A pair of Alicorns must prevent the Elements of Creation from falling into the hands of an evil pony
Long before the Elements of Harmony there existed the Elements of Creation. Used by the mysterious Great Creators, the Elements of Creation provided the power to shape the world and fill it with life. After the Grand Creation, the Elements of Creation were divided and spread across the world.
Thousands of years later, the Elements of Creation are considered nothing but an old Pony Tail, but as many ponies know, Pony Tails have to come from somewhere.
Silver Tongue and his twisted crew of travelers have commited themselves to hunting down and finding all the elements in order to recreate the world with them in control.
It is up to a set of Alicorn Triplets; High Tide, Low Tide, and Rip Tide, royalty of Roan Island, to prevent Silver Tongue and his gang from getting ahold of the Heart of the Ocean.
If they fail, it could mean an end to world as everypony knows it...
**I do not own the art used for the cover and will take it down at the artist's request**
A violent storm raged and churned over the Mareiterarrian Sea. Pounding waves and swirling waters threatened the few boats that dared venture into the temptest. One ship in particlar, The Rubicon, danced on the vicious waves in defiance of the Godly wrath that roared around it. However, regardless of the magnificent display of Mother Nature's fury, the crew of The Rubicon was unfazed and even unaware of the intense storm. For on the sandy sea floor, where the crew walked, the storm held no power. In fact, if it weren't for the reaction of the the aquatic life around them, the group would have never known there was a storm just overhead, pounding on the border between the surface and the untouchable world below.
The group was a small, rag-tag crew of about five members, and not a single one was a professional diver or sailor. Infact, three of them had never even been on a boat. Yet here they were, walking through Nemo's backyard, heading towards an underwater cave that looked anything and everything except safe. This was evident to the entire party, but only the foremost pony seemed to be resistant to heading into the submerged cavern. This hesitation was quelled when the hulk of a diver behind the worried pony gave a powerful headbutt to his flank, shoving him into the cave's narrow enterance. The force of the shove sent an echo through the water, spooking the surrounding fish. One-by-one each member of the diving crew filed through the narrow opening, and ascended into the trapped atmosphere of the cave.
The lead pony, still sore and being the first one to surface, limped onto the rocky shore and shrugged out of the pressurized suit. His white hide was bruised right by his cuite-mark, a pair of crumbling marble columns, where he was brutally shoved into the cave by the other diver. The black and purplish-blue of the bruise muddled his cutie mark and he shot a glare over at the brute as he too surfaced and climbed ashore.
"Spare your glares Professor. Buckshot would not have had to nudge you had you not decided to hold up our...expedition. Besides, we are all gentleponies here, so why not let bygones be just that?" The smooth voice came from a dark gray pony that had just shurgged out of his suit, shaking out the helmet-mane from his startling silver mane and tail. As the suit fell to the ground, his cutie-mark, a grinning silver mask, came into view. "Now please, prove yourself the distinguished Canterlot Professor you are, and lead the way like we agreed." There was something in Silver Tounge's voice that told the story of how Professor Marble Spire came into this crew, and it was obvious it wasn't by choice.
It was hard to refuse a request from Silver, his way with words was just too...persuasive. Reluctantly, the white colt took out his notes from his water proof saddle bag and began looking over them with haste.
"Vhat iz hold up?" Hissed a voice from behind Marble Spire. A rather angry and short tempered Griffon stepped forward, his one good eye regarding the professor with distaste. Marble Spire cowered closer to the ground, trying to focus on his notes.
"I-I-I j-just need to get my b-bearings..." The white colt stuttered, trying to keep his creacked glasses from spilling off his nose.
"Sven, come now. Let the good colt work." Silver Tongue slipped in, trying to diffuse a violent situation. Sven scoffed and sauntered over to the pool the divers emerged from, his eye gazing hungrily at the fish that swam lazily in the calm waters.
Marble Spire sighed with relief as he turned back to his notes. Instead of his oh-so familiar hand written notes, a map was pushed into his face. Stepping back, the Professor adjusted his glasses to look at the map, being held aloft by a rose coloured glow.
"I drafted this from your notes. I took the liberty of reading them while we were aboard The Rubicon. I know you don't mind." Her voice was as soft and sensual as the rosy glow of her magic. The unicorn Marble Spire had come to know as Compass Rose trotted into view, a lusty look in her beautiful eyes. "I figured if you didn't make it this far it would be a shame if we had to start over." She grinned, "however, before we waste any more time with your silly little notes and books, I can tell you we need to head that way." As if for punctuation, she rolled up the map and pointed it down one of the many tunnels that lead away from the enterance.
"H-how did you-"
"Darling, I'm Compass Rose! Directions are kinda my thing." She clipped, her voice sharp as she motioned to her cutie mark, a compass rose and rightly so.
"Oh...r-right. Yes...o-of course." Marble Spire's voice was shaking now. Growing up reading books and attending mystery theatres, Marble Spire knew his usefullness to Silver Tongue's crew was at an end, and he knew what that meant. Quickly he began to think of ways to save his neck, coming up with stranges ways he would be useful to Silver's crew; however, it wasn't to be. Before Marble Spire could open his mouth, Silver Tongue opened his.
"Now, now Professor, you wouldn't happen to be trying to stall our little expedition would you?" There was a darkness to Silver Tounge's voice that made Marble Spire feel no bigger than 3 inches tall. "Compass darling, you can read that map can't you?"
"Of course!" She snapped. There was a quality of her voice that made her sound like a snotty little filly all over again.
