Chapter 20: Generosity
Element and Bearer together create a kind of circuit. Energy flows between the two, from Element to Bearer and from Bearer to Element. This is not precisely analogous to electrical or magical current, and the metaphor will break down, but for simplicity’s sake I will continue using it.
The energy that flows in this circuit is generated both in the Element itself and in the Bearer, and can be characterized as self-feeding. As the Bearer increases the amount of energy they put into the circuit, the Element will naturally increase its own energy output to match. Since the Bearer gains the energy the Element gives them, they then have more to put into their end of the circuit, causing the Element to increase its output, and so on. In such a way a Bearer and their Element can generate enormous amounts of power. This power is then used for the Activated abilities that the Element grants its Bearer.
This is not an automatic process on the Bearer’s side. They must put effort and will into increasing their own energy contribution, though they need not be precisely aware that this is what they are doing. Normally this is not a problem, the Bearer only increases their energy output when they need to accomplish something. The danger is if the Element increases its own output without a corresponding increase from the Bearer. In this case the energy the Bearer is receiving is not equivalent to what they are outputting. The energy builds in their system without release and will eventually cause serious issues for the Bearer.
This is a danger because the Elements are not stable power sources. They fluctuate randomly, and sometimes to great degrees. Worse yet, after these fluctuations they do not return to their original baseline, but to a new level that is invariably at a higher energy output than they were before. Thus the burden on the Bearer will only ever increase with time.
-From the fifth section of Harmony Theory by Twilight Sparkle
Chapter Twenty: Generosity
Twinkle Shine strode down the palace hallway, nodding to guards and courtiers as she passed by. She didn’t pay much attention to them, though. She was occupied with mentally preparing herself for the coming conversation with the King. She needed to get away from him and her palace duties to find Rainbow Dash and Applejack, but with tensions on each side of the Storm skyrocketing, and all the other crises that had dropped on them recently, she knew the King would be reluctant to let her go for any length of time. As such, it was critical that she be able to convince him that it was necessary.
And it was necessary. She had a plan, and if it all went well then she would be solving several problems at once.
She came up to the King's private study, nodding to the two Griffins flanking the door. "Do I need to be announced?" she asked them.
One of the Griffins speared her with his gaze. Had she been a courtier or servant he probably would have frisked her for weapons, but as chief advisor to the Crown she wore no clothing, and couldn't conceal so much as a penknife. Besides, her horn was the most dangerous weapon she could wield, and he couldn't take that from her easily or safely. "No, his Majesty has instructed that you are to be let in immediately."
Twinkle Shine quirked an eyebrow. "Is the Queen with him?"
"No, but Prince Stature is currently in audience."
"Regal?" Twinkle Shine thought about that for a moment. Then she thanked the guard and entered the study.
She heard the King's voice as soon as the door was open. He sounded excited, almost gleeful. "You must spend more time with her," he was saying. "I'm ashamed I haven't provided this opportunity earlier."
The study was actually a suite of rooms, each connected via open archways. Books, maps and the trophies of past royals decorated the walls. Several comfortable chairs and a pair of writing desks were scattered throughout the first room, each with an attendant floor lamp so the King could read at his leisure any time of the day or night. She moved past them, heading towards the adjoining room that she heard the voices coming from.
"Of course, father," Regal replied. He sounded much as his father did, though his voice had not yet fully deepened. Twinkle Shine imagined that once he was fully grown it would be impossible to tell the two apart by sound alone. "I am quite looking forward to spending more time with her. She is the pre-eminent Magic Talent of our times, after all."
"She's more than that, Regal," the King admonished. "She's to be your mother-in-law. Trust me when I say that makes her much more important to you than what her Talent is."
"You would know, your majesty," Twinkle Shine said as she entered the room. This one was traditionally referred to as the smoking room, though no royal had smoked for generations. A billiards table had been set up in the middle of it, and father and son had apparently been enjoying a friendly game, their cues floating in the glow of their magic by their sides. "If I recall, your mother-in-law put you to quite the gruelling test when you accepted your wife's proposal."
"As I recall, dear Professor, it was thanks to you that I eventually passed that 'test'," the King said, smiling widely. "It pleases me greatly to see you looking hale again. After the last week I was worried there would always be bags under your eyes."
"Your wife was quite insistent that I rest," Twinkle Shine said. "And, as always, I am at the service of the Crown." She turned to the Prince, bowing slightly. "Your Highness. It's good to see you again, and I will be quite pleased to get to know you better."
"Professor, are you coming around finally?" the King asked.
"Hardly so," Twinkle Shine replied. "I just know when to accept what will be. And besides, I have many other reasons to want to know this fine young stallion."
"Professor!" the prince said, his own smile sheepish, but just as wide as that of his sire. "Would you like to join us in a game?" He gestured towards the table. Regal Stature was taller than his father, though still gangly with youth and several years from filling out to his muscular potential. His coat was a subtle shade of blue that looked white until he was out in the sun, at which point he gleamed like a gem. His mane was a thick and wild tangle of blue and purple curls that had frustrated many a royal stylist over the years. His horn was a beautiful spiral that darkened to a midnight blue towards its tip, just as the feathers on his wings darkened towards their trailing edge. A pair of amethyst eyes and a Glyph of three blue stars completed the look that had likely driven many a royal-obsessed filly to swoon at every picture of him that appeared in papers and on television. He was, in short, a handsome stallion even by the high standards of the royal family, and sure to become more so as time added age and wisdom to him.
The King laughed. "My son, a piece of advice: never play the Professor in any sort of game where she can use her magic or her mind. She will beat you every time."
"And I'm afraid I have urgent matters to discuss with your father," Twinkle Shine added. "Though I'll be sure to give you a chance to test his opinion of me at a later time."
"Ah, straight to business," the King sighed. "Very well, has there been any word from Gamma? No, Regal, stay," he called to his son as the Prince went to leave. "You are old enough to participate, and you must know of what is happening in our Kingdom if you are to one day rule it."
Twinkle Shine kept herself from narrowing her eyes with the practice of long years. Regal, however, was caught off guard, his mouth hanging open for a long moment before he closed it with an audible click. "Of course, father. Thank you."
"Good. Professor, continue."
"Gamma has reported from Precious Corners," Twinkle Shine began, careful to show no sign that the King's statement had unnerved her in any way. Regal Stature was third in line for the throne, after his elder sister and brother. Both of whom had proven themselves able statesponies and capable commanders. What the King had just done was tantamount to leapfrogging his youngest over their heads. Civil wars had started over less. "She says that there was definitely a Changeling there, but also that there is evidence of a third party causing most of the disturbance. She suspects Max Cash, and apparently has evidence to support it. Not solid evidence, but enough to convince her."
The King mused on this for a moment, his expression turning to a pensive frown. "But she is certain there was a Changeling?" Twinkle Shine nodded. "Then this is still an attack on our Kingdom by the Republics," he declared. "One they must answer for."
"I advise caution, your Majesty," Twinkle Shine said. "The Changeling could be working for Cash, or there could be something else at work that we do not see. We should not take it as carte blanche to start making rash decisions."
"Decisions such as invading the nightlands?" the King asked with a wry smile.
"Exactly those decisions, yes," Twinkle Shine replied.
"Ha! You are becoming predictable, Professor," the King said with a renewed grin. "Or is this just you and Aqua trying to counterbalance my hot head?"
"I would think it's a bit of both, your Majesty," Twinkle Shine allowed.
"Well, fear not. I am reaching the end of my patience with the Republics and their Senate, but patience is something a true ruler must cultivate even when it aggravates him to do so. Remember that, Regal. War is always the harshest of choices, never resort to it quickly or easily."
"I will, father," the Prince dutifully replied, though his eyes held a question directed at the Professor.
She couldn't parse that question out, so she ignored it for the moment. "Gamma is going to be in Precious Corners for the next two days. After that she will be taking the transport north to pick up my student and our, ah, visitors."
"You mean the heroes come back from the dead?" Regal Stature asked, eyes wide and eager.
Twinkle Shine was slightly taken aback by the prince's knowledge, and his lack of discretion with the news, but she was far too good at the courtiers’ game to let it show. "Yes. And, actually, what I really wanted to discuss deals with them."
"Professor, have you been continuing your research into them?" the King asked. She nodded slowly. "Aqua told me that was the cause of your collapse. I cannot afford to lose you, and I cannot allow you to continue any line of inquiry that would leave you so injured."
"I am not pursuing the source of their magic," Twinkle Shine assured him. "I know that door is closed to me. Instead, I have been taking a more tangential approach. I believe I have found something which will finally lead to some answers."
"You have? Wonderful news. Quickly, tell us what you have found! I am eager to know more about our returned heroes."
Twinkle Shine nodded. "As you wish, your Majesty. In the spare time I've had over the past few days I have been researching these 'Elements of Harmony' that the, ah, heroes speak of. There are no references to them, or to the heroes ever wielding something like them. I've scoured the palace library, as well as the one at the university, and have come up blank."
"Yes, you told me about your difficulties before," the King mused. "But now you've found something?"
