5. Remember the Elements?
“Princess Luna!” Twilight shouted.
“Be still Twilight, I shall continue on from here,” Luna said. Her hooves stamped on the ground, creating a swell of starry cloud to fall over Twilight.
“What are you doing?” Twilight asked.
“Celestia and I have finished our part. I thought it best to come aid you and Discord after witnessing the destruction of the Macintosh Mountains. Luckily nopony resides there,” Luna replied.
“So, my stray magic wasted on a pile of rocks. How embarrassing,” Gray chuckled.
“Silence beast! You will not be allowed to cause further harm to Equestria!” Luna avowed.
Gray lifted a fore hoof into the air, manifesting a violet colored ball of magic. A wide smirk cut across his face as he released the attack, shooting wild streams of magic blasts all about the battlefield.
“FIEND!” Luna cried out, covering her eyes in response to the wake of destruction Gray had just released. The smoke settled, unveiling the entertained Gray Umbra rolling around in side-splitting laughter.
“I suppose you aren’t going to stop me then! Ah hahahahaha!”
“Irk…Twilight Sparkle, I am relieving you of this burden. Return to Canterlot with my sister. You will be safe there,” Luna resolved, activating her spell.
“Wait Princess-” Twilight pleaded, but suddenly found herself reaching a hoof out towards a passing by Canterlotian unicorn.
“Can I…help you Princess?” he replied, reeling back subtly after making note of Twilight’s damaged figure.
“What? Where am I? Where’s Princess Luna?!” Twilight cried out.
“The Princesses are busy evacuating the country, something about trouble looming over Ponyville. Honestly though, that place is always buzzing with excitement. They’re not being too privy with the details…” the unicorn stated, opening his eyes in bewilderment as he was no longer talking to anyone.
“Oh no, Luna casted me back to Canterlot! I need to warn her about Gray’s ability!” Twilight said, rushing to a secluded corner of the capital. Her journey was heavily hindered by the constant bumping and shoving of large crowds of ponies. She had forgotten her injuries and a few times wobbled in and out of place due to her fatigue.
“What is with all of these ponies in the capital?!” Twilight wondered. “Wait! That’s right. Everypony was being escorted to Canterlot!” she recalled.
“Twilight Sparkle!” a voice called out hurriedly. A pegasus guard zoomed over the princess and bowed as he touched ground. “Princess Sparkle, Princess Celestia is requesting your presence at the castle,” he reported.
“Thank you,” Twilight responded. “I need to get a message to Princess Luna immediately!”
“My Goddess! What happened?!” the guard questioned, finally noticing her bruised body.
“Gray Umbra did this,” Twilight said swaying a little. “Please, take me to the Princess…” Twilight responded, leaning wearily on her guide. She could not recall how they had gotten airborne, or how long they had been flying. A block of unintelligible speech echoed out of her mouth, however, she refused to reiterate when questioned and passed out completely.
***
“It’s so soft…” Twilight thought, shuffling her hooves.
“Stay back, allow her some room to breathe,” she heard through an undulating cloud of darkness. A ray of light penetrated the haze, lifting her eyelids open so she could gaze upon the shining countenance of her beloved teacher.
“Celestia…”
“I am here,” Celestia answered, stepping away.
“Princess Celestia, Gray Umbra has-”
“There will be time for that Twilight. Right now I believe you are being sorely worried about,” Celestia replied. Twilight sought past her celestial instructor and her face lifted nearly a mile high.
“OH TWILIGHT!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed with a jump. Twilight bounded into the air with her, laughing just as happily as the pink pony.
“Pinkie Pie! I’m so glad you’re okay!” Twilight said.
“I sure do hope ya got enough lovin’ for all of us Twi,” Applejack commented before halting Pinkie’s latest hurdle.
“How? What happened?” Twilight cried out. She leapt from the bed and onto the floor, pausing a moment to flex her wings. “They’re not sore,” she noted.
“They shouldn’t be. Celestia spent almost a whole hour patching you up,” Spike said suddenly.
“An hour?!” Twilight cried hurriedly.
“It was necessary,” Celestia responded then. “You seemed to have exhausted most of your magic supply as well as sustained heavy internal and external damage. I could not bear to watch my faithful student suffer like that.”
“Thank you Princess,” was all Twilight could say. “I need to know what happened,” she abruptly inquired of her friends. “After I left, where did you girls go to?”
