First published
Based in the near future from FiM. A book written by a member of the group called The Scholars of Canterlot detailing information and myths about the well known but mysterious Elements of Harmony. This is a book for citizens of Equestria that want to know more about the ancient relics that protect them and keep peace and harmony in their world.
Special Thanks to Jamey4 on Deviantart for the cover picture
On the Elements of Harmony:
Known Facts and Theories
By: Apprentice Scholar Ember
It is our duty as the Scholars of Canterlot to research and discover any and all information about magic, ancient relics and the history of our world and give this information to you the citizens of Equestria.
An Introduction to the Elements of Harmony
The Elements of Harmony are ancient relics of unknown origin which hold great power but only a select few are able to wield them. They have been used to stop great evils, break up conflicts, and bring harmony to Equestria and our world, but it is unknown whether or not this was their original purpose. Originally held by our Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the elements are now wielded by six ponies who have saved our lives and Equestria multiple times in the past. The Element of Honesty is held by the mare Applejack, the Element of Kindness by the mare Fluttershy, the Element of Laughter by the mare Pinkamena Diane Pie better know as Pinkie Pie, the Element of Generosity by the mare Rarity, the Element of Loyalty by Captain Rainbow Dash of the Wonderbolts, and finally the Element of Magic by our Grand Scholar Twilight Sparkle. Each of these mares represent the spirit of their Element and it is believed this is what makes them able to wield these relics. This theory brings up an argument, if it is true how were Princess Celestia and Luna able to wield all of these Elements in the past, not even the Princesses themselves have an answer. Some say this was possible because of the Princesses' great knowledge of each spirit and their powerful magic abilities.
The Elements consist of a circlet holding the Element of Magic and five amulets each holding their respective Element. Each Element is crafted from the same unknown metal and holds a jewel or jewels which depict it's spirit. The metal from which they are crafted is virtually unbreakable and is unlike any known metal. This metal is colored as if it were gold or a form of brass but is stronger than any steel. This remarkable metal is what is thought to contain each of the Elements' power. It is believed by many that the power of the Elements is that of magic but some speculate that the power comes from a strange and unknown form of technology. This theory is countered by the fact that technology more advanced then our own today could not have existed so far in the past, but the history of the ancient world is very scarce and the origin of the Elements is still a mystery. Either way neither of these theories can be tested because of the unbreakable metal that protects the innards of each Element and the fear of tinkering with such powerful objects.
Another strange occurrence is that each of the Elements' depiction of their spirit is remarkably close to that of their holders' cutie mark. Discoveries of ancient carvings and writings on rocks and in caves throughout Equestria have revealed stories detailing many unknown heroes who wielded the Elements of Harmony to defeat evil and bring harmony to a chaotic world. These heroes' cutie marks too matched that of the Element they wielded. It seems as if these wielders have a spiritual or otherworldly connection to the Elements. It is not known whether the wielders are born into this destiny, are selected at a later age when their cutie marks are revealed to them, or if it is just a random set of events. It is also unknown what exactly creates this "connection". It could be of a magical nature, spiritual, or even technological but at the moment this strange connection is beyond us and unless new information is discovered may always be.
At the moment the Elements are locked away here in Canterlot with the security of magic, the latest technology, and a full staff of guards. The Elements are more secure now than they have been at anytime in the past and nopony is able to touch them unless authorized by the Royal council itself. In times of emergency though, the Elements can be quickly accessed by the six wielders and with this power they are a force to be reckoned with. In the recorded history of the Elements of Harmony there has never been a time were they have failed. Although there have been certain "close call" situations, the Elements and their wielders have always pulled through and have never let us down.
How do the Elements of Harmony Work?