"Not directly. I was thinking on some things that Rainbow Dash said when I was examining her. She mentioned that she used these Elements against Nightmare Moon. Exhausting any search for the Elements directly, I have begun looking for oblique references, and I believe I have found one in the story of Nightmare Moon."
"I don't remember that story very well," the King said, tapping a hoof on his chin. "Regal, do you know it?"
"I do," the Prince said. His voice took on an almost lecturing tone that was would have been wholly alien to his father, but somehow worked for him. "I've been studying the lives of the heroes since you told me they had returned, and this story is mentioned a few times. Nightmare Moon was an ancient spirit of evil, a creature of the night who would travel the lands once Celestia's light was hidden and devour lost children or the unwary. It is said that she hated the day, and that she sought to usurp the sky and bring about an eternal night where she could roam and feed without fear of the cleansing sun."
"What the legends about her do not usually say is that she was supposedly defeated by the heroes. The first of many evils they faced," Twinkle Shine pointed out. "Twilight Sparkle rarely talks about what happened in her writings, but whenever she mentions Nightmare Moon it is in the past tense, as a creature who no longer exists. What we can be sure of is that this incident is what took six disparate ponies and forged them into a team of heroes who would be credited with saving Equestria and the world time and time again. This is what is known. What interests me is that Rainbow Dash spoke of Nightmare Moon, and said that she had been an Alicorn. A Goddess they defeated with the Elements of Harmony."
"Fascinating," the King said. "But what have you found, Professor? What has excited you about this?"
"I don't know yet, your majesty. What I do know is that this opens a line of inquiry for me. We don't have wide stores of old legends like that here. A Pre-Schism relic of a tale even less. But Nightmare Moon? I know a place that has a comprehensive set of tales concerning her."
"The Temple of Luna!" Prince Stature cried out. "They've been collecting tales about creatures of the night for hundreds of years!"
"Exactly," Twinkle Shine said. "I got a message to them earlier, and they confirmed it. They have ten volumes of legends concerning Nightmare Moon, and other creatures that are probably the same being under different names."
"Will these be useful to you?" the King asked.
"Absolutely," Twinkle Shine replied, filling her voice with as much conviction as she could manage without seeming cartoonish. This was the crux of it. She needed him to accept this part for her plan to work. "Not only are these important to my search for the Elements of Harmony and the truth of these returned heroes, but if Nightmare Moon truly was an Alicorn then she might be connected to the Destroyer. The secret to combating the Shadowed Alicorn might be there, under our noses this whole time."
The gleam in his eye told her she'd hooked him. "Truly? You have found her weakness?"
"No," she said. "Nothing is for sure yet, but I must get those volumes. I must learn everything I can from them."
"Excellent. When will they arrive?" The King leaned over the billiards table, heedlessly knocking a few of the balls out of position.
"That's the problem, your Majesty," Twinkle Shine said, twisting her features into frustration. "Some of these volumes are ancient. Too old for transport. They refuse to part with any of them."
"They believe they have a choice?" the King scoffed.
"Your Majesty! We cannot send soldiers to the Temple of Luna!" Twinkle Shine snapped. "Not unless we want to declare war immediately and anger our own people in the bargain!" She glared at him, letting him see a hint of the Nightmare's anger in her eyes. He pulled back immediately, surprised and, she could see, a little frightened. "For Celestia's sake, it's a monastery! A monastery dedicated to the worship of the sister that she loved! What would your divine ancestor think of you sending soldiers to steal their books?"
The King backed off, dipping his head. "Of course," he said, suddenly sounding weary. "We spoke rashly. Remember this, too, Regal. Even a king has his limits, and lines he is not allowed to cross."
"I will remember, father," Regal replied, his own voice solemnly quiet.
"I have to go to them," Twinkle Shine said. "A couple days, no more."
"I need you here, Professor."
"I need to see those books, your Majesty."
For a long moment there was silence in the room, then the Prince spoke. "Father, the Professor is right. She needs to see those books."
"We are on the verge of war, son."
"But not over it," Regal reminded him. "A few days. How many? Two? Three?"
"Four," she said, pleased with how the Prince was aiding her. "A day there, two to study the texts and copy as much as I can, then one back."
"Four days," the King sighed. "In four days the world can change completely."
"I know," Twinkle Shine said. "But if you refrain from those rash decisions we spoke of earlier, then you should be able to hold out."
The King smiled. "You're just doing this to force me to keep my temper, aren't you? You know I could never make the decision to go to war without your counsel, Professor."
"Well, I guess you've caught on to my diabolical plan," Twinkle Shine said with an answering smile. "Besides," she said, letting the smile become resigned. "Isn't there a wedding to plan?"
The King's eyes brightened immediately and his head came up. "Quite so. Quite so. I imagine you'll want to leave soon?"
"Immediately," Twinkle Shine confirmed.
The King walked around the table and quite unexpectedly enfolded her in an embrace. Twinkle Shine didn't know how to react, though the tickle of his wings as they wrapped around her brought up old memories. "Thank you, Twinkle," he whispered. "I know it isn't easy, but it will all be well. I assure you of that." He released her and stepped back. "Celestia's light travel with you, Professor. Be safe."
"Good journey, Professor," the Prince joined in.
"Thank you, your Highness, your Majesty," she bowed to each one in turn. "I will not let you down."
With that she left the royal study and made her way out of the palace. That had gone much better than she had expected, the Prince had helped her immensely.
Perfect, the Nightmare spoke in her thoughts, her voice as loud as close thunder and as soft as a lover's whisper. All Obstacles Have Been Removed.
"Yes," Twinkle Shine agreed aloud, though she kept her own voice quiet. "It's coming together just like I said it would." She took a steadying breath and looked towards the sun. It was the same as it always had been, as she assumed it always would be. She looked away, instead turning her gaze to the north, where Spike's lair waited. "Hold on, my little Fallen Star. It will all be over soon."
***
Star Fall stumbled as she set her hooves back on the solid earth. Her breath came in long, gasping pants as she settled into a clipped half-trot that let her rest her aching flight muscles without breaking her forward motion. The other option for her would be falling down, and if she did that she knew she wasn't going to be getting up any time soon.
Dash dropped to the ground next to her, a frown of concern on her face. "You okay, Star?"
Star Fall shook her head. "Too much," she managed to gasp out. "Can't keep flying." A flash of annoyance soured Dash's concerned expression, her eyes going to the mountains that rose high in front of them. Star Fall followed her gaze, squinting in the midday light, and saw the shape of the path which led to the plateau that Spike had made his doorstep. Having seen no evidence of Cash or any of his people this close to the mountains, she was fairly certain Spike was safe. Fairly certain, but not completely. "We're almost there."
Dash took a moment to respond, but finally gave a curt nod. "Yeah, nearly there. Okay. Take it easy, it's no good if you're too tired to use your magic when we get there." Star Fall didn't say anything to that, preferring to catch her breath and work on ignoring the burn in her wings.
They had been travelling for four days now, moving at a punishing pace that had left Star Fall with very little in the way of energy reserves. Worse than that, though, was the knowledge that her two companions were barely breaking a sweat. Applejack was matching, sometimes exceeding, Star Fall's flying pace, and doing so with an ease that was humbling. Dash was even worse, casually shooting ahead by a hundred miles or more on 'scouting missions' that did nothing but remind Star Fall that they were under a time limit that she was just not equipped to meet. Still, she had persevered, and done damn well for a pony who wasn't super-powerful. She wasn't setting any records for long-distance flight, but she had certainly surpassed her own expectations by far.
Unfortunately, there were still some limits that couldn't be overcome, and she'd come up hard against those now. She couldn't even fold her wings down, they were so sore. Her legs weren't much better, suffering from being held for long hours as close to her body as possible for aerodynamic purposes, but they could at least move. Exhaustion was like a lead blanket draped over her, so heavy that she barely noticed the weight of her saddlebags bouncing at her flanks.
"Y'all okay?" Applejack called, and Star Fall looked up to see the farmer ahead of them. She hadn't noticed Applejack passing her, and the sight of the earth pony coming back to them threw her so off that for a moment she wondered if she was the one who had turned around.
"Star's hit the wall," Dash said. She lifted one wing and began to fan air over her fellow pegasus. Star Fall moaned at the sensation, she hadn't realized how hot she had been feeling.
"Dang," Applejack said, giving Star Fall a sympathetic smile as she settled in beside her. "You kept up real well. Why don't we take a breather here and we can keep goin' in a couple of hours?"
Star Fall shook her head. "We're close," she mumbled. Her breath was coming back to her, but now she was becoming aware of all the other aches and problems that were plaguing her travel-numbed body. She needed a drink. She reached for her saddlebag, but her half-extended wing was in the way and refused to move aside. She sighed and turned back to the mountains, giving up on trying.
"Here ya go," Applejack said, and Star Fall looked up to see a canteen being offered to her, cap already unscrewed. She took it and began drinking greedily. "Whoa, there," Applejack said, laughing. "Not too much at once, now."
Star Fall lowered the canteen, berating herself for forgetting one of the basics of rehydrating after a long span of physical exertion. "Sorry," she said, giving the canteen back to Applejack. "My head's kind of mushy right now."
