charged beam of green energy capable of wiping out all life in Equestria.

"Not light..." Fudge whispered. "Harmony."

Each of the gems fired a beam of their own respective colour, combining into a colourful mixture in front of them before firing itself at the green energy coming their way. The two beams collided, creating a shock wave that knocked everything beneath them to the ground.

"What? What... is this!?" The Endbringer roared. "Fools! You can't stop me! I'm The God of Chaos! Chaos incarnate! I am INVINCIBLE!" The two beams pushed against one another until the harmony beam had gained the advantage, slowly beginning to push back The Endbringer's foul magic.

"No! I will not be stopped here! Not when I'm so close!" The Endbringer yelled and the harmony beam blasted into his chest, subduing his magic and raising him into the air. "NOOO! Hehehe... I see now... This power! The ancient ones are no longer. What pathetic beings! Hear this ponies! I shall return! And when I do- ARGH! I! Will! End! YOU! RAAAAAAAAA!!!"

The harmony beam swirled around him and exploded, causing The Endbringer to vanish without a trace. The demons caught in the explosion were instantly destroyed, but Chrysalis and the ones she had enslaved were not as lucky.

"AGH! What is happening to me!?" Chrysalis shouted. She finished off her opponent with a quick jab to the neck and collapsed to the ground.

"My body... it BURNS!" she screamed. She looked around to see that her enslaved followers were also experiencing the same thing, and she watched in horror as their skin began to harden and turn black. She looked at her own foreleg to see that it was also happening to her. "No... my beautiful self! AGH!" Chrysalis clenched her teeth in pain again as a blackened horn slowly began to emerge on her forehead, followed by insect-like wings shortly after. "My children... my reign will not end here! Not like this!" She slowly stood up and felt herself gain some height, but her body had also begun to develop holes as she slowly made her way over to Fudge, killing any soldier who stood in her path with her now razor sharp hooves.

"Wh- what happened?" Hurricane asked and he saw that they had all landed on the ground. "The last thing I remember was watching Fudge hold up his gem."

"That's strange... I can't remember either," Clover said and she massaged her forehead. "Hey, where are the elements!?"

"On the ground Clover in front of us," Star Swirl said and he pointed at the nearby pile. "I can't remember anything either... where's Fudge? Fudge!" Star Swirl saw Fudge was some distance away, holding another pony between his forelegs.

"Smart Cookie? Are you... are you still alive?' Fudge asked.

Smart Cookie coughed and she slowly opened her eyes. They were no longer filled with green magic. "Of course I'm alive silly..." she whispered.

"Smart Cookie... don't ever leave me again!" Fudge cried and held her close, feeling his heart thump against her. Suddenly, Smart Cookie was ripped from his grasp, causing him to look up into the eyes of a strange demonic beast who held Smart Cookie using a green magic coming from its horn.

"Well well Fudgekins! Did I not say we would meet again?" it asked.

No... not her! Anything but her! Fudge thought. "Chrysalis! Let her go! Or I swear I will hunt you down to the ends of this world!"

Chrysalis laughed at his threat. "No Fudgekins... I made a promise... and I want you to watch as I do this!" She opened her mouth and Fudge watched in horror as Chrysalis seemed to drain the very life away from Smart Cookie, her essence disappearing inside of Chrysalis.

"Fudge..." Smart Cookie whispered and the light in her eyes faded as Chrysalis tossed her to the side. Chrysalis licked her fangs, seeming to have enjoyed using her newfound power.

"You... YOU WITCH!" Fudge roared and he lunged at Chrysalis, the spikes in his hooves activating once more. Chrysalis wasn't prepared for his attack however and she felt his right hoof connect with her face, causing her to stumble and feeling the hardened skin crack. She looked up to see him buck her in the chest, crumpling her chest and sending her flying far away into a group of her Changelings.

"Take us... far away from here... to the north..." Chrysalis ordered.

"At once our queen," the Changelings replied and they fled the battlefield, with other Changelings following shortly after. Fudge breathed heavily and watched them as they disappeared beneath the horizon.

I hope you live a miserable existence you witch, Fudge thought.

"Fudge! Is everything alright?' Hurricane asked as he trotted over.

"Yes... everything is just fine..." Fudge said. His right eye twitched a little.

"Listen, I'm really sorry about what happened to Smart Cookie, but at least we can give her a proper burial. First things first though, Star Swirl wishes to see all of us," Hurricane said.

Fudge walked alongside Hurricane back to the others in silence.

"So what are we going to do with the elements now?" Clover asked.

"I think... it would be best if they are returned to where you found them Clover, for they have done what was required of them. However, this doesn't mean we can't study them for magical knowledge," Star Swirl replied.

"The wizard is right," Bullion said. "Such power should only be used when necessary, and hopefully such a time will never have to arise again in our lifetime."

"Then it is settled, Clover, would you kindly lead us to where you found the elements?" Star Swirl asked.

Clover quickly nodded. "Of course Star Swirl! Follow me everypony!" She began to make her way towards the forest, the rest of them following right behind her.

