For far too long he has ruled with an iron hoof. Those who have tried to unseat him from power in the past have always failed. In this world, there was never a Celestia or Luna- only the Tyrant who has ruled for aeons. It's time for his reign to end.
The world has suffered for too long. Under the iron grasp of the Tyrant they suffer. None who have tried to stand against him have succeeded. So long have the ponies wallowed in despair that they have long since forgotten the joy of earning a Cutie Mark- such a thing is only known of because the Tyrant bestows them upon those who follow him. However, in this bleak world there are rumors of ponies that earned their own marks, who hide in shadow, waiting for a chance to strike at the Tyrant. There are six that are known, and rumors of a seventh. They are:
Lightning Dust, the Pegasus mare who fights for the populace, risking her neck. Octavia Medley, the Earth mare who brings honest work to a world without. Moondancer, the Unicorn mare who never turns away those in need. Flutterbat, the Thestal mare who is giving underneath the scary exterior. Screwball, the Discord Spawn who never lets the gloom get to her. Trixie Lulamoon, the Shiftblood Unicorn mare who strives to connect to all. and the Shadowed Stallion, who is rumored to have a mark that hasn't been seen in thousands of years, who stands for hope.
Together, they will stand and find the Elements- or die trying.
A Glimpse Of the Past, A Premonition Of the Future
Aeons ago, the Dark Tyrant, the one known as Eclipse, came to possess the throne. Records of who he deposed to gain the throne have been lost without a trace. None who have challenged him have succeeded. He has turned Discord and his sister Harmonia to stone. He imprisoned Sombra in the Lost Empire and sealed Tirek himself in Tartarus, with no escape. All those who faced him fell, never to come back.
However, one who faced him long ago was of special interest. This fool was a lone crystal unicorn stallion, the mark of a Trigem - for only they had the gift of crystal skin outside of the Crystal Ponies of the once-empire. They had one other unique quality, however. They bore Marks containing three gemstones, thus their family name. . The fool dared try and wield the Elements of Harmony, but Eclipse made short work of the fool, sealing him in a crystal statue. He then tossed the Elements in perilous places, such as the Everfree, the Frozen North, the Badlands, and others, to ensure that none would ever find them.
He continued to rule the ponies for generations, the folk slowly slipping into despair. This caused them to stop earning Cutie Marks, seeing as those required a certain level of hope in one’s soul. Or, a powerful force such as Eclipse’s magic, that granted Cutie Marks to those loyal to him.
Because he held their “destinies” hostage, common ponies feared him, and the Royal Guard blindly followed him. None dared stand tall against him ever since he ordered the shattering of the remaining Trigems, who mocked him with their ability to still receive Cutie Marks without his blessing..
The years went on, becoming decades and centuries. He had expunged all traces of the Trigems and their freely appearing Cutie Marks, save for the statue of the foolish stallion. All records of how things once were had been altered, portraying Equestria that was never better than under Eclipse’s rule. The Trigems and Cutie Marks not earned through service and loyalty to the Tyrant soon became dusty old legends as the generations passed.
However, one night, the Tyrant had a premonition involving seven ponies who had marks not of his power, banding together to use the seven Elements of Harmony. All he saw in the premonition was seven silhouettes, but that gave him quite the amount of information. Most of the group were mares, with one stallion among them. One was a Pegasus, two of them looked like Earth ponies, one was a Thestral, and three of them were Unicorns, with one having Changeling features, and the stallion’s silhouette had shiny crystalline eyes that almost seemed… familiar.
He shook his head. Such thoughts were ridiculous! That pony was sealed in crystal! And none that the Tyrant had bested ever escaped, and He would be no exception. The Tyrant paid the premonition no mind, certain that it was only a faulty vision. After all, none could possibly defeat him, not today, not ever! However, the premonition stubbornly wormed its way into his subconscious nonetheless, causing near-endless nightmares. Little did he know that the criteria for his premonition would soon be met…
My Foolish Pony,
My Little Pony,
My Foolish Pony,
My Little Pony,
Oh, oh, oh, oh!
Ah, ah, ah, ah...
My Foolish Pony!
My Little Pony!
You can struggle all you want against me!
Friendship is quite important, you’ll see!
My Foolish Pony!
My Little Pony!
Friendship can’t stop the powers that be!
With it we’ll restore the world’s beauty!
Devotion is dead,
A Jolting visage,
Honor is crushed,
A True melody,
Compassion is wasted,
An Analytic mind,
Charity is useless,
A Leather-winged gift,
Humor is spited,
A Chaotic mien,
Empowerment is shattered,
A Gem of a friend,
It’s an impossible feat,
It’s a surmountable task,
And without Magic, I can’t be beat!
And in Magic connections we’ll bask!
My Foolish Ponies,
My Little Ponies,
Your friendship won’t win this day!
Let’s show him the power of Friends!
An azure Shift-blood unicorn with silverish blue mane and tail was on the run, as she had been for years. Why? Surprisingly, it was not for her magical nature. No, Shift-bloods, descendants of ponies that decided to tie their lives to Changelings, were an uncommon sight, but nopony really paid them any mind. The whole reason for the two guards drawing nearer was her Cutie Mark. It was not one given by the Tyrant, something that had been dismissed as legend for centuries. But, the star-tipped wand that emanated a smoky crescent-shape with white pinpricks on her flanks was proof that such a claim was bogus. She was Trixie D’Glamour Lulamoon and she was wanted for reasons unbeknownst to her.
She was the last of the Lulamoon clan, the result of a desperate union with a changeling and her father to continue the bloodline. Not that she minded. The Changeling Magic she had was useful in many situations - as it would again, shortly. She let off a smoke-bomb spell, and then used an illusion to send out copies of her in many directions as she slipped away into a building, unnoticed. Peeking out, she noticed her pursuers pass by. She let out a sigh. While inside, she disguised herself as the most generic pony she could think of - taupe fur, blonde mane and tail, no Cutie Mark, hazel eyes. This would be perfect for a getaway - and perhaps, it would give her a chance to find the other five that the public had taken to calling “The Marked Ones.” It might be difficult, but she would find them, and stand against the Tyrant.
She then went back into the heart of the city, evading the guards as carefully as she could - after all, their were rumors of a spell that could undo a Changeling's disguise, and that would not be good.
As she wandered the streets again, she took in the look of the ponies. They were only out for themselves these days. They made "deals" with others only to turn on each other. Swindlers pulled the wool over the eyes of the desperate, having no remorse. Brutal beatings were everywhere and the guards turned a blind eye. The rich hoarded their money like dragons, and reveled in the plight of the poor. Some even openly laughed at those that were worse off, with no concern for others.
The air spoke only despair in the hearts of ponies, even those that had riches knew not hope for something better. As she saw the dark state of the world, she found herself wandering up to a statue in the Canterlot gardens. This one was different from the others, given the fact it was made entirely out of crystal. It depicted a stallion, whom by modern standards was quite tall. On his flank, she could barely make out a Cutie Mark comprised of three gems, but seeing as the crystal was all the same muted gray color, she couldn’t tell which gems they were supposed to be. The plaque beneath was nearly illegible, but she could make out one solitary word with extreme clarity - Trigem. She smiled to herself. I just wish this guy could help out. After all, there are only six of us “Marked Ones” that are talked about, and I don’t think a Guard would ever betray the Tyrant, but there are seven Elements of Harmony, none of which are in places that one would normally be caught dead going to. She sighed, shaking her head as she walked off. Had she stayed a bit longer, she would have noticed a single crack appearing in the otherwise flawless muted gray crystal. The criteria were starting to surface...
Trixie travelled far with her same disguise that she had left the capital with, and had found her way towards a small town on the edge of one of the places rumored to hold an Element of Harmony—the Southern Desert. It was here, in this town, that she hoped to find one of her fellow “Marked Ones”. The small town had quaint little houses, and almost seemed peaceful. However, the ponies of this town eyed each other with distrust, much in the same way ponies in the capital did. Arguing and shady deals were thrown every which way, making the small town somewhat unpleasant.
The din of a beastial roar in the air drew her attention to a plain just outside the town. A pegasus mare was fighting off a giant earthen colored worm, known as a sandworm, that was trying to force its way into the town.
As Trixie drew closer, the details of the mare came into view. Her coat was seafoam green, and her mane and tail were a pattern of yellow and orange. Her Cutie Mark was a white lightning bolt with little orange stars coming off of it. There was no doubt about it. She was Lightning Dust, one of the Marked Ones.
As Trixie came onto the scene, Lightning shot up into the sky and grabbed a thundercloud. Most pegasi probably would’ve kicked it to shoot a bolt of lightning at the sandworm, but not her. She went into the cloud and burst it apart from the inside. She was charged with electricity, ready to strike. She swooped down, almost fast enough to break the sound barrier. But with a single collision to the lighter band of flesh on the sandworm, the beast wailed out in agony, and finally fell to the ground.
Afterwards, the pegasus turned back to the crowd. But, instead of cheers, the crowd dispersed without a thought. Lightning then touched down as she ruffled her wings and sighed. “I honestly don’t know why I keep expecting cheers…” She then looked to Trixie, and seemed surprised. “You. What’re you doing, staring at me like that?”
Trixie scoffed, then spoke out, “Just appreciating what you’re doing for this town, is all.”
Lightning raised an incredulous eyebrow. “Oh? And why should I trust you?”
Trixie sighed, and shook her head. “I can’t speak about this in the open—who knows who might overhear.” She then turned to face Lightning. “Miss Dust, if you want to know why I’m here, follow me. Just be discreet about it.”