“We had to leave your hidden mist technique,” Rarity answered.
“After you left us in the forest, Gray decided to flush us out,” Rainbow Dash interrupted from the corner. “The whole place just…lit up.” Just under her forelegs, Twilight caught the sight of a trembling pony rocking back and forth in hushed sobs.
“Flutter…shy…?” Twilight finally asked edging closer to Rainbow.
“I saw…so many animals…I couldn’t…do anything,” Fluttershy wept. Rainbow gripped the frail pony tighter, resting her chin over Fluttershy’s head. Twilight peered through a gap in Rainbow’s hold, disgusted with herself and the contorted face that wrinkled her friend’s countenance.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Twilight whispered. Her flank rested flatly on the ground, a small pool of liquid forming under her face.
“My dearest student, I understand your sorrow, but we cannot dwell in this low trough forever. You have seen that your friends are all right. We must act now,” Celestia reminded Twilight. Twilight’s gaze lifted from the floor and back onto the embracing pegasi. She turned to face her other friends along with her teary-eyed assistant and wiped the stinging water from her eyes.
“Just a moment,” Twilight said. She trotted over to Rainbow and Fluttershy, keeping her head down in respect. Rainbow Dash lifted up, slowly moving away from the hug Fluttershy locked her in.
“No, please don’t…don’t…” Fluttershy whimpered into Rainbow’s chest.
“It’s okay Fluttershy. We’re all here now. We’re all together,” Rainbow Dash comforted. A nasty glare shot from Rainbow’s eyes as Twilight came closer. The timid pegasus slowly raised her face and looked at the lavender princess behind her.
“Fluttershy,” Twilight said, unsure if she should even apologize again. Before getting to say another word, she embraced Twilight, sobbing uncontrollably on her shoulder.
“Twi-light! Y-you’re o-okay!!!” Fluttershy sobbed. Twilight swallowed a lump of emotion, but could not hold in her grief. She too held Fluttershy in the same desperate grip, apologizing profusely over and over again.
“I swear Fluttershy…I swear by my life that Gray Umbra will pay for his evil,” Twilight promised.
“When that soldier brought you in,” Fluttershy began, “I thought you were gone too. We all did. I’m so glad…you’re okay!”
“But the forest isn’t,” Twilight replied. “And every creature in that area is gone because of me.”
“Nonsense!” Rarity blurted through deep sniffles. “You did not burn up the Everfree Forest. That monster Gray Umbra did! If anything he should be the one to blame!”
“That’s right!” Applejack shouted in steaming anger. “I don’t blame you Twilight.”
“Well I do!” Rainbow Dash crossly shouted.
“D-Dashie?!” Pinkie Pie wondered in bewilderment.
“My little ponies, now is not the time,” Celestia hurriedly interjected. Rainbow Dash ignored her however, and flew over to Twilight, slamming her hooves on the ground as she landed.
“You knew perfectly well the kind of enemy we were facing and still left us to ourselves!” Rainbow Dash seethed out.
“I know, and I made a mistake abandoning you guys,” Twilight replied in defense.
“A mistake? No, NOT a mistake, more like a disaster! You failed to keep your word, you failed to protect us, and you failed to even come looking for us!” Rainbow shouted. Twilight opened her mouth in protest, but shut her jaw at the sight of her friend’s tear-soaked eyes.
“We waited Twilight…I waited. I waited for you to come find us. And then Princess Celestia tells us that you went to fight Gray instead…alone!”
“I wanted to look for you Rainbow! Really I did! But see, Discord and I thought it better to handle Gray first!” Twilight said.
“You don’t get it, do you Princess?” Rainbow said. She turned away from Twilight.
“The day you became a princess, I thought that was the best day of our lives. You came to Ponyville in hopes of making friends, and got the best friends you could ever ask for,” Rainbow Dash explained.
“I see…” Twilight carefully mused, lowering her eyes as well. “It’s about that.”
“While nopony else will openly admit it, we all thought you wouldn’t let your new duties interfere with our relationships. Turns out, you did just the opposite.” Twilight forlornly looked upon her friend and sighed. Her eyes scanned the room, setting on each pony before her.
“It’s okay girls, you can tell me,” Twilight said, refusing to divert her eyes from the floor.
“I think maybe RD’s exaggeratin’ a bit Sugar Cube,” Applejack began, “but I was a mite disheartened when ya’ll left so suddenly,” she finished.
