The Elements of Chaos

by Mossbender

Back In Canterlot

"Hey Eldon, Eldon, wake up!" Spike gently shook Eldon's shoulder. "We're pulling into Canterlot right now, come on!" Eldon continued to snore as the train screeched to a halt at the Canterlot Station, much to the annoyance of Spike and the others.

"Hang on, ah got this," Applejack said and she walked over to Eldon. She lowered her head until it was just inches from his ear. "Hey Eldon... WAAAAKE UP!" She backed away as Eldon woke with a start, his eyes quickly darting around the car.

"What!? Who!? Ugh... We're there already?" Eldon asked and the others nodded. He slowly rose from his seat and stretched his limbs. They were sore from the uncomfortable position he fell asleep in. "Well, we better get moving then right?"

"Of course, let's go everypony," Twilight said. She made her way off of the train, soon followed by the rest of them. Canterlot was strangely quiet that morning, but the employee back in Ponyville was right. Armored Pegasi patrolled the skies while Unicorns and Earth ponies alike patrolled the ground. A group of soldiers were currently performing checks on any passengers disembarking the train. "Alright, let's find Rainbow Dash, hopefully she didn't wander too far."

They began to make their way into town when another group of soldiers intercepted them. "Halt! None shall pass into the city until a mandatory search has been made on each of you," the lead soldier told them and looked at Twilight. "Princess or not.

"Of course," Twilight said. "But please hurry, we have urgent business we need to attend to,"

The soldier nodded in response. "Begin the search!" All of the soldier's horns began to glow various colours. The colours formed a blue light which washed over them one at a time, blinking green when it determined that each one was safe. When it washed over Eldon however, the light blinked yellow.

"Sir, we are going to have to ask you to step aside please while we finish the search," the soldier said.

Eldon sighed. "Bah, fine." He quickly stepped away from the group. "But I assure you, I'm not a threat to anyone here."

"We'll find out soon enough," the soldier said and continued the search. The light blinked green for the rest of them and then faded, indicating that the search was complete. "Alright, the rest of you are clear to pass, but your friend here is going to have to answer some questions first."

"Our friend isn't bad!" Pinkie grabbed Eldon and smiled at the guard. "He helped save Canterlot! He is the—"

"Yeah yeah and I'm the next Alicorn princess," the guard said, interrupting her. "Move along now before sssomething— ahem, something bad happens. Now."

Pinkie Pie pointed a hoof at her eyes and then at the soldier's, silently telling him that he better not do something bad to Eldon. "We'll meet you at the castle Eldon after we find Rainbow," Twilight said. "We know you aren't a... a threat, but I want you to show them you mean well. Just stay calm and in control. Can you do that for me?"

Eldon nodded in return. "Of course Twilight." He turned to face Spike. "Are you still wanting to have breakfast Spike?"

"Did you really have to ask that Eldon?" Spike asked, just as his stomach growled. "There's a place on Mane Street called Donut Joe's, and he has the best donuts ever! Anyway, it's not hard to miss, just look for the donut."

"Alright Spike, I'll see you soon," Eldon replied. The group left without another word, leaving Eldon alone with the soldiers. "Now, can we get this over with, er, soldiers?"

The lead soldier stomped his right hoof twice and the rest of the soldiers left to search the other passengers. "Of course of course, right thisss— uh, right this way." The soldier turned around and began walking towards a nearby house with Eldon slowly following from behind. "In here Mr. Eldon, this won't take long." The soldier opened the door and Eldon went inside, followed by the soldier who hastily closed the door behind them.

"So, what type of questions are we talking here?" Eldon looked around the place to find that it was quite messy. Years of dust had collected on most of the furniture. "I bet that I'll be able to answer most if not all of them, because honestly, this is just a waste of time."

"Oh, it's most certainly not a waste of time." The soldier gestured towards the table. "Please, take a seat, Eldon." A small light appeared above the table and two chairs. Eldon quickly sat down on one side.

He waited for the soldier to take his seat, but the sound of the soldier's hooves hitting the wooden floor had disappeared. "Uhh... is this part of the questioning?" He was only met with silence and he sighed. "You know, you were quite rude to my friends back there, even to Twilight, and she is one of the princesses!" He suddenly felt a chill run up his spine. His ears began to twitch as they picked up a faint scratching sound.

"Wait... this doesn't feel right... show yourself soldier!" Eldon shouted. The scratching sound slowly became louder and Eldon quickly got out of his seat, looking for the source of the sound. Ugh, this feels like something out of a horror movie.

Suddenly, the scratching stopped. Eldon could feel his heart pounding in his chest and he began to breathe faster. Calm down Eldon! Just calm down. Everything is going to be fine. Just remember what Twilight said and stay in control... he thought.Actually, I'm getting out of here. He quickly trotted over to the door and pushed against it, only to discover that it was sealed.

"Leaving ssso sssoon?" a voice asked. "But the quessstioning has yet to begin!" Eldon put his back to the door, his eyes dartied around the room trying to find the source of the voice.

"I'm warning you, let me go!" Eldon shouted.