Trixie then turned and walked off at a leisurely pace while Lightning seemed to follow above the clouds. However, the ponies of the town were too busy festering in distrust of each other to pay them much mind.
They travelled in silence until they reached a small unused shack at the edge of the town. Trixie went inside first, and Lightning followed. After they were both inside, Trixie used an anti-eavesdropping charm to coat the shack’s interior. Once that was done, she allowed her disguise to fall, revealing her half-fur, half-chitin body, along with her Cutie Mark. Lightning opened her mouth, her wings flaring up. Before she could speak, Trixie cut her off. “I know what you’re thinking, but I’m not with Eclipse. Why do you think I was disguised around the Royal Guard? They’re after me. Because I’m like you. I got my Cutie Mark naturally. I’m not entirely certain why, but the Tyrant wants those like us brought in.”
Lightning was skeptical, but decided to trust Trixie for the moment. “Alright, say I believe you for a moment. Why are you here? Why find me? What’s this all about?”
Trixie took a moment to collect her thoughts. How should she go about convincing her to join her cause? After an internal debate, she settled for what she felt the truth was, given the information she had. “Listen. I came to find you because if Eclipse wants those like us out of the picture, that means that he doesn’t want us to band together. I’m not entirely certain why, but if he doesn’t want us together, then we should band together just to spite him. There may only be six of us ‘Marked Ones’ as the public has taken to calling us, but perhaps we might be able to find and use the legendary Elements of Harmony somehow, even if one would be unaccounted for. If we could bring Eclipse down, perhaps everything would get better! Maybe not immediately, but together, I really think that we could pull this off!”
For quite a while, Lightning seemed to ponder what to do. But, she came to a conclusion, and voiced it, “I don’t know if I can trust you. But, that doesn’t mean I’ll outright refuse. How about I give you a little test, to see where your devotion really lies? If you pass it, I’ll travel with you on your quest. If you don’t, well… Let’s just say it won’t be pretty for you. You game?”
Trixie knew that she would have to do this if her gamble was to pay off. So, she nodded. “What do you have in mind?”
Lightning smirked. This pony had guts, she had to admit. She jerked her head towards the door. “Oh, I’ve got just the thing.”
Lightning dragged Trixie, who had put her disguise back on, to the northern edge of the desert. Trixie raised an incredulous eyebrow. “What’re we doing here? What’s the desert gotta do with proving myself to you?”
Lightning smirked. “I wanna see if you’ve got the guts to take on the sandworms like I do. Best way to get to know somebody is by fighting alongside them, in my book.”
Trixie shrugged, and decided to go along with it for now. She may not have much expertise with combat magic, but her illusions should give her a bit of an edge against the creatures. She walked with Lightning for a bit until the sandworms came into view. Once there, Lightning started her aerobatics to grab some of the sandworms’ attention while Trixie powered up her magic to lay out an illusion mist to single out a few of them.
Her strategy seemed to be working. The sandworms that she’d isolated looked around in confusion at the illusion-space she’d created. It was a subtle illusion to be sure, of endless sand and clear skies, but it did the trick to get their attention focused on her. She then started to focus he magic to spring some traps. As one of the sandworms lumbered forward, she unleashed a spell that dazed her target. Just enough that it stumbled into one of the trap tiles she’d woven into her illusion mist. The unlucky one was jolted with shocks directed straight at its most vulnerable point, until it was fried thoroughly, and dropped dead.
She altered up her tactics a little for the next one, casting a scent illusion that made it want to follow her. She treaded carefully enough so that she would not be caught by her own trap, but the sandworm wasn’t so lucky. Once it stepped onto the trap tile, it was consumed by blue flames as it wailed in agony. Fried to a crisp, the beast was no more.
For her next target, Trixie decided that a different approach was needed. She used an illusion to create duplicates of herself and shuffled the copies along with herself enough to confuse the sandworm. She and her copies split up, one of them guiding the sandworm onto the next trap. Once it made contact, the sandworm was caught in a sudden vortex of water that tunneled down its throat until it stopped thrashing, and drowned.
The last of her targets was a tad more difficult to trick. She dispelled the clones, as it had not followed any of them. She puzzled on how she would defeat it, until an idea struck her. This would be good. She tapped into her magic to transform herself into something the sandworm feared—a dragon, about the size of a mountain. The sandworm was shaking as Trixie lumbered forward, causing it to backtrack. It was pushed back onto the last of the trap tiles, and sharp spikes erupted from it in an instant. It barely had time to register the pain before it fell limp and dead. Trixie turned back into her previous state, and dispelled the illusion mist. After she had done so, she saw that Lightning had taken care of all of her targets as well.
Lightning looked at the fates of the sandworms and whistled. “I’m impressed, Trixie. I didn’t know you could use trap magic.” She then looked directly at Trixie. “However, that’s only stage one. If you can help me oust the Royal Guard from the town, then we might have a deal.”
Trixie knew it might come to this, so she took her basic form. As Lightning raised an eyebrow, Trixie explained, “If I’m going to do this, might as well let them know who sent ‘em packing, right?” Lightning grinned at that, and the two went back into town.
A dark teal unicorn stallion was at his post on the edge of town, looking at the squabbling masses. He scoffed internally. Hmph. Lousy low-born filth. They fight and bicker, constantly backstabbing one another. It’s sickening. He shook his head, causing his dark red mane with a zig-zag dark turquoise streak down the middle to wave. Oh well. That’s the way things have always been, and the way things always will be. Nothing will change that. He raised an eyebrow as he saw his stallions fleeing the town en masse with explosions and shots of lightning at their heels. What the Flying Feather? What’s got them running like little fillies? He caught one of the terrified stallions in his dark turquoise magic, and forced him to look into his dark blue-green eyes. “Soldier! Why are you abandoning your post! Speak now, or forever be branded traitor to His Highness!”
The terrified stallion stuttered as he saluted. “C-commander Ch-chromablade! I-it’s two of th-the M-marked Ones, sir! Th-they’re attacking! And with such power! Everypony for himself!”
The poor stallion was let go as the commander let that sink in. The Marked Ones? He’d heard rumors, like everyone else, but to think that they were real? Now this, he had to see. His dark rainbow tail swayed in the breeze as he made his way to the center of the commotion. As his stallions saw him approach, they saluted, and stopped running. He then reached the two invaders in question, who had stopped to see who had arrived. They then saw his Cutie Mark: a dark turquoise music note superimposed over a paintbrush that had seven colored swords popping out of the brush tip, one for each color of the rainbow, but darker. He then spoke, “So, you are the Marked Ones, hmm?” He gave them an analytical glance. “It is an honor.” He bowed a little. “I am Cacophony Chromablade, commander of this unit.” He then looked to Trixie, and noticed something. “Hm? A powerful spark in your soul? Well this is interesting…” He then approached her. “Tell me, Miss Lulamoon. Is it really worth pursuing whatever your goal is? You’ll just fail in the end, you know. Why not save yourself the trouble? If you submit, I can try and convince Eclipse to be lenient, and let me see out your sentence. What do you say?”
Trixie looked to Lightning for a moment, then back to Cacophony. She then answered, “No. I stand by my beliefs. We can change this world for the better! I will find the others, and together, we will save Equestria from the darkness it has been under!”
The crowd was shocked at that, and Cacophony blinked. They want to change things? The conviction in her voice… It made him almost want to believe her. He shook his head. No. He would not be swayed by this mare. His loyalty was to one being alone, and that was Eclipse. He turned to his stallions. “We’re leaving. You all need inspections. Who knows how many of you might’ve been swayed by her words…” They audibly gulped. He turned to Trixie and sent a hard look in her direction. “As for you, the next time we meet, you won’t be so lucky. I will capture you, and bring you to Eclipse myself. But for now, farewell.” The Royal Guard then left the town, and the citizens of the town went home, unsure of how to process that.
Lightning went up to Trixie. “That was pretty cool, how you refused him like that. You’ve got my support.” She then grinned. “So, where to next?”
Putting on her trusty disguise, Trixie discussed things as they exited town together. “Well, I’ve heard that there’s a rather honorable pony in the Southwest…” As they left, they didn’t notice that a small wisp of gentle red light came from the desert, and permeated into Lightning.
Lightning and Trixie walked the long road towards what was rumored to be the next location of an Element of Harmony, the Swamp of Deception. The silence of their journey so far gave Trixie a chance to think. They had a common cause to fight for, but was that enough to wield the Elements of Harmony? Was a bond that only brought them together for the same goal really going to help them bring down Eclipse? Trixie wasn’t sure it was enough, so she broke from her inner musings and posed a question, “Say Lightning, I’m curious… what's your life been like up to our meeting?”
Initially taken aback by that line of questioning, Lightning quickly realized why Trixie would ask this. So Lightning decided to oblige her. “Well, my parents left me out in the world when I was young, so I had to make it on my own. What you saw was practically my daily life for years—ensuring the town doesn’t get sacked by sandworms.” She looked downcast for a moment. “I feel kind of guilty leaving them, though. That town was the only home I’d ever known.” She looked to Trixie as they walked. “Do you think that they’ll be alright without me? Do you think that I did the right thing?”
Trixie paused. That was hard to say. She knew that this might not work—after all, Discord, Sombra, Tirek, and more had tried usurping Eclipse, but all had failed. Even the one case that used the Elements of Harmony didn’t succeed in his bid. But she had to believe that they could succeed where the last Trigem failed. She then nodded. “Don’t worry, Lightning. I’m sure everything will be alright in the end. We’re doing the right thing—we have to believe that.”