“The fact that you left wasn’t all that bad,” Rarity said wiping her face. “It was just that the days dragged on for weeks, and the letters became more infrequent. There were no visits, and no communication for almost a whole month at one point.” Her voice cracked at the end of her last sentence, as she sniffled into a handkerchief.
“Well, it wasn’t too too bad Twilight,” Pinkie Pie said quickly jotting in from the side. “Sure the parties weren’t as fun, and the library was just a big empty sad reminder, and it was a little hard to keep the town fully happy when I was always sad, and-”
“I think she gets it Pinkie,” Fluttershy interposed. Her eyes held remnants of tears; however the mournful sobs ceased along with her trepidation. “Oh Twilight, it wasn’t really our choice in whether or not you would stay, it was just more unexpected than we would have thought,” Fluttershy said.
“I know you girls are trying to sugar coat things,” Twilight said then. “But Rainbow Dash put it best. I’m sorry if it seemed like I only used our friendship to further my learning and my own desires.”
“Whoa, nopony said that!” Applejack disputed.
“Nopony had to, I can just hear it in your voices,” Twilight responded. “I made so many connections. I shared so many of my happiest moments with you girls, and when the opportunity came, I didn’t even regard our friendship as a factor. Only recently was I able to perceive this.” She lifted her eyes in sincere regret. All of her friends, save one particular rainbow-manned Pegasus returned the stare.
“I didn’t consider the toll my absence would create on our friendship. I failed to keep my loyalty to you girls, even though you all have kept yours to me. I was so concerned with how I would able to rule and govern Equestria, I forgot to acknowledge the reasons that allowed me that very same opportunity,” Twilight spoke softly, trotting closer to Rainbow Dash.
“There probably won’t be anything I can say to make you forgive me, but right now I need to be able to rely on you Rainbow,” Twilight continued. “I intend to right every wrong that I’ve brought about this land, and that starts with you my friend.”
Rainbow Dash’s gaze met with Twilight’s again, and she began to cry once more.
“Shoot, this is ridiculous,” she said vigorously rubbing her face.
“No it’s not.” Twilight’s voice felt as warm as her embrace. “You have a right to be upset, and I don’t hold it against you. All I ask is that you forgive me when you feel like you need to.”
“I strongly believe you’ve done the right thing Twilight,” Celestia said after having remained so silent. “Ruling a nation goes beyond making sure it runs smoothly. It also relies heavily on the status of your subjects,” Celestia continued. Her radiance began to fill the room, seeping in through the glass stained windows of her private chamber.
“You’ve done well to recognize that without complete loyalty to one’s ponies, one is surely destined to fail. And as such, it is imperative that you six amend your tarnished hearts. Defeating Gray Umbra will need to be a collective effort. While the Elements of Harmony may be inert against this enemy, the spirits of those elements still reside in each of you,” the solar princess explained as she graced everypony with her sight. “I refuse to believe that this world will drown in the despair Gray Umbra hopes it to. As long as you six remain true to yourselves, nothing is impossible.”
“I believe so as well Princess,” Twilight said as she removed herself from Rainbow Dash. “You will help me, won’t you?” she asked looking into her friend’s eyes. There was a short pause, followed by the cockiest smirk Twilight ever laid eyes on.
“Heh, I’m not like you,” Rainbow teased. “I wouldn’t abandon my friends ever, especially at a time like this!” She held her hoof out proudly, chuckling as Twilight met her halfway.
“So, what now then,” Spike chimed in tugging at Twilight’s tail. “We’re all still friends, right?”
“Of course Spike. We were just doing what good friends are supposed to do.” Twilight nuzzled the baby dragon affectionately, placing him on her back then.
“Now,” Celestia sounded with more regal authority than before, “We move this conversation elsewhere. A bed chamber is not a proper place for an official report.”
“Sunshine, lollipops, and laser beams everywhere!” Gray shouted maniacally, aiming his last assault at the lunar princess. A fiery red spell volleyed from his forehead, deflected at the last second by a shield of intangible cosmic dust. The sparkling glitter fell, revealing its exasperated host.
“How far must you push me Gray Umbra?” Luna asked with rising ferocity.
