The Elements of Earth

by Tyler-the-Brony

Chapter 12: Arriving in Chaos without Hope

Canterlot was falling, slowly and surely before everypony’s eyes. Trottingham and Manehattan already lay defeated, with Las Pegasus close to being fully conquered. Celestia had tried her best to protect everyopony who was anywhere within her kingdom, but had to soon face the dark reality that she could not save them all from everything.

Earlier in the week, Celestia had handed out a decree that all stallions and worthy warriors who wished to fight may stay, but all of her other subject must go into hiding, protected by any and all magic that the Unicorns who were not fighting could muster. Many families had been divided because of this decree, but without it, Equestria would already have fully fallen to ruin.

Celestia had also set about eclipsing the land of Equestria indefinitely, so that she and Luna could both use their full powers to defend their subjects from the forces of Discord and the Changelings. It proved to be a vain effort though, as the only towns in Equestria that lay as of yet mostly unconquered were Ponyville, Canterlot, Baltimare, Fillydelphia and Appleloosa.

Appleloosa was protected mostly by the settler ponies and the buffalo, Canterlot was protected by Shining Armor and Celestia, Fillydelphia was protected by a strong contingency of unicorns, Baltimare was protected by various means of magical creatures in addition to ponies, and Ponyville was protected by Luna and Cadance. Each town was slowly and surely falling though, drained from the long fight against seemingly never ending forces and misfortune.

Discord had been freed a short while after the Elements of Harmony had vanished from Equestria, the link they held with him no longer in place. Shortly afterwards, Chrysalis and her Changeling Army had reformed from all over Equestria to support and work with Discord. With the Changeling’s power to feed off of love, and Discord’s ability to create unnatural chaos, most any effort to defend by anypony was short lived.

Celestia had set up magical relay beacons across Equestria with the strongest magic users in each town. Celestia was receiving her hourly reports at this very moment from all across Equestria, or what remained of it.

“The Changeling’s have been able to bypass all the fireworks and disorientations I created and have outmaneuvered the Ursa Minor’s and Dragons we had been able to recruit to our cause. Even our Parasprite tactics proved ineffective due to Discord’s influence. I’m afraid Baltimare is lost. I’m sorry Princess.” Trixie apologized to Princess Celestia, hating herself now for not having taken her magic seriously before now.

“I’m sorry to hear that Trixie, but do not personally blame yourself. Everywhere is falling eventually. I fear it only a matter of days before Canterlot itself falls. Do try to make it here or to Ponyville if you or anypony else can.” Celestia explained to the pony she had heard about in a particular letter of Twilight’s.

Celestia turned now towards the next relay beacon just as Trixie’s signal cut out for what Celestia believed would be the last time. That thought haunted her as she strived to find good news somewhere.

“Lyra, how fares Appleloosa?” Celestia spoke up, addressing one of her former students and seeing the dead look she received in return. This war was taking its toll on everypony.

“Not well Princess. The buffalo are tiring and we have very few strong magic users here to help with additional fortifications. Fancypants and Nurse Redheart have also said that we have now exceeded the maximum amount of injured ponies that we can help here. Zecora’s also run out of potions and the rare ingredients necessary to make them, making all of us now very exhausted without them. We are also running extremely low on all supplies, including basic food and water. I fear Appleloosa will be lost within the next two days.” Lyra spoke to Princess Celestia as though not seeing her, her thoughts still with the injured Bon Bon.

“That is very regrettable news Lyra. Do tell any Appleloosan’s who can make it to the train’s to go now while they can. Attempt to make it to Ponyville at least, if not directly here to Canterlot.” Celestia told her former pupil, hoping that Lyra could still properly hear her.

Lyra’s signal ended too as Celestia turned towards the second last remaining beacon, and the last connection to the only remaining city of Equestria aside from Canterlot itself.

“And what of Fillydelphia’s state?” Celestia asked her nephew and his new salesman allies, not expecting remotely good news anymore.

“It fares badly Aunt Celestia. Soarin was taken out early today, with Spitfire now refusing to fly again without him. Vinyl Scratch has also collapsed from exhaustion, which has allowed the enemies to close in without her magical noise interference to stop them. Minuette and Fleur de Lis have also become unable to perform any more healing magic, meaning an increase in frontline casualties. Fillydelphia won’t last another full day with these losses. We’re already in evacuation mode. We hope to make it to at least Ponyville within the next twelve hours. Flim and Flam will be able to help greatly with moving the train quickly.” Prince Blueblood explained to his Aunt Celestia, looking for the first time in his life tired and strained.

“I’m sorry to hear all that Blueblood. Do send me a message when and if you make it to Ponyville.” Celestia replied to her nephew, glad to see him nod and turn away to continue commanding like a proper ruler should in times of need.