Stunned by this assessment, Lightning pondered for a bit. What could drive this mare to be like this? She just had to know. “So, now you know a bit more about me, but I’m wondering what your life was like before we met.” She anticipated the answer with bated breath.
Looking off to the night sky, Trixie sighed. “I grew up in a shaken home—my mother was a changeling, so I was ostracized when I was young. Not only for that either, seeing as my father had ideas that most ponies didn’t agree with. He wanted to change things, but knew that he couldn’t do it alone. When he saw me get my Cutie Mark however, he realised that I was meant for something great. He expressed how happy he was that I represented something that others had long given up: a chance for this world to change. That’s part of why I’m doing this—to make my father proud of me. To prove that his faith was justified.”
Silence prevailed as Lighting let that sink in. Trixie wanted to help others, not just for the benefit of the general populace, but also for her family. This gave Lightning pause. She really felt now that they had a stronger bond, now that they weren’t virtual strangers. They both knew now what drove the other from the past. But the road ahead was long, and Trixie didn’t want to travel in silence, so she posed another question, “What are your hopes for the future, presuming this all works out, huh?”
Pausing for a while, Lightning took a moment to think on that matter. She then aired her thoughts, “Well, first thing that I’m going to do is search for my family. I hazily remember them, so it won’t be too hard. And when I find them… Well, I haven’t thought that far ahead quite yet. Maybe I’ll find it in my heart to forgive them, but I don’t know.” She then looked over to Trixie. “What about you, huh? Got any plans for the future?”
Nodding slightly, Trixie indulged her companion. “It’s nothing exactly grandiose, but when this is all over, I plan to become a stage entertainer. Just to cool off from when the dust settles. Aside from that, I’ll try to keep things low-key.” She sighed as they continued on. “Though, if we do manage to pull this off, I don’t expect keeping things low-key will be easy.” Now that the two had talked of what future they wished for, they both appreciated what the other was working towards. Together, with others along the way, maybe they could actually pull this off. It was still a little ways yet, so Trixie posed yet another question. “What do you like doing in your downtime?”
Glad to oblige her companion, Lightning opened up. “Well, in my free time I try to beat my previous speed record. I’ve gotten close to pulling off a sonic boom, but I’m always just a little too slow…” She shook her head. “Other than that, I like to see how long of flights I can handle without rest, among other things.” She then turned to Trixie. “What’re your hobbies, then?”
Appreciating this little heart-to-heart, Trixie replied immediately, “I like memorizing new and challenging magic tricks, to help improve my show-stopping abilities! It doesn’t hurt to try and get into character, either. Other than that, I sometimes peruse spell books to build other talents.” She looked over to Lightning, and shook her head. “I know that it seems cliché, but I just love stage magic.” The two quieted down as they finally reached the small hamlet on the edge of the Swamp of Deception.
As they walked into the small village, they noticed that the townsfolk were constantly trying to deceive one another—almost like there was some sort of competition for such a thing. However, there was one mare that did not participate in this “competition”. She stood on her porch, minding her own business. Taking note of her attitude towards the rest of the town, they had to check something. Moving to a better vantage point, they noticed that she had a Cutie Mark of a G-clef. This information could mean that she was Octavia, one of their fellow “Marked Ones”. Despite this ray of what seemed to be fortune, Lightning and Trixie approached with caution, and overheard a conversation between the gray mare and one of the townsfolk. “Say, miss, how would you react if I told you that I could give you all the riches you could ever want?”
The mare gave the townspony a “seriously?” look, and then turned her attention to tuning a cello on her porch, intent on showing how disinterested in his lie she was. “I’d call your bluff in a heartbeat. Nopony in this hamlet is that rich.” As the townspony approached from the street, the mare pulled out a bow, and brandished it like a sword. “I’ve had quite enough of this conversation, thank you. Please remove yourself.” The creepy pony wrinkled his nose in agitation, and went away. The mare shook her head and turned to our two intrepid heroes. “So? What is it that you two want?”
Stepping forward, Trixie spoke quietly. “It isn’t something for prying ears to hear, Octavia Melody. We’ll tell you why we’re here, if you follow us.”
Quirking an eyebrow, Octavia posed a question to them, “You know of me? It seems news travel faster than I’d thought… either that, or rumors.” She turned to Lightning and raised an eyebrow. “I suppose you expect me to believe that you aren’t with the Royal Guard, then? Despite the fact that very few outside of them have Cutie Marks?”
Huffing with a little agitation, Lightning rolled her eyes. “If I was a member of the Royal Guard, wouldn’t I be making more of a scene about capturing you publicly? So can’t you suspend your doubt for a little bit, just to humor us?”
Blinking for a bit, Octavia huffed in resignation as she went back into her house to put her cello away. She returned shortly, locked the door and adjusted her bowtie. “Fine. I’ll hear what you have to say. Lead on.”
Lightning and Trixie walked to a small shack that they had noticed earlier on the edge of town. They approached the shack with caution, and Octavia followed at a respectful distance. The townsfolk seemed too busy trying to sell lies to each other to notice anyway.
Before entering, Trixie cast a spell to scan the shack, just in case. Once she gave the all clear, the three of them went inside and the door was shut. Once all three were safely inside, Trixie scanned the area using her spell once more. After the secondary check provided evidence that nobody had snuck in, Trixie summoned a magic lock to hold the door shut. Once the lock was in place, Trixie dropped her disguise in a flash of green fire. Startled, Octavia backed away. Before she could flee, she noticed Trixie’s Cutie Mark. “You’re a shift-blood… and you have a Cutie Mark? Who… who are you?”
Putting a hoof to her chest, Trixie addressed Octavia, “I am Trixie D’Glamour Lulamoon.” She gestured to Lightning. “My erstwhile companion here is Lightning Dust. We’re here because we need your help.”
Setting aside how odd all this was for now, Octavia aired her thoughts, “You certainly seem trustworthy, but what exactly do you want my help with?”
Looking to Trixie and sharing a nod, Lightning explained, “The two of us are seeking out the locations of the Elements of Harmony, as well as searching for our fellow ‘Marked Ones’, as the Royal Guard has taken to calling us. We are doing this because we see what is wrong with the way things are, and want to change them. Trixie convinced me to join her, and now we hope that you’ll stand with us against the tyrant. What will convince you that we tell the truth?”
Octavia went to the door. “Well, there is something that I have in mind. I’ll show you.”
Restoring her disguise, Trixie then dispelled the lock on the door so that the three of them could proceed outside. As Trixie and Lightning followed Octavia, they noticed that the townsfolk seemed to be… judging them. Some of the older residents looked upon them with disdain, while those that were their peers scoffed and turned their heads away. The young children were even encouraged to throw dirty looks by the adults, even if they might not have quite understood why. Octavia looked a tad uncomfortable, but tried to ignore them. Then, as the townsfolk encroached closer from the ragged streets and torn buildings, they became more… aggressive. Some of them from the more dilapidated parts of town looked outright ready to at least bruise bones, but some from the “cleaner” streets looked more likely just to pester with “tempting offers” and “deals they couldn’t refuse”. Seeing their aggression, the three quickened their pace, in hopes of losing them. However, they couldn’t quite get rid of the mob until they actually made it to the swamp itself.
When the mob saw the three were intending to go into the swamp, they backed off faster than a dragon finding a hoard of another, much stronger dragon. The three intrepid heroes then ventured into the dense foliage of the swamp.
As the three traveled deeper into the swamp, it soon became clear how it got its name. The natural dense miasma that permeated the area made it near impossible to find a safe route forward. The thickness of the foliage was well adept at concealing the dangers that lurked behind the fog, so they were on high alert throughout. However, though the gas of the swamp didn’t seem harmful, it soon started having effect on the travelers. It was subtle at first, and they hardly noticed it. But once strange thoughts started weaseling into their heads, they stopped in a clearing. The three of them turned towards each other, and tried to think clearly. They tried to sort out in their heads what was there before, and what had cropped us since they entered the swamp. After a few moments they were able to deduce what thoughts had only recently entered their conscious minds. Thoughts of hidden motives and agendas, or outright thought of insincerity were the most common. Regardless, the foreign thoughts were troubling, if they were to be believed. But seeing as they were caused by the miasma of the Swamp of Deceit, it was simple enough to get the truth out. Trixie went first. “Neither of you has it out for me, right? I’d like to believe we’re all friends here, but…”
Twitching her wings a little, Lightning shook her head. “Nah, I wouldn’t do that to you. It’s not in my nature.”
Adjusting her bowtie, Octavia addressed the accusation. “I may not exactly know either of you very well, but it would behoove me to take away the chance I’m giving you half way through.”
With Trixie’s doubts averted, Lightning aired what was troubling her, “I know it seems silly of me, but I need to know… You guys aren’t just using me for my battle prowess, right?”
A little affronted at that, Trixie consoled Lightning. "Lightning, come on! I wouldn't do that to you! We fought Sandworms together! Together to the end, no matter what!"
Feeling as if the answer was rather obvious, Octavia rolled her eyes a little. “To be frank, I’ve yet to see those skills personally, but I assure you I would never use you like that.” However, her eyes looked a little worried after saying that. “Though, I have my own worries… Do you really like my company, or is this just for defeating Eclipse? Am I just a tool to you?”