He only heard a hissing laughter in response, soon followed by the voice's actual answer. "I don't think ssso." Eldon heard something above him, only to look up in time into the glowing blue eyes of a Changeling.

The Changeling dropped onto Eldon's back, sinking its razor sharp hooves through his coat and into his skin. "Agh!" Eldon cried out in pain and slammed himself into the nearest wall, trying to knock the Changeling off. The Changeling merely laughed at his attempts to do so.

"Don't worry Chosen One, once I kill you, the element shall be oursss at lassst!" the Changeling yelled. Eldon slammed into the wall again, this time successfully causing the Changeling to lose his grip and tumble off. Four puncture wounds were visible on Eldon's back and they had already begun to bleed. Eldon looked for the Changeling to see it had already gotten up and was snarling at him.

"You are going t- to regret that." The pain caused Eldon to wince. The Changeling hissed and lunged at him, only to smash into the wall as Eldon dodged out of the way. Come on magic! Do something!

The Changeling shook his head and turned to face Eldon. This time he was ready though when the Changeling lunged at him for a second time. Eldon swung a hoof at him and it clipped the Changeling's jaw, causing it to crash to the ground.

Eldon lifted his hoof over the Changeling's head and brought it down, aiming to crush its head, but it rolled out of the way and lunged at Eldon again, tackling him and bringing them both to the ground. They slid across the wooden floor and the Changeling went to stab him again. "The Queen shall be pleased with my success!" He brought his hooves down, only to be surprised when they were stopped not by hooves, but by something else.

Eldon's hooves had changed into something that the Changeling didn't recognize, something that grasped both of his legs and prevented him from delivering the killing blow. "What sssorcery isss thiss?" the Changeling hissed. Its eyes widened as it watched Eldon's form begin to change into something completely different.

"There's probably something you didn't know about me..." Eldon threw the Changeling off of him to the side. "But I'm not exactly a pony!" Eldon rolled in the opposite direction and quickly stood up. He could still feel the wounds on his back and felt his shirt slowly begin to get wet from the blood. Eldon didn't let the Changeling rest for long though and he ran over and kicked it in its chest just as it was beginning to get up.

"Where are the rest of you!?" Eldon shouted and he kicked the Changeling again, except this time his foot connected with its face, causing it to slam back against the wall. "Answer me!

The Changeling laughed and coughed up green blood, splattering it all cross the wooden floor. "I would rather die then tell you anything!" The Changeling spat at him but it missed. "You will get nothing from me!"

"Suit yourself." Eldon grabbed the Changeling by its neck and slowly began to lift it up against the wall. Huh, these things are lighter than I thought. The Changeling struggled to break free of his grasp, bashing Eldon's arm with his hooves and making small cuts, but Eldon ignored them. "I'll give you one last chance. Start talking!"

The Changeling hissed at him and spat on his face. "I've already failed my queen! You will get nothing from me!" Eldon felt the mixture of green blood and saliva slowly roll down his face and his patience had finally passed its limit. Something dark began to stir within him, something that most definitely was not what he had felt before. Eldon blinked and the Changeling noticed that Eldon's eyes had begun to glow black. "What? You think that glowing black eyesss will make me talk?"

"No," Eldon said. His voice had suddenly turned deeper and his hand around the Changeling's next began to glow red as his grip tightened.

Kill the creature... an eerie voice in the back of Eldon's mind whispered. It is nothing to me... and it is nothing to you...

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Eldon's face. I... No! Stay in control Eldon! Stay... in... control... His grip around the Changeling's neck tightened again, just barely allowing it to breathe. The element however had also begun to glow a dark red, changing from its usual white glow.

"Just finish it..." the Changeling whispered.

Eldon felt a surge of chaotic energy rush through him and he watched as his hand crushed the Changeling's neck with ease. The glowing blue eyes slowly faded as Eldon released his grip, causing the Changeling to collapse on the floor in a heap. Eldon felt... nothing. CONTROL! STAY... IN... CONTROL! The red glow surrounding his hand and the blackness in his eyes slowly faded away as the power receded within him. Eldon fell to his knees, suddenly feeling weak and dizzy. His gem slowly changed back into its original state as well.

I... I've never killed anything before in my life, and those timberwolves don't count since they just reassemble themselves, Eldon thought. My power... the darkness... I would have let the Changeling live, but something... something took hold of me. He slowly got to his feet and took another look at the Changeling, only to turn his head away from the sight. The others must know of this. Changelings still reside in Canterlot, but first, I think I'll have a little breakfast with Spike.

He began to walk towards the door and winced in pain with each step. Agh... that Changeling really did some damage there. I got lucky... I really need to learn how to fight, I can't always rely on size or magic... plus I need a doctor. He reached the door and noticed that there was a lock on it that he had missed before. He was an idiot to have not noticed it. With a quick turn, the door was unlocked and he pushed it open. He squinted his eyes as sunlight washed over his face.

Eldon quickly transformed back into an equine as to not alert or scare anyone by being in his human form. Alright... I think I'll actually go to the doctor's first because I'll bleed out if I don't, he thought. I hope there's a hospital on Mane Street... He closed the door to the house behind him and began to make his way towards Mane Street. The image of the Changeling dying in front of him was still fresh in his mind.