"No apologies, now," Applejack chastised. "You done good. You say we're close?"
Star Fall nodded. "That mountain, at the end of that path," she pointed her nose to the closest peak. "That's where Spike lives."
"Sweet!" Dash cried, lifting into the air.
"No goin' ahead," Applejack warned.
"But I wasn't–" Applejack's glare silenced Dash's complaint. "Fine. I was just going to get a closer look."
"Wards," Star Fall said. "He already knows that there are ponies headed his direction. He'd know you came close then turned back. It would make him suspicious. He might not be too friendly if that happened."
Dash shrugged, but accepted the wisdom of the decision. They plodded on in silence for a while, Star Fall guiding them towards a faint path that began to twist up the lower slopes of Spike's mountain home. By the time they were hitting the second switchback she had her wings fully folded and was feeling a lot better about the whole moving thing.
"So you lived with him for a bit?" Applejack asked. "Spike, I mean."
Star Fall nodded. "He and Twinkle Shine are old friends. He taught her, too. She decided to continue the tradition and sent me to live with him for a year." She smiled as the memories came to her. "That was a tough year. Good, but tough."
"What? Did Spike turn into a hardcase or something?" Dash asked.
Star Fall laughed. "No. He just expects a lot from any student sent to him. He's not very strict or overbearing or anything like that, he just expects you to perform up to his standard, and gets really, really sarcastic when you don't."
Applejack snorted. "Okay, that bit sounds like Spike."
"He annoyed the hell out of me sometimes," Star Fall admitted. "For a while there it was like everything I did earned me a snark-filled quip. But that wasn't all he was doing. I didn't realize it at first, but he was also giving advice, providing support when I needed it and motivation to do better. About two months in I realized that he wasn't trying to be my teacher, not like all the professors and tutors I'd ever had before. He was trying to be my friend. He wanted me to get better, to be better, and he wanted me to do it without being forced or dictated to."
"Sound's like he succeeded," Applejack said.
Star Fall gave her a grin. "Thank you. Anyways, after that epiphany things went a lot more smoothly between us. He taught me a lot. About history, about magic, about languages. He's the one that taught me Old Equestrian. He actually knows about as much of magical theory as the Professor, maybe even more, though he can't put it into practice like she can. He helped me refine my spellcasting, and even showed me a better way to channel my magic into enhancing my pegasus abilities. I owe a lot to him."
"Well, I for one am glad that he didn't turn out to be a giant, greedy monster," Dash said.
Applejack shot Dash an annoyed look, but Star Fall giggled at the absurdity of the notion. "Of course not," she said. "Spike's probably one of the most generous souls on both sides of the Storm." She frowned as a new thought hit her. "Do you think that might be because of the Element? He could have had it in his cave since the Schism."
Dash shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe."
"No, I think Spike got that way all on his own," Applejack said. "Having the Elements didn't change us none, and I don't think it'd do anythin' to someone not even usin' it."
"It was just a thought," Star Fall said, looking up the path. "We're almost there. Look!" She pointed a hoof up the path. About a hundred feet above them the switchback path came to a plateau, and in the lead-up to that the mountain changed from the rugged natural terrain to artfully sculpted stone. Rough angles became smooth curves, dark stone was run through with glittering veins of polished metals, little rivers of light spreading like vines down from the plateau. Trees and scrub plants were placed at precise, carefully chosen intervals and beds of flowers lined the path, nestled in stone gardens that blended with their surroundings in a way that could be mistaken for natural at a distance.
It was beautiful, and the closer they got to the end of the path the more clearly sculpted the mountain became. Finally they cleared the top, and the three ponies couldn't help but stop and stare.
The plateau was tiled in colorful marble, red for the places to walk and swirls of other colors to accent the works were displayed, for this courtyard was also an artist's gallery. Statues both grand and humble were placed throughout the wide space, each placed just so that it could be seen clearly from the end of the path. The subjects of the statues were varied. Most were of ponies of the various tribes, some even of specific individuals, the great generals and thinkers of the past. Others were more abstract, or representative. There was even a stone orrery that spun with barely perceptible slowness to one side, keeping time almost as well as any clock.
The center of the courtyard was dominated by a tiered, pyramidal fountain. Each tier of the fountain held hundreds of small statues of ponies, Zebras, Dogs, and Griffins, all standing in joyful and triumphant poses, the water of the fountain flowing in glistening rivers between them. Star Fall even spotted the Changeling statue, half-transformed and grinning slyly, hidden amongst a group of revelling ponies. At the top level of the fountain stood a pair of Alicorn figures, Celestia and Luna, their wings wide but their heads turned down towards the many beings under their watchful gaze.
Star Fall smiled. She'd spent a lot of time sitting by that fountain, examining the thousands of figures that adorned it. She'd been told that there was a figure on that fountain for every friend Spike had known and lost in his long life. She found herself wondering which ones were figures for Dash and Applejack.
Beyond the fountain the red marble path led to a pair of massive doors carved with the image of a large, asymmetrical tree. Star Fall realized with a start that the tree was the same she had seen in Ponyville, at the center of the Everstorm. The Golden Oak library. The recognition left her with an odd feeling, like she had taken a peek into a friend's diary without permission.
"Wow," Dash said, staring wide-eyed at everything around her.
"Is this... Did Spike do all of this?" Applejack asked.
Star Fall nodded. "He's an artist. Maybe the greatest of the classic sculptors. My art history textbooks certainly seemed to think so."
"Sculpture," Applejack shook her head. "Well... I don't know what I was expectin' him to get into once he was grown, but this wasn't even on the list."
"Wow," Dash said again. "Yeah, this is pretty cool."
Star Fall shook off the wonder that seeing Spike's gallery always brought on and started towards the door. "Come on, we should get the, um, reintroductions started."
Dash and Applejack stared at the many statues that surrounded them as they approached the door. Star Fall could barely stop herself from doing the same. It had been a couple years since she had last visited, but she knew that not all the statues were in the same places, and she was curious as to what new pieces had joined the gallery.
The doors loomed before them, though when Dash looked at them it was with a confused frown. Star Fall didn't question it right then, too focused on what was next. She knocked on the door, barely more than a couple hoof taps. She wasn't trying to get Spike's attention, he already knew that he had guests. If he was going to answer, he'd be waiting.
The sound of tinkling bells playing a happy little tune came from a crystal set into the stonework above the door. Star Fall swore under her breath, Spike wasn't going to answer. Spike's voice, made a little tinny by the magic-charged crystal recording, spoke to them in all-too-upbeat tone.
"Welcome to my lair! I'm sorry, but I'm unable to answer the door right away, and it might be several hours before I am able to attend to you. If you would like to wait, I invite you to enjoy my outdoor gallery. The fountain water is quite drinkable and the flowers are very tasty, so please feel free to use them as refreshments. If you would rather not wait, please leave a message with a forwarding address and your reason for coming so I can get back to you at a later date. Please note that I'm not accepting new commissions right now."
Star Fall sighed. "Great, he's working."
"He just leaves guests standin' at his doorstep?" Applejack asked, frowning.
"He's an artist, and a thousand year old Dragon," Star Fall explained. "He gets lost in his projects, doesn't like to stop in the middle of working on one. He's probably in his studio right now, carving another masterpiece."
"So, what do we do now?" Dash asked. "Wait around for him to get off his scaly butt and see who's at the door?"
Star Fall put her hoof on the door and closed her eyes. "Knock louder." She focused her magic into the door. She didn't have a lot of energy left after her long flight, but there was more than enough to accomplish what she wanted. Lines of crimson light stretched across the door, flowing through channels etched into the metal and making the tree design appear as if it were on fire. With a heavy thunk the locks opened and the great doors swung open, revealing the well-lit hallway beyond.
Applejack whistled. "Fancy."
"Wait, you could open the door all along?" Dash asked.
Star Fall took a deep breath, and nodded. "He gets his students to rebuild his security as a project. When I did it, I built myself a key."
"Does he know you've got this key?" Applejack asked.
"He does," Star Fall assured her. "And he knows that I just used it. Come on. He'll be expecting us soon."
***
Dash looked around as they stepped into Spike's lair. It wasn't what she had been expecting. For one, this wasn't really a cave. This was a mansion that just happened to be carved out of a mountain. The floors were polished, the walls carved to look like brickwork, and the ceilings arched and decorated with leafy patterns. Crystals set into the wall lit up as they approached, providing a warm white light. The place screamed class, and she didn't doubt for a moment that Spike had personally carved every nook and cranny of it.
The initial hallway had a room immediately to the right that Star Fall bypassed without even a look. Curious, Dash poked her head in, only to find that it was a large closet that seemed to be well kept, but empty. She shrugged and continued on. The hallway extended a ways into the mountain before coming to a wide, domed room where large crystal lights shone down on a library. Dash and Applejack stopped in their tracks, looking around in interest.
The library was ringed in shelves, and even more were arranged in a broken circle around the center of the room, where a wide, round table sat. A statue of Celestia raising the sun stood atop that table, reminding Dash of nothing so much as the bust that had sat at the center of another library, a long time ago. Cushions were strewn about, most of them large and plump.