"Fantastic!" Silver Tongue replied, ignoring his cartographer's attitude. "Well Professor, why don't you just stay here, sit back, and relax. I'm sure you are tired, after all, we have come quiet a long way from your classroom in Canterlot." There was a warming smile on the gray colt's face as he stepped forward and began collecting all the Professor's notes and books into his own saddle bags. "Buckshot, be a good chap and help the Professor relax a bit won't you?" With the same large smile, Silver Tongue, Compass Rose, and Sven proceeded down the dark passage. Almost instantly, Buckshot stepped in front of Marble Sides, severing his view of the other three. The Buffalo looked down at the white colt, a grim look in his dark eyes.
Y-you'll never find the S-Soul of the Seas...it-it's just a PONY TAIL!" The colt stammered. The large Buffalo remained silent and grim. Marble Spire looked down and closed his eyes. The realization had finally set over him, and he understood that he stood before one of Death's many forms. The blow came suddenly and without warning. Buckshot's battering ram of a head connected with Marble Spire's shoulder and neck, breaking every bone in his body and sending his ragdoll form into the pool they emerged from. The blow wasn't instantly fatal, and as Marble Spire, the mythology and ancient history Professor of one of Canterlot's most renowned universities, sank into the dephs, he head a deep voice call out to him.
"I'm sorry Professor, but it is only business. Sadly, it is a pretty cut-throat market."
The last thing Marble Spire saw, was a buffalo walking off towards the dark tunnel.
Roan Island was a beautiful and popular vacation spot for ponies all over the world. The warm, tropical weather was the greatest way to escape the brutal cold of most winters. During these winter times, when the temperatures on the island settle at a comfrotable seventy to eighty degrees, the beaches, hotels, clubs, and streets are lined, packed, and crowded with all sorts of ponies; however, during the summer months, when the temperatures reach scorching degrees, only the native ponies can be found still on the island. Even a paradise can become unbareable given the wrong conditions. The local ponies love their summer months though, being able to finally enjoy their home without the constant noise and commotion of hundreds of tourists.
The vacation spot was outside of the borders of Equestria and was in open waters. While it is called an Island, it is actually an archipelago, or string of smaller islands making a group. Each island had it's own name, but the largest, and undeniably the most famous was Roan Island. This is where the royal palace was and, by the transative property, was where the royal family lived. Roan Island was ruled by three Alicorns; two sisters and a brother. The was the royal family ruled the islands was not too different than the way Celestia and Luna ruled Equestria. The eldest sister, High Tide, rose in the morning when Celestia brought the sun, and with her rising, she brings in the tide, allowing ships to come to and from the islands, children to play in the surf, and sea animals to reach the shore easier. Once the sun begins to set, and the moon rises, High Tide switches with Low Tide, who pushes away the tide exposing the many sand bars and rocky reefs that surround the island, making it almost impossible for ships to get close at night. The third member of the Royal family, Rip Tide, is the captain of the royal guard and has the ability to create massive walls of water to crash down on whomever he deems a threat to Roan Island. Together, these three create a perfect balance for the ponies of the islands.
High Tide smiled down from her balcony, watching the inhabitants of Roan Island go to and fro about their daily business. She loved sitting up here, watching the ponies. Actually, this is where she hid from her responsibilities as well. There were times when she should have been in court, tending to the problems and duties royalty had to deal with, but instead she put off her job to stand here and watch. It was like reliving her childhood, back when she didn't have much responsibility, and instead was allowed to play in the water she now goverened over. As she reminicsed, she head the tap of hoof-steps behind her. With a sigh she turned and regarded her brother with sad eyes.
"That time again, huh?" Her response was a simple nod, but her question was rhetorical anyway, it was just about noon and that was when he duties could be put off no longer. Rip Tide was very few on words, speaking only when necessary; however, even though he rarely spoke, High Tide understood him as though he never stopped talking. "I wish I had an assistant who could take care of all these duties for me...is that selfish?" Once more her brother remained silent, the only noise he made was the clip-clop of his hooves on the tile floor, and the occasional clink and clack of his plate armor.
As they approached a large set of double doors, High Tide put on her "Princess face". Calm, assertive, attentive, and kind. The large doors swung open and she trotted gracefully to her position atop a large set of stairs. Typically, or at least so she read, more princesses and other royalty had thrones, lavish chairs they sat in that were nothing short of amazing and beautiful. She was glad she didn't have one. It always seemed like such a thing would only ever widen the rift between her and the people she served. Yes, in her mind she served the citizens of Roan Island. Technically they were her subjects and servants, and in their mind they all served her, but that wasn't true. She was the one, along with her sister, that decided the outcome of vital situations, the relations of other kingdoms, how to distribute resources, and multiple other things. This was her job, and her people couldn't live without them.
She smiled and turned to her guards. "Send in the first appointment." The armored knight stomped a few times, and the doors slid open. Flanked by two royal escorts the first appointment waltzed across the red carpet like he was accustomed to being among royalty.
He was a dark gray colt with a stunning silver mane and a cutie-mark that was a grinning silver mask. "Hail Princess High Tide and her family! Princess, if I may, let me tell you a story."