---

The glass doors slid open and Eldon stumbled inside the hospital's emergency room and to the nurse that was filling out papers behind a counter. "E- excuse me, but I have a- a slight injury that needs to be attended to." The nurse put her papers down and peered over the counter. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

"Sir! What in Celestia's name happened to you!?" Eldon opened his mouth to reply when the nurse held up her hoof. "Don't answer that, we need to get you medical attention right away!" She left her position and went over to Eldon's side. She quickly lifted his leg and brought it over her back. "Don't worry sir, we'll get you fixed up in no time."

"Hey! What about the rest of us!?" a patient shouted angrily. "He gets in right away while we've been waiting here for hours?"

The nurse turned around to address the patients in the room. "I'm sorry, but this Unicorn here has suffered an attack by a Changeling. His wounds are already showing signs of contamination so he must be treated immediately, or else the poison from the Changeling will kill him." The patients in the room mumbled to themselves but they knew that Changelings were no joke, in fact, most of them were there because of the recent Changeling attack. They also didn't suffer wounds such as Eldon's, only having broken bones and such. "Come with me sir, I'm sure Doctor Rick Needles will be happy to help you. He's the best healer of Changeling wounds that we know."

The nurse led Eldon down the halls of the hospital, making multiple turns on their way to Doctor Needle's room. "So sir? How did you obtain your wounds?" the nurse asked. "They look to be rather recent."

Oh crap, don't want to alert the city already that they are still here! Eldon thought and he quickly shook his head. "It was during the battle for Canterlot. I thought they were nothing at first, so I, uh, tried to heal it myself but I'm not exactly the greatest at using magic."

"It's a good thing you came in when you did then, but what were you thinking?" the nurse asked. "Changeling wounds are serious business and you should have come here sooner but— ah! Here we are." The nurse had come to a stop in front of door and she knocked on it. "Doctor Needles? We have an emergency!"

They heard a bunch of bottles clink together, a slam, some cursing, before the door finally opened, revealing the doctor. "Wha's with all the yellin'?" He took a sip from a mug he had his hoof wrapped around. "Didn't I say n- not to disturb me when my door is closed?"

"Yes you did Doctor Needles," the nurse replied. "But we have a Unicorn here who has—"

"Nah nah I don't wanna hear about it, just bring him in so we can get this over with," Doctor Needles said, interrupting her. The nurse led Eldon inside the room and past Rick, being careful to avoid the various mugs and bottles scattered throughout the room. "J- just lay him over there nurse."

The nurse brought Eldon to a bed and he quickly flopped down on it with his back facing the nurse and Doctor Needles. "He was wounded by a Changeling Doctor Needles, if you could just—" Doctor Needles waved a hoof at the nurse, silencing her.

"I know—" He burped loudly before continuing. "I know what Changeling wounds look like nurse, that's why I fix em, and you just bring em. Now go! Your hat is bothering me."

The nurse just shook her head in disgust and sighed. "As you wish Doctor Needles." She left the room and closed the door behind her as she did so.

"So... Doctor Needles? Are you able to help me please?" Eldon asked. "Because I'm really not feeling that well, I feel... nauseous."

"Ah ah ah. First thing you need to know is that my name isn't Rick Needles, I only chose that name because my other one was garbage," Needles replied. "Second thing, of course I can help you, why do patients always ask that? I'm a doctor not a tailor jeez, like, what other answer are you going to expect?"

"Wait... your name isn't Rick Needles?" Eldon asked and Doctor Needles laughed.

"Of course it isn't Rick Needles, did I not just say that? My parent's called me Miracle. What kind of parents calls their kid Miracle? Like, what would happen if I wasn't able to save somepony's life? Not really a miracle if you ask me. Anyway, why are you here again? Are you the new cider delivery pony or something?"

Eldon weakly shook his head. "No... I'm a patient remember? Look at the wounds on my back, urgh..."

Doctor Needles lowered his head and stared at the puncture wounds for a good two minutes. "Hmm... yes I've seen these before, don't worry, I'll be right back." Doctor Needles left the room and also left the door opened behind him.

"W... wait! Doctor!" Eldon yelled. "Where... are you going!?"

Doctor Needles returned as soon as he had left and was carrying yet another mug in his hoof, which he took a swig from and burped again. "Alright, let's get this over with. His horn began to glow a light teal colour. "Just stay still alright? Uh, what was your name again?"

"Eldon."

"Whatever," Doctor Needles said and he stumbled, sending off a blast which caused a nearby cupboard to explode. "Hang on... almost got it." He slipped on a bottle, causing yet another beam to fly out the window and hit a pony on the street, causing his mane to catch on fire.

Needles walked over to the window to see the pony rolling on the street trying to put the flames out while others tried to help him. "You shouldn't have been on the street!" He closed the window and turned his attention back to Eldon. "Just one more blast should do it..."

Eldon braced himself for Doctor Needle's blast, only to find a cool sensation spread across his back. He felt his wounds begin to mend back together when they suddenly felt like they were on fire. "AH! Doctor, what did you do!?"