“How about, several miles away?” Gray answered wittily. Raising his fore hoof, the evil alicorn pressed against the space between himself and Princess Luna, forcing a large wall of air to charge at the unsuspecting mare. Luna shielded herself within the folds of her wings, but was unable to resist the rushing pocket of wind. Her form rocketed through the sky, tumbling about in midair before colliding with a steep cliff a great distance away.
“Curse you…” Luna groaned. She removed her body from the sediment of the small mountain and teleported her being back to the battlefield.
“I am enjoying this a lot,” Gray said before Luna could attack. “I’m glad you don’t feel an urgent need to stop me before I start my monologue,” he teased with a raspberry soon after. Luna fired several waves of magic in Gray’s direction only to have them glide by harmlessly through a incredulously leisured afterimage.
“Why dost thou toy with me?!” Luna bellowed.
“Such language! Who can understand it? Watch your tongue princess,” Gray Umbra sneered from behind her suddenly.
“Thine incessant banter shall be thine undoing!”
“Do you always do that when you’re angry?” The stallion arched back as Luna spun around for an attack. Her face shifted in surprise as Gray’s left hind hoof blurred towards her face. Promptly moving to the side, she avoided the first strike, however suffered two blows from Gray’s other hooves. Luna countered with several advances of her own, but to no avail. A large, green flash of light combusted between Gray and Luna, separating her from their initial mortal combat.
“If this is all a Canterlotian Princess has to offer, I’d hate to see how awful her subjects would perform in battle.” Gray spouted insults from above Luna, loosening the tension in his neck while flexing his wings. Luna waited patiently, unsure of what to do or how to change the current situation.
“He’s had the advantage since we began, yet he does not declare victory. He’s either really dense, or he knows something I haven’t a clue about,” Luna thought out loud.
“As I was trying to say earlier,” Gray began as if on cue, “I am thoroughly enjoying this augment Discord’s power has given me. Imagine it, a wellspring of chaos flowing so freely!” He cried out pouring numerous objects of particular and unimaginable interest from his hooves. “Now imagine it with the supreme knowledge and skill of a master of bedlam… It’s not controlled, nor is it feral. It simply is,” Gray finished. His strings of turmoil ceased their secretion, wrapping around his body in an abhorrent casing of malignant disgust.
“By my sister’s word,” Luna proclaimed, immobilized by the towering mass of ridiculously zany apparel, confections, appliances, and whatever else the mind could sum up to describe the new beast that Gray Umbra had formed.
“In order to fully display the mastery over… Well, myself, I felt it necessary to change form. Is this perhaps a better portrait of the manifestation of chaos!?” The colossal wrym roared. The limbless dragon held together through a sticky black gel that oozed through any of the cracks and crevices making up the ghastly creature. Although absent in form, Gray’s harsh, piercing glare bore deep into the contour of the beast’s face.
“You’ve just realized what you’ve been fighting haven’t you princess?” Gray mocked through sludge infested fangs.
“I care not for the form you take on Gray Umbra. Altering your appearance into something so beastly only condones my actions against you!” Luna protested boldly.
“Such tripe,” Gray growled severely. “I can smell your fear princess. I can sense your angst. You do not have the power to stop me. You are only a distraction so that I may be further prevented from fulfilling my intended purpose.”
“Then why not strike me down where I stand foul creature?” Luna prodded. Gray Umbra slithered past with extreme speed, tearing up the earth as he traversed the broken forest. His tail end wrapped viciously around the lunar princess, dragging her twisted body closer to his distorted snout.
“I guess I like playing with my prey now,” Gray answered as he brought down his captive head first into the ruined thicket below.
“When you say he absorbed Discord,” Rainbow Dash started slowly, “Do you mean that he just ate him?” Her expression held a peculiar look that almost read perception into Twilight’s mind.
“More like inherited most, if not all, of his traits and abilities,” Twilight cleared up.
“You don’t need to continue Twilight. I can grasp the situation from what you’ve just told me,” Princess Celestia said from the head of the table.
“If we got such a solid idea on what’s goin’ on, why are we still sittin’ here doing nuthin?” Applejack asked fidgeting almost as much as the hovering Rainbow Dash.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you ponies,” Rainbow Dash pressured. “Princess Luna can’t possibly stand up to this guy now! Not by herself anyway!”
“I understand your concern for my sister, but her mission is separate from ours,” Celestia reminded of the vexed mares.
“I’m worried about Princess Luna as well,” Twilight interjected. “I was unable to warn her about Gray’s newfound powers.”
