The Elements of Virtue

by Rakoon1

The Pillars of the Pony World

After what happened when the Pony of Shadows turned Twilight and the others into stone, an immense tension resided on everypony on Ponyville. Despite what he was feeling, Blue had no other choice but try to manage the situation the best he could. With the help from Big Mac, Shadow Claw, Soarin and all the others, he was able to keep Ponyville under surveillance quickly.

The young ones had been gathered on Sweet Apple Acres to be taking care of by Cherry Blossom, including the twins, Gust and Gallus (despite their protests), while the older ones remained on the Golden Oak Library. At that moment, Star was on his room, lying on the bed, still unconscious and in an apparent pain. Moonlight was by his side, securing a hoof, with Jonagold, Gunter and Galena nearby. Gleaming Shield, on her turn, was applying her healing magic on Star Knight. Meanwhile, Dusk was in another room, so that the curse wouldn’t be activated.

Blue got in Star’s room with Thorax, saying to him:

“Thanks so much for watch over the kids here, Thorax.”

“After everything you and all the others did for me, it’s the least I can do” he replied.

“So, it’s not like I want to make you reminisce your time as… well, you know… but I have to ask” Blue said. “Have you ever heard about the Pony of Shadows?”

“Only in tales, much like everypony else” he replied. “As far as I know, he and Queen Chrysalis never had any contact.”

“I see… So we’re still walking blindly here” Blue said.

Turning then to his son, he approached and asked Gleaming Shield:

“How is he?”

“I’ve been able to tend his heart the best I could” she replied, while stopping her healing spell. “Fortunately, he still has some Nine-Tails energy in him to heal him completely. But I wonder the damages the curse may do in the future.”

“Don’t worry about that, Gleaming” Blue said. “I have already Golden Paladin coming here to check on the seal.”

“Uncle Blue, where’s mah aunt Applejack an’ dah others?” Jonagold asked.

“They’re downstairs, but once the other Generals have secured the Light Kingdom, they’ll transport them there for safe keeping” Blue replied.

“I still can’t believe that just happened” Gunter said. “I mean, what were the chances that the Elements of Harmony would lose like that.”

It was then that Galena gave him a poke with the elbow on the shoulder and signalized to their friends, whose mothers and aunts had just been petrified.

“Oh, right…” Gunter said, laughing nervously. “Sorry about that.”

At that moment, a mirror appeared there and Golden Paladin came out of there.

“Golden, it’s a good thing you’re here” Blue said. “As you can see, we just had a very hard time just now.”

“A very hard time is an understatement for what I can see” he replied, approaching Star.

He placed a hoof on him and, with that, he was able to perceive the damages on the seal.

“Oh my…” he said, standing before Kurama’s cage. “The damages… There’s leaks in so many places.”

“What could you expect?” Kurama asked him, coldly. “After all, you know what happens when Star loses his temper.”

As Golden Paladin observed the seal, he noticed that there were some parts that looked relatively recent than the rest.

“And it would appear this is not the first time there’s leaks” he said. “Let me guess, the young prince rectifies the leaks whenever they appear and doesn’t bother to tell me or his parents about it?”

“Don’t say that to me” Kurama replied, while lying down. “I’m not the one that has control over the seal. Besides, that colt is as stubborn as I am.”

“That’s for sure…” Golden Paladin said. “Well, let’s for now focus in repairing the seal. Just for a precaution, I will reinforce it. In that way, it will last longer.”

Having said that, the General of Peace used his magic to repair the leaks on the seal, causing the curse to stop flowing out. After that, he charged the seal, causing it to get stronger.

“It’s done” he said, outside Kurama’s plane, to the others. “Let’s just hope this will hold on for some more time. You can call Prince Dusk Storm. Prince Star Knight is now safe from the curse… for the time being.”

“All right…” Blue said. “Dusk is worrying sick about Star. I’ll tell him.”

“And I will send Princess Twilight and the others to the Light Kingdom” Golden Paladin said. “With the other Generals there, no harm will come to them.”