"D- don't worry, it's all part of the process," Doctor Needles replied. "Changeling poison can't stand intense heat, so really I'm just forcing it out by increasing your body temperature. Jeez, anypony could have figured that one out dummy. Oh yeah, and your leg should be feeling it too any second now."

Doctor Needles was right as the burning sensation began to form on Eldon's right foreleg. "Do all Changelings have poison?" Eldon asked through clenched teeth.

"Are you kidding me? If all Changelings carried poison there would be less of us than there are today," Doctor Needles replied, sounding as if answering Eldon's questions was a chore. "There are less poisonous Changelings than there are regular Changelings, so be glad that I wasn't already up to my ears in patients."

The burning sensation quickly subsided and Eldon looked t his leg to find that the small cuts were gone. "Is that it Doctor Needles? Are my injuries healed?"

"Yeah yeah, now get out of my room," Doctor Needles replied and he collapsed on the floor. A loud snoring came from him shortly after. Eldon sat up and jumped off the bed, being careful to avoid stepping on Doctor Needles.

"Uh... thanks Rick," Eldon said and he left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. Wow! I actually feel a lot better now, although I'm pretty sure Doctor Needles was intoxicated. Ah well, I better get to Donut Joe's, I hope Spike isn't mad at me for being late.

He galloped down the halls, avoiding nurses and patients alike until at last he made his way out of the hospital. He looked left and right down the street and saw the donut that Spike was talking about to his right.

"Excuse me! Out of the way sir!" a pony shouted. Eldon stepped to the side as a group of ponies rushed by him carrying the one who's mane had caught on fire earlier. "Thank you!"

Ouch... I hope he will be okay, Eldon thought. He turned right and began to make his way towards the big donut. It didn't take him too long to get there and he peered through the glass to see if Spike was still there. Fortunately he was still sitting at a table and Eldon sighed in relief. Thank goodness he's still here. I feel like such a jerk for keeping him waiting.

Eldon pushed the door open and a little bell jingled, alerting the customers and the employees to his presence. "Hey Eldon!" Spike waved his hand, showing Eldon where he was. "I'm glad you made it! Come on over and take a seat!" Eldon walked over to Spike's table and sat in the chair opposite from him. "What took you so long Eldon? For a while there I thought you weren't going to show up at all!"

Eldon rubbed his hoof behind his head. "It's a long story Spike, and one I think I should tell the others as well, but for now let's get something to eat. I didn't keep you waiting to order did I?"

Spike shook his head. "Nah, I actually made a big order so we could bring some food back to the castle for the others after. In the meantime though, I feel like we haven't really gotten to know each other that well, so let's talk! What do you say?"

"Uh, sure Spike, what is it that you want to know?" Eldon asked.

"Well, anything really. For starters, where are you from?" Spike asked. "I know you aren't really a—" He stopped and looked around before finishing the rest of his sentence quietly. "A pony, but yeah, you know what I mean."

Oh... this is going to take a while. Eldon inhaled deeply and slowly let the air escape his lungs. "Well Spike, don't think I'm crazy or anything, but I come from another world, or is it dimension? Anyway, where I am from, there are many similarities and differences that our worlds share."

Spike placed his elbows on the table and rested his head on his hands. "What kind of things?"

"Well... for starters, our way of life is almost like yours, but instead of all of us being ruled by one or two humans, we have multiple countries and leaders, all with different ways of life and ways of running the country. Some are better than others while some are very bad, but in the end, the governments still have the ability to control what we can do. I'm sure Equestria has its own laws, right?"

Spike nodded in agreement. "Of course! Without law, Equestria wouldn't be the way it is today. So what about jobs? Are they like the one's we have in Equestria?"

"Actually, I'm surprised at how similar most jobs are here in Equestria to my world," Eldon said. "Although we have much more advanced and faster methods than the ponies here, you have one thing that really isn't seen where I am from."

Spike tilted his head to the side. "And what's that?"

"Magic," Eldon answered. "I don't know how I have it, or if anyone else has it back on Earth, but magic to our kind is only spoken of in stories, mere myths and legends is what it is."

"Hey, that's what you said earlier right? Wow... no magic? That's... I don't know what to say..." Spike said.

Eldon chuckled. "It's alright Spike, we have technology which is the next best thing. Although using magic would be a heck of a lot easier. There was actually one point in our history where females were burned or drowned because the men were scared of magic, or what they called witchcraft back then."

"That's terrible!" Spike cried.

Eldon nodded in agreement. "Indeed it is Spike. Unlike most of Equestria's past and present, at least what I know of it, my kind has a long, bloody, brutal, and horrific history. Even to this day we fight over things. Whether they be for personal gain or for the good of others. I don't know much to be honest... but I was fortunate to be born in a country and time where I was far away from the fighting."

"It sounds like your world has a lot of issues to work out," Spike said. "But surely Earth isn't all that bad right?"