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Rip Tide never followed his sister into her Throne Room, going in there reminded him too much of his mother and he couldn't stand it. She had always tried to make him into a nice, proper colt. Which was the last thing he wanted to be. Playing outside, getting dirty, swimming, and playing with the other colts is all he ever wanted. It caused problems, that was for sure, and eventually she stopped trying. After that all he did was spend time with the guards and now he was the captain of the guards and protector of the entirety of Roan Island. Normally he would go back to the barracks and do his normal paper work, but something stopped him, and he decided to go check on his youngest sister, Low Tide. Her room was on the opposite side of the palace from High Tide's. The palace was built that way for a symbolic reason, the separation of high-tide and low-tide. Even with the immense size of the castle, it didn't take Rip Tide long to get to his sister's room. After all, he had learned, at a young age, all the ins and outs of the Palace's secret passages and shortcuts.
Her door was closed, as was normal for this time of day, as Low tide usually only was awake during the evening since that was when she brought the Low Tide. Of course there were exceptions depending on the time of year, and the tides would switch, or even continue for two full shifts. It wasn't something Rip Tide understood as well as his sisters. To him it would be an endless headache. Maybe the knowledege was just natural to them? It was possible. Maybe it was like... like getting hungry? It would be a feeling that they needed to change tides...like some kind of natural cycle that they both were compelled by that was also naturally in sync. The Alicorn shrugged, he didn't understand and he doubted he ever would.
Reaching out an armored hoof, the prince softly tapped at the wooden door. The knocking was just loud enough to hear it if you were awake, but soft enough that it wouldn't wake anypony should they be asleep. He listened to the silence that followed, trying to hear movement from the other side of the door, but to no avail. He raised his hoof and gently pushed in the door, and without so much as the squeak of a rusty hinge, it swung inward. Craning his head into the room, Rip Tide scanned the semi-darkness around where he knew his sister's bed would be. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, but he finally was able to make out the delicate outline of his youngest sister's outline, and convinced she was okay, slowly retreated from her room.
Thinking himself silly for wanting to check on Low Tide, the Prince-Captain trotted off to his office at the barracks. There was a ton of paper work to catch up on before the change of tides.
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The door closed with a soft click and Low Tide peeked out from under her covers. Her beautiful cyan eyes were filled with tears. She didn't want her brother to see her sad, and she has been sad alot recently. Normally she could handle her depression, but the last few..days? Week? She couldn't tell how long she had been this upset. It was like a part of her had been torn out and was now lost. She felt empty. Typically when she was feeling this low, she would always cheer up during her tide, but recently not even that was helping. She was also beginning to think her mood was affecting her control of the tides as well, for each time she took the throne it seemed to be gettting harder and harder to efficently clear away the surf.
Climbing out of bed she slumped over to her window and slid the curtains open just enough to peer outside. The sunlight stung her overly tired eyes. It took her a minture to get used to the garish light. Once her eyes adjusted, she stared out over the blue expanse. Reaching out with her magic, she caressed the water, feeling its cool surface and allowing its collective consciouness to teem within her mind. She could feel the pulse and beat from every creature that swam in the ocean and she cracked a small smile. It always consoled her knowing that so many lives depened on her doing her job; however, the smile quickly faded. Then came the feeling of tearing. A sharp pain ripped through her mind, as though somepony or something was tugging powerfully on her magic and trying to tear it away from her. With a start she jumped back and let out a squeel, withdrawing her magic and finding sanctuary in her own mind. The pulling had been stronger today, almost unbareable. It was as though the source of the force was getting closer. Low Tide was getting worried. She had hoped this situation would pass but she realized now that it was just the beginning of something much more serious.
That was when she was struck with inspiration. Throughout her childhood, Low Tide had buried herself in books and scrolls, learning as much about her heritage and powers as possible. By the time the Tide sisters had taked the throne, Low Tide was already much more adept at using magic than her sister. When it came to Rip Tide, Low Tide had a larger range of magic, but none of it was as powerful and awesome as her brother's ability to bring out the violence of the ocean. It has been years since Low Tide actually had time to sit down and read a book, but today she decided she would make time, besides, it would be great to see her old friend Leather Bound, whom she had appointed Grand Librarian of the Palace's library.
The library was in the same wing as Low Tide's room, so she didn't have to go near the throne room and potentially catch her sister's eye and get scolded for not resting in preperation for her time to take over the tide. As much as High Tide would hate the comparison, she was turning out to be her mother. It didn't take long at all for the light blue Alicorn to arrive at the large double doors that held back ages of knowledge and experience. With a soft touch, the doors swung open and Low Tide stepped carefully inside. She treated the library lime most ponies treated her throne room. With respect, humility, and even fear. She loved the books, and to her they were old friends that would always be there. Silently waiting for the day she chose to pick one up. Well, that day was today, and not wanting to wast anytime, Low Tide trotted up to the large wooden desk in the middle of the room and placed a hoof on the counter. A little silver bell sat there, but she dared not ring it. It was a silly reason really, when she was little she loved the sound of bells, all types of bells, and she would ring them and play with them every chance she had; however her mother was easily irritated and quickly becaom loath of her daughter's bell playing. Low Tide was scolded very harshly and watched as her mother had all her bells removed from the castle. She claimed they interfered with Low Tide's training. Since then the Princess had never touched another bell again.
"Oh! My! Princess! I didn't see you there!" A familiar and sweet voice chirped from behind a near by stack of books and scrolls. Leather Bound, the princess' best friend growing up, stepped out from behind the stack. A pair of out-dated, think glasses sat before her eyes and her mane was in a very typical librarian bun. Brownish and black ink stained her hooves from all the books she handled. However, it was impossible to deny that she was beautiful, and if she had taken care of her looks she would have been the center of attention for alot of colts and maybe even some mares. "What can I do for you Princess?"
"Please, Leather Bound, don't be so formal. I may be a Princess, but I will always be your friend."
