The Foalympians

by KidatHeart5

A New Rainbow

The war against Tirek raged on for months. Lands that had served as battlefields had been reduced to scorched earth. The environment wasn’t the only casualty in the conflict. Hundreds of ponies and the brave creatures that had sided with them suffered crippling injuries and still many barely returned from their battles alive. The rebels’ strength was running low and they were running out of time. They needed something to turn the tide in their favor – and fast. Otherwise, Equestria would be lost forever…

Twilight had taken Spike with her on a secret trip to Canterlot. After searching through every book in the Castle of the Two Sisters and every book various rebels had sent to her, she still found nothing. In an act of desperation, she decided to fly all the way to Canterlot. She knew it was risky, but if it meant finding a way to defeat Tirek, then she’d do it…for the good of all Equestria.

Under the cover of night, Twilight flew to the capital of Equestria. She had to be careful because Canterlot was not out of Tirek’s grasp. Gargoyle guards had been posted all around the castle and some acted as night sentries on the streets.

As soon as she landed in an alley, Twilight whispered to Spike, “Okay, Spike. Pull out the cloak.”

She had carried a bag on her back, and Spike reached into it. He pulled out a black cloak. Twilight put it on and covered Spike before hurrying out into the streets. They hid from the gargoyles’ sight and hastened away before the sentries could see them.

Spike soon noticed that he and Twilight were getting farther and farther away from the castle. He pointed out, “Uh, Twilight? The castle is that way.”

She whispered, “I know, Spike, but we need guidance.”

After evading the last sentry, they rushed to a house. Twilight knocked on the door and whispered, “Somnambula.”

“Somnambula” was a code word used by the rebels to request entry into a hideaway or a fellow rebel’s home. Night Light opened the door and quickly ushered her and Spike inside.

After he closed the door, he embraced his daughter and said, “Oh, Twilight! Thank goodness you’re safe!”

Twilight Velvet came trotting down the stairs and said, “We were very worried about you!”

Twilight hugged both of her parents and said, “I’m glad you guys are safe, too. How are you holding up?”

A voice surprised her, saying, “It’s not easy.”

Twilight turned to see her brother, all bandaged and limping from the most recent battle he had been in. She gasped, “Big brother! What happened?”

Shining Armor sighed, “It was a harsh battle with the Sphinx. We thought that we had won…until Tirek showed up. We exhausted him, but he exhausted us just the same.”

Night Light said, “Neither side is winning this war.”

Twilight nodded solemnly, “I know. That’s why I came here to Canterlot. I need to find something that could tell me how to defeat Tirek.”

Velvet told her, “The princesses spoke to me again. They said they knew of a book that could give you what you need. It’s in the Astronomy Tower.”

Shining said, “No doubt it’s guarded by gargoyles.”

Twilight contemplated on this until an idea crossed her mind. She said with a determined smile crossing her face, “And I think I’ve got just the perfect plan.”

---

Two gargoyle guards stood by the stairs leading up to the Astronomy Tower. That would’ve complicated things…if Twilight chose to go that route. A brilliant raspberry flash near the bushes caught the guards’ eyes. When the guards went to investigate, Twilight and Spike – who were hiding in another bush – teleported to the balcony. Luckily, the double doors were unlocked, and the alicorn and dragon quickly slipped inside.

Twilight muttered as she used her magic to look through the books, “No...No…No…No…No…No…” She groaned and turned to Spike, asking, “Have you found anything yet, Spike?”

Spike asked, “Just what are we looking for again?”

“I don’t know! Something about prophecies, spells, magic charms, anything!”

“Wow. You’re really becoming desperate, aren’t you?”

“Yes! I’m that desperate, okay?! It’s not easy being the only alicorn in Equestria when three other princesses are locked up in Tartarus! People look up to you when you have wings and a horn! I didn’t ask to become the leader of a resistance when I freed my friends.” By then, sadness filled Twilight’s heart as she dismally sighed, “The fate of Equestria is now on my shoulders. I have to save it…from Tirek. But I don’t know how.”