It was all very grand, but Dash had the niggling feeling that she was missing something important. It was grand, but it wasn't big. This was all pony-sized stuff, and for Spike's home she had been expecting something much, much larger.
"Spike's, like, normal, right? For a Dragon, I mean." Dash asked as she hurried to catch up to the other pegasus as she wended her way through the library.
"Hardly," Star Fall said, not slowing down. "He's one of the oldest, most powerful Dragons alive today. Most of them died in the schism, remember? More than that, more than being a link to the world before the Storm, he's been a friend to the Crown since the Kingdom's inception. He helped find a way to preserve all Dragons. He's the most respected of his kind, they all look up to him. Spike is... well, he's Spike. He doesn't like to get involved in politics so he's not a household name or anything, but in the halls of power he's still about as famous as a Dragon gets."
"No, I meant..." Dash shook her head. "Never mind. I don't know what I meant."
"So, where are we headed?" Applejack asked. "This place looks pretty darn big."
"Up," Star Fall said. "If Spike's working, he'll be in his studio. And since my legs and wings are killing me, we'll take the easy way." She pointed to a small room that stood open in the wall. Dash took only a moment to realize that it was an elevator. They piled into the car, which was spacious enough that it could have fit a dozen ponies comfortably. Star Fall pressed down on one of the crystals in the wall and the doors slid shut as it began to rise. She turned to Dash. "How about elevators? Future enough?"
"Seen 'em," Dash said.
Star Fall rolled her eyes, turning to Applejack. "How about you? Don't you think elevators are just really cool?"
Applejack gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry. We had elevators since before I was born. I didn't see one 'till I ran away to Manehattan as a filly, mind, but they were there all the same. Nothin' quite this fancy, if that makes you feel any better."
"There is no justice," Star Fall sighed.
"The airship was awesome," Dash volunteered.
"I will agree to that," Applejack said.
"Futures are supposed to be cool and different," Star Fall griped. "Not exactly the same a thousand years later."
"Trust me, sugarcube," Applejack said. "This ain't nothin’ like our time."
Before Star Fall could respond the elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open on Spike's studio. Applejack and Star Fall shivered as the chill from the room beyond made their breath mist in the air. The room was a wide open, curved space. They were high up in the mountain now and the outer wall of the studio was a long glass window that showed a breathtaking view of the mountain range beyond. Blocks of stone both large and small were scattered across the room, some in the process of being shaped into statues, with figures emerging from them like a pony caught halfway through leaping out of water. Cloth hung from the ceiling in sheets. Some of it was blank, but others were adorned with detailed images, plans for the statues that had yet to be completed.
Amidst all of this, a Dragon sat with his back to them, a block of stone the size of a large dog in his claws. As they stepped out of the elevator the Dragon inhaled deeply and breathed a pencil-thin stream of green fire onto the stone. He turned the stone this way and that, and to Dash's wonder she saw that the fire was stripping away layers of the stone, letting a shape quickly form, like a wax figure melting in reverse. The three ponies stepped closer, and Rainbow Dash got her first good look at Spike in over a thousand years.
Spike had changed, but he wasn't what Dash had expected. He looked practically nothing like the Spike she remembered, and certainly not like the monster he had turned into on his birthday. There were similarities, of course, he was still purple and green, but to Dash's eyes he might as well have been a completely different Dragon. His body was long and tightly muscled, his tail stretching out even longer and curled around him as he sat. A line of hard, dark green ridges ran from the back of his head to the tip of his tail. His foreclaws had long and flexible fingers that were tipped with bone-white talons that gleamed clean and sharp in the emerald light of his fire. His head was long and wedge-shaped, set at the end of a graceful neck. Instead of the brutish look that other Dragons had sported, Spike's features were sharp and elegant. A pair of horns swept back from his head, and when he paused in his work to examine the stone Dash was struck by the thought that the horns almost looked like a crown. For that was the overall impression of the Dragon that stood before them. Spike had grown from a baby into a truly regal creature, a noble wyrm.
Yet for all of the changes that Dash saw, it was the one that she didn't see that brought her up short. Rather, it was the one she didn't see enough of. He was small. Not the same size as he had been as a baby – sitting on his haunches like this his head rose to more than twice Dash's height – but compared to the behemoth she had been expecting, he was almost childlike.
"You know, most ponies write ahead if they're going to visit," Spike said. His voice was deep, smooth and resonant. Dash could still hear the baby Dragon she had known in it, though. It was something in the tone, in the way it travelled, that made her believe it could still chortle in the way the Spike she remembered always had. "But I'm always happy when my number one assistant drops by." The switch to Old Equestrian made him sound even more like his childhood self. "Assuming that you kept up with your languages, of course. Give me a minute to finish this up and I'll give you a hug and your friends a tour."
"Spike," Star Fall said, stepping forward. "This is important."
He stopped contemplating his half-finished statue, his head coming up. "Important?" He repeated. Then, with careful slowness he set his unfinished sculpture down and turned to face them. His eyes were just like Dash remembered them. Brilliant green with serpentine-slit pupils, but filled with warm joy and life. Looking into those eyes dispelled any doubt that this was her friend. His gaze slid over her and Applejack towards Star Fall, then he did a double-take, his eyes widening and his jaw dropping open. "Wha?"
"Spike," Star Fall said, her voice deadly serious. "I know you're not going to believe this, but–"
"AJ?" Spike said, not hearing Star Fall's words at all. "Dash?"
"Hey, Spike," Dash said, shrinking a bit from the look in his eyes. "Uh, long time no see?"
He sucked in a deep breath, visibly shaking off his shock at the sight of the two ponies from the past. His gaze snapped to Star Fall. "What is this?" He demanded. His voice wasn't angry, but it was intense, like it teetered on the edge of several different emotions at once and didn't know which way to fall.
"Exactly what it looks like," Star Fall replied. "This is Rainbow Dash and Applejack."
"That's impossible." The assertion had certainty behind it. Conviction.
"But it happened," Star Fall said.
"Now, Spike," Applejack said, and his eyes flashed to her, pupils shrunk down to almost invisible slits. "I know this looks mighty strange. I don't blame you for bein' suspicious. But I promise you, we ain't foolin' you here."
"Prove it," he growled.
"Remember when you first came to Ponyville? You and Twilight were makin' sure all the festivities were ready for the Summer Sun celebration?" Spike nodded. "Well, when y'all came to Sweet Apple Acres I was doin' a bit of last-minute applebuckin'."
Spike paused, his green brows coming down in a hard frown. "Go on."
"Well, the Apple clan was havin' a bit of a reunion and when we heard y'all were on a mission from the Princess we got Twilight to sample at least one of every one of our specialty Apple-family dishes. Though, when I say 'we', I'm pretty sure it was Apple Bloom's big eyes that did the trick."
Spike's frown faded, but he still didn't look convinced. "Come on, Spike," Dash said, catching his attention. "It's us. You know us."
"I knew Rainbow Dash a thousand years ago," Spike said. "And when I last saw her she didn't look like you."
"Well, yeah, I apparently got old and died or something," Dash said, rolling her eyes. "But this is prime-of-her-life me. Want me to prove it? Because I've been flying really slow for days and I am so ready for a race."
Spike snorted. Just a little laugh, but it was enough to dispel the tension that had been building in the studio. "You've got the attitudes, that's for sure." He shook his head, then crossed the room. He walked on all fours, though Dash would never describe the gait as being like a pony's, and while his foreclaws seemed delicate when handling the stone they just looked powerful and deadly as he strode up to them. "Star Fall, I can see why you'd bring them here, but I don't like this. I want to know everything that led you to them. From the beginning until now."
"There's something we have to do first," Star Fall said. "We came here because you might be in danger, Spike."
"Danger?" He cocked an eyeridge at that. "What kind of danger?"
"There's a pony named Max Cash," Star Fall said. "He's very powerful and very dangerous and I think he's coming here."
"Cash. I know that name," Spike said, frowning again. "He's an art collector from the nightlands. He's bought a lot of my work. Why would he want to hurt me?"
"I don't know if he wants to hurt you, but he won't hesitate to do so," Star Fall said. "I think he wants something you have. Something he will kill for."
"I admit, some of my stuff is pretty overpriced," Spike said. "But I don't think any of it's worth killing over."
"Not even Generosity?"
Spike froze, his eyes wide and shocked once more. "What did you say?"
"Generosity," Star Fall repeated. "The statue in your back cave, the one you never put on display. I know you have it. Do you remember it?"
"Of course I do," Spike said, shaking his head. "But how would Cash know about it? It's not like I ever advertised it. It's not like it's important either, just a piece of history I don't want to part with."
"Spike," Applejack said, reaching out to him. "It's okay. You don't have to protect it from us."
"Yeah, it's not the statue that he's interested in anyway," Dash said. "But Star says it's got the Element of Generosity on it, and that's what Cash is going for."