The two Generals got out of the room, with Blue going to the library room, where Dusk was sitting on a chair with a book that he was reading just to pass the time.

“Dusk” Blue called.

Noticing his father, Dusk went to him and asked:

“How is Star, dad? Is he okay?”

“Don’t worry, he is fine” he replied. “Gleaming treated his heart and Golden Paladin fixed the seal.”

However, Blue could notice Dusk’s uncertainty regarding Star’s safety and so he placed a hoof on his shoulder and told him:

“Trust me, Dusk. Everything is fine.”

It took Dusk a few seconds, but he then nodded with his head, smiling. The two then headed back to Star’s room. Getting in, they saw that he had awaken.

“Star!” Dusk exclaimed, running towards his brother and sharing a hug with him. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, little brother” he replied. “You don’t have to worry.”

“Okay…” Dusk said, before giving him a slight punch on the shoulder and asking. “Why did you hide from me that your seal was weakening?”

“Because I can handle it” Star said, before noticing the look on everypony in the room. “I do! Okay, I lost control today, but can you blame me?”

“You need to be more careful, young prince” Golden Paladin’s voice said, as he entered in the room. “I’ve seen the repairs you’ve done in the seal. You should have told us about it.”

But Star didn’t replied to that. Noticing her coltfriend’s irritation for having many ponies criticizing him, she told:

“I think it’s enough of this. Star knows that he acted wrong for not telling about the seal. Don’t you think we should change subject.”

“You’re completely right, young one” Golden Paladin said. “Now that Prince Star Knight is awaken and recovered and Princess Twilight and the others are secured in the Light Kingdom, it’s time to focus on the emergency we have on our hooves.”

“Do you know anything about that Pony of Shadows?” Blue asked.

“The name is not completely strange to me” he replied. “But I honestly don’t know much about him.”

“Really?” Gunter asked. “No offense, but I thought you knew pretty much everything.”

That caused Galena to poke him again, but Golden Paladin just chuckled and replied:

“I don’t know everything. Not even Mirror Coat knows everything. Some information is sealed and prevented from being accessed even by us, Generals.”

Having an idea, Golden Paladin told the ones in the room, pointing to the mirror portal he came from:

“Why don’t you come with me?”

And he passed through the portal, followed then by Star and Dusk, with Moonlight, Jonagold, Gleaming, Gunter and Galena following them. Before following the young ones, Blue turned to Thorax and asked:

“Do you want to come?”

“I think it’s for the best if I stay” he replied. “I already had too much excitement for one day.”

“Okay…” Blue replied, going to the portal.

The portal had taken them to the Mirrored Library, with the ones visiting it for the first time becoming impressed by it.

“Mirror Coat, we need your help!” Golden Paladin called.

“In what?” Mirror Coat’s voice said, coming from behind the group.

Most of them got scared with that, jumping and turning around to see Mirror Coat who had come from one of the mirrors.

“Okay, please don’t do that again” Jonagold said to Mirror Coat.

“We need information that only you can give to us” Golden Paladin said to the General of Knowledge. “What do you know about the Pony of Shadows?”

“The Pony of Shadows…” Mirror Coat said. “So he’s one that is causing all of this trouble… But what makes you think that I know anything about it. This is classified information even to the Generals.”

“But you’re not any General” Golden Paladin reminded. “You’re the General of Knowledge and you have access to information that no ordinary General does.”

“Even I have my limitations and privileges, you know?” he replied.

“Come on, Mirror Coat, this is very important” Blue said. “My wife, your princess, has been turned into stone by him. We need to know everything we can if we want to defeat him.”

There was a moment of silence and then Mirror Coat said:

“Very well, I guess I can tell you what I know about the subject. The Pony of Shadows is a malevolent entity that was defeat in the past by a group of heroes known as the Pillars of the Pony World.”

“The Pillars of the Pony World?” Blue and the young ones repeated.

“They are a group of the greatest heroes of Pony World during their time” Golden Paladin explained. “And you know them having in count they are exposed in the Light Museum.”