Spike put his claw on her shoulder and said, “You know…you don’t have to save Equestria. Not alone. You have your friends. You have your comrades. It’s like you told Tirek: anyone who stands with you stands against him. I mean, sure, he’s got an army of terrifying creatures bigger than us, but our numbers are bigger than his. That’s because we all have something he doesn’t: friendship.”

The word “friendship” sparked something in Twilight’s brain. She exclaimed, “Of course! How could I have not seen it sooner?! Spike, do you remember the prophecy that spoke of the children of harmony? It wouldn’t have been written in any book because it threatened Tirek. But what if the key to stopping him had something to do with harmony and my friends? There’s an old legend involving six gems that each represented an element of friendship. They were-“

“The Elements of Harmony!”

Twilight turned to see Spike holding a red book in his claw. She gasped in delight, “The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide! How did you find it?”

Spike shrugged, “It was under ‘E’.”

Twilight then opened the book and read aloud, “’There are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known: kindness, laughter, generosity, honesty, and loyalty. The sixth is a complete mystery. It is said that the last known location of the five elements was in the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters.’” She lowered the book with a flabbergasted expression.

Spike rubbed his head in awkwardness and said, “Well, I guess we should start looking there.”

---

When Twilight and Spike returned to the ruined castle, they were about to enter until they saw a flash of light in the gorge.

Spike asked, “What is that?”

Twilight said, “I don’t know, but we’re going to find out.”

She and Spike flew down to the gorge and entered the cave from which the light was shining. Their eyes widened and they let out gasps of shock when they saw a crystal tree with six gems, five on the tip of five branches and a star-shaped gem in the center of the tree.

Spike breathed, “It’s so pretty…”

Twilight noticed three cutie marks on the tree. She knew that the sun and the moon had to be Celestia’s and Luna’s, but the star in the center reminded her of…

“My cutie mark.”

Spike soon noticed this and agreed, “Whoa. You’re right, Twilight. I guess the Elements of Harmony are tied to you and your friends.”

She nodded and then gestured to the gems on the branches and star, “Those must be the Elements up there.”

“Great! We’ll just grab them and use them to blast Tirek to nowhere!”

A voice then echoed out, “I’m afraid it’s not as simple as that.”

A bright light then flooded the cave. When Twilight and Spike opened their eyes again, they were astounded to see the crystal tree emit a hologram of the three alicorn princesses!

Spike cried, “Princess Celestia! And Luna!”

Twilight added, “And Cadance!”

When Twilight and Spike bowed down before the holograms, Celestia said warmly, “There’s no need for that.”

Spike soon noticed something as he rose and remarked, “Whoa. You’re without your cutie marks.”

Luna nodded solemnly, “Tirek drained us of our powers when he invaded. We are now trapped in Tartarus until he is defeated.”

Twilight asked, “But how do we stop him?”

Celestia answered, “The Elements of Harmony are tied to the Tree of Harmony. We had used them only once before the tree could no longer control the Everfree Forest.”

Luna continued, “We returned the Elements to the tree so its magic could continue to flourish.”

Cadance said, “There is another way, however.”

Luna said, “The Elements represent qualities of friendship. You and the children of harmony are tied to them.”

Celestia said, “And you, Twilight, represent the spirit of the most powerful Element: magic. You became an alicorn because you saved the other ponies trapped inside Tirek. That is the power of friendship.”

Twilight asked, “So my friends and I were meant to have a bond even though we didn’t know each other?”

Luna nodded, “Indeed.”

Cadance said, “Though you can’t remove the Elements, you can use their magic and the magic of your friendship to stop Tirek.”

Celestia said, “Activate the heart of the tree and you will receive what you need.”

Cadance said, “We believe in you, Twilight.”

Another flash followed and Twilight and Spike found that the holograms were gone.

Spike breathed, “Whoa…Did that just happen?”

Twilight soon snapped out of her dazed state and began to think. She muttered, “Activate the heart…” She looked up at the star and realized that the rose-colored gem was right in the center like a heart. She said, “I know what I have to do.”