"What do you know about the Elements?" Spike snapped, rage burying all traces of her friend in his voice as he rounded on Dash, rising to loom above her with licks of fire escaping from his mouth and nose. Applejack pulled back as if she'd been burned, and Star Fall stared at Spike in shock, like he had slapped her.
Rainbow Dash was shocked by the sudden turn in the Dragon, but she was no mare to be that easily frightened. She stared Spike in the eye and smirked. "Plenty. Element of Loyalty, remember?" Spike growled, the sound low enough that Dash felt it more than heard it. She scoffed and flashed Spike a cocky grin. "Come on, you remember me. I'm Rainbow Dash! Fastest pegasus in Equestria! You want to get tough with me, mister? Fine, but remember that I'm two-for-two against the forces of cosmic evil, and I've faced down bigger Dragons than you." Spike glared at her, but the fire was fading from his eyes.
Dash switched tack, her tone becoming pleading. "I know it's been a thousand years, Spike, but to me it was, like, a month and a half. The last time I saw you, you were taking care of that phoenix baby you got during the Dragon Migration. I still remember that Spike, and I can still see him when I look at you. He was a lot smaller, and a lot goofier, but he was my friend. I'm counting on you to still be my friend, Spike. We need you, here. This is big, crazy stuff, and you are, like, the only person who knew us from back where we came from. We need you." She held out her hoof. "Come on, man. Don't leave me hanging."
Spike stared at her for a long moment before letting out a heavy breath, curling his claw into a fist and bumping it against her hoof. "For the record," he said. "It was knowing about Peewee that convinced me."
"Peewee?" Applejack asked.
"After your time," Dash replied, then paused with a bemused expression on her face. "Wow, is saying that a weird feeling or what."
"Can't be any worse than bein' on the receivin' end," Applejack sighed.
"Tell me about it," Dash said. "The future is crazy."
"You know about the Elements," Star Fall said, ignoring her fellow ponies.
"Yeah," Spike confirmed with a sad nod. "But you shouldn't. No one should."
"I told her," Dash volunteered. "She didn't know before that." Her face fell. "But Cash knows. He's got the Element of Loyalty, Spike. He used it on me. He's done something to it. I don't know what, but it's gone bad."
Spike stiffened again, then visibly forced himself to relax. His draconic face, as expressive as any pony's, showed his turmoil. Finally he came to a decision and his features relaxed into resigned worry. "Huh. Well, that's not good," he said, shaking his head. "Come on."
"Where are we going?" Star Fall asked.
"Exactly where you want to go," Spike said. "To Generosity. I figure it's as good a place as any to have a conversation, because, believe me, we all have a lot to talk about."
***
This part of Spike's lair was rough-hewn stone. Clearly it was a natural cavern that he had smoothed out over the centuries, but hadn't found important enough to perfectly finish like he had the rest of his cave. The cavern was being used as storage, with boxes and crates labelled and stacked in neat rows between large blocks of stone waiting to be turned into something. Dash couldn't read most of the labels, of course, but some of them were in Old Equestrian, and those boasted of an entire barrel of sapphires, or a box of gold. She snuck a peek in one of the barrels and found it full of a fine blue powder that smelled of chalk.
Beyond the rows of stored materials, almost hidden in a back corner of the room, was Generosity. Once she saw that, all her curiosity about the rest of the room's contents vanished. The statue stood on a low plinth, and was life-sized and almost perfectly life-like. It was Rarity, exactly as Dash remembered her. The statue was made of a pure white stone that almost glowed under the storeroom lights and the hair was streaked with veins of amethyst, tinting it to a perfect shade of purple. It stood in an elegant pose, one of Rarity's favourites, with one foreleg raised and her head held high and straight. The cutie-mark was three blue gemstones that Dash just knew would be diamonds. It was so perfect that it almost seemed like the statue was a breath away from moving and speaking.
It was the eyes that dispelled the illusion. They were as beautiful as the rest, made with sapphires and blackest obsidian, but they were just stone.
Around the statue's neck gleamed a golden necklace with a purple diamond gemstone. The Element of Generosity.
Star Fall sucked in an awed breath as she gazed at the statue. "It's like I'm seeing it for the first time," she said.
"Well, I know I definitely am," Applejack said. "And, Spike? This is some darn good work."
"Thank you," Spike said. "You should have seen yours."
"Mine?"
"I did one for each of you," Spike explained, walking over to Rarity's statue and gazing at it with a smile. "My finest works. I've done a lot that I'm really proud of over the years, but these... these were special."
"Why put the Elements on them?" Dash asked. "I mean, Star said something about hiding them in plain sight, but I didn't really get that."
"It was Twilight's idea," Spike said, his eyes darkening. "She said it was a way to make them safe. After you were all gone, people were supposed to forget about them, about the Elements. Only a few would remember. Like me and the Princesses."
"Well, okay," Dash said. "So this makes it easy, right? Let's just grab the Element and go."
Spike chuckled. "Sure. Let's do that."
Dash grabbed the Element and tugged. It gave a little, but refused to come off. Dash frowned, examining the necklace. "What the?"
"What's the hold up?" Applejack asked, coming over to the statue as well.
"It's not coming off," Dash said.
"Maybe you're not pullin' right," Applejack said, grabbing the necklace and hauling back. Again, it gave a little, but didn't come loose. "What in tarnation?"
"Right there with you," Dash said. "There's gotta be a catch somewhere."
"I don't see one," Applejack said, frowning. "You remember how we got them off before?"
"I don't know! I just pulled and it came off, I've never really had to think about it."
Applejack growled, then pulled harder. She put a hoof against the statue and reared back, her muscles standing out clearly as she put the full force of her strength behind the attempt.
"Here, try this," Spike said, tossing them a prybar.
"Thank you kindly," Applejack said, apparently missing the sly grin on Spike's face. She slipped the crowbar under the Element, then proceeded to bend the iron bar nearly double in her attempt to remove the necklace. Finally, she dropped the bar. Neither the Element nor the statue had budged in any way. "Okay, what is goin' on here?"
Spike laughed, chortling at the angry frowns on their faces. Star Fall just stared at the Element and statue, her wings rustling restlessly as she thought about it.
"Hey!" Dash called, stabbing a hoof angrily towards the Dragon. "Instead of laughing at us, why don't you, you know, help?"
Spike quelled his laughter and stepped forward. "Okay, sure. Let's see now, it's stood up to pulling and prying. Hmm." He walked over to one of the storage boxes, pulling the nailed-on top off effortlessly. Inside were emeralds, rough, unpolished and flawed but still enough to be a decent fortune even back in Dash's time. Spike grabbed a bunch of them and tossed them into his mouth, barely chewing the stones before swallowing and grabbing another clawful.
"Uh, this is helping how?" Dash asked.
"Move away from the statue," Star Fall said, stepping back herself.
"Why? What's goin' on?" Applejack asked.
"He's fuelling up," Star Fall explained.
"Fuelling?" Applejack frowned, then her eyes went wide as she understood. "Come on," she said to Dash, stepping away from the statue. "We'd best be doin' as Star Fall asks."
Dash didn't have to be told more than twice, taking to the air and hovering back to where Star Fall waited. Spike shoved another fistful of emeralds into his mouth before turning away from the gems. He swallowed hard, and smoke leaked from his mouth, smelling like incense and brimstone. He moved up to just in front of where Star Fall and Applejack stood. "Let's see if this works," he said, then took a deep breath, and loosed dragonfire.
A blast of emerald flame, much brighter than the fire he had been using to carve the statue earlier, blasted out of his open mouth. The cavern was filled with the roar of the flames, and the heat scorched at them. Dash found she had to battle against the air currents that were flowing towards those magical flames with the power of a windstorm. The dragonfire engulfed the statue, obscuring it completely from sight. The wall beyond the statue heated to a white shine, the stone melting and flowing down in glowing streams.
Just as the air was becoming unbearably hot there was a gleam of violet light from within the inferno. Dash felt something shudder through the air, a pressure wave that made her coat stand on end like static electricity. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Applejack shudder and shake her head as if to clear it. Spike's breath cut off abruptly, the sudden lack of emerald light making the cavern seem as dark as night in contrast. Dash's eyes adjusted quickly, and she nearly dropped to the ground at what she saw.
"Oh come on!" she snapped. "That was, like, a million degrees!" The statue stood, as clean and as whole as ever, the Element of Generosity gleaming at its throat. Even as the molten rock around and behind it still glowed and bubbled, she had a feeling that the statue would be as cool to the touch as ever. She drifted over to the statue, ignoring the burning heat coming from the melted rock at its base, and gave it a hard kick that only succeeded in hurting her hoof. "Damn it, Rarity! Why do you have to be so stubborn?"
Spike gasped and coughed, little spurts of fire jetting out of his mouth as he did. "I think you can blame Twilight for this one," he said. "When she puts up a protection spell, she does not mess around."
"I'm not seeing the magic," Star Fall said, sounding overawed. "It looks so... ordinary."
"She tied it to the Element," Spike sighed. "I don't know how, but that somehow means it's invisible, the statue's indestructible, and the Element is irremovable."
"Seriously?" Dash cried. "You couldn't have told us this before?"