"Aha! I was wondering when you would get to that!" Eldon smiled as memories of home filled his thoughts. "There is definitely much more to life than fighting Spike. We have so many forms of entertainment, such as dancing, musicals, sports, painting, fishing, camping... the list goes on and on. The amount of things you can do is almost limitless Spike! Earth is both a beautiful and terrible place. So many things are going on at once that we can't possibly deal with them all, no matter how hard we try. I'm sure that the princesses here must experience the same thing."

"I didn't think it was possible that two worlds can almost be alike," Spike said. "But how do you know so much about us? You sound like as if you already know what Equestria has to offer."

Eldon hesitated to answer, making sure he chose his next words carefully. "That's because I... read about it when I... first visited Canterlot. Before I went to the castle, I visited its library." There was an awkward pause and Eldon quickly decided to change the subject. "What about you Spike? How has everything been since, uh, Tirek was defeated?"

"Well..." Spike rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "There has been that trouble lately with the darkness, which apparently is the doing of some sort of chaotic being that Star Swirl told us about."

"Yes, I'm aware of that Spike, but what about right after the events?" Eldon asked. "How did Twilight find this orb on my neck? How did Equestria recover from Tirek's tyranny?"

Spike coughed into his arm and he sighed. "Well, it's a long story, but considering your importance in all of this, and the fact that the food isn't ready yet, I think you should have the right to know. It was almost a month ago now since Tirek was defeated and the Friendship Palace was created, and I was there to see it all..."

---

One Month Ago...

"... Wait a minute, where's my throne?" Discord asked

"I don't think you are quite there yet Discord," Fluttershy replied and Discord chuckled sheepishly.

"Ah yes, well, I suppose not," he said and he watched as Fluttershy joined Twilight and her friends in a touching song. Celestia and Luna as well as most citizens of Ponyville had come to check out the new palace and celebrate their victory over Tirek. "Here Celestia, I... I'm deeply sorry for the grief I caused and I want you to have this." Discord conjured a bouquet of flowers and held it out for her, hoping to remove any hard feelings.

Celestia looked at the bouquet and Luna nudged her, indicating that she should take it. "I... thank you Discord, that is very thoughtful of you." Celestia levitated the bouquet out of his hand and over by her side. "Although there are some matters we need to discuss still. What you have done will not so easily be forgiven."

Discord nodded his head in agreement. "I'm aware of that princess, and I take full responsibility for my actions. But first, please let me spend some more time patching things up with Twilight and her friends, especially poor Fluttershy. That is all I ask of you."

"Of course Discord," Celestia replied. "For now Luna and I will go and oversee Equestria's recovery which will take us a few days, more than enough time to spend with Twilight and her friends."

"Thank you Celestia," Discord said and he gave them a small bow. He felt a small tug on his leg and he looked down to see that it was Spike, and he was also holding a camera. "Ah Spike, what can I do for you my scaly little friend?" He watched out of the corner of his eye as Celestia and Luna left the room.

Spike rolled his eyes. "I need you to take a picture of us Discord."

"Ooo! You want a picture with moi?" Discord asked.

Spike quickly shook his head. "No! The girls are just about to finish their song and I want you to take a picture of us. Sorry, but I'm not ready to include you just yet."

Discord sighed. "Yes yes I understand, no need to rub it in. Just tell me when to take the picture Spike."

Spike handed him the camera just as Twilight and her friends gathered at the end of their song. "Gah! I better hurry! Okay, just stand in front of us Discord and take the picture as soon as I'm in it alright?" Discord disappeared and reappeared in front of the group, giving them enough time to smile just as Spike walked in waving. "Now Discord!" The camera went off with a flash and a picture came out of the camera, which Discord took and quickly shook, making the image appear.

"What a great shot! That's a wrap everypony!" Discord gave the camera back to Spike along with the photo.

"Yeehaw! What a day this has been y'all!" Applejack took off her hat and threw it in the air, only to catch it when it came back down. "Ah can't believe we did it! We defeated Tirek!"

"You know what that means everypony?" Pinkie asked. "A party at my place tonight! And all of you are invited!" This caused many of the ponies that were in the room still to cheer, although Mr. and Mrs. Cake weren't as excited.

"Huh? Even moi?" Discord asked, hoping she would say yes.

"Yes Discord! You can come too! Even though you did betray us and try to destroy Equestria!" Pinkie replied. With a snap of his fingers, Discord covered his face with a parasol in shame and embarrassment.

Fluttershy flapped her wings and flew over to him. "It's okay Discord." She gently patted his shoulder. "We all make mistakes every once in a while. I'm sure that you'll gain everypony's trust back in no time. I've already forgiven you, so I'll be the first one."

Discord sniffed and uncovered his face. "Really Fluttershy? You've already forgiven me? For realsies?

"Of course Discord, because that's what friends do," Fluttershy said and she turned to face the others. "We'll meet you all at the party later okay? I'm going to help Discord through what he is feeling right now. Let's go Discord." Discord smiled at Fluttershy and with a snap of his fingers they both vanished, returning to Fluttershy's cottage.

"Well, I'm going home to freshen up," Rarity said. "I shall see all of you tonight!" They watched her as she trotted out of the room, soon followed by some of the other ponyfolk.