She closed her eyes and concentrated. Just then, a beam of multi-colored light appeared from her horn and wound its way to the Element of Magic. Soon, the gem began glowing, and magic from the other Elements snaked towards the star-shaped gem. Another stream of magic then trailed down from the bottom of the Element of Magic. It lit up the sun and the moon marks as it touched them. When it finally reached the roots of the tree, a pinkish plant arose from where the stream of magic stopped. Twilight went up to touch it, and to her surprise, its petals unfolded to reveal a blue chest with six keyholes.

Spike gazed at it and asked, “What do you think it means, Twilight?”

Twilight said, “Six locks, six keys…Spike, there are six Elements of Harmony and Children of Harmony. I bet it’s all connected. But where to find the keys?”

---

Twilight told the other five ponies about everything that happened from her trip to Canterlot to the encounter in the cave. She then led them down the gorge and showed them the chest.

Rainbow Dash said, “That’s it? That’s how we’re going to beat Tirek?”

Twilight said, “There has to be something important inside this chest. There are six locks, six Elements, and six of us. There must be a connection.”

Rarity asked, “How could we be possibly tied to the Elements of Harmony?”

Twilight thought for a moment until she realized something. She said, “I read about the Elements of Harmony while I was in Canterlot. Each element represents a quality of friendship. Applejack, you represent the element of honesty because you always tell the truth. Rainbow Dash, you have always remained loyal to your friends and cause. Rarity, your sense of fabulousness is only matched by your generous heart. Fluttershy, your kindness has helped those when they needed it most. And Pinkie Pie, you represent laughter because you like to make others laugh.

“I may represent magic, but it is a different kind of magic: the magic of friendship. We are the children of harmony because of our predestined friendship. And it is our friendship that will save Equestria.”

Rainbow Dash said, “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go find those keys!”

Fluttershy timidly asked, “But, um…how are we going to do that?”

Twilight said, “I don’t know. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Rainbow shot off, “But we don’t have time to wait! Almost all of Equestria is destroyed because of Tirek. It won’t last for much longer unless we do something!”

Applejack said, “Twilight’s right, Dash. We don’t even know what our keys look like. The best thing to do is see what happens.”

Rainbow grumbled, “Yeah, what happens to Equestria as it crumbles under Tirek’s hooves.”

---

Over the next few weeks, the rebels continued to fight Tirek and his monstrous army. Their morale was depleted, but not entirely lost. Rainbow Dash was with her comrades to the end. For that, she was given a medal by Spitfire. Meanwhile, Fluttershy helped the Breezies make their perilous journey to their homeland. She was given a flower as a sign of their gratitude.

While Applejack was giving out supplies to needy ponies, they asked her about the war and whether it was ending soon. She sighed and honestly told them that the outcome was uncertain and both sides were at a stalemate. Even though the ponies were disheartened a bit, a stallion named Silver Shill gave Applejack a coin as a tip for all the work she had done to feed less fortunate ponies. When a downtrodden stallion came to Ponyville, Pinkie Pie cheered him up. When his spirits were lifted, Cheese Sandwich told her that she inspired him to make ponies happy in the first place. As a thank-you for reminding him who he was, he gave her Boneless, his rubber chicken.

Rarity took a pony named Coco Pommel as her apprentice. When Coco was ready to go out on her own, Rarity gave her some shiny fabric she created. Inspired by the unicorn’s generosity, Coco gave her a spool of rainbow-colored string. Twilight herself engaged in one battle. However, it was a battle with Tirek. Both opponents were exhausted of their strength and so decided to retreat.

When Twilight returned to the Castle of the Two Sisters, her friends saw that she was bruised and weakened. Even after she got some rest and healed considerably, her spirit was diminished from the battle. She went out into the courtyard and laid her head against the ground as her mother did many years ago.

She thought despairingly, What if I never defeat Tirek? Equestria will be lost.

Suddenly, she heard Celestia’s voice in the ground say, Don’t give up, young Twilight.

The mulberry alicorn was taken by surprise at the sound of the voice. She put her ear to the ground to listen more intently.

Luna’s voice said, Your friends have already obtained their keys in the forms of ordinary objects.

Cadance’s voice said, But don’t tell them about it yet. If Tirek and his minions find out about the keys before you find yours, they’re likely to get stolen.