As mentioned before the Elements of Harmony only seem to work when their wielder either has a great understanding or is the embodiment of the Element they wield, this connection seems to produce power within the Element. Although each Element holds great power the only time this power can be released is when first, the Elements are with their correct wielder and second, all Elements must be active and in close vicinity to one another. Another key observation that has been recorded is that the Elements will only work when there is a strong bond of friendship and companionship between each wielder. If this bond is disturbed or has never existed, the power of the Elements will cease. This is a direct correlation to the Element of Magic, many assume that this Element stands for the magic that Unicorns are able to wield. Magic actually comes in many forms and is vital for nearly everything in our lives. Our Grand Scholar tells us that friendship is one of magic's many forms. Although this is not fully what the Element of Magic represents, friendship is vital to the function of the Elements. There has never been a recorded case where either a single Element or any amount less than six was able to produce any power at all. It seems as though the Elements only will only work when all are together, along with their wielders. It is unknown what would happen if one of the wielders were to pass. From our knowledge it seems as if the Elements would be rendered inactive until the next destined wielder was able to possess the "widowed" Element.
When commencing an action, each of the five Elements releases its unique form of power. What these unique powers are is uncertain as it seems impossible for the Elements to function alone. The five Elements' powers are then transferred to the Element of Magic where they begin to combine with its power and one another. During this time the high power creates a disturbance in the air around it, creating what feels and looks like wind. The combined powers can either be released as a beam directed at the evil which it is targeting or a burst for an entire area. This released power creates lighting similar to that of a Rainbow. This effect occurs because each of the powers which have combined, but still contain their own unique form of energy which produces unique forms of light. This combination of powers is able to non-lethally stop any foe and bring harmony back to chaotic situations. As long as this power is released it is believed that it is unstoppable and can defeat or stop anything, this statement has proven true so far.
Another unknown is what this power is and where it is produced. As was previously stated the power could be purely magical or highly advanced technology within the Elements themselves. This technological or magical power can somehow only be activated by its rightful wielder. If so, this would have to be magic far more powerful than even that of the Princesses or technology greater than any we know of or can even think of. If the elements are technological, it is unknown what form of power source would be able to keep them running for thousands of years. Another flaw in the technology theory is that something technological is not able to create such a deep connection between Element and Wielder. A flaw in the magic theory is that although magic comes in many shapes and forms the power produced by the Elements is like no other magic ever witnessed or described. Something very unusual has been observed when the elements "activate". The wielders eyes begin to glow white and their bodies begin to levitate above the ground beneath them. Wielders have reported that at this point they drift into a state of unconsciousness and reemerge once the power is released. This situation could just be an effect of the energy and power coursing through their bodies, but another theory states that the Elements are powered by the wielders themselves, creating this phenomena. This theory tells us that the Elements are a conduit for the true power which lies within the wielders. The loss of color in the eyes, levitation and unconsciousness are factors of these conduits extracting power from the wielders. This power which comes from the wielders is said to be the essence of the elemental spirit that the wielder represents. If this essence does exist it is far beyond anything we understand. It could be something spiritual or magical but is more powerful than anything we know of. This theory better explains why the Elements have such a great connection to their wielders. It is unknown though, exactly what makes this extraction possible.
Every one of these theories has its flaws but a more recent theory, combining these theories into one, virtually takes away every doubt. This theory states that the elements are in fact unknown and ancient pieces of technology. This technology is powered by the essence of the user. The essence in this case is magical. This power is produced only when the magical bond between wielder and Element which is magically produced either at birth or the time of gaining a cutie mark and the magical bond of friendship between wielders are pure. This magically powered technology is then able to extract the essence of the wielders spirit and turn it into power. Each spirit harmoniously combines as one and this creates an unstoppable force of all that is good. This combination theory has the least flaws and is the most reputable by far. Two things not explained by this theory though, is how and where these strange relics were produced and how were the princesses able to use them in the past. If there is a deep connection of spirit and element the princesses could not have been able to wield them, unless they represent all spirits. Even without the elements the wielders seem to express greater abilities than the average citizen and this seems to be due to the fact of the spirit within them. If the previous statement about the princesses is true and spirits of harmony are as strong as this theory states then this could explain the great and unusually strong powers and magical abilities of the princesses.
Origin of The Elements of Harmony
The Elements of Harmony have existed since the beginning of recorded history and are thought to have existed long before this. It is not known who or what created the Elements or what their original use was. As the Elements of Harmony began to appear in ancient scripture so too did the beginning of a harmonious change in Equestrian history. It seems as though the Elements are what changed our ancestors’ mindsets about one another and brought the very beginnings of peace. This eventually created the Age of Harmony which still continues today.