“No doubt she’s already discovered them Twilight Sparkle. Since Gray has not appeared yet, it is safe to assume that Luna has everything under control,” Celestia reassured.
“Celestia,” Twilight said with increased vigor, “Luna can’t handle this on her own. Discord demonstrated this while we were fighting Gray. “
“Then what would you suggest?” Celestia quickly responded. Nopony else seemed to be able to enter the current exchange. Twilight’s friends sat silently, watching her and the ruler of Equestria negotiate.
“We know the Elements of Harmony are useless in their current state, and even if we repair them they may not work to banish him; but that doesn’t mean we still can’t use the power of harmony against Gray,” Twilight began.
“So then, we’ll find a way to fight without the elements?” Rarity spoke up then.
“Not exactly,” Twilight said, trying to choose her words carefully. “Princess, while I fought alongside Discord, I was able to successfully perform Harmonia.”
Celestia’s eyes widened a bit at Twilight’s revelation.
“You mean you didn’t almost blow up the world?!” Applejack inquired.
“I dunno,” Pinkie Pie said, “I saw an awful lot of explosions in that direction.”
“How did it fare against Gray Umbra?” Celestia asked bringing things back on track.
“It worked perfectly fine, only it didn’t completely get rid of him. There was just enough energy to maim him for a few minutes. Discord tried to break up the remaining chaos, but it was able to regain consciousness and Gray Umbra attacked.” Twilight averted her vision from her mentor to the table and spoke a little softer as she continued.
“I was left weak and completely vulnerable afterwards though. I couldn’t do a thing to help him,” Twilight sighed.
“What are you going to do now?” a softer voice asked from down the tabletop. Twilight looked at Fluttershy who had finally surfaced after learning of Discord’s defeat.
“I’m going to use the power of our friendship to activate Harmonia again and try to get it one-hundred percent this time!” Twilight vowed to her friend.
“So you are suggesting a foalhardy frontal assault in lieu of rekindling the Elements of Harmony?” Celestia prodded.
“That is exactly what I’m proposing,” Twilight said more confidently. Celestia’s light smile penetrated through her earlier critical glower.
“Spoken like a true princess with some authority in the matter,” Celestia commented with a chuckle. “Very well then, elaborate, as I am not so sure rushing in is your entire plan.”
“As long as we hold our ground and fight as one, the power of our friendship will fuel the spell with enough energy to completely eradicate Gray Umbra,” Twilight began. “Princess, we won’t completely leave your idea unattended. I agree that the Elements are essential to us. While we may empower them, they are also a way for us to unite together with the harmony of Equestria as a whole.”
“Enough fuzzy wuzzy juice and that spell will be strong enough to pop that baddie like a balloon!” Pinkie Pie giggled.
“We’ll split up,” Rainbow Dash said. “I’ll take a couple of us and we’ll hold off Gray Umbra while Twilight uses her magic thingy. Everypony else can help the Princess with the elements.”
“Won’t splitting up just ruin the whole plan in the first place?” Everypony glanced towards the other side of the room.
“What the… What are you three doing here?!” Applejack asked.
“We’re here cuz we wanna help!” Apple Bloom said with a large grin.
“Just how do you think you fillies are gunna help us?” Applejack brought up with a cocked eyebrow.
“And how did you get past the guards?” Rainbow asked immediately after.
“Sweetie Belle, what have I told you about snooping?” Rarity remarked after her sister removed herself from Rarity’s side.
“But we weren’t snooping,” Sweetie responded.
“We were kind of exploring the castle and overheard a lot of everything,” Scootaloo entered now. “We wanted to help you guys save Equestria, because it’s our home too! There’s no way I’m going to let some crazy pony chase me out of my home and beat Rainbow Dash!”
“Ha, you’ve got nothing to worry about there, Scoots,” Rainbow said ruffling her mane.
“Well that’s mighty thoughtful of ya’ll. Still, that don’t mean ya’ll can just barge in here and put yerself in harm’s way!” Applejack protested.
“But you do that all the time!” Apple Bloom cried.
“Twilight just said it was important that you guys do this together, so while you all are fighting that gray pony, we’ll fix the Elements of Harmony!”
“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity exclaimed. “That is simply outrageous! I won’t allow my dear sister to be subject to the cruelty of that maniac!”