"If you say so..." There was some skepticism in the mare's voice. It had been a long time since the two of them had spoken, and Low Tide felt guilty about it.
"Leather Bound I need your help. You know these pages better than even the authors I'd wager, and I need to know if you have ever seen or read anything about a problem with magic in my families history." Low Tide had learned from her sister to hide her fear and worry when she spoke to her subjects, but Low Tide viewed Leather Bound as a friend first, and a subject second, so she wasn't afraid of the emotion she poured into her voice. Leather Bound furrowered her brow and traced her hoof in circles on the tile floor, a habit of hers when she was thinking about something. Low Tide always thought it was cute.
"Low, you and I have been over your families history, heritage, and lineage over and over when we were younger, and we both know it better than our own cutie-marks. There isn't anything in your family that sounds like that, but then again it has never been that there are two princesses at the same time. Roan Island had always been ruled by a Prince and a Princess. The princess controlled the tides, and the prince guarded the islands with his power over the waves, and in the case of your ancestor Tumult, could even control maritime weather and create horrible storms." She paused a mintue, still thinking. "I know there are ancient artifact and even some illnesses and posions that can affect a unicorn's magic, but I don't think Alicorns are held to the same effect, being more powerful than a standard unicorn..." Low tide could tell speaking to Leather Bound was a great idea. Leather Bound, growing up, had a favorite type of book: mysteries. She loved picking up a Sherlock Hooves novel and solving the case herself. Low Tide knew that presenting this problem to Leather Bound would spark her interest enough that she would consider it a puzzle and "all puzzles have a solution, no matter how hard it may be to discover," a motto Leather Bound lived by. Low Tide could see it in her friend's eyes, her mind was churning and bruning.
"Well, the reason I ask is because recently I've been experiencing this...tearing pain every time I use magic, and recently its even been hard to manipulate the tide... I figured it was just a phase and it would pass, but it has been getting worse and....and I feel like whatever is happening is almost like something is trying to take away my magic..." The Alicorn's voice was full of fear, but that was a completely natural reaction to her current prediciment. It wasn't common that an unknown ailment caused issues with an Alicorn's magic. "I know I must sound crazy, but I couldn't tell anyone else. It would just worry High Tide, and my brother would just shrug it off and tell me it was nothing..."
"....I think I may have some ideas on what might be happening, but I won't know for certain until I do some research..." Leather's voice trailed off, her mind obviously scanning through her mental catalogue of the library's contents. She knew every book on every shelf, but remembering what she knew always took a bit, and most of the time, the information wasn't perfect. Low Tide knew her friend would need time to gather the information she needed as well as time to actually research the information she had.
"Thank you so much! I couldn't ask for a better friend." Her only response was nod and a smile as Leather Bound's eyes began to scan the surrounding shelves. Low Tide knew she had already lost her friend to her obssesive puzzle solving, so quietly, the Princess retreated back towards the door, starting to browse the shelves as well, but no where near the speed that her friend was.
That was when she felt the sudden drop of weight on her back. As if a load of stone had been suddenly shoved into her saddle bags. The strange wright shifted her center of gravity and she fell sideways into the shelf, knocking several tomes to the ground. She stood up shakily and looked towards the door.
Something was wrong.
---------
The barracks were filled with the typical silence that accompamied this time of day. The guards were out on the palace grounds, or in the towns, or at their post in the guard towers. This left Rip Tide alone in the barracks, filling out paper work and guard shifts. A lot of ponies thought that the guards just patrolled where ever they pleased, but that was far from the truth. Truly it was a fragile system; it was important to know each guard personally, and how they functioned alone, in a group, and with each individual guard on the force. This delicate balance was important to keeping the guards preforming at their optimal rate of effectivness.
The captain had just posted the next shift and patrol routes when he was hit with the weights. Being a sturdy stallion, the weight barely affected him, but it was impossible to ignore. After waiting a moment it became evident that the pressure wasn't going to fade. As the Prince was trying to get accustomed to this new pressure, the door to the barracks slammed open and a badly beaten Guard dragged himself across the threshold.
"C-captain...g-go quick. Princess High T-Tide..she's..i-in trouble." The guard tried with all his might to remain standing, but it was to no avail. He collapsed with a sigh. The beated guard was easily recognized as High Wind, one of the fastest pegasi the Royal Guard had to offer. Rip Tide didn't need to look at the previous shift notice to know that High Wind has been assigned to Throne Room duty today, along with three other guards. So where were they? Why would only High Wind return to the barracks? It wasn't in High Wind's nature to run from a fight. He was one of the bravest and steadfast ponies on the guard, and to see him here meant that thing must have been truly horrible.
The weight still bearing down on him, Rip Tide propped High Wind against a wall, to make sure he didn't choke on his own blood. Ignoring the pressure on his body, the Prince tore from the barrack as though death himself was riding him. He sprinted across the palace gournd. Normally he would have taken the guard's enterance to the palace, but in his haste and with his mind clouded with fear and worry, he ran to the front of the palace and up the steps. The doors were opened and the bodies of Royal Guards were strewn about. The captain didn't know if his men were alive or dead, but at the moment that wasn't his biggest concern. As he charged forward and into the Throne Room, he was put face to face with his greatest fear.
Princess High Tide, his eldest sister, was missing.
Prince Rip Tide let out a painful howl. The waves on the beach surging and crashing down in response. Tears began to well in his eyes as he fought to supress the rage that boiled within. If he wasn't careful, his rage would be the destrucion of Roan Island. As his insides seethed with anger and fear, he heard the soft clip-clop of hooves behind him. In his fury he turned and charged.