"Ah will see y'all later as well," Applejack said. "Ah got some catchin up to do with mah family." She walked over to Big McIntosh and Granny Smith and they all joined in a group hug. "Hey y'all, where's Apple Bloom?"

"Right behind ya sis!" a voice shouted and Applejack felt her hat disappear from her head, only to reappear on Apple Bloom shortly after. "If ya want it ya gotta catch me!"

"Oh don't worry sis, you just made the wrong move," Applejack said. She escaped from the group hug and began to chase a giggling Apple Bloom out of the room.

"I have a party to plan so I can't stay now so I gotta go now so bye Twilight bye Rainbow bye Spike I will see you later!" Pinkie said in one breath and she bounced out of the room as well.

"I'm guessing you have somewhere to be as well Rainbow?" Twilight asked.

Rainbow shook her head. "Not really Twilight, but I think I'll crash here for now until the party starts later, maybe get a nap in, who knows?" She flew over to her throne and carefully sat down on it. "Ugh, these things could have been a bit more... a bit more—" She didn't finish her sentence as she had already curled up and fallen asleep.

"What now Twilight?" Spike asked. "Is there anything you want to do before the party tonight?"

"Of course Spike," Twilight said and she smiled at him. "Let's see if we can save anything from the wreckage of our old home, but first..." She looked up to see that some ponies still remained. "Go home everypony! Get ready for Pinkie's party because it is sure to be wonderful as always!"

The ponies bowed and began to leave the room. Twilight along with Spike followed them out of the throne room and outside where they watched the ponies disperse in different directions.

"Well... hopefully we can find something," Spike said and Twilight nodded in agreement. They walked over to the remains of the Golden Oak Library to find that the tree was still smoking, with small pockets of fire here and there.

"So much knowledge... so many memories... gone..." Twilight whispered. She continued to look at the tree while Spike began searching around it, looking for anything they could possibly salvage.

"Burnt papers... ruined books... my comic collection!" Spike yelled and he raised his arms and face towards the sky. "NOOOOO!" He looked down at the ground and sighed. "Great, now I'll never be able to say I have a Power Ponies Issue One ever again... hello, what's this?" Spike moved some charred wood off of a leather book and picked it up, wiping the soot off in the process. "Hey Twilight! I found something that survived the wreckage!" He walked back over to Twilight and held the book out for her to see. "I didn't see a title, but surely you must know what it is."

Twilight levitated the book out of his grasp and held it at eye level. "Hmm... it looks familiar... let's see what's inside." She flipped the book open to its first page. "Oh! It's by the Scholars of Lore. This was given to me by Celestia herself on the day I officially became a princess. She told me to guard it with my life and I thought I had failed her. At least a history book survived the blast. Have you found anything else Spike?"

Spike shook his head. "Not yet Twilight, but I'll keep looking." He returned to scouring the ground for any other books or papers that may have survived.

Twilight watched Spike for a bit when she suddenly felt a different type of magic. It wasn't Tirek's magic which she probably would still be able to feel from the outskirts of town, but rather it was something else coming from inside the tree. She slowly began to walk towards it, the strange magic and Tirek's magic getting stronger as she did so. When she passed through the shattered doorway, she suddenly felt herself slowly begin to weaken.

Ugh... Tirek's presence here is stronger than I thought... it's draining me of my power! Twilight thought. I better find that source and fast!

She slowly began to move tree limbs and furniture around when Spike came looking for her. "Twilight, I don't think we'll be able to find anything else out here..." He trailed off when he saw her inside the tree. "Twilight! What are you doing? Nevermind that, I'm coming to get you!" He ran towards the tree, only to be bounced back by an invisible source. "Hey! What's the big idea?" He picked himself up off the ground and approached the tree again, only to be blocked by the same barrier. "Twilight, get out of there!" He pounded the invisible wall with his fists, but it was of little use.

Twilight moved another piece of wood and she finally found the source of the magic. It was a book, and no ordinary book at that. She tried to levitate it, but her horn simply sparked and went out. Oh no... I have to get out of here! She quickly picked up the book with her mouth and stumbled out the entrance past a dumbfounded Spike. She immediately collapsed to the ground after, Tirek's evil magic having sapped her temporarily of her power.

"Twilight! Are you okay?" Spike ran over and knelt by her side. "What did that tree do to you? And more importantly, how were you able to get in there and not me?"

The Alicorn princess coughed twice before slowly raising her head. "Yes Spike, I'm fine. I felt my power being drained... it felt like Tirek all over again, except his dark magic... left something of him here."

"Creepy... so how were you able to get in there and I wasn't?" Spike asked again.

Twilight shook her head. "I don't know Spike, but I think we will discover that soon enough. Where is the book I found? It's the reason why I went inside the tree in the first place." Spike quickly looked to the left of him to find the dropped book within reach and he quickly grabbed it.

"Here, let me help you up first." Spike grabbed one of Twilight's front legs and helped her slowly stand up on all fours, although she was still a bit wobbly. "Is your magic okay?"

