Vessel of Harmony

by Ranoa- Walker of Worlds

First Move is Made

Dear Princess Celestia,

Things here in Ponyville have quieted down tremendously. My friends and I still get summoned by the Map to spread the magic of friendship across Equestria, but the actual goings on in the town is much slower. Although we do have to thank Discord for keeping the days from becoming truly boring; he knows when to pop up to keep us from going out of our minds.

My attempts to convince Sunset Shimmer to return to Equestria for a visit have proved successful. She promised that she would be visiting a week from now. We agreed on an afternoon tea, 3 o’clock. You are invited as well, I am sure that you would like some time to catch up with her.

Now, there is the matter that you entrusted me. There are a few more tests that I would like to subject the mask to before I declare that I do not know what it is. There seems to be some residual magic of some sort hanging around it, even after all these years! It feels much like when the holes between Equestria and Canterlot High were being ripped open.(My other self is still apologizing for that whole affair.)I believe that the relic has something to do with interdimensional travel. Hopefully Starlight and I will have an answer by tea time in a week.

Your faithful former student,

Twilight Sparkle

Princess of Friendship

“There all done. Spike!” The lavender alicorn princess called out for her faithful assistant dragon, but the drake was not there.

“Probably with Rarity. Oh well, guess I’ll just have to do this myself.” With a flare of magic in one movement the letter was bound with a red cord and vanished into thin air.

“So glad I learned that spell.” Twilight thought aloud. Sparing a moment Twilight looked down at the photos on the desk she had been sitting at. So many wonderful memories smiled back at her; from the first group photo that her friends took together through all their adventures that had taught her so much about friendship. There were more than six years of memories displayed in front of her. However, she was slightly saddened when she started getting closer to more recent photos. The unicorn turned alicorn frowned as she watched her figure change over the course of the photos. Before her ascension to alicorn she had stopped growing, but it would seem that the power flowing through her now is causing her to grow more towards the stature of her mentor. Her mane was also becoming ethereal, with star sparkles flashing occasionally. However, Princess Celestia promised that these features wouldn’t become overbearing in their appearance until later in life, but they were still enough to set her apart from most ponies.

Her contemplation was interrupted when the door to her chamber opened. In stepped a unicorn with a pink coat and a predominately purple mane with a blue streak running through it.

“Hey Twilight, the lab is all set up.”

“Thanks Starlight! Thanks again for helping with this.”

“No problem. But I still don’t know what this is.”

Standing up from her desk Twilight levitated a nearby saddle bag over her back and walked out into the main hall.

“I was entrusted with a special research project from the Princesses; an artifact from an otherworldly being.” This got Starlight’s attention,

“Another world? How is that possible?” Starlight asked as they headed for the castle’s laboratory.

“I’m not sure. According to the Princesses our world was visited in the time before the mirror to Canterlot High opened up; but from their description, the visitor sounds like a human.”

The two ponies arrived at the lab. After bolting the door shut from the inside Twilight removed the item from inside, a metal mask encased in transparent crystal.

“Culturists have been able to place the symbols as strikingly similar to Japonies kanji. If it is the same language then we have: earth, heaven, forest, light, darkness, and gate. It radiates a kind of time-space energy, just like when those holes in the sky were being ripped open by my human counterpart.”

“Why is it encased in crystal?”

Twilight became very serious, “Because the power residing in this mask has driven more than one pony researcher insane being around it. The crystal is able to block the mask’s ambient effects, but apparently you shouldn’t look it in the eyes for very long. That is what drove the researchers insane.”

Starlight forced a laugh before turning away from the mask,

“So what are we going to do?”

“First, let’s look over the finds of the other researchers. I’m sure that we can find something that they missed.” Twilight said placing the mask down on a pedestal away from where they were working. The two ponies got talking about the findings of past researchers. Not noticing the eyes of the mask beginning to glow.

A small crack formed in the crystal casing, then another, and another. The cracks spider webbed their way all across the surface of the containment crystal. As each crack formed a strange voice entered the room. Inaudible at first but it grew louder and louder,

“Nekaw eht rewop fo eht stneicna. Tnarg eht nesohc eno eht tfig taht I dloh. Tnarg reh eht rewop ot ssap otni neewteb-ni. Tel reh dnif eht cinomrah lessev. Tel reh dnif eht dlihc.” This phrase repeated itself over and over again.

At first the chanting went unnoticed by the working mares. Their own voices covered over the chanting and the cracking crystal. Eventually both ponies’ ears twitched and looked at each other,

“Do you hear that?” They asked simultaneously.
CRACK!

The containment crystal around the artifact shattered completely. Tiny pieces of the crystal flew across the room, but more than a few large chunks hung in orbit around the now free mask. The artifact levitated from its place and turned its gaze upon the lavender alicorn. Both mares were a mix of scared and brave, trying to think of a spell that might work against the mask; however, none were coming to mind.

With a sudden pulse of power Starlight was thrown from Twilight,

“Starlight!” She cried to her friend.

The chunks of crystal floating around the mask turned into molten energy. The substance flew toward the Princess of Friendship, slinking toward her like snakes through the air. She backed away from the incoming tendrils but it was getting harder for her mind to register the incoming energy as a threat. Her flank hit the wall behind her and she came to a complete stop. The burning light completely obscured her vision as it began to encircle her.

At this Twilight felt very light headed and a pressing against her mind. It like was standing up too fast and having your head stuck in a vice grip. In the midst of her sensory bombardment Twilight swore she saw someone standing in the burning light. A human form, their features greatly distorted by the light that they seemed to be a part of; but if Twilight actually saw anyone in the flaming energy it was only for a brief instant.

Starlight was coming around from the blast that had thrown her away from Twilight. She couldn’t bring herself to stand up yet, so she had to lay and watch as the energy surrounded the princess. The burning power grew brighter and brighter until she could no longer look without her eyes hurting. Even behind her scrunched eye lids the light was intense. The chanting that emanated from the mask pounded against her brain until she was certain she could recite the strange speaking by heart.

Without warning there was a crash like thunder, and then, silence. Starlight opened her eyes just in time to see the mask falling. When it made contact with the ground, instead of banging against the crystal floor and bouncing, it shattered like pottery. Breaking into small chunks and dust the mysterious and obviously powerful artifact ceased to exist. Starlight’s mind was racing,

“Metal should not do that.” She said to Twilight, but was met was no response. Worried the unicorn turned her head to where Twilight was supposed to be.

“Oh no… Twilight! Spike! Anypony!” Starlight cried as she hurried to her hooves and out the door. She did not know what happened in the light, but there was one thing that she was certain of, Twilight Sparkle was gone.

Comments

[zachary12]

its good nice work

[Queensarrow]

Umm... you do realize that the Elements were returned to the Tree of Harmony? If the Elements were never returned they wouldn't have managed to defeat Tirek, and they wouldn't have gotten the castle.
Other than that this is pretty interesting.