Though they didn’t know Octavia well, Trixie and Lightning had felt a bond form between themselves. Trixie shook her head, and dismissed the idea. “No. We may not know each other all that well, but I want to change that, and help this friendship work. The Elements would require more from us than just an alliance born of convenience.”
Lighting nodded in agreement. “I wouldn’t just do something like that. I’ve got my own share of honor, too. You needn’t fear that we’d do that to you--we’re in this together, to Eclipse and beyond.”
After they had assuaged each other’s fears, a rumble came from the distance. As the fog dispersed slightly, they saw a truly titanic creature rise from the murky waters of the swamp. It was obscured by the water cascading off of its form for a moment, but soon they realized what the creature was. From the massive dragon-like head with cat eyes, to its rather small--for its absurd frame--frog arms, and finally to its slender snake body that lurked beneath the surface.
An Adraldid, a species of chimera that was often reported to expel toxic fumes out of its body, which had a variety of effects. This one seemed to regard the trio for a moment, before inhaling the fog from the surrounding area, and diving back beneath the surface. The trio blinked for a moment, then went back towards the town. However, they didn’t notice as an orange glow collected above the swamp waters. Said glow plusated for a moment, as if to gain its bearings, then floated from the swamp. It found the trio, looked between them, then absorbed into Octavia with grace. This caused the mare to blink a moment as she felt a warm feeling wash over her, but she shrugged it off.
When they arrived back in town, the Royal Guard was in the area, once again with Commander Chromablade at the helm. They were a bit astonished to see that the guards had caught up this quickly. Trixie’s disguise dissipated out of the sheer shock of seeing him here.
The commander pointed at Trixie. “So, we meet again, Miss Lulamoon! By divine decree of His Majesty, you and your cohorts are under arrest! The charges being: Treason to the Crown, and illegal possession of a Cutie Mark. However!” He smirked a little, and tossed her a fencing foil. “I’m a sporting person, you see. I’m giving you a chance to fight back. Though, your compatriots will be kept occupied by my soldiers. We will have a wizard’s duel, with weapons-- non-lethal ones, of course. After all, His Majesty wants you alive. If you win, or duel me to a draw, my troops and I will withdraw for the moment. But, if you lose, you and your compatriots will surrender to me, and be brought before His Majesty. Do you agree to these terms?”
Trixie looked to her companions, then to Commander Chromablade. He seemed earnest, unlike many of the ponies that they’d met. She had a feeling that he would keep his word, but she had no idea why. She nodded, and glared at him with determination. “I accept your terms!” After she said those words, a dome of magic surrounded the pair, cutting them off from everyone else. She saw her two companions through the dome, ready to square off against the soldiers.
Her attention was then drawn to Commander Chromablade. He gave a slight nod, then produced a fencing foil of his own. Their blades crossed, and the two started the duel. It was quite clear that the commander had the advantage from the start--his sword strikes were sure and quick, and his spells were powerful and hard to avoid. He capitalized on Trixie’s shabby experience with swordplay, yet he seemed no worse for wear himself.
Every attack with spell or sword was just as sure as the last, and Trixie could only barely manage to guard enough to ensure that she didn’t take the intended full force of his attacks. She was constantly on the move, barely keeping up.
For a moment, she thought that she had an opening, and she tried to take advantage of it. Yet, the commander’s blade intercepted hers easily, and he deflected her advance skillfully. As he once again pressed his advantage, Trixie realized that she was outmatched and outclassed.
She had no hope of winning, but she could at least even things out. After she dodged his attack, she lit up her horn, and cast an illusion that duplicated herself. She smirked. It was time that she took full advantage of her talents, and even the playing field. She shuffled herself with her illusions, and started to gain the slightest edge against her foe.
The commander was impressed. This girl was something else--he’d never had to use more than a slight effort against any opponent, aside from that one duel with King Eclipse. He had to put effort in to discern which of the illusions was where Trixie was at any given moment. He hadn’t felt this alive dueling somebody in… He shook his head, and turned his focus back to the fight. He still had the advantage, he just had to press it. With a sure strike, he swung. The Trixie that he’d attacked dodged, so he knew he had the right one. It was time to bring this to a close. He lit his horn, and was about to disarm her. However, before he could claim victory, he received a message from Eclipse. “Hold!” The duel stopped, and all waited with bated breath as he read the scroll that had appeared before him. He huffed in irritation. “We shall call this a draw, for now. Alright, men! Move out! We’ve got new orders!” As he sheathed his sword, he looked one last time at Trixie. “As for you… We will meet again. I will bring you to Eclipse myself, one way or another. Until our next meeting, farewell.” He took the fencing foil back from Trixie, then led his troops out of town.
The day had been exhilarating, to say the least. Octavia and Lighting went to stand by Trixie, and she smiled. They had a long journey ahead, to be sure. Their next destination was to the west of Canterlot, a small town known as Ponyville. They had all heard that the town was the closest place to where one of the Elements of Harmony was said to sleep, and if the rumors were true, one of their fellow Marked Ones was there as well. They knew not what trials awaited them there, but they would face it together. They decided to set out in the morning, staying the night in the small hamlet that had started to wake to honesty, if only slightly.
The three intrepid heroes left early in the morning, just to be careful. The trio had a long journey ahead, but the silence between them was palpable. Though, Octavia recalled that Trixie and Lightning had shared with her something of their pasts, motivations, and dreams with her last night, but she had yet to do the same. She was a bit apprehensive about it, but she knew the logic behind it. Steeling herself a bit, she opened up to her companions. “I had no chance to explain last night, so let me begin with what life was like for me.” She paused for a moment, taking in the atmosphere of the plains they were travelling through. She perhaps did this to balance out the sad memories she was about to recant. “My life was a rather spoiled one, living in the capital. My parents were loyalists to Eclipse, and as such they wanted me to follow in their hoofsteps. I, however, was more in tune with music than anything else. So, when I got my Cutie Mark on my own merit, I half expected them to disown me. But they didn’t, for they had not the heart for it. Instead, they helped me run away. I’ve been on my own ever since.”
Trixie and Lightning were a bit shocked at Octavia’s experiences. She had been spared the Emperor’s wrath by her parents’ love for her. This new information only strengthened their resolve to set this world right, and as they traversed the yellowed grass, Octavia continued, “Presuming we win, I plan on holding concerts for the people of Equestria. I hope to ease the turmoil that might come with a void in the government.”
This was one thing that Trixie and Lightning hadn’t thought on much, but in retrospect, they really should have. If they won, who would rule Equestria? Would one of them have to take the reigns? It was a thought that disturbed them, but one they would have to confront eventually. As the Everfree Forest and Ponyville came into sight, Octavia once again continued, “As for why I’m doing this… It’s rather simple, if a bit selfish. I want to free my parents—and anyone else who is ensnared so—from the thrall of the Tyrant. It’s not very grand, but it is practical.”
It was a simple goal, and an admirable one too. However, the time for talk had passed as they reached Ponyville. What they saw as they looked into the town shook them to their core. Everyone in the town was being harsh and cruel to each other in everyway under the sun, from rude words to full on brutality no method was untouched. Some used unsavory profanity as their weapon, while others preferred actual weapons. The stench of copper in the air that came from the bruised and battered populace was enough to make lesser folk hurl. Many had bruises from the butt of spears or a swift kick to the side. Some had lacerations from the lash of a whip, or burns from the spell of a fellow pony. Some had broken horns, or plucked wings. No matter the tribe, none of the townsfolk were without their scars that etched into their very being. Frankly, it was surprising that anypony still populated this town at all. The violence was more than just pony-on-pony, though. Many of the buildings were worse for wear, because those that raised them back up just stop caring so much about the constant upkeep. What once were sturdy structures now were but shells of their former selves, dilapidated and ransacked beyond recognition. Trixie spoke in a hushed tone. “So this is Ponyville… the supposed area that houses the Element of Compassion, and a fellow Marked One in Moondancer. Keep alert though, something’s not quite right here…”
Lightning and Octavia nodded, and followed Trixie into the town with caution, or at least with as much caution as they could given their avenues of approach towards the town. The townsfolk seemed far too occupied with roughing each other up to notice, though somepony seemed to definitely be watching them from somewhere. As they continued on in hopes of finding Moondancer, they were suddenly dragged into a dark alley by purple magic levitating them out of the way of a rampant townspony that just decided to harass them anyway. As they were dragged away, they could barely make out the pink fur of their would-be accoster. Though, the figure seemed to notice that it had been foiled, and was none too happy. In a blur of movement, the assailant caught up handedly. Now, they could see her more properly. Her manic blue eyes popped because of her grin. She continued to pursue and leapt on Trixie, surprising her out of her disguise. The magic tried to knock away the pink-maned crazy mare, but she was tough, and held fast. In desperation, Trixie added to the magic and sent the crazy mare flying. Though they should have lost her, she soon caught up like she was only mildly inconvenienced. She followed like a mare possessed. Trixie tried spell after spell to deter the mad pony. Storm Spell. Dodged. Freeze Spell. Dodged. Fire Spell. Dodged. She continued to chase them through the tunnel. They were about to reach a open space, and a spell was fired at the crazy mare. “Calming!” The crazy mare blinked and shook her head, then turned around and galloped away. As the trio were brought into the open area, they were set down gently in a secret area of the town that nopony seemed to go near, save the one that came out of the shadows at that moment. From the fact that she was a light yellowish gray furred unicorn with red colored mane and tail that had a two-toned purple streak through each of them, as well as a purple crescent moon with three small pink four-pointed stars near it as her Cutie Mark, they could gather that she was indeed Moondancer, the one they had been looking for. She seemed to recognize them as well, given how she addressed them. “Well, what a surprise! Fellow Marked Ones Trixie Lulamoon, Lightning Dust, and Octavia Melody. I thought you might show up sometime soon. After all, you’ve got the Royal Guard in quite the tizzy. News travels fast through them.”