A scream filled the air, and the sound caused Rip Tide to stop in his tracks. Looking up, he found himself horn to throat with Low Tide. Staggering back, the Warrior Prince began to apologize repeatedly, trying to remove the terrified look from his sister's face.
"W-what's going on? Where is High Tide? What happened?! I was in the library with Leather Bound and suddenly I felt like something heavy fell on my back. Where is High? Why are you acting so strange?" Her questions came as a constant stream, and Rip Tide had no answers. "What are we going to do?"
There was no good way to answer that. Either the pair could sit back and hope that their sister would return to them, and hopefully in one piece; or they could look for her, with no ideas where to begin or whom to ask.
"If we could find one of the court attendants, we might have a chance to find-"
"Excuse me?" The voice came from the door way. It was instantly recognizable as Leather Bound. "I'm sorry to inturrpt, and I know it isn't a great time...but I found something for you Low Tide..." There was a slightly grim tone in her voice, and it was something Low Tide had never heard from her friend before, but for some reason, it wasn't suprising in the current situation. "I think you should follow me to the library...both of you."
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Sound was the first thing that returned to Princess High Tide, and she immedeatly wished it hadn't. Her ears were assaulted by a great roaring and grinding. The symphony of sheer noise brought back her sense of feeling in the form of a splitting migrane. The pain was so intense it took every fiber of her being to hold back her body's urge to vomit. Wearily she tried to sit up, but found herself bound in a position that made movement, even the smallest kind, impossible. Reaching deep within her mind she tried to grasp her magic, but was shocked when she found it was being blocked. She couldn't explain it had she been asked to, but it felt like her magic was hidden behind a wall of greasy fog. Desperatly she tried to push past it, but found that she couldn't focus on doing so and was suddenly extremely tired. Giving up she dared opening her eyes and looking around.
She was sitting, well...laying on a cold stone floor of what appeared to be a large tunnel. It was dark, but a faint like filtered in from an adjacent chamber. Curious, the princess craned her neck and tried to see into the annex, but to no success. So, instead she closed her eyes, relaxed, and listened. She could only make out bits and pieces...
"-wakes up. Do...think that....will just lead....to it? No...play it safe. Sven, do...more of...drug...we can't...fully functional Alicorn..." The voice was...familiar to the princess, but her weary mind couldn't begin to comprehend where she had heard it.
"Aye, zhere...plenty of...zee Prinzess von't be....do not vorry, Comrade." The voice that High Tide could only attribute to Sven cut through the darkness. Even with the princess' mind beng affected by something, she easily identified the accent of that of the northen Griffon kingdoms. That scared her even more so than her not knowing where she was. If she was being held by the Norther Griffon Kingdoms it could very well be an act of war...her thoughts began to become muddled and she couldn't even remember the name of the Griffon's current leader. Slowly the world began to fade back into the darkness she had just awoke from. Before she lost conciousness completely, she noticed shadows moving in the faint light, and heard hoof steps approaching her.
"It looks like another dose will be needed Sven, make sure it is ready." That same, silky smooth voice was the last thing she heard before she drifted off into a dreamless nether.
"Long ago, there was nothing. The world was void and empty, even the word 'darkness' couldn't explain the emptiness. It is unknown and will forever be unknown how long that darkness lasted; however, all things, no matter how permanent something may seem, everything comes to an end. For the emptiness that end came in the form of six Great Cr eators. There names have been lost in the ebb and flow of time, but let it be remembered that these six were the bearers of the Elements of Creation.
"The Elements of Creation? Why are we wasting time with pony tales when our sister is somewhere out-"
"Do NOT interrupt me." Leather Bound glared at the Prince, the low light in the library gave Leather Bound's eyes a terrible and intese look. The three sat in the library, surrounded by stacks of book Leather Bound had pulled from the shelves to help with Low Tide's problem. The librarian knew there wasn't time to read all of the books, but she figured there was enough time to read the passages she found important. They had already spent quite some time talking about what happened, and most of the guards had recovered, although none of them could seem to remember what transpired in the Throne Room. Now, all the able guards were posted outside the library door and stood vigilant, in case the day got even stranger. "Anyway...as I was saying....
"-Element of Creation. The forces that worked together to banish the void of the world and begin the world we know.
The first creator weilded the Element of Earth and Power, and with her element she shaped the land, creating the ground we walk on, and the towering mountains above; however the darkness prevailed, no longer empty, but still impossibly dark and consuming. Following her sister, the wielder of the Element of Light and Time stepped forward along side the wielder of the Darkness and Space, and together they seperated the darkness into day and night. Even though the rocky earth could be seen, it was still barren; so stepped forward the wielder of the Element of Water and Knowledge and she filled the world with beautiful oceans and rivers, adding much needed seperations between the expanses of land. The world was beautiful, but still not complete so the holder of the Element of Fire and Life created a great spark and infused it with the world, creating the wildfire that is life that populates the surface of the world. Finally a wind swept across the land, filling all the life with the courage to grow and begin to thrive on their new home, all coming from the Element of Wind and Courage.