Twilight asked, “But how do I find my key?”

Celestia’s voice told her, It’s in Tartarus with us. Once you free us, we will help you find your key.

Luna’s voice said, Bring Spike with you. It will indeed be a daunting task.

Cadance’s voice said to Twilight, Be careful, Twilight.

Twilight’s friends were terrified when she told them she was going to Tartarus. Spike, being the ever-faithful dragon he was, agreed to join her on her quest. It wasn’t easy saying good-bye to her friends. Nopony knew for sure if Twilight and Spike would ever return in one piece. After a tearful farewell, Twilight and her trusty assistant set out for the gates of Tartarus.

Just a couple of hours before the sun rose, the two of them landed in front of an ominous cave. Spike shivered, “A-are you s-s-sure we should g-g-go in there?”

Twilight nodded, “Yes, Spike. The princesses told me that my key was in Tartarus. I have to free them so they would help me find it.”

Spike said, “Wait. If you’re going to free the princesses, then there’s no need for the key, right?”

“Spike, Tirek stole their powers. Even if I did free them, they would still be without magic. Finding my key is essential.”

“But what will happen if we defeat Tirek?”

The alicorn sighed, “I don’t know, Spike. I don’t know.”

Twilight and Spike entered the cave with great trepidation. It was dark in there, so the alicorn had to activate her horn to light the way. There was nothing but jagged rocks everywhere.

When Spike saw a set of bars up ahead, he pointed to it and cried out, “Look! Those must be the gates!”

Suddenly, a three-headed dog jumped in front of them and growled ferociously. Both the alicorn and dragon gave a shriek at the sight of Cerberus. Luckily, Twilight read all there was about Tartarus, so she pulled a bone out of her pack and waved it in front of the guard dog.

She singsonged, “Here, Cerberus. You want the bone?” When the dog’s three heads nodded happily while panting, Twilight threw the bone and said, “Then go get it!”

When Cerberus ran off to get the bone, Twilight quickly used her magic on the lock and opened the gates. She then ran inside with Spike on her back and left the gates open a bit.

Spike remarked, “That was clever, Twilight!”

Twilight said, “Yes, and lucky.”

Tartarus was full of lava pits and pointy stalactites and stalagmites. The prisoners were held in blue platforms carved into high mountains of rock. Deep pits surrounded these “cells” and there was an air of despair hanging over Tartarus. But there was a spark of hope in Twilight’s heart when she saw three alicorns in one of the platforms.

She said happily, “Spike, those must be the princesses! Come on!”

But before she could continue further, she heard growling and turned behind her to see a massive figure swooping down towards her and Spike! She ducked, but Spike got grabbed by the giant beast.

Twilight cried, “Spike!”

The beast landed on the ground and its yellow eyes pierced Twilight’s soul. She knew what it was: a gargoyle. The monster growled, “You have made a foolish mistake coming down here, little pony. What sort of business could you possibly have here?”

Twilight mustered every bit of her courage and said bravely, “I have come to free the princesses and find the key to stopping Tirek.”

“You were very clever to lure Cerberus from his post, but since you have entered Tartarus, you must pay a price. If you are determined to free the princesses, then the young dragon must stay here. But if you are willing to give up your magic and your freedom, then I will let him go. Which will it be: his freedom or yours?”

Spike grunted in the gargoyle’s grip, “Don’t give yourself up, Twilight! Equestria needs you! I’m not worth the whole country!”

Twilight said, “But you are, Spike. You are.” She sighed and told the gargoyle, “All right. I will give you my magic…in exchange for my friend.”

The gargoyle then set Spike down and surprisingly, he kneeled before them. The beast said, “Congratulations, Twilight Sparkle. You have passed the test.”

Spike said in confusion, “’Test’?”

Twilight asked, “How did you know who I was?”

The gargoyle stood up and answered, “I am Scorpan, warden of Tartarus. My brother Tirek sent me here so I would make sure the princesses didn’t escape. He recently told me that you might come here to free the alicorns and he ordered me to stop you. But I do not have the heart to do so. For too long, my brother has ruled a land that was not his. Equestria deserves to be ruled by ponies as righteous and compassionate as you. You must set things right, Twilight Sparkle, and I will help you.”