Cautious, Trixie asked the question hanging in the air. “You imply that you’ve been waiting for us. How did you know that we’d come here?”
Before answering, she held up a tourmaline with no luster or shine. “This is what I believe to be the remains of the Element of Compassion. I found it some time ago, and it shone with light a few days ago. When it did, it… spoke to me, I suppose. It told me of who you were, and what you had in mind. I knew that I had to help you get here somehow, but I had no clue how to do so. I tried figuring it out on my own for about a day, thinking on the logistics of it all—until the stone glowed again. I knew that my window of opportunity was short, and that I had to impress on your minds where I was. I focused, trying to will to you the information about my location. And surprisingly, it worked. You’re here, and now we can figure out how to recharge the Element of Compassion.” She then noticed that they did not seem to have the gems of the other two Elements that she felt activate on their persons. Concerned that she might somehow have the wrong ponies, she asked a question of her own. “Beg pardon, but where are the gems for the Elements of Devotion and Honor? Shouldn't they be with you?”
The intrepid trio were somewhat expecting this line of questioning, and they knew that the answer might sound outlandish to her. But they knew they had to be up front with her if they were to win. Lightning stepped forward, and touched her chest. Red light glowed around her, a bit to her surprise, as well as the others. The glow faded when she removed her hoof from her chest. They were going to say they didn’t quite know… But now, it was apparent that wasn’t quite accurate. Moondancer touched her gem to Lightning, and the glow came back with a corresponding yellow glow on the gem. The lights died when the stone was removed, but Moondancer then touched it to Octavia, and got an orange glow from her. She lifted the tourmaline once more, face strewn with shock. “You… ARE the Elements? Or, they’re… inside…?” She looked to Trixie, hoping for an explanation.
Trixie shrugged, uncertain herself. “Maybe they host their energy? Honestly, your guess is as good as mine on this one.” She looked to her two friends, then to Moondancer. “Whatever it is, we have them, somehow. Now, we need to recharge the Element of Compassion... any ideas, Moondancer?”
For a moment, all was silent. Then, a thought struck upon Moondancer. “Say, how did you awaken the other two? Maybe if we do something similar, it will recharge this one!”
The trio were uncertain at first, but then they realized something all at once. “The trials!”
Moondancer was confused at first. “Trials? What, you mean you went through a trial of the Element to awaken them? Makes sense, but… how….” She lightly placed a hoof on her muzzle. “Of course!” She lowered it, and proceeded. “The Elements are powered by the energy of performing genuine acts that line up with what they represent!” She then screwed her face in confusion. “But wait, if that’s the case, then why isn’t the Element of Compassion charged already? I saved you from your assailant with pure intent, not even knowing who you were when I did it!”
They were stumped for a while, trying to figure it out. That was until a yelling mare leapt from the top of the building- the same crazy pink mare from before. One of her eyes was twitching. Her grin was even wider, if that was possible. Then she spoke. “H~I!” She giggled in a disturbing way, a twisted version of an innocent child’s laughter. “I’m Pinkamina~! I’ll be your best friend!” She lunged at the group, causing them to scatter.
Trixie looked to the others. “Well this wasn’t quite what I thought would happen… Any ideas?”
Pinkamina attacked again, the group dodging barely. Lightning yelled out what they all were thinking: “RUN!”
The quartet went into the alleyway once more, Pinkamina close behind. They concentrated on getting away from her, but she just wouldn’t let up. “Aw~! Come on~! Play with me~!” She continued her pursuit much easier this time, mostly because the four of them could not afford to slow down and attack her. The alleyway seemed longer than before, but that was probably mostly because of their panic. Pinkamina decided to taunt them again. “Ooh, going a new way? This isn’t the way you entered…” They hadn’t noticed at first, but what she said was true- they didn’t recognize where they were. Had they taken a wrong turn in their haste? Regardless, they could hardly turn back with her on their tail. But then, they seemed to get a boon. For in her single-minded determination to catch them, Pinkamina failed to notice a nasty fall. “Wah!” She tumbled, bruising herself up rather badly, one of her legs getting stuck in a wall.
The four of them stopped. They knew that they could leave, but… they couldn’t just leave her like this, even when she had attacked them. Octavia and Lightning went to work on getting Pinkamina’s leg out of the busted wall, while Trixie and Moondancer did their best to ease her pain. She looked at each of them like they had each grown a second head. Why were they being so… nice? All she’d done was try and hurt them… They got her unstuck, and helped her back to town- much to the surprise of all the townsfolk. They had never seen such an act of kindness in their entire lives. They looked one another, a strange feeling filling their chests. They then saw Moondancer’s stone break, the light whisping into her body. She shrugged, uncertain what to think. They discussed where they thought the other Elements might be before turning in for the night.
Sneaking away, Commander Chromablade considered what he had witnessed. It wasn’t possible. The Elements of Harmony were being gathered by those Marked Ones? Not to mention the high alert in the Capital regarding the statue of the foolish Trigem. It had a quite few cracks, now. Chromablade had his suspicions, and now he was certain what was going on. The statue was reacting to the awakening of the Elements- Heck, he wouldn’t be surprised if it had a few new cracks now. This was certainly troubling. It was bad enough that the Marked Ones were gathering. It was worse that they were finding the Elements of Harmony and awakening them. But if he came back? Heads would spin. Chromablade knew what he had to do, but… what was this nagging inside, telling him he should hold? He shook his head. No. That girl would not sway him. His duty, his honor, and his chivalry was to Crown and Country- and nothing else. He turned away, and teleported into the night.
The morning came, and the four intrepid heroes looked at the map that they had convinced the Mayor to lend them for a small period of time. The Mayor had asked why they wanted it, and their response had been that they had to figure out where they were going after leaving Ponyville. Knowing this, the Mayor was rather reasonable with lending them the map. Trixie scanned the map before voicing her thoughts, “So where do you think the next Element is? I’ve heard rumors of various places myself, but we can’t visit all of them--we don’t have the time.”
Nodding in agreement, Lightning spoke with a bit of a defeatist tone. “I wouldn’t be fast enough to visit them all either. Besides, I’m pretty sure that the Tyrant has grown wise to our plan. He probably has beefed up security at the sites that are rumored to have them-- and who knows which of the rumors are true- there were a total of twelve to begin with, three of them which we’ve confirmed so far.”
Octavia gathered her thoughts for a while before responding. “Let’s think rationally about this. There are a total of nine rumors that are left to be investigated: the Badlands, the Frozen North, the Caverns of Confusion, the Isle of Storms, the Dark Expanse, the Sea of Torment, the Dragonlands, Canterlot Castle itself, and the Cloudsdale Ruins. The second to last one is a no-go at this venture, basically surrender. We can’t really explore the last one either, aside from Lightning. Only four of those locations are likely to even have credence behind them, anyway. So what should we do?”
After thinking for a good while, Moondancer found an answer. "I don't know why, but... I've got a gut feeling about this one. We go to the Badlands." She then looked to the others. “If I’m right, we should find the Element of Charity there. Knowing our track record, we will probably find one of our fellows there too.”
The rest seemed to agree, and Trixie nodded her head. “Alright, we’ll try the Badlands. It’s quite a trek from here, though… If only the trains still worked. As we are, it’ll probably take us a few days…”
Just then, they heard a knock at the door. When they opened it, there was a stranger underneath a cloak of sorts. Before they could ask the stranger questions, the figure gestured to the train, whitch was now up and running. They looked back to the figure, but whoever it was had long gone. Only a note was left in their place, reading: “You’re welcome.”
The girls didn’t know what to think of this, but decided to not take this boon for granted. They went to the train station, and there was a pony in a conductor’s uniform on the platform. He took one look at them, and smiled. “Ah! The Marked Ones. Don’t you worry, I won’t tell.” The stallion smiled, and just as Trixie was taking out her purse he held up a hoof. “It’s on the house, my fine friends. What you’re doing is a service to Equestria. Many ponies in the places that you’ve been are starting to change. The least I can do for you is get you where your going.” He ushered them on, and went to the engine. He called back as the doors closed. “Where to?”
Trixie didn’t quite know why he was helping them, but answered anyway. “The Badlands, or at least as close as you can get us to it.”
The conductor nodded, and started up the engine. “Next stop, Outskirt Town!”
The group had talked on the train ride to get to know each other better- Moondancer had apparently been raised by a standard middle-class family, who had been hoping that her pure potential would have the King grant her a Mark. But when she obtained one on her own merits, they knew they had to hide her. They dropped her off in Ponyville in the dead of night, promising to come back for her someday, but they never did. Her dream was to restore old texts, and run a library after all was said and done. Her motivation was to ensure that no family had to be seperated like hers had because of Cutie Marks.
They arrived in the station, and the sight of the town disheartened them. Ponies were fighting over every scrap that they could get their hooves on- food, cleaning supplies, money, you name it. They bickered endlessly, insisting “Mine!” or, “No, Mine!” or some variation of the sort. Others watched on from their lofty lifestyles, unconcerned about the plight of those fighting on the streets- that was, unless they tried ransacking them. The sight was the most atrocious display of greed they had ever seen. But they then saw a buttery yellow thestral walk through the crowd, giving out supplies to others. She received no thanks, but she had long since accepted that. The girls looked at each other, and nodded. They went up to the pink-maned mare, and Lightning tapped her on the shoulder. She swiveled around, and let out a startled reply, her light blue eyes shrinking to pinpricks. “Eep!”