The Great Creators had exhausted all their power giving their ideas and creations a future. Knowing that their end would mean passing on the Elements of Creation, they became worried, thinking that one of the living things they created might try and assemble the elements in a grand display of power and destruction. So, in a effort to prevent this future from unfolding, the Great Creators seperated each Element of Creation into two pieces;
The Element of Earth and Power became the Will of Stone and the Fist of the Mountains, The Element of Fire and Life became the Forge of Embers and the Pulse of Flame, The Element of Water and Knowledge became the Soul of the Sea and the Heart of the Ocean The Element of Wind and Courage became the Breath of Bravery and the Roar of the Sky, The Element of Light and Time became the Light of the Sun and the Throat of Time, The Element of Darkness and Space became the Glow of the Moon and the Bane of the Void.
The elements were scattered and hidden away where they would be safe from those too greedy and power hungry for their own good.
"
Leather Bound stopped and closed the book. Low Tide and Rip Tide just stared at her, not understanding what anything the Librarian just said had anything to do with the current events. Leather Bound knew that would be their reaction; however she was disappointed that neither of them asked that most obvious questions. So she decided to take the initiative and answer it anyway. "The focus of that story was, obviously, the Element of Water and Knowledge. A while back I had been reading about the Soul of the Sea in a research journal published by a rather prestigious Professor at a Canterlot college. He claimed that the Soul of the Sea was possible real, and its location may have been discovered during a marine biologist's sweep of the ocen floor while looking for a shipwreck. He claimed that the results from the sonar sweep of the Mareiterranean Sea floor showed some strange results around a specifc area. Upon further study and research he was able to determine that the strange readings where the result of a series of underground tunnels and caves that were shapped abnormally. Using clues from later chapters of the Elements of Creation book, the one I just read, he was able to determine that this underground complex would be the most likely place for the Soul of the Sea to be located." Leather Bound paused once again, this time to pull out another book and some papers. "The Soul of the Sea," she continued, "as well as its twin, The Heart of the Ocean, are said to possess certain powers over the element of water. This is where things get interesting. It has been claimed that the tides originally began when the Element of Water was seperated. Each tide is controlled by half of the Element, for example low-tide is influenced the Soul of the Sea and high-tide by the Heart of the Ocean, or vice versa."
"You mean you don't know which part controls what?" Low Tide intervened. This is what she had been looking for, anything pertaining to the tides and the waters of the world. Something that would be able to affect her control of the tide and her connection to the ocean. If anything in the world could do that, it was the Element of water, but with the Element seperated into two pieces, it was going to be even harder to determine what was happening. Furhtermore, if there was a problem with the Heart or Soul, how would they fix it? Were they even tangible things? Were they simply metaphores for something else? There were so many more questions the Princess had, and she felt that no answers even existed.
"The only ones who would know that are the Great Creators, and even if they were real, they are long gone. I would say we should talk to Professor Marble Spire, but..." instead of finishing her sentence, Leather Bound slide an Equestrian newpaper over to the siblings.
'Canterlot Professor found dead by international cruise ship!' The picture was of a covered body of a pony on the deck of a ocean liner. A pair of broken glasses lay next to the body, and a detective was hunched over the sheet covering the dead pony. It was a pretty haunting image, at least to Low Tide, evident by her gasp at the sight of the headline. Rip Tide had seen enough death in his carrer as the captain of the Royal Guard to not be outwardly phased by it.
"The authorities are claiming it was a diving accident, but if that were the case, then where is his diving gear? You can tell by the way the sheet falls over his body he isn't wearing one." Leather Bound pointed out, and upon closer examination, Rip Tide knew she was right.
"So are you suggesting...murder?" Low Tide gulped, not liking the taste of the word.
"The question is euqal amounts of whom, and why." The Prince quipped, his interest growing by the minute. However, this was short lived, as the gravity of his sister's disappearance pulled him away from the murder mystery and into reality, which was becoming more tense by the moment. "How does this help us find High Tide?"
Leather Bound looked down. It was evident she didn't know, but the intensity of her eyes behind her glasses was proof she wasn't giving up. Looking around, her eyes fell upon Low Tide, who look confused, scared, sad, but yet somehow excited all at the same time. "Princess, tell me again what you were experiencing."
The librarian's reqest gave Low Tide a sinking feeling in her stomach. She hadn't wanted her brother to find out about her issues, but if it was somehow connected to the fragments of the Element of Water, then she had no choice. Timidly, the princess recounted her experiences of pain and difficulties she experienced when she had tried to use magic, as well as he disconnection with the ocean, and most recently, the unexplained weight on her shoulders. This sparked something in Rip Tide and he regarded his sister with worry, and he also explained that he had the same sensation of heavy weight.
Leather Bound listened and didn't say much at all. For the first time in her life, she didn't have a book to turn to for answers; however, she did have an idea. Although it was a leap of faith.
"Do you remember the stories about the strange Zebra that lives behind the Jousting List Falls?"
"Oh, you mean Old Iwai? The guard and I have been there a few times because of reports of dangerous magic and strange noises, but it hasn't ever been anything but the superstitious nature of the ponies of Roan Island." He shrugged, "a lot of the ponies here have a deep family history in sailing and there are even some pirate descendants, and that good ole' superstition has tricked down the blood line." He scoffed. "Why?"
"Iwai the Shaman came from a strange land filled with mystery and wild magic, he has travelled all over the world, and he may know a thing or two about what you are experiencing and where to start your search for Princess High Tide." Once more Rip Tide scoffed, the thought that such a wily old man would be able to help them was an idea he couldn't accept; however, it was better than sitting around and waiting for something to happen.
"Alright, off to Jousting List Falls then." Low Tide nodded, speaking on her brother's behalf. Together the three exchanged looks, stood, and retired to their respective rooms to prepare for a journey into the rather wilder parts of the Roan Islands.