"Hang on, let me check," Twilight said and her horn began to glow its usual colour, although it was still a bit faint. She lifted the book that Spike held out of his grasp and held it in front of her, immediately recognizing the cover. "I don't believe it! Spike! Star Swirl's book somehow survived the blast! This is great! All of his research isn't lost forever! But first... let's just open it up to see if its pages are still intact."

She opened up the book to a random page to find that the writing was still readable and she sighed in relief. "This old thing is tougher than it appears. I wish I could have saved more books though... and there is absolutely no way I am going to go back in time again. That was just... disastrous!"

"Uh, Twilight? A page just fell out of the book," Spike said. Twilight looked at the ground to find that a page had indeed fallen and then looked back at the book.

"That doesn't make any sense," Twilight said. "How did a page fall when I am still levitating the entire thing? Now I have to—" She stopped mid-sentence when she suddenly realized that there had been something else behind the fallen page, something that didn't look like Star Swirl's usual jumble of words and spells. The fallen page had revealed a detailed drawing of the Tree of Harmony, along with a small description underneath it.

"Do you want me to get that?" Spike asked.

Twilight quickly shook her head again. "No Spike! Listen to this! This is what was behind that page! The Elements of Harmony are still persistent in their effort to keep me from unlocking their secrets. However, further observation of the tree has led me to believe that there are not only six elements... but rather seven. Whether or not this possible seventh element is integral to the rest is yet to be determined. Although I can't quite confirm it yet, something about the tree feels off, especially around its roots. Further examination is required."

Twilight lowered the book and she and Spike stared at each other for what felt like forever, but really it was only a couple of minutes. "A seventh element?" Spike asked, feeling somewhat confused. "But the tree doesn't depict seven... only six!"

"I know that Spike... but what if Star Swirl is right?" Twilight replied. "There's also something about the elements he discovered... perhaps maybe that was the rainbow power? Hold on... Star Swirl knew about the Elements of Harmony before Celestia and Luna!? Spike! We have to tell Celestia this information immediately! Come on! We have to write a letter!"

Twilight closed Star Swirl's journal and also levitated the book by the Scholars of Lore before quickly galloping back towards their new home.

"Hey Twilight! Wait for me!" Spike shouted and he ran after her.

---

Present Time...

"Wait... so Twilight just immediately believed there was a seventh element without reading more of Star Swirl's research first?" Eldon asked.

Spike just shook his head. "Hey, let me finish please. Twilight was excited at first, but the more she thought about it, the more unsure she became and actually didn't send a letter right away. It wasn't until she found more hidden paragraphs that she slowly began to become sure that a seventh element existed."

"So did Celestia help Twilight in her search for this gem?" Eldon asked and Spike shook his head again.

"Unfortunately no. Celestia told her that a seventh element wasn't possible, even if Star Swirl believed there was one," Spike replied. "But that didn't stop Twilight in the slightest. It was also a couple of days later when she found the prophecy regarding you in that other book and all of those strange occurrences suddenly began to happen."

"Okay... but how did she find the gem?" Eldon asked. "I figured out that she accidentally found it without realizing immediately what it was, but how did it come to be in her possession?"

Spike laughed before he answered Eldon's question. "Okay, now this is actually the crazy part. A few weeks after she discovered the prophecy and the possibility of a seventh element, Twilight had dedicated most of her time to creating a spell that would bring you here, while also searching for the seventh element, while also dealing with the darkness and keeping her friends calm as not to worry them."

"And the gem Spike?" Eldon asked again.

"It was really strange when Twilight brought that gem of yours, well, the orb back to the palace one day," Spike said. "Apparently Applejack was having a yard sale and Twilight had detected some weird signals from the orb, so she bought it from her. How Applejack's family came into possession of it, we don't know. It was also that very same day when Twilight finally felt that her new spell was completed when we were summoned by Celestia for an emergency meeting in Canterlot. I'm sure though that you can piece the rest of the story together from there."

Eldon leaned back in his chair, silently glad that he had finally received more clarification on how he was brought to Equestria. "Wow... so much has happened between then and now. It was extremely fortunate that Twilight found the orb, but now I'm also curious on how Applejack came to have possession of it. I think I'll ask her later. But Spike, the one thing bothering me is that Twilight must be very exhausted... isn't she?"

"Yes... that is unfortunately true," Spike replied. "Although she doesn't show it, she is very stressed out right now, especially since you are the one from the prophecy. I can't imagine how she would feel if something terrible happened to you, and what the others would feel as well. You're important Eldon, you can help stop the darkness in Equestria."

"Order for Spike the great, wonderful, powerful, awesome and cool!" a pony behind the counter shouted. Spike blushed in embarrassment when he saw the look on Eldon's face.

"Oh, hehe, that's me." Spike jumped out of his seat to receive the order. "Hey Eldon, can you lend a hoof please?" Eldon left his chair and walked over to Spike, only to find two giant boxes filled with what he assumed was the food.

"Just sign here, and here please," the Unicorn behind the counter said and gave Spike a quill with ink and a piece of parchment.

Spike quickly signed the parchment and rolled it up before giving it back to the employee. "Hey thanks Joe, the princesses will greatly appreciate this."

The Unicorn called Joe nodded. "No problem Spike! Come back whenever you can! Although next time I'll be expecting payment!" He and Spike both shared a laugh.

