When an artifact related to the elements is discovered it's a race against time to keep it out of enemy hooves, Bye the way did we mention its alive?
The elements start reacting to an unknown artifact somewhere in the Ever free forest. After extensive research twilight has found out its called the Heart of the elements and is able to be used by any third party, Now its a race against time to keep the heart out of the hooves, and paws of Equestria enemies. too bad for the mane six it has its own personal agenda to fulfill
Twilight was almost finished packing her -as of now- mandatory adventure pack. Twilight put down the saddlebags and turned to the stairs that lead up to the second floor of the tree/library and called to spike
"SPIKE! hurry up, Princess Celestia said We had to be at the edge of the forest before noon and it's almost eleven."
The purple drake came dashing out of the door to his and Twilight's shared room before starting down the stairs muttering apologies as he went. Having already gotten his small satchel ready he quickly climbed onto Twilight's back and she set off out the door after putting a closed sign in the window. Spike decided to pass the time with a few questions.
"So why do we need to go to the ever-free anyway, I mean I know Celestia wants us there but why?" He asked obviously confused. Twilight sighed before answering.
"Spike I already told you the elements have been acting funny lately and the Princess thinks its coming from inside the ever-free." Spike flushed at the embarrassing reminder. "Oh yeah, sorry."
The rest of the walk through Ponyville was silent save for the few times Twilight replied to a friendly greeting or wave. Before long they had left Ponyville and arrived at the Ever-Free's boundary. Waiting there where two solar guards, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow dash, and Pinkie pie.
"Hi girls sorry for keeping you waiting." Twilight announced their arrival and after exchanging greetings and small talk where interrupted by a loud popping noise and a flash of light. When everypony regained there sight they found the Princess Celestia flanked by the two guards from before.
"Hello my little ponies I see we are just one short, are we not?" her question was quickly answered by Applejack galloping into the group.
"Sorry Princess, Girls Ah was havin' some trouble with helpin' Applebloom and Big Mac move the herd before Ah came so.." her explanation was silenced by a raised hoof from Celestia.
"Thank you for coming, all of you now normally I would handle things like this alone but I believe you are ready to face a task such as this. Now lately the Elements of Harmony have been behaving oddly, the source of this occurrence is an artifact called the Heart of the Elements and is found somewhere inside the Ever-Free. I need you to find it and bring it back, It has been confirmed that the changelings and diamond dogs are also searching for it so it is of utmost importance that you find it first. Can I count on you girls to do this for me?" The collective response was a general yes and she quickly teleported away leaving the group to fend for themselves.
After an almost our long struggle of getting Fluttershy to cross into the Ever-Free they set of through the darkened forest following a detailed map Twilight had brought. Applejack broke the dark silence with a question. "so Twi, what exactly are we lookin for?"
Twilight was so preoccupied in reading the map she almost didn't answer. "Well form all the old descriptions it should look alot like the elements did when we first found them. Maybe a little bigger and it will definitely have a different mark carved into it but it shouldn't be to hard to find."
The group was quiet for a long time after that before Twilight spoke again. "As far as I can tell the artifact should be located somewhere around the next bend here!" as they rounded the bed they where met with a large stone cliff blocking there path. "well twilight I guess being an egghead doesn't mean your always right." laughed Rainbow dash from above the group. Twilight smiled and quickly explained.
"Rainbow I wasn't wrong there is a very tricky spell in place here." Twilight stepped up to the wall and walking foreword passed right through a section of it rippling like water as she did so.
"Well maybe being an egghead isn't all bad." mumbled Rainbow dash as she sped in after the lavender unicorn. She was quickly followed by the rest of the group, with Applejack pushing Fluttershy through the wall much to her protest. Once they crossed the other side though it was a truly breathtaking sight, the cavern was enormous and must have risen up several hundred feet before curving in to a ceiling. sitting in the center of this massive cavern was an almost altar like stone structure with support pillars holding up the roof and an elegantly carved gold and stone platform in the center much like the one the elements of harmony were found on.