----------
The water was cold as it crashed against Princess High Tide's face. She woke with a start, and was instantly greeted by a combination of blinding light and over whelming pain. She let out a cry of agony and tried to escape the discomfort. That was when she realized she was still bound. Calming down from her writhing, she waited for her vision to recover, panting from pain and mental fatigue. The grayish-white blur from the light faded from her eyes they adjusted to the brightness as much as possible. Squinting she looked towards a small source of pain in her flank and noticed an a small prick of blood welling up from where a syringe had been a moment before. They way her heart was pounding and how her breath was coming in pants, she decided she must have been hit with a shot of adrenaline.
"Good morning your highness. I hope you slept well; however it is time to wake up, after all, you and I have some business to discuss." There it was again, that familiar voice...where had she heard it?! It was impossible to place. She knew it wasn't a voice she had heard alot, in fact, it was possible she had only heard it once before, but it was impossible to be sure. "Do you know what this is?"
She desperatly tried to focus her gaze, but was met only with the silhouette of what she could only imagine was either a rock or piece of glass. The interrogator slide the object closer to the bound Alicorn and repeated his question. It wasn't any more clear to the Princess what the object was, but she could feel something from it, something familiar. Something she had felt so many times before, but once again it was something she couldn't place. Damn this drug induced haze, it made her nothing more than a little foal. All she could focus on was the adrenaline in her veins, and that greasy fog that clouded every facet of her mind. Tears began to well up in her eyes as her pain and frustration began to grow.
"Hmph, maybe I was wrong...well, no matter, you don't need to know what it is in order to use it now do you? You don't have to answer, as I already know what the correct one is." Went on the silhouette, as he approached her. Gently he placed the strange fragment around her neck, Princess HIgh Tide realized for the first time it was on a string, or chain, or...something. What ever it was, it hung around her neck like a necklace. As the...whatever it was caressed her hide, her mind was filled with a beating, as though a giant heart was in the room, and the noise was so loud it's bass was vibrating her very skeleton. She didn't have to look around to understand there was no heart, whatever was going on was being focused around this little stone. The somehow familiar pony stepped back, the garish light still obscuring his features. "Fit for your royal neck, should I say so myself. Sadly we don't have both pieces...but that won't be the case for long. After all, we know the second fragment is on Roan Island, it is just a matter of time until it is found. For now though, my friends and I tire of hiding in this dreary place, and were interested in seeing the budding fruits of our labor, so princess, if you will be so kind as to accompany me to the shore."
"I-ish Shat shome kindsh of jhoke?" She slurred, not realizing the extent to which the drug had effected her body. She was referring to the bonds that held her, making her unable to accompany anyone anywhere by her will. She would had continued to rant and belittle her captor, but in her current state she decided it would be a disservice to herself than a boon. She knew that her captor wanted her to go somewhere, and whether she liked it or not, she was going with him, although she was afraid to think about how.
Suddenly the ground began to move, and she felt herself lifted off the ground. For a moment her hazy mind was afraid the floor had vanished. She winced at her own idiocy and realized she was being carried by, what appeared to be, a buffalo.
"Take care not to harm the Princess, Buckshot, We need her well and ready to demonstrate the fragment's power when we reach the shore. Buckshot replied with his signature grunt and began towards one of the many tunnels that lined the cramped cave. As the buffalo walked, the Princess took the opportunity to look around. It was dark, but there was a faint enough light to tell High Tide all she needed to know. She was being held captive in the abandoned opal mines that snaked under the Roan Islands.
The mine had been an engineering marvel. A series of tunnels and shafts connecting all the Roan Islands, and was eventually to become an active inter-island commute system for the ponies of the islands. Mother Nature had other ideas and there was a violent earthquake a few years after the final island was linked to the system of tunnels. The seismic activity collapsed a lot of the main tunnels, flooded several others, and made the mine as a whole unstable. The project was abandoned and an opal quarry was established on one of the uninhabited, smaller islands.
Buckshot continued on, taking a lot of twists and turns, some of which still smelled of fresh dirt and sweat, it was eerie how well things were preserved in the cold underground. Upon entering a large chamber, High Tide noticed a large, metal machine in the center of the room. She wasn't too sure what it was, but a large, metal bit and grinder system on the front of the beast told her all she needed to know. This was left over mining equipment from the evacuation. The Royal family had been told all the tunnels had been cleared of all equipment, miners, and any opal reserves that were stored underground. It that was true then why was this thing here? She wasn't too worried about it, more peeved than anything. That equipment could have been recycled and sent to another island where it was needed, not sitting here rusting in a hole in the ground. As they walked past, she caught glimpse of a Griffon and a Rose colored pony. The feathered fiend was playing with wires and tools, while the pony sat back and watched, occasionally pointing at something or muttering something. So that must have been the irritating noise she heard before, that machine. But why?
Ow... all the thinking was finally taking its toll, and her headache was returning, very quickly. Deciding not to fight her impeded condition, she let her neck relax, and hung like dead weight on the Buffalo's back, but the tank of a beast didn't even notice.
A warm, yet refreshing breeze wafted across the tunnel, making High Tide open her eyes. They were at the opening to the tunnel and she could see outside and onto the beach. The smell of the salt, the taste of the sea, and sound of the surf, there was nothing sweeter than those things. Instinctively she reached for her magic, but was blocked by that same greasy fog. She tried again, harder this time, straining with everything she had against the nasty barrier but to no avail. Resiged, she let out a tortued sigh.