Oddly, even the oldest cave writings and carvings always describe the Elements being found, not made. Nothing discovered so far has ever described or related to the creation of the Elements. Our Pre-Harmony ancestors too knew little about the Elements. Ancient writings only describe how they discovered the Elements' uses and how foals born after the discovery began expressing deep connections with them. It seems as though the Elements even then were mysterious and ancient relics.
A group of cave writings was recently discovered during an archaeological dig near the Canter Mountain Range. These writings tell an even more mysterious tale of discovering the Elements. A tribal herd of ponies witnessed a strange flash or glow of light and a large party went to see what had occurred. When the party reached the location of the glow they discovered the six Elements. Amazed, they wrote that these objects came from powerful deities. It is unknown what kind of deity or magical spirit would have created them or where they have gone today. The Elements might have been so powerful and strange to the ponies that they believed only gods could create them when it could have been something completely different.
The Crystal Heart of the Crystal Empire has a very similar back-story and functions in a very similar way. This ancient relic was discovered by the Crystal ponies' ancestors once again when a strange phenomena of glowing light occurred. The Heart helped form the Crystal Empire and protected it by using it's powers to shield Crystalians from the ancient evils that presided in the Arctic North. Originally the Crystal ponies believed the Heart was a gift from the gods because of the great power it had. The heart used the citizens hopeful, happy, and harmonious spirits to produce it's great powers, this in turn creates harmony and peace, not only in the Crystal Empire but throughout Equestria. When the power is activated it produces nearly the exact same rainbow phenomena as the Elements of Harmony do. The Heart continues to bring Harmony to our world today along with the Elements. If these two relics are connected, which seems very possible, it could prove the theory that the Elements tap into the wielders' spirits to produce their power.
Strangely enough both of these stories are eerily similar to an old pony myth of a much lesser known relic. The myth of the Star of Power tells us that long ago a herd of ponies witnessed an object descending from the sky in a glowing beam of light. The object glowed red and was made of a strange black metal shaped like a star. Once the star like object descended to the ground the leader of the herd put his hoof upon it. His body was filled with power and he was said to be the most powerful pony in the known world. With this power though, came a price. Herd members began to notice the glow of red within his eyes and his fur began to turn black. He became crueler and crueler until he was no longer himself and seemed to be controlled by the Star and evil, this they described as "corruption". This Star was worshiped as a god of sorts and it is said that it would speak to its corrupt follower. One day though a pony with an unknown name was destined to stop this. This pony was said to have a strange cutie mark that not even she could understand. With unknown power and aid, she was able to stop the herd leader and decide the fate of the Star. Some believe that the Elements of Harmony and maybe even the Crystal Heart helped defeat the Star and aided this hero. Instead of destroying the Star she split it into six pieces and stashed them across Equestria. She did this because she believed that one day we would be able to better understand and control the Star. This story first appeared around the time of the discovery of the Elements of Harmony and the Crystal Heart.
The similarities of these three stories and their inceptions are uncanny and some believe the Elements and Heart were created to stop the Star of Power. Although this story is a myth and should not be thought true with no evidence of the Star existing, it along with the Crystal Heart can tell us about the Elements of Harmony. Even though the Star of Power is just a story it seems to be based off accounts of discovering the Elements, after years of re-telling the two stories may have melded together and now feature elements of both. Standing out in all three stories are the strange lights correlating to the appearance of the relics, deity like aspects of them and the similar powers produced by them.