"Girls we found it!" shouted an exited Twilight before she galloped forward twords the alter, only to be stopped halfway there by a bolt a acid green magic destroying the ground ahead of her.
"Yessss you found it and now we will return it to our queen." The hissing voice revealed itself as a changeling followed closely by two several drones.
One of the changelings was swiftly shot out of the air by a bolt of light blue magic.
"Twilight go get the heart the rest of us can deal with these insects!" Rarity's command did not fall on deaf ears as Twilight quickly rushed up the stone steps leading up the alter. She couldn't help but feel nostalgic when she saw the pedestal the stone orb was resting on, as it was almost identical to the one in the old castle. The small orb was an almost exact copy of the other elements save for the fact it was slightly larger and had no symbol carved into it. Twilight stepped up to the pedestal and noticed some old equestrian writing on the side of the pillar.
Those who tred here beware, a beast so bold should you dare. He is a force of great power, that shall not wane before his hour. If this stone you wish to pluck you must be careful to test your luck. as only a true friend may remove this curse.
"That doesn't make any sense you can't be friends with a rock!" shaking her head twilight enveloped the stone in her magic and slowly pulled it off the pedestal to float beside her. when she turned to help her friends though she was quickly grabbed from behind by two large light blue paws.
"Silly purple pony thought she could get way with our stone." Twilight was met with the face of Rover one of the three diamond dogs who pony-napped Rarity.
"Let go of me you deranged mutt!" Twilight squirmed in the dogs grip, which in turn caused her to lose her own on the stone.
CRACK!
Everyone in the room stopped instantly at the sound. Twilight quickly found the stone on the floor, a large web of cracks splayed along the side. The changelings gathered around the stone followed by the rest of the ponies and the diamond dogs, who dropped Twilight without a second thought.
"Now look what you foul poniessss have done, our key to power is ruined." The changeling leader was obviously not pleased. and neither where the diamond dogs.
"AH! now we can't have gem finder magic!" Fido was dancing around like a foal throwing a fit as he yelled.
Before anypony could move the stone started to hum and glow slightly. before floating up above the ground. as one of the changelings tried to move forward a beam of light flashed out and blasted the changeling in the mouth, when he stopped rolling around on the ground he yelled.
"That ssstupid rock pulled out one of my fangsss!" True enough on of his fangs was missing. two more beams flashed out one pulling some hair from Rarity and the other yanked a claw out of rovers paw. The dual complaints where ignored as a scale was stolen from spike then the three items started to revolve around the stone.
The slight glow and the hum intensified as the stolen pieces slowly dissolved to dust and seeped into the cracks around the stone. the broken shell falling away the light from inside the stone was revealed to be a living heart from which a spine was growing followed by a rib-cage legs shoulders arms claws a neck and most of a skull with a mighty flash and a pulse of magic the light faded and standing tall before them was a diamond dog like creature it was cover in fur of a light charcoal blue its tail was much like a dragons, on its back where a pair of large changeling wings its head had longer mane like hair and a small horn poked out from its bangs.
After the creature appeared it didn't take long for the changelings to try and claim it, quickly followed by the diamond dogs and the ponies, the only one who didn't join in the argument was Fluttershy.
"Um I hate to interrupt but I think it can choose for itself..." Fluttershy's words where lost in the yelling as the argument continued.
"Please just listen for a second..." once again Fluttershy was ignored.
the creature stepped up and put a claw in front of her to stop her for a moment.
it cleared its throat and yelled with enough force to throw the group -excluding Fluttershy- back a few feet. "QUIET! KINDNESS WISHES TO SPEAK!" his voice was both gravely and rough but smooth and easy on the ears. much like the sound of a forest loud but soothing.
His words where met with blank stares as he stepped aside and gesture for Fluttershy to continue.
"Oh um...thank you. I was trying to say he can choose for himself." She quickly hid behind her mane when everypony looked at her, but they didn't stay that way for long, as Twilight stepped forward and slowly spoke to the creature.