She had a Cutie Mark alright, a trio of pink bats. Lightning looked a bit sheepish. “Sorry for startling you. See, we’d like to talk to you, and…”
The mare calmed herself down, looked around, and noticed that the ponies of the town were absorbed into themselves. She didn’t say anything, just motioning for them to follow. The four of them obliged, following her into a small cottage on the edge of the Badlands. It was full of various critters and habitats for them. The mare locked the door, and Trixie encased the area in a silence field. Trixie dropped her disguise, and was about to explain- but then the mare spoke in a quiet voice. “It’s you, isn’t it?” She went up to each one, calling them by name. “Trixie Lulamoon, Lightning Dust, Octavia Melody, and Moondancer.” She smiled lightly. “My name is Flutterbat. Word is travelling faster now, ponies are noticing you. All because the Tyrant is having the Royal Guard prepare for something. You have impacted things for the better thus far, but…” she looked away for a bit. She spoke up a bit. “You have to prove yourselves. I know this is asking a bit much, seeing as we just met, but…”
Trixie spoke out with confidence. “We’ll do it! We’ve come this far, we’re not backing down!” After the rest voiced their agreement, Trixie turned to Flutterbat. “So, what do you have in mind?”
They were guided into the Badlands, Flutterbat at the helm. They followed her, finding a few large creatures in pain; among them a large scorpion, a cobra, a thunderbird, and a chimera. All of the creatures were dangerous in their own right, and the intrepid heroes were on edge as to what Flutterbat had in mind. She went to one of the other creatures, a vulture. She gently massaged one of its wings. It cooed, and Flutterbat smiled. She turned to the others. “Prove to me that you can be generous to these, some of the more intimidating creatures in the badlands. Help them, and I will help you.”
They looked between each other, uncertain how to deal with this. But each took a different approach. Trixie approached the cobra, a bit apprehensive at first. She calmed herself down, realizing that wasn’t helping. She carefully grasped one of its fangs with her magic, and carefully adjusted it until it was no longer askew. She let go, and the cobra rose, startling Trixie a bit. But, it didn’t bite her. It nuzzled her lightly, then slithered away.
Trixie saw that Lightning had opted to help set the thunderbird’s wings, Octavia had help the scorpion with a sore claw, and Moondancer had pulled a few burrs out of the chimera’s fur from spot it couldn’t reach. After each had been helped, Flutterbat seemed satisfied. “Thank you for helping me with them today. As promised, I will help you with your quest. Come, we must go.”
As they left the area, Octavia spoke up “Were are we going?”
Flutterbat looked to them over her shoulder. “The Caverns of Confusion. A friend and fellow Marked one is there. We must hurry.” They went off, a green wisp floating into Flutterbat from the Badlands.
Commander Chromablade looked on, deep in thought. It had been risky to do this, but he just had to see. They’d gathered four Elements so far, and the other three were close at hand. But there was something off about how he felt about it. He almost… wanted them to succeed. It was a mad idea in his head, but it was there. Ever since he’d overheard King Eclipse talking about where he found him, he’d been having a conflict on conscience. Apparently, he’d already had his Cutie Mark before the King found him… and the king had made him forget. This couldn’t be true, but… what if it was? Was he on the wrong side? And what was this strange pull towards that mare? He didn’t understand himself anymore. He shook himself, and followed them from a distance. Maybe if he did, he’d finally get some answers...
Over the trip to the Caverns of Confusion, Flutterbat had explained more about what her position in all this was. She had been born into a normal pegasus family, but set up for adoption when they saw that she was a thestral. She didn’t resent them for it, rather she thought they were scared. She had gained her mark when visiting a run down animal sanctuary and restoring it somewhat. Flutterbat explained that her plans after all was said and done included going back there and finishing her work on it. Her motivation was rather selfless, only wishing for all in the nation to finally get along. The trip to the Caverns of Confusion was rather short compared to the rest of their travels so far- but when they arrived, they saw that the name was rather accurate. It was a collection of caves strewn into the cliff face. The daunting thing about it was that they had no clue which to tackle first. They then heard a little bit of a snicker come from afar. The girls huddled together, and Trixie called out to the voice. “Who’s there? Show yourself!”
From the shadows came two very odd pupils, purple orbs with pink swirls instead of the typical black. A face of pinkish lavender filled out, the muzzle of a young foal. Her mane of dark purple had white curls strewn throughout. On top of her head was a propeller beanie that never stopped spinning. As the rest of her came into frame, it appeared that she was flying, despite her being an Earth Pony. Her Cutie Mark was just about as odd, seeing as it was a screw next to a baseball. The (young?) mare grinned widely, and introduced herself in a chipper tone. “Hi there! I'm Screwball, Discord's daughter!" She turned her head slightly. “So, what brings you to my neck of Equestria, eh?”
Flutterbat made a step forward. “We’ve come for your help, Screwball. We need your help to defeat the Tyrant.”
At that, Screwball looked at them with a slightly serious look for a split second. Then she giggled lightly. “Sure, why not? After all, he did beat dad, so it’s kinda personal…” He grin widened. “Though, the essence of the next Element you need is somewhere in the Caverns themselves. We need to traverse them together to awaken it.”
Trixie stepped forward, determination on her face. “Alright then, lead the way!”
Screwball landed, and went over to one of the cave entrances on the right. She went in, and the girls followed soon after. A little way off, somepony watched them enter. After looking around to ensure that nopony was watching, the figure darted in after them.
The Caverns were full of slitting paths, dead-ends, and paths that were too small for a regular pony to go through. As the rag-tag group went through, they ran across various things that might scare ponies of lesser caliber away. It was a good thing that Trixie and the others were made of tougher stuff. However, they soon stumbled into a large open area within the Caverns. The lighting was virtually non-existent, and something about the surrounding area seemed to snuff out any magic that started to be used. The heroines stood near one another, a bit more confident than they were apart. The area rumbled, and Screwball piped up. “Okay. No matter what comes, follow my lead. It might be the only way to awaken the next Element.”
The girls shared a look of silent agreement, and waited for what was to come. From one of the “exits” to the area came a large creature unlike anything they’d ever seen. It was hard to make out through the darkness, but it seemed to be some sort of large snake creature. Its hiss pierced the silence, setting the six of them on edge. The snake’s features started to be slightly visible as the darkness lifted only slightly. The scales were black as pitch, and it had fierce red spikes jutting out of its body. Its face was still somewhat obscured, but it almost looked to be reminiscent of some sort of dragon. This is when Screwball made her move. “Hey, do those spikes look like polka dots to anypony else?”
This caused the others to take a bit of a double-take. At first, they couldn’t quite see it. Sure, the base of the spikes was circular, but beyond that, the connection was a bit strenuous. Yet now that the idea was there, the spikes started to look less and less intimidating by the second. Trixie let out a small chuckle. “Yeah, just imagining those as bright pink spots is rather hilarious!”
Once those words left her mouth, the others could imagine it too. Pink spots were far less threatening than red spikes, after all. The darkness lifted slightly, and the spikes had shortened considerably, becoming a brighter shade. They could now see that the underbelly was dark tan with ice blue spots. Catching on, Lightning pointed out something. “Hey, now that I think about it, there’s more that looks like something else. That underbelly almost looks like cookie dough!”
It took a little while for the others to see it, but the laughter from such an absurd thought soon rang through the cavern. The darkness rolled back further, and the underbelly now seemed to look more like cookie dough than previously. The snake’s tail rattled furiously, in an attempt to intimidate them. But, it was all for naught as Octavia let out a whopper. “Just thinking about it being a baby rattle at the end of the tail has me nearly in stitches!”
The thought quickly seeded itself into their minds, for they hadn’t quite seen the tail yet. But the laughter that came from such an odd prospect seemed to beat back the darkness further, causing the snake to hiss louder. Its tail was now visible, and while it probably was something far more intimidating before, it did now look more like a baby rattle. They could now see more of its face. It looked like an older dragon mixed with the head of a king cobra. Strange pulsating etchings could now be seen on its scales, glowing in a threatening dark orange. Yet, its attempt to regain the intimidation factor was all for naught as Moondancer spoke up. “Just look at those scales! Those etchings on them make them look more like typesets!”
Once the thought was spoken, it wasn’t very hard for the other girls to see it. The size of the scales made it more funny, seeing as the typesets would end up comically large. The laughter beat back the darkness once more, to a point where they could finally make out the head. It was the fiercest part yet. The rest of it may now look more akin to the way the girls described it, but this portion had maintained its fierce nature. Two long horns that looked like diamond sprouted from its head, one on each side. Its face was made of navy blue scales, and its fangs were as sharp as nails. Even so, Flutterbat did manage to find something about it funny. “You know what would be funny?” she snickered lightly before pointing at the beast’s horns. “If those were flowers!”
Once the words left her mouth, raunchous laughter filled the area. The darkness fully abated, and when it had, the horns of the beast did in fact appear to be more like flowers. Its teeth looked less sharp, too. And Screwball finished it off. “Listen, bud. You’re not scary. Your face looks like a raisin! Go home.” Once the words were spoken, the snake’s face shifted, and girls couldn’t stop laughing. The snake found itself repulsive, and slithered off distraught.