"Pansy, I need you to stay with the troops. As of right now, I hereby promote you to temporary commander," Hurricane said.

"Tem- temporary commander!? Okay, if you say so..." Pansy said.

"That's the spirit! Come on Fudge! You aren't being left behind!" Hurricane shouted.

"Alright I'm going," Fudge replied and the group followed Clover into the forest.

Pansy looked behind her to see that the remaining soldiers had gathered around something. Curious, she felt it was her duty to check it out. "Excuse me, temporary commander coming through," she said and the soldiers parted for her as she made her way through the group. She finally reached the center, only to find a smoking crater and piece of The Endbringer's armor, along with a small pool of green magic that surrounded it. "Is this where The Endbringer was?" she asked and the soldiers nodded.

"Eeyup," one of them said. "Best not touch it though. The Endbringer may be gone, but his evil presence still lingers."

---

"And this is the cave I found them in!" Clover said. The group entered the cave, staring at the tree ahead of them in awe.

"Amazing! And you said the tablet led you here Clover?" Star Swirl asked.

"Yep! See, I left the remains right there," she replied and pointed at the remains as they walked past the pieces.

"Alright then, time to put those gems back in their rightful place," Star Swirl said and opened the saddlebag on Clover's back. "Fudge and Hurricane, could you help an old pony out please?"

Fydge and Hurricane walked over to Star Swirl and each of them took a gem. "Is there a certain position these need to go in?" Hurricane asked and Clover nodded.

"Yep! Just listen to where I tell you to put them," she replied. Fudge and Hurricane returned the gems to their proper positions with ease. As Fudge inserted the last one, he noticed a white glow briefly appear then disappear beneath his hooves. "Excellent! Good job guys! That's all of them!"

"So now what do we do?" Bullion asked.

Star Swirl chuckled at his question. "I thought you would be able to figure that out on your own Bullion. Now it is the time to build a kingdom which all ponies can feel safe in. It is time to begin living and working together in peace."

"Then we have no time to lose! Come Fudge and Hurricane, we have much to discuss," Bullion said.

"Of course. I'll be right there Bullion, but I wish for a few minutes alone please," Fudge replied.

"Take all the time you need my friend. I understand what you are experiencing right now, for I too lost a loved one long ago," Bullion said and he left the cave, followed by the others.

"See you in a minute buddy," Hurricane said and he bumped Fudge's shoulder. "Don't take too long now!" He too exited the cave, leaving Fudge on his own.

Finally! They're gone! Fudge thought and he trotted over to the Tree of Harmony and began to dig at the base of it. He was able to quickly unearth the source of the white glow and his eyes widened in joy. Fudge quickly took the orb out and brushed the remaining dirt off before placing it into his own saddlebag. I don't know how Clover missed this one... but no matter! With this gem I can hunt down Chrysalis and bring my dear Smart Cookie back!

He began to chuckle quietly to himself and filled the hole with dirt again when Hurricane called for him. "Come on Fudge, we are burning daylight!"

"On my way now!" Fudge replied and he closed his saddlebag before leaving the cave and joining up with the others.

"You know, we should really name this forest," Hurricane suggested, "How about Cave Green Woods?"

"No that's terrible!" Clover giggled. "I think we should call this place... the Everfree Forest, because it is where we showed that the ponies of Equestria will forever be, well, free!"

"I... that's actually a good name," Hurricane said. "I approve! Anypony else who agrees say I!"

"I!" they all shouted in unison and they laughed afterwards as they made their way towards the exit.

---

Six hundred years later...

The Chaos War had now been over for six hundred years and the ponies of Equestria were celebrating the anniversary of its end. The Elements of Harmony had slowly become mere legends over time told by elders at the dinner table and camp fires. Little did they know that chaos isn't so easily vanquished.

South of the Everfree Forest where the final battle had taken place, a storm brewed above where The Endbringer had been supposedly vanquished. A single bolt of lightning suddenly struck the piece of The Endbringer's armor, combining with the foul green magic that surrounded it. An explosion burst forth from the reaction, shattering the silence of the night and causing the grass and the trees at the edge of the forest to sway violently.

What appeared in the aftermath was something nopony had expected, something that would cause the ponies of Equestria nothing but grief for the next couple of decades.

"Ah... where am I? Let's see here..." the being said and it conjured a map out of thin air. "No not here... definitely not here... oh that is just disgusting! Bah! I shall figure it out on my own!" With a snap of its fingers, the map burst into flame and was quickly incinerated.

"Anywho, this place doesn't seem to be chaotic enough! Let me fix that..." The being turned the grass from green to orange. "Oh ho ho! I can do much better than that!" He then turned the storm clouds brown, causing it to rain chocolate. "As delicious as this is, it's still not my best!"

With a snap of his fingers, the sun suddenly rose into the sky, appearing right next to the moon. "There we go! Now whatever resides here... prepare to meet the one, the only, Discord! Let the games begin!" Discord giggled with glee and with a snap of his fingers, he vanished without a trace.

Comments

[Mossbender]

4864653 That actually sounds a lot better than what I had, thanks! The change has been made