“Wait, you mean Star Swirl, Rockhoof, Flash Magnus…” Star started.

“Not to mention Somnambula, Mage Meadowbrooke and Mistmane” Mirror Coat added. “All of them coming from different parts of the Pony World and they came together to defeat this ancient evil.”

“And how did they do it?” Gunter asked. “I don’t know if you have noticed, but that’s the information we need.”

“I hate to say it, but Gunter is right” Galena said. “If these Pillars defeated the Pony of Shadows once, then that means he does have a weakness.”

“Sorry, but that is as far as my knowledge can go” Mirror Coat replied.

A disappointment look invaded the youngsters’ face, but then the General of Knowledge remembered something:

“Wait, I lied. There’s still something else.”

Mirror Coat headed towards the Observer and, using his magic, he caused it to show the image of a certain place.

“Is that…” Star started. “Yes… It’s Ponhenge.”

“Ponhenge?” the other youngsters said.

“They are mysterious ruins that possess a certain magic” Golden Paladin replied.

“And it’s also the last stand of the Pillars against the Pony of Shadows” Mirror Coat said. “Maybe if you go there, you might find something useful.”

“Okay, I’ll go there” Star said.

“Hey, if you go, I’ll go too” Dusk replied. “Don’t forget that a crew must always stick together.”

“And we’re your crew, buddy” Jonagold said, as he and the other youngsters nodded with their heads.

“Thank, guys” Star thanked, appreciating his friends’ undying loyalty for him.

“Well, I guess I can’t say anything to stop you” Blue said. “Very well, I’m coming with you. Golden, you’re in charge of the Light Kingdom.”

“Of course” Golden Paladin replied.

Mirror Coat created a mirror portal that would lead them all to Ponhenge and they all crossed it. The portal led them to the surroundings of their destination. After walking for a few minutes, they arrived to the place.

“This is it…” Star said. “Ponhenge… I can’t believe it… It’s a shame mom is not here to see it.”

Gleaming approached one of the ruined pillars, cleared the dust on it and saw some strange symbols on it.

“I’ve never seen magical runes like these before” Gleaming Shield said. “What about you, Star?”

“No…” Star replied. “If we were not in the situation we are, I would start to study them.”

Observing the vines covering the ruins, Gunter commented:

“I don’t think any creature have seen this for a long time.”

He tried to rip of one of the vines with his claws, but ended up being pushed back by his own force after it proved to be too much resilient to be pulled off, ending up in a prickly bush, being then pulled out of it by Galena.

“Please, try to harm yourself” she told him. “We already have too much to worry about.”

But Gunter just rolled his eyes, as he started to clean his fur and feathers.

“It will take an all team ov ponies tah find anythin’ here” Jonagold said.

“That is if we find anything that can help us” Moonlight said. “After all, the battle between the Pillars and the Pony of Shadows was a long time ago.”

Star hated to admit it, but it looked like his friends were right. How would he find anything on a bunch of ruins when time itself could have already erased any clues that could have been there. Noticing that, Dusk told him:

“Relax, bro, everything will be all right. Remember our adventures in the Triangle? Haven’t we got in many troubles that looked difficult to get out? We’ve always found a way.”

“Dusk is right, Star” Blue added, approaching as well. “And don’t forget about your actions during the war. You’ve always been able to find a way to solve any problem. It’s some of the many talents of our family.”

Star took those words from his father and brother to his heart.

“You’re right. I think I just need another perspective.”

At that moment, he just got an idea.

“Wait a minute…” he said. “There is a way. Mirror Coat and Golden Paladin told us this place possesses a mysterious magic. Maybe I can connect with that magic using my sage mode and try to recreate what may have happened here. After all, a battle like the one between the Pillars and the Pony of Shadows must have left an impression on this place.”

“Spoken like a true son of Twilight Sparkle” Blue said, proudly.

“So, what are you waiting for, Star?” Dusk asked. “Go on.”