"This way was funnier," Spike said, grinning up at her.
"So," Applejack cut in. "Does this mean we've got to carry the whole statue, then?"
"Uh, no," Spike said, shaking his head sadly. "That's not going to work either."
"Why?" Star Fall asked. "Please, Spike. We need to know."
Spike nodded, sitting back on his haunches. "Star Fall, I'll tell you everything I can, but first I need you to tell me what you know. About AJ and Dash, how they got here, what Max Cash is doing. Everything. I know you guys think we have to move quick, but believe me that Element is not going anywhere, so we have the time."
So they told him. The whole telling took several hours, in which time the conversation was moved to the kitchen when it was agreed that everyone was quite hungry, then returned to the base of the statue once the rock, with some encouragement from Star Fall's magic, had cooled enough to be comfortable. Star Fall started with her investigation into Max Cash, then she and Dash switched off on telling the events after Dash's awakening up to the discovery of Applejack in the buried town. Spike stayed mostly quiet through it all, only asking questions in a few places, most of which they didn't have answers to.
"That's how I realized that this was the Element of Generosity," Star Fall said, finishing up the tale. "We came here as quickly as we could after that."
"And you think Cash is coming here?" Spike asked.
"I'm certain of it," she replied. "Your lair was marked out on his map, and he's always been a step ahead of us, knowing things he shouldn't have any way to know."
Spike contemplated this for a long moment. "He has Loyalty. So he's obviously discovered a way to remove them from the statues."
"Probably Honesty, too," Dash said. "At least, that's what I figure."
"It makes sense," Spike mused. "Star Fall, you said he compelled you to answer him honestly, that's consistent with what that Element could do."
"Is it?" Applejack asked. "I never got it to do anythin' of the sort."
"From where you say your memories leave off, you never got the chance to," Spike said. "Applejack, the Applejack I remember, could do a lot of things with her Element. She could make ponies be truthful, could see through illusions and lies. She could... well, there were a lot of things she could do. A lot of things all of you could do. Usually not anything as... vicious as Cash seems to use them for, though."
"Which is why we can't let him have them," Star Fall said. "Spike, we told you our story. It's time for you to tell us yours."
Spike sighed, looking over to the statue and the gleaming necklace. "It's a long story," he began. "So I'm not going to tell you all of it. You don't really need to know some of the crap that happened to us, to you, to know what came after. Celestia Nova was the last straw, really. After that we all figured there was really no way we were going to need the Elements again."
"Alright, I've heard that name before," Dash interrupted. "Who the heck is Celestia Nova? Did the Princess go crazy or something?"
Spike snorted. "You could say that. She was the last great foe you faced, the last challenge. It, well, it didn't end up quite the way we expected. It doesn't matter. What does matter is that Twilight decided that the Elements of Harmony had to be retired. I was already working on these statues. They were my masterpieces, the six of you as you were during your days in Ponyville, commissioned by Princess Celestia to be displayed throughout Equestria in recognition of your saving the world a bunch of times. I poured my heart and soul into making them, and when Twilight came to me with a plan to make them indestructible I jumped at it. I wanted them to last at least as long as I was going to live.
"You agreed to the plan, all the bearers did. I don't know exactly why, but you all had your reasons. When I unveiled the statues to the public, they had the Elements on them and no one said a word. Twilight said it was for protection, that after your lifetimes no one who hadn't borne an Element would be able to see them. People could still see the statues just fine, though, and I guess that was all that was important for me."
He reached out and touched the statue's face, almost a caress. "They were beautiful. I used to sit in the gardens at Canterlot castle, looking at her and remembering." His face fell and his shoulders slumped. "Then the Schism began and Canterlot fell, and I wasn't sure if Twilight's spell would be enough to protect her. I dug through the ruins for days, searching. And there she was, as perfect as the day I finished her. The world was falling apart around me, the Royals and the Rebels were about to annihilate each other and everything caught between them. I couldn't stay and I couldn't leave her there. So I took her and found this cave, far from the fighting, far from any civilization. I'm sorry, I couldn't save any of the rest of your statues. I don't even know where they all ended up."
"Not your fault, sugarcube," Applejack assured him. "Now, tell us what happened next."
"Next the Destroyer happened, and, well, everything got a lot harder, let me tell you. I did a lot of things I'm not too proud of just to survive. Got really paranoid about all the bandits and little kingdoms popping up all over the place. I could barely leave the cave, I was so afraid someone would come in and steal her. I even carved out a secret room to hide her in." He gestured to a bare spot of wall. "Thought that was a great idea. But when I tried to move her into it, she wouldn't budge. I tried everything I could think of, but she's stuck in place. I think maybe after magic was sealed into the Everstorm the spell on her went a little wonky. Wouldn't be the only thing that got messed up then."
"So that's why," Star Fall said, tilting her head in thought. "After the Kingdom rose up, after civilization was restored. You stayed here instead of moving to the capital or another city. You stayed because of Generosity."
Spike nodded. "Though, gotta admit, the privacy's been pretty good for an artist like me."
"And you never told anyone about the Elements?" Star Fall asked.
"Nope," Spike said. "Twilight wanted them forgotten, and I wasn't about to go against her on that."
"What do you know about Harmony Theory?"
Spike sighed. "Nothing useful, and more than I would like to. It was the book Twilight wrote about the Elements of Harmony. She spent thirty years researching it, finding out everything she could about them. When she was done she only made four copies. One for herself, one each for Celestia and Luna, and one for Zecora. I helped her with some of the early stuff, but by the time she was really making discoveries I wasn't her assistant anymore."
"You never read it?"
"The Elements had been on the statues for a decade when it was finished," Spike said. "No one was going to use them, or even remember them. And I saw what writing that book did to Twilight. I wanted no part of it."
"Celestia burn it," Star Fall swore. "I was hoping you'd at least have read it."
"What did it do to Twilight?" Applejack asked.
"Hurt her," Spike said darkly. "She got depressed while researching the Elements. Seriously depressed. She tried to hide it, and for a long time we didn't even notice." Spike squeezed his eyes shut, speaking through a clenched jaw. "You, me, all of her friends, we were all busy with our own lives, spreading out all over Equestria to follow our dreams. After a while it overwhelmed her, and we couldn't ignore it any more. We helped her out of it, eventually, but there were some really bad years before she was back with us, and even then she was never the same."
"Hey!" Dash protested. "I would never let Twilight down like that!"
Spike chuckled. "Sorry. Lots of guilt there for me. When I say she tried to hide it, I mean that she put a lot of effort into making sure we wouldn't find out. She took advantage of our trust, played it so that we'd be too busy watching our own lives to notice what was going on in hers. Which she apologized for, a lot." He gave them a warm smile. "She came out of it, guys. She got better. I'm not giving you bad news here. Or, not totally bad news."
"I guess that's okay," Dash said. "And I guess it makes sense that you never wanted to read that book."
"Oh, I was tempted," Spike clarified. "But I learned a long time ago how to resist temptation."
"Is that why you're still, uh," Applejack searched for the word.
"Tiny?" Dash volunteered.
"Mostly pony-sized," Applejack said.
Spike looked down at himself. "Wow. I had never even noticed that before. You guys!" His head shot up, his eyes wide as if he had just had a revelation. "I'm a mini-Dragon!" Dash snickered, Applejack shook her head in exasperation and Star Fall just looked confused. "A Dragon that learns how to be generous is a Dragon that doesn't become titanic," Spike said, his mock-surprise fading away in an amused chuckle. "It was an important lesson. One that my people needed to learn the hard way."
Star Fall yawned, her jaw cracking wide. "Okay, this is all too much for someone who just flew across most of the continent. Spike, we need to figure out how to move that statue, but there's no way I'm going to be able to think of it tonight. Are your guest rooms made up?"
"As always," Spike said. "How about the two of you, ready to hit the hay?"
"Eyup, I'm not so bad off as Star Fall, but I'm all for gettin' a good night's sleep in an actual bed," Applejack said, standing and stretching out her legs. In the middle of a stretch she stumbled, nearly falling on her face. "Whoa, nelly! I guess I'm more tired than I thought."
"Well, I could use a nap, I guess," Dash allowed. "But I want to hear more about what happened, Spike! What happened to us, I mean, after when we remember? Did I ever get into the Wonderbolts? Or, hey! The waterspout! I was just about to organize that, and we totally had a shot at breaking the record! Did we make it? I bet we made it!"
"Waterspout?" Spike frowned, then his eyes lit up. "Oh yeah! I remember that. Fluttershy's tornado."
"Fluttershy?" Dash asked. "Oh, man, you have got to tell me what hap–" She was cut off by the sound of Applejack collapsing. "AJ!" Dash cried out, rushing to her friend's side in a blur. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Applejack answered, trying to get back to her hooves and only succeeding in fumbling to a sitting position. Her breath came in short, fast gulps, and she waved a clumsy hoof at Dash to keep her back. "I'm fine, probably just tired."
"No," Star Fall breathed, her wings spreading wide. "Dash! Look at her eyes!"