He took a triangular, golden amulet from his neck and continued, “This is a sign of true friendship, for which you were willing to sacrifice yourself. Never had I seen more compassion towards a friend than yours. For that, I am honored to give you this amulet.”

When he put the amulet around Twilight’s neck, she smiled, “Thank you, kind Scorpan. Your deed will not go unrewarded.”

Scorpan then said, “I only need one request. When my brother is defeated, please spare his life. Even though he is cruel and power-hungry, I care for him very much. Please find a suitable punishment that will not put him through much pain.”

Twilight nodded, “I will do what I can.”

---

When Twilight and Spike emerged from the cave leading to Tartarus, the dawn was breaking through. She took this as a sign that a new change was just over the horizon. When the two of them returned to the Castle of the Two Sisters, their friends rejoiced. Twilight told them what happened in Tartarus and how Scorpan gave her his amulet when she passed the test.

Pinkie Pie smiled, “That is so amazing!”

Rainbow Dash said as she pointed to the amulet, “So I’m guessing the amulet’s your key, right?”

Twilight said, “Yes, just as you all have yours.”

The five ponies uttered in unison, “Huh?”

The alicorn explained, “When I was in the courtyard, the princesses told me your keys were in the form of ordinary objects. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but if you knew before I went to Tartarus, there was a chance they might’ve gotten stolen. Each key was given because you inspired ponies with your special trait. Think of when you encouraged somepony to be honest, generous, funny, kind, and loyal.”

The ponies contemplated for a moment before Pinkie said, “Ooh! Ooh! Cheese Sandwich said that I made other ponies happy and inspired him to do the same. He also gave me Boneless before he left.”

Rarity said, “Before Coco Pommel left to start her own business, I gave her my fabric and she gave me a spool of rainbow-colored string.”

Rainbow Dash pointed out, “Well, I received a medal for my awesome fighting!” When the ponies gave her unconvinced looks, she clarified, “Okay, that and my loyalty to the cause.”

Applejack asked, “How exactly are the things we got going to turn into actual keys?”

Suddenly, the ground rumbled and a thunderous sound resounded through the castle. The ponies raced to the nearest window and saw Tirek on the far edge of the Everfree Forest. He declared in a loud voice, “Twilight Sparkle! You may have escaped Tartarus, but you will not escape my grasp! Surrender to me, Children of Harmony, and I will spare the lives of the innocent! If you do not, the consequences will be grim!”

Twilight took off the amulet and gave it to Spike, saying, “Spike, take this.” She then told her friends, “All of you, find your keys and bring them to the Tree of Harmony. I’ll deal with Tirek.” When everyone protested, she quieted them, explaining, “I know it will be dangerous for me, but it will buy you time to get your keys to the chest. Now go!” Without another word, Twilight flew off.

Tirek bellowed, “All right, ponies! You had your chance! Now witness Equestria’s destruct-“

A voice then said, “Looking for me?!”

Tirek looked straight ahead to see Twilight flying towards him. Her horn was angled towards him as it activated. Tirek smiled maliciously, “Finally, a rematch.”

He fired his magic at Twilight and both rays exploded upon collision. The force of the blast drove Twilight back, but she quickly regained her flying. They fought for a while until Tirek mentioned, “You seem a bit flimsy since our last battle. What’s going on?” When he stole a look at the castle, he saw the other five ponies and a dragon racing from the entrance. Tirek snarled, “Now I know…”

When Twilight knew the jig was up, she fought with more ferocity. She couldn’t keep it up forever, and eventually her energy failed. It wasn’t long before Tirek grabbed her.

He chuckled menacingly, “You have failed, Twilight Sparkle. Once your precious resistance sees that their leader has fallen, they will cower before me.”

Before Twilight could do anything, Tirek opened his mouth and drained her of her magic. When he had completely drained her, he dropped her like a used toy. All of a sudden, streaks of rainbow flew around him.

A voice from the rainbow then said, “Hey, you big bully! Pick on somepony your own size!”