Twilight stepped away from the table and joined in on the rambunctious meddling from the side. She rounded the three fillies together despite awkward glances from their guardians and smiled contently as if she were a nurse giving good news.
“Girls, I appreciate the concern you’ve given for all of us, and I also think it’s wonderful you want to help, but I’m afraid this is something that we can’t allow you three to help us with,” Twilight said in a soft tone.
“Aww, no fair,” Scootaloo whined. Twilight diverted her pleading attention away from Rainbow Dash.
“Not so fast Princess Sparkle,” Celestia sounded. “I actually think it’s a wonderful idea.”
“Princess?” Twilight started, but was cut off.
“You said yourself that the elements were essential to the defeat of Gray Umbra. I know a way that these fillies can help while adhering to the safety concerns their sisters have for them,” Celestia continued, meeting the squirming fillies in the middle of the room.
“Yes, yes what is it?!” Scootaloo cried out elatedly beating her wings.
“We’ll do anything to help!” Sweetie Belle eagerly responded.
“And maybe get our Cutie Marks in the process!” Apple Bloom reminded of the other two fillies. “What? I’m just sayin’ maybe saving the world is our special talent!” she replied to everypony’s expressions.
“The Elements of Harmony need to be wielded by a force that unites the mystical gems as one unit. Divided, they cannot do much, if anything at all,” Celestia began. “Therefore, if we are to succeed on all fronts, I believe it is essential that the three of you remain here in Canterlot, but…” Celestia’s interjection raised the hopes of the young mares.
“You three will be my personal assistants in keeping our fellow ponies unified. Your adorable quirkiness and strong friendship will motivate everypony to remain united under harmony and love. If we are to truly lend Twilight some power, I know doing so will make a difference.” Celestia finished, knighting the three fillies with her horn as a means of titular motivation. Twilight smiled at her mentor’s cunning, wondering if perhaps that was another personal demonstration reserved for her.
“Keeping everypony in the loop and providing them with the hope that we can defeat Gray Umbra will definitely help us out,” Twilight added then.
“Ya hear that sis?” Applejack asked drawing her sibling in. “You keep Big Mac and Granny Smith believin’ in your older sibling!”
“You don’t know how proud your willingness to help makes me Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said to her sister. Sweetie widened her already drawn-out smile and nuzzled her.
“Anything to help you, Rarity!”
“I swear you take after me!” Rarity squealed in delight.
“Staying inside this bubble is going to help you?” Scootaloo asked Rainbow Dash.
“You know something Scoots, it actually will,” Rainbow Dash said much to the young filly’s surprise. “If I can be out there, knowing you’re safe and sound while still helping us kick flank, then that helps a whole lot.”
“But it’s not as exciting as what you’ll be doing!” Scootaloo argued.
“You’re right,” Rainbow said flatly. “It won’t be exciting, but every hit that I give to that horned freak I won’t be believing in me, but in you who believes in me!” Rainbow’s corny speech lifted Scootaloo’s mood and she hugged the rainbow-maned pegasus.
“What about me?” Spike said motioning over to Twilight.
“Spike, I think you should remain here with the princess,” Twilight said.
“Babysiting huh?” he asked lifting a thumb to the jubilant fillies.
“No Spike, not babysitting. Gray Umbra has threatened to cover not only Equestria in chaos, but the whole world,” Twilight said grimly. “We want to be able to inform the other nations of this imminent threat, yet keep them united in this plight.”
“I will have Spike deliver messages to the other nations of the world,” Celestia said. “Their cooperation will be invaluable.”
“I’d probably just get in the way if I went,” the small dragon said dejectedly.
“Never,” Twilight replied delicately. “Like Celestia said, we all have a part to fill. This is yours Spike.”
“If we’ve got everypony’s parts down, what’s stopping us from going?” Pinkie Pie asked quite obtrusively.
“We just need to decide who will help Princess Luna distract Gray Umbra and who will search for a way to repair the elements,” Twilight answered.
“We may be splitting up, but we won’t be split up,” Applejack said before Apple Bloom could muster a sound.
“Right! Just like Rainbow Dash said, believe in each other who each believes in you…” Scootaloo struggled to put out.
“Meh, close enough.” Rainbow ruffled the tiny mane of her filly companion as she spoke.
“Do we have an idea of where to start looking?” Fluttershy’s voice sounded after what seemed like an eternity of silence from her.