The laughter died down a bit, and they all saw blue light flow into Screwball. She beamed, but Flutterbat looked toward where the beast lumbered off to. “I feel bad that we did that… Maybe when this is over, we can…”
Trixie sighed. “I get you. We’ll come back later. For now, let’s get out of here.”
But then, a familiar voice made itself known. “You’re not going anywhere.” A figure trotted in, revealing the speaker.
Trixie, Lightning, and Octavia shared a gasp, but Moondancer, Flutterbat, and Screwball looked to one another in confusion. Trixie identified him first. “Chromablade! What are you doing here?”
At that, Chromablade was silent. He looked away. Lightning noticed something, though. “Hey ‘Commander’! Where’s your goons, eh? You can’t take all of us on!”
Silence prevailed for a while longer, then Commander Chromablade sighed. “I’m not here to fight. Let me ask you… why do you fight against Eclipse?”
That question had many implications to it, but they each answered readily enough. “To make my father proud! To change Equestria for the better!” “To find my family! To make a better future!” “To bring freedom to the oppressed!” “To ensure no family is ever separated again!” “To heal the scars on the nation!” “Justice for my father!”
Silence fell. He seemed to process that for a while. Would he judge them for it, and take them in for treason? Were his “goons” waiting outside? However, he did none of these things. “You know, it’s kind of odd when I think about it. This whole situation, that is.” He paused for a while before continuing. “If you want some answers, come to the Frozen North. I’ll be waiting there, as will the Element you need next.” He then left without saying goodbye.
The trek to the Frozen North was long and arduous, giving ample opportunity for the girls to bond further. There were many stories passed around from all sides, and it drew them close together. But they fell silent once more as they reached the Frozen North. On the edge was Chromablade, facing towards a gravestone. Before any of them could speak, he spoke of the one buried there. “Covellite Lapis Amethyst. The Trigem that tried to set us all free from Eclipse’s rule. Some thought him the last. They were wrong. Though he was sealed in muted gray crystal, his legacy lived on. “The Trigems survived for quite a long time after his imprisonment. It was almost twenty years ago that all the Trigems were thought to finally be destroyed. This year, though… something changed. Covellite broke his prison, but he was weak. He wouldn’t be able to fight Eclipse again, even if he tried. So, he tried to find a descendant of his, but… he’d no luck at first. “He found me yesterday, after I‘d learned something disturbing about how Eclipse came to find me. And when he saw me… he knew me. Covellite approached me, and spoke on how he was glad to have found me. “At first, I was confused. Why would he be so elated to find me? But then, it hit me. He thought I was descended from him. I almost dismissed the idea outright, but then I recalled that Eclipse’d taken me from my home, wiped my memory, and given me a new Cutie Mark to replace my old one. I asked him how I could learn if I was a Trigem, like he thought I was. He said to go to the Frozen North Ruins, and find the crystal tablet. I did as he instructed, taking him with me. If I was one, he deserved to see that for himself before he died. “The trip through the ruins was arduous. Traps and dead ends abounded, but I eventually made my way to the ruined throne room with Covellite in tow. I made my way towards the crystal tablet, apprehensive at first. What if Covellite was wrong? What if I was just some random schmuck that had no connection to the Trigems? If that was the last knowledge to enter his mind, it’d likely destroy him. But regardless of that… I had to have answers. So, I reached towards the tablet.”
Trixie tilted her head in confusion. He’d stopped so abruptly, it was kind of odd. “What happened next? Did it show you something? Did it react to you? What?”
He sighed, and jerked his head into the ruins. “Follow me. Words cannot fully explain what happened when I touched it… you’ll have to see for yourselves to understand what happened.” The girls complied, following Chromablade as he led them through the defunct ruins. There were many traps, but they all were busted beyond recognition. Eventually, through the many labyrinthine paths, they found their way into what once was a throne room. The throne was shattered to bits and covered in snow, and the many tapestries of the room were so old that they were faded and torn beyond recognition. However, one thing in the room remained intact, a crystal tablet that hung on the wall. It’d strange glyphs written upon it that the girls could not decipher.
Chromablade approached the tablet, and he began to resonate with it. He was surrounded by bright light, and slowly lifted off the ground. Then, a voice filled the room as his form shifted. “Welcome home.” Chromablade stood tall as his coat became lighter in color, and shone like crystal. The voice continued. “Take your rightful name. For you are the one of Sapphire, as the blue ocean.” His right eye shifted to a pure crystalline blue. “For you are the one of Ruby, for reddest passion.” The brown part of his mane shifted to become a ruby red. “For you are the one of Emerald, as the green of the forest.” His left eye became pure green, and now shone like crystal. “Go forth, Sapphiron Rubius Emerald, and bring our family back from the brink.” His tail grew brighter in hue as the light started to die down, and now shone like crystal.
He turned to face the girls. “This is who I am. The last of my kind. Eclipse tried keeping me from it…” He turned away, a dejected look on his face. “I know that I fought you before, but this has changed everything. I know it asks much, but please…” He turned to face them again, and held aloft a covelite. “Let me prove that I’m sincere, then. This gem’s the Element of Empowerment. I’ll pass the trial for it, and then we’ll go to Canterlot to awaken the Element of Magic to defeat Eclipse.” He then started to leave the room, and beckoned them once more. “Come, follow. The chamber’s this way.”
Seeing his determined look, the girls obliged as they followed him through the halls until they reached a pitch black room. They followed him inside, and instantly felt the effects of this room. Their drive to continue started to slip away, but Sapphiron stood tall. He turned to each of them in turn, and gave them motivation. “Trixie, don’t let go of the vision of the world you want to create! Where’s that fighting spirit? Lightning, don’t forget what you hope to accomplish! Make none abandoned as you are! Octavia, persevere to bring your dream to fruition! Bring the world a symphony! Flutterbat, you are better than this! Fight it! Moondancer, don’t you give up now! You have so much to live for! Screwball, cling to the chaos that makes you you! Make your father proud!” the energy built, and an indigo glow consumed the area. The light died down, and Sapphiron smirked. “We’re ready for Canterlot. Let’s get going.” They nodded, and followed his lead out of the ruins.
The intrepid group of friends travelled for same time so they could finally get to Canterlot. Sappiron had listened quietly to the others as he adjusted to travelling with them. It was a strange feeling, being on the side of the ones that not so long ago he had considered enemies. He saw Trixie turn to him, and take him aside. “So, I know that you’re doing this for justice or vengeance, but… what will you do when this is over?”
Sapphiron pondered for a while before answering. “I don’t know, exactly. I know one thing that I need to do is to continue the family line, but aside from that… I don’t know. I could travel until I find what I want from this new life, I suppose. Maybe help reconstruct society or something.” He chuckled softly. “Maybe somewhere along my travels I’ll find somebody to be with romantically. You never know what the future may have in store.”
Trixie nodded. He may have been their enemy a while back, but he had a decent head on his shoulders. She smiled. “Well, just keep in touch with us, alright? We don’t want this alliance to crumble just because of distance. Promise that you’ll keep in touch?”
A smile grew on his face as he gave her a nod. “Promise.” He then led them to an alleyway, and lit his horn. “Now, I know where he’s keeping the Element of Magic. It’s going to be crawling with guards, so we have to be careful.” He cloaked himself with his magic, and he took the guise of Chromablade once more. He looked to them with a mischievous smirk. “Luck has it that it’s near the prison. I’ll act like I’ve ‘captured’ you, and escort you there.” He took some hoofcuffs out of a bag he summoned. “I’m going to have to have you play along. I’ve got the key for these in my mane. Just act natural and it should all go smoothly.”
Lightning quirked an eyebrow “No offence, but is that necessary? Couldn’t we just use Trixie’s illusion magic to hide us?”
Sapphiron shook his head. “No dice. The guards are all high-level unicorns who can detect illusion magic. The magic I used to make myself look like this is polymorph, so it won’t be detected. This is our only shot at fooling them. I know you don’t exactly like it, but you just trust me.” He looked at each of the others individually. “Any other objections that I should be made aware of at this time?” The girls discussed it for a while, but eventually all agreed to Sapphiron’s little plan. He linked them all in a chain, and took out two magic dampeners, and placed them around Trixie’s and Moondancer’s horns. He sighed. “Sorry about that. Have to be thorough, lest we get caught. Now, just keep calm. I know these guys.” He then proceeded to walk up to one of the guards. “Hello, Ironclad. I’ve come to bring these traitors to the prison, on orders from His Majesty. Permit us passage.”
The unicorn turned to look, and stood at attention. “Commander! The King got worried when you had disappeared. He would see you at once, sir!”
Sapphiron raised an eyebrow. “He would? Surely he would understand if I complete my orders first? He has been such in the past. Now, if you would excuse me-”
It was then that they found themselves surrounded. Ironclad shook his head. “Don’t try that, Commander. We have strict orders to bring you to His Majesty straight away… along with those you abandoned the crown for.”
Sapphiron looked around as the guards drew close, a grimace upon his face. “No chance of me parlaying my way out of this, I suppose.” He shook his head. “Very well. We will go quietly.” As the group was escorted, Sapphiron unlocked the cuffs on the girls’ hooves. “Sorry to put you through that for nothing. Should’ve known that they would be able to tell if I wasn’t sincere… guess it didn’t occur to me.”
Trixie laid a hoof upon his back. “It’s alright. No harm done. Maybe this will all work out.”
They were escorted to the throne room, and let inside. Eclipse turned to look at them, and frowned. “Chromablade. So you have deserted us. No matter. It is far too late now.”