Star then sit down, completely still, while starting to gather the natural energy around him. As he did that, he started to get in sage mode, he could feel a lot of different kind of energies. It was then that he felt something. It was something dark and powerful, a magic that he recognized as being the magic of the Elements of Chaos. The Lord of Chaos must have had some of his villains to use them to free the Pony of Shadows.

Ignoring that, Star continued to search for anything that could look like some ancient and powerful magic, enough to defeat someone as powerful as the Pony of Shadows. Suddenly, he felt something. It was very faint, but, nevertheless, very powerful. Opening his toad-like eyes, he said:

“I got it!”

Channeling his own magic mixed with the natural energy he had gathered, he tried to project the moment in time linked to that magic impression, having to use all the knowledge he had gotten from her mom, his studies and the books he had read in both library of Light Castle and the Mirrored Library. It was then that something started to happen.

Just like that, a hologram-like version of Star Swirl appeared before one of the pillar-like structures.

“Star, I think you did it!” Moonlight said.

Looking around, Star observed as his spell proved itself to be successful. It didn’t take long for the other Pillars to appear as well, each one appearing in front of one of the pillar-like structures, just like Star Swirl. Each of the Pillars were all at the possession of an object: Star Swirl had a book, Flash Magnus had his shield, Mistmane had a flower, Somnambula had a blindfold, Mage Meadowbrook had her mask and Rockhoof had his shovel. Besides them, Star also noted a young unicorn colt, hiding behind the pillar-like structure where Star Swirl was. He had a light apple green coat with a staff with a magical aura at the top as a Cutie Mark, brilliant vermilion mane and moderate orchid eyes.

It was then that Star Swirl casted a spell to the well at the middle. Just like how it happened when he was released, a black substance started to immerge from the well, forming a ball, from where legs erupted, while the rest of the ball took the form of the Pony of Shadows who, much to everypony present’s alarm, released one of his frightening laughs. The young colt hiding himself only hid himself even more. However, the Pillars remained still on their positions.

“You summon me at your peril, Star Swirl!” the Pony of Shadows exclaimed to the old wizard. “Once I defeat all of you, this realm will embrace the darkness as I did so long ago!”

Having said that, he extended his shadow wings and casted his webs of shadow that started to snare the Pillars. As he subdued them, the Pony of Shadows continued to laugh, as he started to absorb the light around him. Directing his words again to Star Swirl, he said:

“Drawing me here will only make me stronger. You will never defeat me!”

“We did not come here to defeat you” Star Swirl replied with his calm and imposing voice.

Charging his horn with magic, he was able to free himself from the Pony of Shadows’ grasp and then focused his magic on his book that rose up in the air, while releasing a strong light. It opened, casting a beam of light that hit that started to connect every object of the other Pillars, while freeing them as well, forming a hexagon around the Pony of Shadows that emanated an immense light. Noticing the spell they were using, the Pony of Shadows asked, worried:

“What are you doing?!”

“We came... to contain you” Star Swirl declared.

The magic they were emanating elevated them and the Pony of Shadows who screamed in pain and frustration, as the light started to involve him. There was a flash of light and he disappeared. The Pillars descended, with their objects still emanating some light, but when they landed, they quickly lost their balance.

“Master!” the young colt called, as he approached Star Swirl. “Are you okay?”

“The spell we used to trap him was supposed to bring us with him” Star Swirl said. “But thanks to Mirror Coat’s revision of the spell I created, we were able to prevent that from happening… but at the cost of most of our life force. Don’t worry, young Merlin, we will be fine… But it will take a long time. No doubt the Lord of Chaos will take this moment of weakness of ours to get rid of us.”

Turning to the other Pillars, the old wizard said:

“We need to hide our objects as soon as possible. We cannot let our Elements of Virtue to fall on the wrong hooves. If they do that, who knows the evil they can do with them. They can even bring him back.”

The other Pillars nodded with their heads.

At that moment, Star’s spell wore off and everypony got astonished for what they had just watched.

“Okay, that was… I don’t know what to say” Gunter said.