“Actually… I’m not completely sure,” Twilight revealed suddenly taken aback.
“Do you have anything else you’d like to share Fluttershy?” Celestia asked. Her voice caused the timid pony to wince a little as she was put on the spot.
“Well, I umm, think a good place to begin would be… where we first found the elements… Maybe?”
“Oh Fluttershy, you’re a genius!” Twilight cried out recalling the stony quarry that used to be an ancient castle.
“No, no, no,” Fluttershy rebuked. “I was just using deductive reasoning is all, it’s completely normal.”
“The stress must be getting’ to you Twilight! Fluttershy knows more than you!” Pinkie Pie chuckled out.
“Hmm, Pinkie Pie…being right. I don’t know if I want to use that statement just yet,” Twilight muttered.
“I’ll hold onto it then, since you were so nice to foreshadow it!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Just let me know when you want to use it!”
“Alright, we can’t stall any longer,” Twilight quickly changed the subject. “Applejack, you and Rainbow Dash are going to help me against Gray. While we’re keeping him distracted alongside Princess Luna, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy will go to the ancient ruins where we first discovered the elements.”
“And what exactly are we looking for darling?” Rarity asked.
“Something that can tell us more about the Elements of Harmony,” Twilight explained.
“I seem to recall an old library somewhere in that castle, now that I’ve given it a moment,” Celestia revealed. Twilight beamed at the memory.
“An ancient library?” she asked bewitched. “Full of old and probably never recovered books?!” She debated on whether or not she should reorganize the division of the team. Her better judgment restricted the impulse.
“It has been some time since I last set hoof in that place. I cannot remember specifics, but it was sealed off to prevent Discord from reaching some of Equestria’s darkest secrets at the time. I recommend you locate this library,” Celestia said to the appropriate three.
“Then it’s settled,” Twilight exhaled. “Rainbow, Applejack, let’s go.”
“What about Pinkie Pie and everypony else?” Rainbow Dash wondered flying next to Twilight.
“Celestia will transport them to the ruins, right?”
“Correct,” Celestia affirmed to Twilight with a smile.
“One last goodbye for your sister Rarity?” the fashonista cooed to Sweetie Belle.
“Ya’ll take care of everythin’ ya hear?” Applejack said to Apple Bloom. The filly saluted and then waved goodbye. Rainbow Dash winked in Scootaloo’s direction. The tiny pegasus grinned back, asserting Rainbow’s last statement to her.
“Stay strong Spike,” Twilight related to the gloomy dragon.
“Yeah, I know,” Spike sighed.
“Do it for me,” Twilight replied dotingly. She managed to squeeze a smile from her assistant at the last moment. “And don’t fail me,” she added jovially.
“I wouldn’t dream about it!” Spike responded. Twilight’s wings flared open, touching both Rainbow Dash and Applejack then. She closed her eyes and felt out Gray’s energy. Her eyelids reopened and she gave her friends one last chance to prepare themselves before they vanished in a wisp of light.
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Safer Gray Umbra?
It's like Majin Buu all over again.
Methinks I'll keep an eye on this story.
Gray Umbra is quite similar to Omega Shenron.
And gathering the hope and Harmony from everywhere on the planet, sounds a lot like a Spirit Bomb.
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Not very hard parallels to draw. I'm just saiyan
3126806 Definitely coloring this pic guy, because it's badass. :D
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Yeah I've been told that a lot too. I'm working on it. I just get paranoid and assume the reader doesn't know who's speaking to whom all the time. My dialogue feels like guidelines for a script rather than actual speech. Thanks for your review!
Ok, is this Alicorn red and black, and have a broken horn as well?
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The second chapter explain his appearance, and by broken horn do you mean broken as in shattered or broken as in overpowering?
Also, he's only an alicorn because that's the mode he likes best. He's actually a shapeshifting-like mass of evil that can turn into anything, but you'd have to read the story to figure that out
3287209 In other words, he's a fucking Gary Stew
(a Mary Sue with a trenchdigger)
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Gary Stu.
I'm pretty sure the one you're talking about is a legitimate character
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Also, he's not red and black. he's rather monotone since he isn't supposed to be flashy or anything.
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Why the facehoof? Just go ahead and say it. I won't delete your comment.
Let me know how he's a Gary Stu so I can fix it, or at least keep him consistent as I continue the story.