Dash did as she was instructed, and found that Applejack's eyes were glowing. The farmer's green irises were already fading away, and her pupils had become dark pits against a brilliant field of white that was slowly growing more intense. Dash turned to Star Fall. "Is this the same thing that happened to me?" Star Fall's mouth worked, but no sound came out, her eyes going between Dash and Applejack. "Star! Is this what happened to me?"
"Dash," Spike said, his voice careful and controlled, his gaze fastened on her. "Your eyes are glowing too."
Dash didn't know how to respond to that, so she ignored it. She turned to Applejack, grabbing her by the shoulders. "AJ, can you hear me?"
Applejack's eyes had been almost completely overcome with white light, but Dash could still see that they weren't focusing right, each eye moving in its own random direction. "I can hear you fine," Applejack protested, then began to tremble. "I think somethin's wrong," she said.
"Feedback," Spike muttered, glancing at Generosity.
"Come on, AJ, don't do this," Dash pleaded. She turned her head to look at Star Fall. "He's here."
"Cash?" Spike asked. "If he's coming he's got to be pretty far out, the wards–"
"No," Star Fall cut in. "She's right. He's here. He's here, now. Either inside the lair or about to be."
"AJ," Dash said. "Keep it together, alright? Just keep it together. Don't scream."
"Rainbow Dash!" Applejack protested, though her indignation was undercut by her chattering teeth. "I'm not some little filly. This don't even hurt, though it is mighty... mighty frightening." Her shudders stilled. "There, seems to be done now."
"Cover your ears!" Dash cried.
Then Applejack threw her head back and screamed.
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Uh oh. Shit just hit the fan. Again.
So I just thought I'd let you know something I found funny.
My story, "Chaos Theory", was on the feature box until this one knocked it off. The polar opposite names still have me laughing.
Aww, Spike is still small? I wanted to see a gigantic Spike beat down Cash!
LOTS of good back story and explanations in this chapter, Shar. I see now that I was wrong about the statues actually being the girls, but I still maintain that Twinkle Shine is Twilight in some way. Very glad that Spike isn't some old curmudgeon. You aged him and kept him... him. But now, how did Cash get the Elements off of the other statues?
Another great job, brother. Still one of the best in the fandom. Now, just wait until next month's update.
I really dig the banter in this chapter, especially how very important information seems to be presenting its self as benign conversation.
I am especially amused at the use of "Number One Assistant" in Old Equestrian.
You Sir made my day.
I was believing this was another abandoned fic but I was wrong.
I sooooooooooooo Happy
Shit, shit shit! This is not good!
Oh man, this chapter was great. I feel like the story's really beginning to come into its own now that we've got enough of the old canon-guard back together (AJ, Dash, and now Spike). Plenty of fun banter (I especially loved the bit with the elevator), and the prose stuck out as particularly good this time around.
This story always makes me feel better about fanfiction when it updates.
A beautiful chapter. I´m wondering if the other bearers might come to life too. If that´s the case, then I can´t wait for Pinkie Pie
Great chapter.
For some reason, I very much enjoyed the elevator conversation. I know it was only a small moment, but it made me smile nonetheless. Like the conversations in Mass Effect, I guess, I've always enjoyed an entire self-contained conversation in the brief space of an elevator ride.
Your Spike is top notch, by the way. "You guys! I'm a mini-dragon" actually made me chuckle aloud.
He's only been in one chapter and already I just want more Spike time.
3056587
I expect that to come when Max has his hands on the Element Of Generosity. I mean, dragons grow from greed, and Max is taking away his most valuable treasure...yeah, expect a beatdown.
And afterwards, due to the nature of the future, I don't think it will end well for Spike...
Another awesome chapter! Things don't look good! Hopefully this means that Rarity will be joining soon. Spike knows less than I thought he would, but this makes sense both in and ot of Universe, so well done.
As long as you don't kill of spike i'll be happy.
This is easily the most intense fic I've read on this site, and one of the best. It's a bit too violent at times for my taste, but I couldn't stop reading if I wanted to. Which I don't. Great chapter!
Questions Raised
* Just what is Max Cash is doing that caused Rainbow Dash (Chapter 12) and Applejack (this chapter) to scream like this? Spike mentions "feedback," and the fifth section of Harmony Theory mentions that an energy loop is established between the Bearers and the Elements, with bad things happening when the Elements puts out more energy than the Bearer does. Is this what's happening now?
* Who is Celestia Nova? Spike says that Celestia Nova is "something like" Celestia going crazy, but Celestia is clearly in her right mind afterwards. Spike's comment that things didn't turn out the way they expected is interesting, as well as his comment that the Bearers knew they wouldn't need the Elements again.
Updated Character Bios:
Name: Regal Stature First mentioned Chapter 11: Fighting a Shadow, first appearance Chapter 20: Generosity
Species: Pegasus Unicorn
Sex: Male
Coat: Pale blue, looks white when not in sun
Mane/Tail: Blue and purple, mane is thick and tangled
Eyes: Amethyst
Talent Glyph: Three blue stars
Other Attributes: Tips of horn and feathers dark blue
Name: Spike (I'm including this bio because Spike has changed significantly from the show)
Species: Dragon
Sex: Male
Hide: Purple with dark green horns and ridge
Eyes: Green
Other Attributes: Approximately pony-sixed, long and wedge-shaped head on angular neck, pair of horns sweeping back from neck, hard dark-green ridge from back of neck to tip of tail, body long and tightly-muscled, long tail, foreclaws with long and flexible fingers; tipped by bone-white talons
New chapter of Harmony Theory, and it's named Generosity? Oh. My. God. Yes!
Like what, exploding? I'm somewhat concerned about what eventually happens to the substitute Bearers.
I think we already had the answer to this, but with that description there's no way that this Prince isn't a descendant of Shining and Cadance.
I like your eagerness, kid, but that kind of excitement can also just get you killed.
I wonder where this Temple could be that Twinkle can travel to it so easily. I wouldn't have expected Luna's Temple to be in the Sunlands, but I don't see her getting to it so easily if it were in the Republic. Maybe in some sort of neutral location?
Oh hell yeah, Spike's lair.
Love it. I wonder if Spike has been teaching Twilight's descendants for a thousand years?
Interesting fountain, makes me wonder about Spike's changeling friend. And Twilight's tree on his door, I think I have something in my eye.
So, a cave fixed up so nice it's like a mansion? A really awesome mansion, that is.
Okay, so a non-giant but still awesome Spike. I can dig it.
Hah, that's probably an understatement.
Rarity! Er, Stone Rarity!
Celestia Nova, we've seen that name before. Can't wait to find out what happened.
Dang, all sorts of interesting bits and pieces. Four copies of the book, Twilight and the girls absolutely lived to a reasonably old age, they gave up the Elements at least a decade before they all died. The reason for Spike's size (based on his comment here about the generosity lesson, I'm guessing it was the gigantic greed-filled dragons that were wiped out in the cataclysm).
Aw man, I was hoping so much that'd we get Rares back this chapter. Here's looking forward to the next!
Spike kind of made himself a hermit.
3057111
Ooooo, excellent catch there, that seems very likely.
3056587 It's looking like the new gang is formed from the statues of the old gang. I can only imagine what it's going to be like when Rarity finds out the whole world has gone crumbly.
As for removing the elements from the statues... the sticking/protection spell is tied into the elements themselves. If Cash wants to remove the necklaces, he'll have to do something to them first. His usual M.O seems to be sacrificing someone (as far as we know) who embodies the inverted element, possibly after they act as a Proxy to reset the element. Getting a proxy to take control of the element (possibly inverting it) might cause Twilight's protective wards to be bypassed, as the source that powers them would be temporarily disrupted.
3057111
On the Celestia Nova event mentioned in this chapter... I just realized that it was mentioned way back in Chapter 11, in regards to unfortunate proxies. Anyone want to bet that whoever Twilight passed it onto (I'm guessing Trixie for lack of someone better) bit the dust?
*edit* Also mentioned back in chapter 9, by Twinkle Shine:
Aw shieet...The elements are inverted and it just got a whole lot worse
...I don't think Cash is causing it intentionally, it's the elements, he has both of them and them comming this close to the bearers...Is not good, not good at all
Look AJ's eyes are going wild
3057202
3057202
Like... oh, no, like if Spike were to get greedy about Rarity...
Shar, please, no. Not Spike, please.
3056587
One word jake one word that would suite an exponation: Murders
Also hmmm Twinkle being Twilight in some way...It seem, logical...Mostly...I'm starting to go more towards the other part of Twinkle,
.
.
.
Absorbed ashes.
3057111
My theory is the overuse of the elements caused Celestia to do a NMM and thus this is why she was the last foe the elements faced. Because using them again was dangerous, but they still had to be this one time. The reason she was right in the head near the "end" of her life, was because, just like NMM, she wasn't killed, simply redeemed.
3057387 Oh man, I sure hope not, but it seems so likely.
3057615 Oh please don't use the 'overuse of something good makes it bad' excuse.
That was the crap they pulled in Dragon Ball GT with the Dragon Balls.
No one bought into it then either.