Once again there are multiple theories on whom or what created the Elements. Magic sometimes does very strange things and some believe the appearance of the Elements was a random act of this. The flash or beam of light may have been energetic magic particles forming together to create the relics. In Pre-Harmony times many tribal ponies worshiped magic as a god or gods because they could not explain what else could cause such life changing events. Many Unicorns even believed that the magic they wielded was a special gift from these gods. The connections of wielder and Element were also thought to be a connection to the gods. This theory says that magic for unknown reasons intervened and brought peace to our world. This is the second part of the Magic Theory mentioned in the previous chapter and can also be connected to the Spiritual Theory. At this point the Technology Theory splits in two. The first theory tells us that the technological relics were produced long ago in a time before our race was sentient. An ancient and very advanced society produced these relics with knowledge far beyond our own. After this civilization was somehow lost our race discovered the Elements that they created. It also tells us that the beam or flash of light was a way to help us find them. The ancient race may have known their civilization would be lost and wanted their greatest works to be discovered. Some even go as far to say that the Elements were created so our civilization would not experience a similar fate. The deity aspect is explained by a technologically produced message that was given to the first ponies that discovered the Elements. The ponies watched a video or something similar of one of these ancient beings telling them what the Elements of Harmony were. Although there is no proof of a message this could explain the ponies being spoken to by a mysterious deity. The other theory tells us that these pieces of technology were produced by an advanced space faring civilization. The beam or flash of light was either a way to transport the Elements to the surface of our world or once again to get our ancestors attention. This can explain certain stories telling of sky gods with strange powers giving the Elements and Crystal Heart to the ponies. It is not known why an advanced race would want to intervene in our advancement or for what reason they created the Elements for us. Both of these theories can also connect to the Combination Theory. The space faring or ancient civilization might have discovered a way to extract power from the spirit of a living being and re-emit it as power. Being advanced, they also knew how to harness magic, which was used to power these objects just as we do today with more mundane objects. The space faring or ancient civilization might have also discovered a way to produce the mysterious connection between wielder and Element or this connection was somehow already there.
The Function of the Elements in History
We all know that today the Elements of Harmony are used to protected you and me, the citizens of Equestria from any great evil and bring harmony to chaotic situations. There may be much more to the Elements' function or they may have been created for something completely different all together. As mentioned previously, many theories state different ideas on what the elements were originally created for. They may have been created to unite all of us as one and bring harmony to ourselves and our world which they still continue to do this today. They might be used to protect us from our predicted demise as stated in the ancient civilization split of the Technology Theory. They might just be a conduit able to unlock and use powerful inner abilities and events caused by them were actually our own doing or they could be protecting us from the mythical Star of Power. We may never know the Elements true function or intention but what we can tell you what the Elements were used for in our past.
From factual ancient stories, the Elements were originally used to defeat the evil spirits and beings which lived in Pre-Harmony times. Along with this, tribal herds began to unite together under the unprecedented protection of the Elements. Slowly this bond between our ancestors began to grow and change. As they joined together our ancestors finally began working with one another instead of fighting and feuding. This not only aided them in defeating the evil spirits but also in everyday life. Finally they began to realize that an alliance would greatly aid all of them. It is not known whether this was a purposeful act of the Elements of Harmony or if it was an indirect affect. Although the tribes began to unite into larger and larger groups, there were still many divisions among our ancestors. It would take a Pegasus, a Unicorn, and an Earth pony as said in the Hearth's Warming Eve tale to form the starting point for modern day Equestria. Although it is not stated in the story many believe that the Elements of Harmony guided these ponies towards an alliance and helped our ancestors finally join together and form a nation. Although now united as a nation, our ancestors still had many flaws and so too did the world around them. Princess Celestia and Luna with the help of the Elements of Harmony finally brought peace to this chaotic nation and world.
After becoming the rulers and leaders of ancient Equestria, Celestia and Luna knew that although the ponies were united, many flaws and disagreements still split the nation. The two also realized that Equestria could not survive the chaotic world around it for long. Although very powerful, the Princesses could not fix this alone. Somehow the sisters were able to re-activate the Elements of Harmony and wield their great powers. The world became more and more harmonious as Princess Celestia and Luna began defeating the dark spirits and beings that ruled at that time. The princess then defeated the ruler of the ancient world, the powerful spirit of Discord. Once the world was at peace the Princesses could finally turn their attention to the problems within Equestria. With the aid of the Elements, the sisters began to solve disagreements between their citizens, end violent situations peacefully and find compromises for all of their citizens. One disagreement arose though, that could not be solved with peace.