Sapphiron shook his head as he let go of the polymorph. “Not on my watch! We will beat you, no matter what it takes!”
Surprise went across Ellipse's face for a brief moment. “So you found out the truth…” He chuckled. “Not that it helps you.”
Trixie stepped forward, her friends at her side. “Your defeat is nigh, Eclipse! Your reign of terror ends now!”
Eclipse took a look at the seven intrepid Heroes, and gave a hearty laugh. "You really think that you can defeat me? How adorable." He shook his head, and pulled out an amethyst. He smirked as he saw their reactions. “The Element of Magic… the cornerstone, the last piece that you need. Watch it be taken from you forever!” He then placed it down upon the ground, and smashed it under his hoof into countless shards. His grin grew as he heard them all gasp simultaneously. “Now with this act, there is nothing left that you can do to stop me!”
As Eclipse basked in his supposed victory, Trixie scanned her friend’s faces. All were slightly disheartened, but somehow still held to some kind of hope that they would prevail. She saw what she had been missing the entire time. She chuckled softly, and shook her head. “No, you’re overlooking something crucial, Eclipse. Each of us has passed a test, to bear the Element that syncs with our person. All, save me. Each element flows into the next, and they all flow back into one another. I see now that that is the true magic of the Elements. Not some literal spell, but the bonds of camaraderie that tie the wielders together!” A purple glow coalesced around her form as the colors of the other Elements hummed in sync with their wielders.
Eclipse stepped back, eyes wide with panic. “No! This can not be true! This can not be happening! How are you doing this!? HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE!? HOOOOOOOOOW!?”
Trixie looked to the others as they rose into the air as one. They turned to look upon Eclipse, and spoke in one voice. “Because Friendship is what brings us together, and will flow across this land to heal it! Face the true magic of the land!” Rainbow light expanded from them as Eclipse howled in agony. The light grew, faster and faster, and it soon encompassed all Equestria. And then, the light settled and all was calm as Trixie looked around. “Is everypony alright?”
Lightning looked elated. “Yeah! We kicked him to the curb!”
Octavia smirked lightly. “I am alright, perhaps better.”
Moondancer stretched her muscles. “I am quite alright.”
Flutterbat sighed with relief. “It’s over. Finally…”
Screwball was jumping for joy. “Oh, daddy would be so proud!”
Trixie turned to see Sapphiron, a stoic look on his face. “Are you alright?”
He turned slowly, and a smile grew. “He’s gone. The only father figure I ever knew… Not that he was much of one to me anyway. Equestria now has time to heal, though it may drift aimlessly for a while…” He turned away and sighed. “I can’t sit around and do nothing about that. I have to travel, to see this world heal with my own eyes.” He stepped away from the girls. “I believe this is where I say farewell, for now.”
Lightning shook her head. “You crazy? We’re coming with!”
Octavia huffed irritably. “If you think that you’re getting rid of us that easily, you have another thing coming.”
Moondancer gave a gentle smile. “Who said it has to be that way? We can do this together.”
Flutterbat shook her head. “No, we won’t leave you now. Not just when we were becoming good friends…”
Screwball giggled. “You’re crazier than me if you think that we’d let you go alone!”
Trixie placed a hoof on his shoulder. “I know that you have… concerns, but it’s all water under the bridge. We can do this better together than you could alone. What do you say?”
Sapphiron looked at each of them in turn, and smiled. “C’mere, you guys. Group hug.” As they held each other close, he looked around. He’d never imagined that something like this could happen, yet here he was. Not long ago he would’ve insisted that he would hunt these girls down to bring them in, but now nothing could be further from his thoughts. He turned to look at Trixie. What was it about her that had gotten him to reconsider? Sure the others had played some part, but she was the main focus. Maybe this extended trip would give him some clarity on that front…
A criminal is being escorted into the throne room of Canterlot. The inside of the room is not yet refurbished, but it has started. The floor has been cleaned to shine a pristine gray stone, and the pillars of the room have been replaced with ones of marble and ones of onyx. Instead of the old throne of the Tyrant, there are now seven thrones in a semicircle that had the fronts facing the hall. From left to right, this is how they were: A throne of red felt that had embedded upon it the Cutie Mark of the Councilor of Devotion, Lightning Dust. A throne of orange wood that had embedded upon it the Cutie Mark of the Councilor of Honor, Octavia Melody. A throne of yellow satin that had embedded upon it the Cutie Mark of the Councilor of Compassion, Moondancer. A throne of green lace that had embedded upon it the Cutie Mark of the Councilor of Charity, Flutterbat. A throne of blue cotton candy that had embedded upon it the Cutie Mark of the Councilor of Humor, Screwball. A throne of indigo crystal that had etched into it the Cutie Mark of the Councilor of Inspiration, Sapphiron Rubeus Emerald. A throne of purple velvet that had pressed upon it the Cutie Mark of the Councilor of Connections, Trixie D’Glamour Lulamoon.
All of the councilors were present, and the criminal shrank before them. Trixie addressed the guards that had brought him in. “What crime has this pony committed, that it warrants bringing him to us?”
The one on the left of the criminal cleared his throat. “This stallion has been spotted in various cities, trying to incite riots. He is of the Cult of Eclipse, and he has been spotted trying to recruit for this vile organization. He has also been seen stealing from the poor.”
Sapphiron glared at the criminal, causing him to shrink further. “So, you are fond of the old ways then? You would wish us to go back to suffering under the iron hoof of Eclipse? Trust me. You don’t want him back.” He turned to the others as his countenance calmed. “So. Should we send him through rehabilitation?”
Moondancer gave a nod. “A second chance for all is what we have built this new Equestria on. If he still deigns to cause trouble after that, he will regret that decision.”
Lightning gave her thoughts. “I’m not so sure about that. This guy feels like trouble. He might just play along to get out, like others have. If he is to be rehabilitated, I say that he should be monitored.”
Octavia chipped in. “Lightning has a point. We can’t afford another Starlight Incident. I vote that we monitor him.”
Flutterbat shook her head. “Be that as it may, we should give him a chance to be sincere. I say we only lightly monitor him at first, and adjust accordingly depending on his sincerity.”
A giggle came from Screwball. “Sure! Let’s do it! I don’t see a problem with it.”
Trixie gave a nod. “Very well. It is hereby decreed that the defendant shall be sent through Rehabilitation with monitoring. Should he improve to be fit for society, he shall be let on parole until it is confirmed that he is sincere. Should he not reform within the parameter of one year, he will be sent off to prison.”
The two guards grabbed him, and the criminal looked manic as he was dragged off. “No, you don’t understand! You’re ruining everything! Just give him back!” Whatever else he might have said was cut off as the doors shut behind him.
Sapphiron let out a sigh as he stood. “Well, there goes another one. How many is that now?”
Moondancer adjusted her glasses. “About 50 members of the Cult of Eclipse have been found, but who knows just how many are out there.”
Flutterbat twitched her wings. “I really wish we knew why they insist on bringing him back… Don’t they understand how dangerous he is?”
Lightning shook her head. “If they do, I don’t think that they care. Most have taken well to the new direction of Equestria, but… There were always going to be those who would resist.”
Octavia gave a nod. “Even so, we must show strength. We have been guided by the Elements to establish this Council, so it is our duty to ensure that this nation continues to heal.”
Screwball stretched. “Well, if that’s all for today…” She jumped into the air to let her propeller beanie carry her. “I’ll be off! I heard there’s a town that needs serious cheering up!” She gave a giggle, and was off faster than one might expect.
Trixie stepped off her throne, and looked around. “Look at all of this. None of us wanted to rule, yet it was thrust upon us as a group. I suppose that if it were to be anyone… it was best that it wound up being us, rather than letting it drift aimlessly.”
Octavia gave a firm nod as she got out of her chair. “That is true. Who else could it possibly be, though? All of the other candidates are either in Tartarus for cimes, or in stone for insanity, or just straight up dead.” She shook her head. “We can not worry about what might have been, though. We did what was necessary to save Equestria, and we got stuck with the bill.” She picked up her cello. “I best be off now. My concert awaits.” She left through the front doors of the throne room.
Sapphiron popped his neck as he landed. “Ugh. I swear, that happens every time.” He looked towards Lightning as she was about to head through the window, eyebrow raised. “Going back to work, then?”
She gave a nod. “Yeah. Those pegasai won’t train themselves, you know. Be seeing you!” She then flew off as the window went translucent so she wouldn’t end up breaking it.
Moondancer gave an impressed look to Sapphiron. “It never ceases to amaze that you put that enchantment there.” She jumped off her throne and rolled her shoulders a bit. “I best get back to the school. My students need me.” Without another word, she teleported away.
Flutterbat looked around the room, and realized that she was the only one still there with Sapphiron and Trixie. She blushed. “O-oh! I-i should probably get going myself… the pet shelter needs me.” She cleared away the blush, and smiled as she lifted off. “See you! Maybe next time, we can get together for something fun, rather than…” She cleared her throat and shook her head. “Bye!” She then flew off through the translucent window.
Trixie grinned. “I thought that they would never leave us alone…”
Sapphiron chuckled. “Well, it is a bit awkward for them, I guess.” He brought his face close to hers. “Now. Where were we?” He grinned. “Ah yes, I remember.” The two leaned in, but just before they locked lips, Sapphiron turns to look at the screen. “Don’t you think that you have seen quite enough already?” He then shoves the viewer outside the door as it shuts.