"Litsten close Princess," A bite of pain stung her flank, but compared to her headache, the pain was nothing. "That was a two stage injection. First, it was an antidote and pain killer, to help you regain your magic. Secondly, it is also a slow acting toxin, which will take effect in about half an hour. Yes, the toxin is fatal. Don't think that in that short time you can get away, because any physical activity will speed up the venom. So, trying to run or fly away will kill you all the faster." He paused, letting his words fully sink in before continuing. "This is the plan, during your moment of clarity, you will use your magic to raise the tide. That's all. If you do that, then we will provide you an antidote that will remove the toxin. Simplicity in itself."
Princess High Tide raised her head, the greasy fog that clouded her mind was fading and she was able to think clearly. She realized she was still bound, but from what her captor said, moving would be a bad idea anyway. She was loath to cooperate, but she didn't have much of a choice. Hmmm...the pony said she could use magic...she couldn't teleport, being bound and unable to move while teleporting could potentially be fatal, should she miscalculate. She could do the next best thing and magically contact her siblings, they must know she is gone, if she could just reach out to them and tell them where she was, they might have a chance in finding her.
The Alicorn reached deep into her mind and felt the very familiar embrace of her magic, but that wasn't all. There was something else there, something bigger and more powerful, yet timid and fragile. With care, she proded the presence with her mind, trying to determine was it was, but it recoiled away. Utterly confused, she truned her attention to her magic, and storked it awake. It unfurled like a beautiful lotus, at least, that was how she always pictured her magic in her mind. Grasping the source of power, High Tide extended her magic towards the water.
Suddenly, the presense in her mind welled up, as if motivatied by the connection to the ocean. Whatever was happening, it was affecting her magic, making it...stronger? How was that possible? There wasn't time to think about it, as the ocean waters began to swell before them, creating a huge spire of water. Startled, the Alicorn withdrew her mental connection to the ocean, and instantly the spire collapsed into the water's surface. Hesitantly she reached out to the water once more, caressing the shoreline with her magic. She felt the familiar push and pull of her tide, and she sighed.
"It is my job to raise the tide, I've never lowered it..." She explained to the pony, trying to get him to understand why she wasn't doing what he asked.
"I know Princess, but...try."
With another sigh, she nudged the tide, like so many times before, but instead of using the mental image of pulling a blanket around the islands, which she typically used, she imagined draining a bath tub. It was a helpful image and her magic understood; however, it wasn't her magic that responded, it was the unknown presence. With a surge, it reached out to the water and gave it a massive shove, the tide receeding at a rate the Princess had never seen. Out of panic she withdrew her magic, and severed the connection with the water, causing the alien presence to lose it's control over the sea, and the waters came rushing back to the shore, turning into a mild wave that crashed agiainst their hooves.
Fantastic...just....fantastic" She regarded her captor with a clear gaze for the first time since she had been imprisoned by him. He was a gray pony with a stunning silver mane.
Everything came back to her in a sudden wave.
The throne room. Her first appointment. This same pony waltzing in like he owned the place. His calming, silky voice.
Then the chaos.
A griffon and buffalo came rushing into the throne room, along with a rose colored unicorn. Taken by suprise, the guards were uprepared for a the charging beast and its winged counterpart. The unicorn used magic and sent a syringe into the Princess' flank...at least that's what she remembered. Everything got really hazy at that point, and the next thing she knew she was in the mines.
"What do you want with me?" She asked, her voice cold and sharp.
"All in due time, Princess." The pony smirked. He motioned to the sky and the griffon dropped down before the Alicorn. She thought he was back in the mine still, and didn't realize he was there, right above her. Cursing her negligence, she eyed the Griffon cautiously, not knowing what to expect. He approached her, his one good eye boring into her. Alot of ponies and beasts cowered before an Alicorn, or at least there was a hint of respect deteced in their eyes, but not this griffon. He regarded her as prey, and it worried High Tide. That was when she noticed the pair of syringes in his claws. The pricks came one after another, and it wasn't long before her head started to get woozy once more. Quickly she reached for her magic, feeling it begin to slip from her grasp. Using what she was able to muster, she sent a mental jab to her brother and sister, hoping that it would be enough. Then it was gone. The magic slipped away and was lost behind the same grimy veil, and even the massive presence receeded, still there, but useless to her. As her body began to succumb to the drug, she noticed that she felt exhausted once again and she tried to fight the urge to fall asleep, but to no avail, and she quickly slipped into another deep slumber.
----------
Standing at the gates to the palace, Prince-Captain Rip Tide turned to a black pony with golden mane. "Stewardess, the princesses and I are going to be away from the castle, although we shall remain on the island. I know it has been years since your lineage has been called upon, but I need you to take up your mantle and becoming acting ruler of Roan Island in our absence." In simple response, the Stewardess bowed.
"We'll be back soon?" Low Tide's voice barely made it passed her lips, and it was more of a question than an assurance.
"Indeed," Her brother responded, adjusting his saddle bags.
The jab came without warning, and caused the siblings to flinch. They looked at each, both recognizing the familiar feel of their sister's magic. This meant several things. First, she was still alive, which brought a sigh of relief from Rip Tide. Second, she was close, while not on the main island, she was definatly still on the islands somewhere. Now all they had to do was find her. The urgency of the jab was alarming, but the entire situation was alarming.
The sense of urgency renewed, and now with confidence HIgh Tide was still alive and - hopefully - safe, the trio started down towards the wilds of the islands. If they made haste, they would make it to Old Iwai's house before sunrise the next morning.