"You can talk?" he nodded quickly. Twilight was ecstatic A brand new species and she was one of the first to speak to it.
"Well would you mind making a choice for us, we need to know which group you are going to leave here with?" He seemed to think about it for a second before stepping closer to her.
"I shall go where the elements of harmony go." once again he was met with blank stares bye two thirds of the room. One of the changelings quickly stepped up and growled.
"No you ssssstupid beast you sssshall come with ussss to the hivvve." When the changeling jumped forward to attack him he stood a little taller and stepped over Twilight to smack one of the changelings out of the air with a large claw.
"You will do no harm to magic or any other element so long as I stand!" When the other two changelings charged him he dispatched them much like the first. As the changelings quickly fled the cave he turned to the diamond dogs only to find they had tunneled out of the room.
"Pests." He muttered and turned to Twilight. "Lead the way magic and I shall follow."
Twilight blinked. "Why did you call me that? and before you called Fluttershy kindness."
He stopped walking with them and quickly explained. "You are the element of magic, your quiet friend is the element of kindness, the blue one is loyalty the fancy one is generosity, the orange one is honesty, and the pink bouncy pony is laughter, and I am determination, or willpower. Harmony cannot exist without someone to push it along through sheer force of will."
"O-kay?" Twilight didn't ask anymore questions though pinkie had built up the courage to start asking him question after question so quickly he gave up on answering and let her tire herself out. Before long they where back on the trail heading twords Ponyville. Every now and then he would growl or sniff the air, before continuing, when they asked why he simply said.
"This forest is large and dangerous."
When they came close to the end of the forest he seemed hesitant to step out into the sunlight, but followed them none the less. Waiting for them in the clearing beyond the forest was princess Celestia.
"Ah I see you brought somepony back with you, but what of the artifact?" Celestia said confusion lacing her voice. Twilight quickly explained what happened in the cavern and of what he had said.
Celestia thought for a moment before speaking. "I would like to discuss this further in Canterlot, If you could wait a moment I will Teleport us to the thrown room." Almost instantly her horn flashed and they disappeared only to reappear back inside the grand hall of the castle. Almost instantly Twilight noticed how tired Celestia had become upon teleporting.
"Princess Celestia are you alright?" she stepped forward and put a hoof on the alicorn's shoulder.
Celestia grunted before pushing herself up to her full height. "Yes Twilight I am fine, I'm just not used to moving such a large group so far."
Rainbow dash seemed to suddenly remember something before she spoke. "Uh Twilight, if he was the artifact and all does that mean he is an element like the necklaces or just ya know alive?"
Twilight stopped for a moment deep in thought. "Princess if I may?"
Celestia nodded.
Twilight sat on her haunches before speaking. "Well I think what happened is that the heart reacted to my magic and the violence around it by trying to protect itself, but when I dropped it the only thing it could understand was it was damaged so, it protected itself by creating a living body that could fight or flee."
Twilight looked up to Celestia for approval. "Very good Twilight, this explains why he didn't attack you as well."
Twilight and Celestia began a conversation on possible alternate outcomes of his appearance, but where interrupted when Pinkie spoke up. " I know he was here a second ago but where is the big fuzzy Dragaling?"
Twilight blinked. "Dragaling?" Pinkie snorted before gesturing wildly at the idea of somepony not understanding. "Well duh what else could we call him?"
Twilight shook her head. "Well it doesn't matter, Pinkies got a point he disappeared and we need to find him." After settling who would go where they all set off down different paths. with Applejack going into the castle gardens, Rainbow dash up to the upper castle, Fluttershy went out to the maze and Rarity and Twilight searched the lower castle. Spike stayed behind to wait in case he came back into the thrown room.
When everypony was given a place around the palace to look they sent Pinkie to look anywhere they forgot. So the first place she looked was the castle kitchens, then she looked in the guard barracks, and after that she checked the roof. By now she had looked almost everywhere and still hadn't found him.
The only place left to check is the roof haha but you have to have wings to get up there and the only wings he has are.... HE HAS WINGS!