When the resentful princess Luna transformed into Nightmare Moon, princess Celestia could think of only one thing to do that would stop her from taking over Equestria. She wielded the Elements' power to defeat her sister. After Luna was banished to the moon, the Elements turned to stone and all their powers were lost. Some say this occurred because the Elements were used against one of their own wielders. Some believe that this occurred because the bond between the two sisters was broken, but normally when the bond is broken the Elements of Harmony are rendered unusable by those specific wielders and still contain their powers. Others say that the Elements turned to stone because although this action created peace, it was a cruel and not truly harmonious act. They state that there was an alternate way to stop Nightmare Moon, one that did not involve the severe act of banishing her to the moon for one thousand years. Finally after one thousand years came to an end and Nightmare Moon returned, the Elements preformed this act that should have occurred originally.
One thousand years later on the longest day of that year, Nightmare Moon returned more powerful and more sinister than ever before. For the first time in that thousand years the Elements turned from stone back into the powerful relics they once were. This was only possible because of the new wielders of the Elements. The six wielders we know today discovered the deep bond between themselves and this bond is what was able to transform the Elements back to their original form. The wielders then used the Elements' harmonious powers to change Nightmare Moon back into our Princess Luna. Princess Celestia and Luna were true sisters once more and were once again able to rule together as an even greater Harmony spread across the land. This Harmony would not last for long for long though and once again the Elements along with their wielders would have to act.
The Draconequus spirit of Discord who once ruled over our ancient and chaotic world broke free from the stone that encased him. It is believed that he was able to escape because discord within Equestria was once again growing. This gave him the power to break free of the Elements' hold. He quickly began wreaking havoc and chaos upon our nation, the wielders and their Elements set out to defeat him. Although Discord was able to succeed in breaking the bond between the wielders with his dark powers the wonderful power of friendship was able to reform it. The wielders once again used the great power of the Elements and defeated Discord, bringing harmony back to Equestria.
When the Changeling princess, Chrysalis, invaded Canterlot the Wielders of the Elements aided greatly in her defeat. Although they did not wield the Elements of Harmony in this battle, they each exemplified the Elements they were bonded to. The wielders even without the Elements had great power and with the strong bond between one another helped distract the Changelings long enough for Princess Cadence to cast her spell which defeated the invading force. Some say that even without the Elements the wielders can use small amounts of their power. Maybe this power has been given to them by the Elements or was already within them.
This book is about the Elements of Harmony but the Crystal Hearts' function in the past is very similar to that of the Elements and these two relics may even be counterparts, so I too must tell you of a brief version of Crystal Hearts' history. As mentioned previously the Heart was and is still used to protect the Crystal Empire from evil beings and spirits just as the Elements protect us today. Under the Hearts protection the Crystal ponies too united as a nation. The Crystal Heart along with the help of the Crystalians created peace and harmony in the Arctic North and helped aid the Elements in Equestria. This peace was soon lost when the dark King Sombra enslaved the citizens of the Crystal Empire and brought darkness to the Arctic North.
Before the transformation of Luna, the two Princesses once again wielded the Elements, this time to save their allied nation, the Crystal Empire. The Elements were able to defeat King Sombra but before harmony was able to spread across the Empire, Sombra used his powerful dark magic to make the once thriving Empire vanish into thin air along with himself and the Crystal Heart. The ghost Empire and the Heart were soon forgotten but would reappear in recent history. Some believe the disappearance of the Crystal Heart caused a slight loss of harmony in our world. This along with Luna's jealousy caused her to transform into Nightmare Moon.
Sombra was able to break free of the Elements hold close to a year after the Changeling invasion, the Empire itself and the Heart reappeared after the dark King broke free. Once again he tried to enslave the Crystalians and would have tried to overtake all of Equestria with his evil powers if he were not defeated. Princess Cadence and her spouse Shining Armor protected the Crystal Empire but Sombra's power quickly began to overthrow them. The Wielders of the Elements came to their aid and helped bring hope and joy back into the Crystal ponies' heats. The Crystal heart was rediscovered by the wielder of The Element of Magic Twilight Sparkle and given to the Crystalians by the dragon Spike. The Crystal ponies gave power to the Heart and the powerful relic defeated Sombra and brought peace and harmony back to the Empire and saved Equestria from Sombra's dark powers. Without the aid of the Wielders and the Crystal Heart chaos would have once again been brought to our world.
