The Elements of Virtue

by Rakoon1

The Element of Strength, Part II - The Strength of the Heart

Centuries ago…

In Rockhoof’s island, before this great hero became the hero he was, he was nothing more than a scrawny-looking stallion who was nothing but underestimated by all the others, mainly the Mighty Helm who kept insisting in not let him join them, making fun of him for his weak stature that caused him to not even pull an axe out of a tree stump and telling him to focus only on farming and digging. But he would not get a no for an answer.

One day, Rockhoof was doing his job (digging, as usual), while observing the Mighty Helm chatting and teasing each other, he couldn’t help but feeling sad for not being there as well. So he decided to keep working.

Suddenly, the land started to shake, causing everypony, including Rockhoof to stop whatever they were doing and look up. The volcano siding the village had started to erupt. Heavy smoke started to get out up to sky, while lava started to leak out of the crater and go down the cone of the volcano.

Panic started to infect the inhabitants of the island. The Mighty Helm tried quickly to think of a way to prevent the lava from destroying the village, but they couldn’t think of any way. And so, they could only think of one way to escape the threat of the lava: leave the island. They quickly prepared their boat at the dock and incited the village ponies to come with them, but they, having lived on that island their all life, didn’t want to leave their homes. And so the Mighty Helm prepared to set sail.

Seeing that, Rockhoof decided he had to be the one to do something to save his village… and it would be something crazy. Holding his shovel, he run to the base of the volcano and, once he arrived there, he started digging up a trench, thinking that would divert the flow of the lava. Despite the impossible task that he had started to do, Rockhoof didn’t give up and continued to dig the trench, while the lava continued to descend the volcano and approached quickly. The village ponies and the Mighty Helm, noticing that, couldn’t help but observe him, not knowing if he was being very brave or very stupid.

It was then that something happened. The shovel started to emit an intense glow that passed to Rockhoof and changed him, turning him from the scrawny and weak pony to the big and strong one that is known by everypony who ever heard of his legend. But even with that transformation, the lava continued to advance and getting closer. And so, Rockhoof resume his digging, this time, doing extremely quickly and easily. It was like he was cutting butter.

The lava reached the trench and started to follow the trench Rockhoof was digging. He continued to dig until he reached the ravine at the other side of the island and got out of the trench in time of avoiding the lava that just fell out into the ocean.

Everypony that witnessed that become very impressed and started to congratulate him, including the Mighty Helm who were very glad to accept him in their ranks…

In the present…

Inside the dormant volcano, Jonagold was still unconscious on the ledge. It was then that he started to wake up, having dreamed with the story of Rockhoof.

“Mah head…” he said, sored.

Screams coming from outside the volcano made him remembered what happened.

“Oh no… The ponies… the Quintaped… I have to…”

But when he tried to move, he could feel some pain coming from his shoulder. It wasn’t dislocated and it appeared to not be broken, but it was hurt nevertheless. However, he couldn’t stay there while innocent ponies would pay with their lives for a battle that wasn’t theirs.

Decided, he took the shovel and stabbed it into the chimney of the volcano, using it to pull himself up, while grabbing the grips around with his hooves. His sore shoulder was causing him a lot of pain with the effort he was applying to the climbing and his first instinct was to let go. But the thought of saving the ponies down at the village from the Quintaped was the one thing that was preventing him from giving up. Using the strength he still had he continued to climb the chimney using the shovel as his support.

“Ah can’t… give up” he said, while climbing. “Those ponies… They need mah help. Ah have tah stop… that monster.”

Suddenly, after he stabbed the shovel again to have a lift, the shovel started to shine with a green light that also covered him. After it was gone, Jonagold couldn’t help but feeling reinvigorated.

“Ah feel… so great!” he exclaimed.

Looking to his left shoulder area, the one he had hurt, he noticed a armband that possessed a green jewel with the form a shovel blade.

“Wait, but this is…” Jonagold started, not believing what he was seeing.

Watching that scene, the Lord of Chaos grunted, not very pleased:

“The Element of Strength… That oversized farm colt was able to form it…”

Jonagold didn’t want to believe that Rockhoof’s shovel had just turned into the very own Element of Strength. Not only that, but he could feel its magic empower his own strength and resilience. He could feel how easy to was for him to grab on the grips and pull himself up. Not only that, but the simple grip of his hooves was so strong that could crush the rock if Jonagold wasn’t careful.

It didn’t take long for him to reach the crater and then looked at the village and saw the Quintaped at the entrance of the secret chamber, trying to break in and get to the ponies inside. They were full of fear of the monster, getting as much as they could in the chamber and far from it.

“Hey, fur ball!” Jonagold exclaimed, reaching it.

The Quintaped turned around, only to see Jonagold who gave him a punch so strong that threw it against the floor with a big impact. But the creature seemed to not be willing to give up because of punch, as it soon stood up and advanced towards Jonagold, opening its big mouth and showing its sharp teeth.

It started to try to stomp on Jonagold, but was able to dodge every single one of the stomps. That is, until the Quintaped was able to get him and hit Jonagold with one of its powerful stomps. Fortunately, the young earth colt was able to hold the stomp with his hooves and started to use his strength to push it up, fighting against the Quintaped’s own strength. If he was without the Element of Strength, probably he wouldn’t be able to do it, but, with the extra power he had gotten, Jonagold was able to surpass the creature’s strength and beat it to the ground.

Wanting to end that fight as soon as possible, Jonagold started to think of a way to get rid of the Quintaped and, at that moment, he was able to remember what Star had told him about how the Quintaped hate water and cannot swim, being the reason why they live trapped in an island. With the ocean his obvious solution, Jonagold hold his grip on the Quintaped and started to spin it and then let it go, sending it right into the ocean.

“Ah think that will settle it” he said, turning then to the hidden chamber. “Ya can get out now, y’all.”

Professor Fossil and the others get out of the hidden chamber, with the former asking:

“What in the name of Princess Celestia was that?!”

“Believe me when Ah say that ya don’t want tah know” Jonagold said. “But now, Ah have more important things to do.”

He looked to the Element of Strength on the band around his forearm, smiling for getting the first piece he and his friends needed to finally defeat the Pony of Shadows and bring back his aunt and her friends back. But then he also looked to the hidden chamber, where the petrified body of Rockhoof was, what caused his smile to drop. He knew he should somehow undo the spell of the Gorgon sisters as soon as possible.

The Lord of Chaos, seeing Jonagold with the Element of Strength under his possession, couldn’t be anything but unhappy.

“This is bad… Things are starting to go the same way as my other plans… Very well, let’s calm down. I can still remain ahead of my enemies… I just have to do the same thing that I did during the hunt for the Generals’ star seeds. I just need to prevent only one of those pesky little aspirants to heroes from getting one of the Elements of Virtue. Whatever happens, I won’t let anyone ruin another brilliant plan of mine, not even that disgusting prince and his annoying little friends…”

Having said that, he snapped his fingers and another mirror came to join the one he was using.

“The first thing I will do is ensure that the objects my villains were able to obtain are secured. If I can ensure that, I don’t have anything to fear. And to ensure my victory, I will put some surprises on their way.”

And he chuckled evilly…