Pinkie wasted no time in climbing every staircase she could find until she, by her own logic wound up on the roof of the largest part of the palace. Looking around she spotted the elusive chimera standing close to one of the edges of the roof looking down at Equestria.
She smiled and snuck up behind him before jumping out. "Whacha doin way up here the airs so cold." The pink pony shivered in the higher altitude. He turned to look at her his large yellow eyes watching for a moment.
"My fur keeps me warm enough." Pinkie frowned at this, No pony should be this alone... mental gasp...I could offer to be his friend!
"Hey mister dragaling-thing do you have any friends?" she plopped herself down next to him eager for an answer.
"I have no idea what a 'dragaling-thing' but what is a friend?" Pinkie's mane seemed to deflate when she heard this.
"Y-you don't know what a friend is?..." the pink pony stood up and spoke again her mane slowly puffing back up as she did.
"A friend is somepony you can share a good laugh with, or tell a secret to and know they won't tell anypony else but you still forgive them if they do. A friend is somepony you can spend all day with and never get tired of them. A friend is somepony you can trust to the end of Equis and back... And if there's not anypony else to, Could I be your very first friend?"
The chimera thought it over for a second before speaking. "I would be glad to call you a friend Pinkie pie." he was quickly pulled into a hug stronger than the little pony should have been able to give.
"Yay I am your first friend wait till the cakes here that I'm.." Pinkie seemed to gasp in more air than her lungs should have been able to hold, before pushing his cheeks together with her hooves. "You don't have a name!....do you?"
He smiled as best as he could around his fangs. "That's what I've been thinking since we left the cave and I have decided to call myself Dusklight."
"Oooh I like it Dusklight the Dragaling! it rings a pretty good bell huh?" Pinkie's bouncing around was going to give the poor 'Dragaling' whiplash. he reached out and caught her mid bounce with one of his paw-like claws careful not to hurt her.
"Pinkie pie why did you come up here?" the party pony once again gasped for all she was worth before grabbing his claw in her teeth and dragging him back downstairs into the thrown room. Where they found the rest of the mane six waiting with both princesses.
Why do I get the feeling this pink pony just dragged me into a deathtrap?
Three and a half hours of explanations, arrangements, and a very interesting train ride later. it had been decided that Dusklight would stay in Ponyville with Twilight until a more permanent solution could be found.
This should help make up for the short chapter from last time.
Thoughts "Speech" text
Oh how right he was, he had spent most of the day being questioned by the princesses, and twilight. Then they had to stay at the castle because the train had already left, not to mention that the changelings where attacking without warning, and he was expected to help.
Which might be why he was running on all fours through the castle trying to avoid the changeling swarm.
His claws clicked on the marble floor as he ran, looking back the dozen or so changelings following him where starting to close in on him. Growling he stopped running and turned to face them, taking a deep breathe he roasted over half of them in a searing multi-colored flame. Dusklight smiled as the charred insects fell to the floor a sickly green fluid leaking out of them onto the floor.
He started back down the hall running as fast as his four limbs could take him.
"Please let the girls be safe." Taking a few turns and doubling back once, He managed to get to the throne room which was currently occupied by both princesses, and the girls who where stuck to the wall by a green glue-like substance. rushing over to them he started to notice a faint pressure in the back of his skull.
Twilight opened her eyes and blinked a few times before coughing.
"Run *cough-cough* away she's after you." before Dusklight could ask what she meant, a sickeningly sultry voice spoke.
"Ah...so this sick little jigsaw puzzle of body parts is the source of all that power, hmm how idiotic."
Dusklight turned on his toes and found himself facing a changeling that was larger and more unique than the others, for some reason the pressure in his head got worse when he saw her.
Queen, Mother.
Dusklight was confused he didn't want those thoughts they just sort of rolled through his head on there own. He growled again, this time opting to use his claws instead of the fire in his gut, But only a few steps twords her she smiled.
"Stop." At the sound of her voice every muscle acted without notice and froze up hating him in his tracks.