>>>"I'm certain of it," she replied. "Your lair was marked out on his map, and he's always been a step ahead of us, knowing things he shouldn't have any way to know.">>>
Yeah, at any moment now I expect David Xanatos to show up and start ranting, "OH COME ON!! And people complained that MY plan was too impossibly complex to ever work!"
Sharaloth, I think I love you.
Disturbing jokes aside, this continues to be my favorite fim fic. I like how casually adult Spike was introduced here, despite how important he is for us as well as the main characters to understanding what came about from Twilight's research into the Elements. And I still eagerly look forward to Rarity's inevitable bout of future shock upon 'waking up'.
Also, the stuff with Spike inspiring dragons to abandon their greedy ways is almost perfectly identical to Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. The only difference is that, unlike Z-ONE, Spike actually succeeded in changing his kind for the better.
3057202
Interestingly, I think by using the proxy (or at least having a proxy effect around), the local balance gets messed with, thus the elements bring back the original bearer to counteract the inverse. This is why there is the feedback Dash and AJ go through when Cash is nearby with the elements. This is important to think about in the context of the excerpt: instability, energy, etc.
3057744
I wouldn't use the "excuse" if the fic didn't provide reason for me to. If you would remember, in the prologue, "Canterlot Wedding Reception", Luna talks to Celestia about purposefully losing the fight in order to have the elements used, and I believe Luna had told her there as well that it would only lead to devastation. I am simply using evidence from the text to make a hypothesis on a unknown dead character.
3057916 I'm not saying the story didn't 'explain' it, I'm simply saying that's why for me this was a non-starter from the get-go. It's one trope that never makes sense, no matter how it's used.
It defies all sense of reason, even fictional reason.
3057744
To be fair, Twilight's Harmony Theory makes clear Elements are not at all "good", but rather have their own, alien purpose. They break the rules of reality (they have zero mass and are able to actually create energy).
As for GT, the Dark Dragonballs were made from the original Kami/Evil-King-Piccolo mix, before the evil had been purged from his heart. It's understandable that they'd have severe setbacks if part of their power is derived from evil. (Man, the Dragonball franchise really has a weird sense of evil)
3057615
Perhaps. But Spike's response to Rainbow Dash's query of whether Princess Celestia, "You could say that," indicates that it just wasn't another case of Nightmare Moon. Something similar, but something different as well.
Speaking about Celestia Nova, it's an interesting name. "Nova" of course, is a stellar phenomena that, if I understand science correctly, is the ultimate fate of our sun (and most stars in general). It's also Latin for "new." The question is, are both meanings what is intended?
3058247
Well... theoretically the real world actually does function on this logic. Although any medicine can cure you, an overdose can equally kill you. I can agree that if done horribly this trope would just ruin a story, I think the way Shar has built the elements through the writings of TS stands to make it a reasonable use.
3058449
Now, although I mentioned NMM as a reference point in that comment, it was only for understanding. What I was truly trying to say is that somehow an overuse of the elements corrupted her. Perhaps caught in a crossfire one day, perhaps some sore of "elemental radiation", who knows. I'l trust Shar to most likely fill in the back story on exactly what happened to her later. The reason Spike scoffs at "going crazy" is because unlike NMM, she didn't do it due a personal decision (in my theory.)
3058450 Killing someone is one thing. Turning them evil?
Apples and oranges, there.
This is based on the illogical notion that adding up infinite positives results in a negative.
3057387 You better not be right, so help me, I will punch you in the face, and then get my flank kicked. And then we will both be unhappy.
3058597
Yet, can we really say that the elements are pure positives? As this fic goes to build them through the writings of TS, they clearly have negative effects as well as positive ones. As such, you are not simply adding infinite positives to receive a negative.
In fact, the elements are not tools of enhancement, rather of repair. And as you can never repair something perfectly without completely rebuilding something, it makes sense with each use, rather than return the negative to 0, it brings it closer to, yet each use is again further and further from the neutral state of harmony. This could again explain Luna's negative reaction to Celly's desire to use the elements so freely.
3058247
To be fair, I think that trope has its basis in environmentalist morals, which are actually applicable in some situations. Sure, using the power of plastics-creation (or fossil-fuel-burning or nuke-dropping or whatever) may be a good thing on a small scale, but on a large one it can be harmful in many respects.
I'll agree it doesn't make sense to view "power corrupts" in such a literal, dualistic sense, but I tolerate it in this fic because of how much I like everything else. The mythos is a bit wonky, but that isn't what I read it for. I guess that if I were to try to justify it, I'd say that "Harmony" in this fic seems to apply to some sort of inscrutable reality-warping power, and the truth is that if these things have the power to warp reality in one aspect, they could have negative side effects if they're a bit messy. Maybe it also modifies your mind to make you believe that there was nothing else you could do, or something.
Wild guess, but I wonder if whatever Cash did to the elements/statues to "break" them resulted in these incarnations of Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Maybe the elements resurrected the last "true" bearers or at least shadows of them in an effort to regain control of the Elements physical forms.
3058441
Seems like the elements might generally be in favor of good, since that would ensure their preservation. Assuming they have sentience at all, which I'm not sure I really can go with.
3057893
Maybe the bearers still possess/are the positive end of the spectrum and thus sort of cancel out the negative end?
3059512
I'm pretty sure that's what happened. As far as I know, the statues they were placed on weren't found after the elements were removed. Spike made the statues lifelike, but I'm pretty sure he didn't expect them to come to life.
I don't know, I always saw the elements in this fic like a nuclear power plant- not good, or bad, but really dangerous to mess with (they violate causality, for crying out loud!) if you don't understand them. And no one understands them. (except perhaps Twilight, but the revelations made her mad-depressed) As far as I see it, self-preservation does not imply good but rather a neutral, selfish interest.
It's stories like these that always remind me that the Elements are the Elements of Harmony and not the Elements of Niceness.
From the little notes that we've seen from Twilight's book I'm not sure I can really blame her for becoming depressed.
Should've said this in the other comment.
Why did Twilight have a copy made for Zecora?
3059192 Then in that case the name is rather a misnomer.
They're the Elements of Manipulation.
3059953
My point was that perhaps harmony and what ponies call good could generally be favorable to this neutral selfish interest you speak of. Obliterating the universe and them couldn't be favorable. What remains to be seen is whether "misuse" of them is favorable or not. I'd rather think of it as as loose energy that wants to be expended, than as a sentience. In that case though it needs to accomplish that in a balanced way that doesn't to it being locked away completely.
For some reason, when they were in Spike's library, I pictured him wearing round, tiny glasses. No idea why that popped into my head, but I can't stop imagining it now.
, or how much I've forgotten from earlier chapters, because It's 2:30 AM, and I just ran a 5k yesterday(as in friday), and got 'home' from that at 12 something, so I'm tired. And rambling. So I'll stop now.
Very interesting chapter, Shar. I've got a few working theories about a few concepts brought up, so here goes.
*Celestia Nova is probably a NNM type deal, but with different drives than jealousy (I don't remember what my initial thoughts on what they were).
*My gut's telling me that when Nightmare Umbra said she was made from the Elements' ashes, it was more literal than figurative. Like some kind of summoning ritual.
*3057202 has it pretty close to my theory. I think either:
1. Cash sacrifices the proxy bearers, releasing the Element from the lock/hold/shield with the statue, or
2. The proxy willingly releases the Element, and then Cash kills them in order to take it for himself.
In either case, Max learns to become the proxy of the Element's inverse form, and in an attempt to restore the previous order, the Element calls on the last bearer, using a 'familiar'(as much as a, probably, not-sentient magical construct can be familiar with something) magic signature(found on the statues) as a baseline for its magical reconstruction(Twi's connection as Element of magic being the basis for this 'familiarity').
*3057111 Max using(and thus powering) the Elements is causing them to give off energy to the bearers. They aren't using said energy, so when he gets close enough for the Elements and bearers to connect, the energy overflows, and feedback occurs. (p.s. I love your bios/questions-raised style comments)
Not sure how much of this is complete bullsh
I really wonder exactly what these 2 quotes are referring to. The second one could be the weird horse head bust that Twilight got in her library but i'm not sure about that.
EVERY CHAPTER, I FIND MYSELF COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED AND SPEECHLESS.
YOU...WHAT ARE YOU? HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO DO THIS WITH ONLY SYMBOLS CLUSTERED TOGETHER MAKING WORDS?!
3063684 Twilight effectively told us that it was a misnomer in chapter one! We've known this for ages.
And too much water puts you in osmotic shock, sunlight burns you, sleep dehydrates you, oxygen fries you, food causes obesity and all the related health problems, exercise strains you, vitamins either poison you or prevent you from absorbing other vital nutrients sepending on the vitamin, etc.
Seriously, "too much of a good thing is bad for you" is how things work in reality.
3078506 Like I said, poisoning you is one thing, making you evil is a very different thing.
Phsyical vs conceptual. Apples and oranges. It's a false logic I cannot subscribe to.
It's like saying too much sex causes you to become a virgin.
3078776 Changing your personality is one of the symptoms of some forms of poisoning.
Brilliant chapter, shall i expect to see rarity in the next?