As you can see these two relics have had a very similar past and have aided each other multiple times. Both relics helped defeat evil beings and spirits, create nations and bring Harmony and peace to all and would not have been able to do this if not for the help of each other. Even the stories of King Sombra and Discord are very similar. Both were defeated long ago, but both broke free and tried to bring chaos to our world, one was defeated by the Elements the other by the Heart. Some believe that the Crystal Heart is the same as the Elements of Harmony are to Equestria, a protector, savior, and even creator of their nation. Many too believe that these relics have come from the same creator and work together towards the same goal.
Although the exact function of the Elements of Harmony or may not ever be discovered, they have helped our ancestors and us greatly. They have brought peace and harmony to our land and aided in creating our great nation. They have helped us in the past; they help us now, and will continue to help us in the future. With the Elements active and the aid of the Crystal Heart it seems we can accomplish anything.
The Scholars of Canterlot are trying as hard as they can to discover more information about the Elements and the Crystal Heart but for now this book contains the most updated and newest information on the Elements of Harmony. We hope to have satisfied your questions and brought new information to light.
I was very grateful when Grand Scholar Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia allowed me to examine the Elements of Harmony. I was never expecting to be let into such a high security area or be able to actually see and touch the Elements. I hope you too will enjoy this extra information. I have written down my entire examination for you to read.
The Elements of Harmony are locked away in a very advanced, high security room that I cannot tell you details about. The most elite of guards patrol the area around the room and are willing to safeguard the Elements with their lives. I don't know how anypony could even come close to taking the Elements. I even had trouble getting into the room with Celestia by my side. Along with a secure room the Elements are also locked away in a highly secure chest of which I can also tell you no details.
As I took the Elements from the chest one by one, I noticed that the ancient relics looked as if they had been made just yesterday. The metal is not eroded, faded, or scarred in any way and looks to have no ageing or weathering at all. Each gem representing the Elements' spirits looks as if they were just polished. I asked Princess Celestia if someone came in and cleaned the Elements but she told me that is how they always look. As said before the metal looks as if it is made of gold or brass but on closer examination is not similar to either. The metal is also engraved with strange designs and patterns unlike any I have encountered before. I would explain these engravings better if I was able to compare them to something known. I don't know how these engravings were carved into such a hard metal or what would be strong enough to do this. The metal could have been poured into a mold with the markings when it was still molten. The Elements also seem rather light and feel hollow. If this is true the metal must only be a very thin layer around some kind of chamber, If only I could see what is contained within. I originally believed that the jewels on the Elements were carved from common gemstones but they are something much stranger. They each seem to be carved from a the same unknown gemstone, the only difference between them is their color. It is reported that the Elements' power passes through these gemstones when it is released, this form of gemstone could have unknown conductive properties. I would test the gemstones conductivity but I do not want to risk anything with these relics and even if I did they would not let me.
I was surprised to discover that the Elements in no way feel powerful. I thought they would feel different then an ordinary object. But then something strange happened, as I held the Element of Magic, Grand Scholar Twilight entered the room to check on me. Something changed in the Element and I experienced the strangest feeling that I have ever felt. I could feel something inside me, I could feel her. I could feel her knowledge, her powerful magic abilities, and every aspect of her personality. Then euphoric feeling came over me and I can only explain it as friendship, I believe I was able to experience what she feels with the other Wielders for a short amount of time. This was a very unusual feeling but it made me feel so safe, so happy, and so loved, I could feel harmony. I believe this means that the Elements are in fact able to transfer the Wielders' spirits into power, this is the only way I can explain the event that occurred. I was not able to create anything like this when I came in contact with the Elements so this stands proof to the fact that only the bonded Wielder can activate their powers.
I wish I could spend more time with the Elements and discover every aspect of them but preforming tests on them is a risky task and after spending so much time with them the guards are beginning to get suspicious. So with this I will conclude my sadly short examination of the Elements of Harmony and they will now once again be locked away until they are needed. There is one more thing I must say though. The Elements of Harmony are even stranger then they seem, there is still much to discover about these ancient relics and I hope to have the honor of once again reporting any new information about them to you.