"What? What did you do hag!?" Dusklight was almost ready to permanently scar these ponies, so he could tear this "Queen" apart.
Her shit eating grin grew wider with every word she spoke. "Surely you know that as queen of the changelings I have utter control of those in the hive mind, which includes you too." She slowly walked over and circled him sizing him up.
"I need a test of your skills...Bring me the pink one!." A few changelings from around the room pulled pinkie out of the goo and dropped her in front of him.
"Kill her...but use your so called powers I want to see her innards painted across her friends." Growling deep in his chest he watched his body act to her commands his left claw opened and raised palm first twords pinkies head, a bright glow settled deep in his hand glowing brighter every second. He looked down seeing pinkie cowering below him tears in her eyes, she was his friend, he'd rather die than hurt her. Besides that she was the element of laughter, hurting her would be like hurting himself.
"I won't, hurt my friends." Concentrating he managed to make his arm move slightly upward before long he managed to point it strait up, and then he relaxed.
The blast that he produced blew a hole in the roof big enough to fit several ponies at once.
"Now how about a better target?" He turned his palm twords chrysalis. "If you value your life you will leave, and take that swarm with you."
Chrysalis screamed at him before flying out the window. All the changelings followed her out as well. Bye now Twilight had freed the girls and, the princesses. Dusklight dropped down on all fours his strength drained.
"That blast took more out of me than I thought." Applejack was the first to approach him.
"You sure are talkative now, what changed yall's mind?" he smiled a little.
"Maybe Iv'e spent to much time around pinkie." He stood back up towering over the pony. "She seems to have rubbed off in me in more ways than one."
After cleaning up some of the castle and being constantly questioned by twilight about this hive mind prospect, they boarded a train to Ponyville and in the processes scarred a few of the passengers where on there way to Ponyville.
They had an entire car to themselves unfortunately this also meant they all had to share said car.
"So how fast can you fly?" Rainbow was one of the last ponies he'd expect to hear from but he could be surprised later.
"I can't actually fly, I'm too heavy but I can hover and glide in a way." Dusklight entertained himself by swishing his tail around the floor of car and listening to the sound it made.
"Aw I was hoping I could race you." Rainbow started pouting which caused pinkie to try and cheer her up, while they where busy Rarity asked her won question.
"Do you eat gems too like spike or hoard them like those dreadful diamond dogs." she flipped her mane halfway through her speech which hit Applejack who swatted her with her tail in retaliation.
"I can eat gems, but only so many at a time, as for hoarding them...I could care less the're rocks nothing more." By now Rarity and applejack where subtly smacking each other, and Pinkie was driving rainbow up the wall.
Twilight's ears perked up at the mention of my eating habits. "What can you eat?"
Dusklight sighed. "I can like most ponies eat vegetables and flowers, I can also eat a limited number of gems and stones. I have no idea about emotions though I believe not." Twilight nodded but before she could ask another question a knock was heard on the car door.
Twilight opened it to find the baggage colt followed closely by a small light green fill. "Can we help you?" The stallion nodded. "I need to move this one to the caboose, she stowed away." he pushed her in front of himself. She was small younger than spike, maybe five or six, she had a light green coat and a blond mane.
"Before you do that is there any chance I could pay for a spare ticket?" Dusklight's voice startled the stallion and he quickly nodded. Dusklight grabbed the small bag of gems spike had brought to munch on, grabbing a small gem he tossed it to the bag-pony who pushed the filly in and slammed the door, his frantic hoofsteps could be heard fleeing.
"Why where you hiding?" The little filly didn't say anything she just walked over to Dusklight and to everypony's surprise hugged him as she started to cry.
"Well that was interesting." Twilight's was ignored for the most part.
Dusklight had held the filly until she stopped crying, after she calmed down they asked why she had stowed away. Turns out her father is abusive and she was running away to Ponyville to stay with her aunt.