While Rainbow Dash distracted Tirek, Spike ran to Twilight’s body and nudged her, saying, “Twilight! Twilight, get up!”

Twilight groaned awake and Spike gasped, shocked by her now-grayed eyes and blank flank. He said sadly, “Your cutie mark…”

The alicorn was sad that her cutie mark was now gone. However, she did not let it get to her and she told Spike, “We need to get to the chest. It’s our only chance.”

The alicorn and dragon then made a run for the gorge. When they reached the Tree of Harmony, four of the ponies were already there. Twilight’s eyes regained their normal coloring as soon as she saw the chest and the six keys now in each keyhole.

THWACK!

“AAAAAHHHH!!!”

Spike and the ponies all looked to see Rainbow Dash falling towards the cave. Pinkie pulled out a pony-sized butterfly net and said, “Don’t worry, Dashie! I gotcha!”

The sheer force of Rainbow’s impact with the net drove Pinkie backwards a few feet. Rainbow remarked when she regained her senses, “Wow…He is a strong guy. Fleetfoot wasn’t kidding.”

The ground jolted and the ponies saw that Tirek was heading for the gorge. Twilight said, “Together! I think we have to do this together!”

In unison, the ponies turned the keys in the keyholes. The top of the chest opened and a streak of rainbow flew out towards the Element of Magic. The rose-colored gem glowed and emitted multicolored streams of magic towards the Elements on the branches. Each Element glowed in response to their corresponding light. All the Elements of Harmony suddenly shined and beams of light surrounded the Mane Six. In flashes of light, the ponies transformed into Rainbowfied versions of themselves.

The sphere of Rainbow Power rose from the gorge and hovered over Tirek. Wanting to absorb this kind of magic, Tirek shot a powerful ray at the sphere. But this was to no avail. He shouted to Twilight in disbelief, “How is this possible?! You have no magic!”

Twilight smiled in determination, “You’re wrong, Tirek! You may have absorbed my alicorn magic, but I carry within me the most powerful magic of all!”

The Mane Six then shot rainbow rays of magic at Tirek and drained magic from him. He yelled in anguish as he shrunk and became a shriveled old centaur. He soon discovered he was locked in a cage on a platform in Tartarus. The sphere of Rainbow Power then rose into the air and sent the Mane Six across Equestria. They restored the powers of every race of ponies and brought back the plants in every swatch of land that had served as battlefields. Equestria was once again the prosperous nation it was before Tirek’s reign.

The sphere then returned the Mane Six to the cave and went into the chest. The ground rumbled again as the Tree of Harmony glowed white. A streak of rainbow shot through the ground above and carried the chest all the way to Ponyville. When the chest submerged in the ground, a crystal castle rose from the spot. The Mane Six then flashed before the entrance and one by one, they were reverted back to their normal selves.

Rarity exclaimed at the sight of the castle, “Sweet Celestia! Are you all seeing what I’m seeing?”

Twilight asked, “But…whose is it?”

A voice said from behind them, “I believe it is yours, Princess Twilight.”

The Mane Six gasped when they turned to see the three alicorn princesses, restored to their former glory! When Rarity fainted, Twilight sheepishly grinned, “She’ll be fine.”

---

Soon after Twilight was made the Princess of Friendship, she sent Scorpan back to his own kingdom to rule in his brother’s place. The royal sisters Celestia and Luna then appointed the Mane Six and Spike as guardians of Equestria. Twilight’s brother Shining Armor, Applejack’s brother Big Macintosh, and Princess Cadance herself joined their council. From then on, they were known as the Foalympians. All together, they would embark on many adventures. But it was only a matter of time before their council would grow some more.

Comments

[Godslittleprincess]

Mane 6+Spike+Shining Armor+Big Mac+Cadence=10

I'm assuming that the CMC will be joining later, which makes 13, but the story description says there'll be 14 Foalympians, so who's Foalympian #14? Is it Flurry Heart? Sunset Shimmer? Starlight?

[KidatHeart5]

7121610 I didn't say the CMC would be Foalympians. I'll explain their roles in the story in the next chapter.