Celestia turned towards the last relay beacon, the one which housed all the remaining hope for Equestria within its confines.

“And Ponyville my dear sister?” Celestia asked Luna, allowing herself to finally look fearful in front of her sister.

“Ponyville, at least for now, is managing to hold. Cadance’s magic is a great help here. It prevents many inner disputes, but also helps provide more energy for the Changeling’s at the same time. It is indeed a twin edged blade sister. Cheerilee has managed to keep all the children safe and unaware though, granting us that small lenience. Big Macintosh is also fully out on the front lines, managing as much on his own as an entire division. He continues to return gravely injured though, and we are losing the ability to fully heal him each time. I intend to make him stay here to protect the other injured soon. Filthy Rich and Granny Smith are continuing to be able to get small amount of useful supplies, making that area of worry fare better. My magic is beginning to dwindle though sister. I am not used to this much continuous magic use after such a long stint of magical inactivity.” Luna explained in great detail, allowing Celestia to breathe lightly if only for a moment at best.

“I am glad that Ponyville is at least still able to survive for a few more days. It is imperative that it survive a while longer, at least to act as a relay station for all the citizens coming from across Equestria.” Celestia spoke to her sister, able to relay more to her than the others.

“Indeed sister. I fear though the separation element that has begun to crop up amongst many of our numbers. Many ponies are missing the various members of their families, who are stationed all around Equestria. Cadance too is beginning to suffer due to her separation from Shining Armor. I take it he is the same way?” Luna asked her sister, seeing Celestia gravely nod in response.

“You suspect right Luna. His magic is powerful when he is determined, but more brittle than ever when he remembers Cadance is not here with him. I am losing my ability to help with the shield as well as my magic is quickly being drained by protecting all the constantly arriving and departing trains. I do not know what to do.” Celestia blatantly told her sister, seeing the same look befall Luna that possessed her.

“You do not need to know all sister. It is far too much for any one pony to bear. If only the Elements of Harmony were here, we might have been able to hold more.” Luna said solemnly, remembering the loss of the Bearers of the Elements.

“If only indeed sister. All we may do at this point is hope for a miracle.” Celestia added, turning away to let a few tears fall from her very tired eyes.

As the last of Celestia’s tears hit the ground, an enormous wind ripped through Canterlot, coming to center near Celestia herself. As Celestia opened her wings and prepared to take flight from what she assumed was a new kind of enemy attack, six bulbs of light appeared in front of her. Celestia dared not believe what her mind was telling her though, for fear of losing even more hope in this war.

As the lights intensified, and both Celestia and Luna, who still had her relay beacon connected, had to turn away to shield their eyes, six forms appeared clearly within the lights. After a few more moments, the light died away entirely and Celestia and Luna were both able to see again.

Before Celestia herself, were the six current, and before this moment missing, Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Each still bore their Element and appeared the same as when they had disappeared, but Celestia sensed a shift within the ponies themselves, somewhere deep within their very souls.

“Hello Princess Celestia. We’re sorry for being late, but we’re here now, and we’re ready to protect Equestria.” Twilight Sparkle spoke up, trying her best to harden her heart and soul as she remembered what she had needed to leave in order to return to Equestria.

Twilight Sparkle was the only of the six Bearers that could appear to say anything distinguishable at the moment. Applejack and Rainbow Dash both muttered indecipherable phrases at their own hooves, Pinkie Pie and Rarity were silent and nervously combing their manes, And Fluttershy was already openly crying, before any battles had even begun that day.

“I am glad to hear that Twilight, but what has happened to everypony? You are no longer the ponies you were when you left many months ago.” Princess Celestia asked her student, expecting Twilight to give a full and complete answer then and there as she had always done before now.

“Perhaps later Princess. I mean no offense, but I truly do not feel ready to speak of my experiences abroad yet. And I know everypony else here shares that sentiment.” Twilight replied, shocking Princess Celestia greatly and soliciting a minor nod out of the other Bearers of the Elements of Harmony.

Princess Celestia decided not to push the issue with Twilight, fearing the kind of pony she and the other Bearers had become in their shared absences. Instead, Celestia merely nodded, stood to the side and pointed out the current positions of the Changeling’s and Discord’s Influences to the Bearer’s.

“All right girls. Let’s just do this. Equestria does need us after all.” Twilight spoke up, leading the rest to follow slowly after her.

This day would go down in Equestria’s history as ‘The Day the Elements of Harmony Truly Died.’ For while the Elements power flowed forth from the six ponies who were once the closest and best of friends, their hearts were not in it in any way but the smallest, and thus the Elements were not a permanent defence as they once were before now. Just an additional means to push the enemies away from Canterlot and Ponyville for a few hours at a time in order to grant everypony a short reprise from the horrors of this war. The Elements of Harmony were no longer whole, as both symbols and ponies.

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