Twilight managed to get her fathers name and address from her before she fell asleep, and used them to report the abuse directly to princess Celestia. Poor spike had been woken up so many times he couldn't even sit up strait for more that a few seconds before passing out and almost burned a hole in the ceiling. Through the entire thing Dusklight was very detached, his own thoughts kept moving back to when he fought the queen something didn't feel right it was too rushed she was only there for a few minuets before she left.
"Twilight?" The lavender unicorn turned to him.
"Does something seem off about the attack from earlier? It seemed rushed like a hit and run not a hostile takeover." Twilight nodded. "It does but maybe she put to much faith in her control over you, Ill send Celestia a letter tomorrow and ask what she thinks.
Dusklight could except that answer for now but he still felt off about the whole thing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
With a screeching hiss the pink train pulled to a stop in the Ponyville station, most of its passengers rapidly departed terrified of a certain blue chimera. Dusklight stepped of the train carrying not one but six colorful suitcases all of which weighed an massive amount and belonged to a white unicorn.
stepping out of the train behind him Rarity yelled at him several times as he struggled to balance the weight. "AAH darling, oh please do be careful, If one of those where to open my beautiful clothes would spill across the filthy ground."
Silently glaring at the fashionista Dusklight slowly trudged his way through town to the boutique, Earning many fearful stares as mothers hurried to move their foals out of his path. Upon arriving Rarity openly flinched when he roughly dropped them at her doorstep. Looking around Dusklight noticed most of the town clearing out and getting as far away from him as possible.
Good the less crowds I have to deal with the better!
"I'm actually quit ashamed of how hard it is for this town to accept anything, out of the ordinary, this is Zecora all over again!" Twilight's voice derailed Dusklight's train of thought, and left him with quite a few questions, the main one being:
Who is Zecora?
Splitting up everypony when there separate way save for Dusklight who followed Twilight back to the library.
Looking over her shoulder Twilight spoke. "By the way tomorrow there will be a town meeting to introduce you to the rest of Ponyville." opening the door for Twilight Dusklight sighed, knowing full well he would be displayed in front of a large crowd for Solaris knows how long. Crouching through the low doorway Dusklight instantly felt at home inside the tree, it was quite and peaceful, had an earthy feeling to it as well. the light smell of parchment and the many books reminded him of his days as a stone orb in Solaris study long before the gaps in his memory.
Twilight gestured for him to have a seat, his massive weight bowing the couch but not breaking it, before seating herself in a chair across from him.
"Okay I'm going to ask you a few more questions these are simple yes or nos. So first question do you have any memory from when you where a stone?" Dusklight sighed
"yes" Twilight quickly wrote this response on a notepad from seemingly no-where.
"Okay, Are there any problems or gaps in these memorys?"
"yes" more scribbling.
"Do you know why these gaps are there?"
"no" Again scribbling.
"Hmm Okay last one, Do you intend to help us, as elements of harmony to protect Equestria?"
"yes" no scribbling this time but Twilight seemed to be happy with his answers, and after waving him off he left the tree/house/library to wander his new home.
After making several laps around the small town he had a generally good idea of where everything was located. not long after his final lap, he bumped into a small but extremely annoying pony. after trying to past the pony and his two armored followers a few times it was made clear the pony meant businesses.
"My name is Sir Extravagance and by the power vested in me by my large wealth I command you beast, to leave this town!" The attitude of this pony was simply infuriating, no more than a few words and Dusklight was the angriest he had ever been! His I'm better than you attitude rubbed the furious Chimera the wrong way.
Growling deep and low Dusklight barred his fangs and spoke. "Listen now and listen well little pony, I do not like you, I do not like being near you, your wealth means nothing to me as you bleed the same color as every pony else. So I sagest you leave now before I do something I regret!"
With a squeal like a startled pig the rich snob bolted taking his two cohorts with him in his mad dash away. A migraine quickly forming Dusklight made his way back to the library upon entering Twilight immediately noticed what was wrong after a quick explanation Dusklight decided he didn't like snobbish ponies or being angry. No he did not like being angry one bit.