"Hey Eldon, could you levitate these?" Spike asked, causing Eldon to hesitate.

"Eh, I'm not too comfortable with using magic for simple tasks yet," Eldon replied. "I think I'll just carry them on my back instead if that's okay."

"Alright, but they are pretty heavy," Spike warned and he pushed the boxes off the counter and onto Eldon's back, causing his legs to bend due to the weight. "Are you sure you can handle this Eldon?"

"O- of course I can! I was able to- hngh- lift Canterlot, so a couple of boxes shouldn't be a- a problem at all," Eldon said, although the boxes were probably more than he could handle. Jeez, what did Spike order?

"Well in that case, let's go to the castle, I think we've kept the others waiting long enough." Spike walked over to the door and held it open for Eldon, who slowly made his way outside. "Next stop, Canterlot castle! Oh! I can't wait to climb those stairs! What about you Eldon?"

Eldon was breathing heavily and he managed to turn his head to face the little dragon. "Sh- shut up Spike." Spike laughed as they made their way down Mane Street towards the castle.

---

The doors to the throne room swung open and Spike walked inside, followed by Eldon who was barely able to put one hoof in front of the other. "Hey everypony! Sorry we're late," Spike said. "But Eldon took forever to climb the steps, I'm actually surprised he made it this far!" The others watched as Eldon stumbled past Spike and fell on the ground. The boxes gently slid off of his back shortly after.

"What in the hay were ya carryin Eldon?" Applejack asked. "Ya look like ya just carried bricks!"

"The better question is, why didn't you just use magic to levitate it Eldon?" Rarity asked. "That would have made your journey considerably easier."

"Ooo! What's in the box!?" Pinkie squeeled and she bounced over to the boxes.

"Just a little something for all of us," Spike said and he opened up one of the boxes, revealing mostly donuts and other baked goods. "I didn't know how much to get, so I just ordered a bunch of stuff!"

"Breakfast? Don't mind if I do!" Rainbow said and flew over to the boxes to pick out what she wanted to have.

"Hey, where were you Rainbow when we first arrived in Canterlot?" Eldon asked. "You weren't at the train station."

"I believe I can answer that," Twilight replied and she too walked over to the boxes, followed by the others. Celestia and Luna however were content to just watch them. "Surprisingly, Rainbow was able to get past the soldiers without too much trouble and was already waiting for us, well, sleeping at the castle."

"It's not my fault you guys took so long." Rainbow brought out a donut and started eating it. "I keep telling all of you that trains are just too slow!"

"Oh, thank you for the donuts by the way Spike," Fluttershy said. "They smell delicious, although I think you may have bought a bit too much."

"I think Spike bought juuust the right amount Fluttershy," Pinkie said. She held up a stack of donuts and quickly gobbled them down in the blink of an eye. "These are just sooo good!"

Twilight helped Eldon up off of the ground and he wiped off some dirt that clung to his coat here and there. "Thanks Twilight for the help, would you like a donut?" he asked.

Twilight shook her head. "Not right now Eldon. I just want to let you know that we've already told Celestia about what Star Swirl said at the Tree of Harmony, as well as your current magic predicament. Currently we've just been waiting for you to show up."

"That is correct Twilight," Celestia said, speaking for the first time since Eldon and Spike had arrived. "Come back over here everypony so that we may decide what our next course of action should be." The others turned away from the boxes and approached the two princesses until they were standing alongside Eldon and Twilight. "What Star Swirl has spoken of concerns me greatly everypony. I've heard about this creature in the legends of old, as well as in the prophecy, but I never would have thought it to be the mastermind behind these strange events as of late. If Star Swirl believes that only by finding him can we truly stop this threat, then we have no choice but to find him."

"Princess? can I say something?" Eldon asked and Celestia nodded. "I was attacked by a Changeling earlier this morning."

This caused the others in the group to gasp and Celestia and Luna suddenly became even more concerned. "When was this?" Celestia asked and her eyes narrowed.

"When we first arrived in Canterlot and I was held behind," Eldon replied. "The soldier wanted to question me, but it turns out it was a Changeling that stayed behind to try and kill me and get this orb."

"This is grave news indeed," Celestia said. "If Changelings are hiding within the city still, then we must personally scan the city and evict them immediately. I doubt they are here for the city though and are most likely after you Eldon, which is why all of you must begin your journey as soon as possible."

"There is also the problem with my magic," Eldon reminded her. "I want to learn how to use it more efficiently without harming anyone else in the process, but I don't know where to start. I want to be helpful, not a burden."

Celestia smiled at him, which Eldon found surprising because of all the bad news she had been receiving as of late. "You are far from being a burden Eldon, far from it! However, I think I know exactly what to do to solve your problem."

"And what do you have in mind?" Eldon asked.

"You need a teacher Eldon, a tutor to help guide you," Celestia replied. She stood up and walked over to Eldon and Twilight. "And what better teacher is there than the embodiment of magic herself? Eldon, as a princess, I assign you to be Twilight's student until she has deemed you worthy of handling magic on your own."