Old Pony's Tales: Gathering of the Elements

Walking through the Canterlot library is a familiar purple unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, who is picking out a few books to read for the several days she is staying in Canterlot. Her horn glows, allowing her to tag along some books with the same glow around them. She looks in the bookshelves, and notices a book that doesn’t belong there. What’s more, she has never seen the book before, even though she can recognize any book in the library. Out of curiosity, she takes it along to a nearby study table and opens it, flipping through the pages.

“This seems to be a story book, but it also describes some magic in the appendix. I’ve never seen magic like this before though,” Twilight examines the strange symbols describing the magic closely, but doesn’t understand it, “Well, the magic is in the appendix, maybe I need to read the book before I understand it.”

She closes the book and looks at the title, which reads Gathering of the Elements. Twilight thinks for a moment before smiling, “I guess I have all day to read it, the princess doesn’t need me until later.”

Twilight takes the book along with some others to her own room in the Canterlot Castle, where her personal library is located. Entering her room, she puts the books she took with her on a table while taking the unfamiliar one to her reading desk, where she puts it down and opens it to the first page.

It was one fateful morning, as the young pegasus Lance Ironhoof made his way through the corridors of the castle, making his way to princess Celestia’s throne room. He greets the guards as he passes by the first doors, easily recognized by the royal guard. After passing the door, he hears another pony had reached the guards behind him. Looking behind him, Lance could see a pony wearing an easily recognizable witch’s hat.

“Is that a witch?” he thinks to himself, “No wait, the hat has a white ribbon, she’s friendly.”

“What’s a witch? I’m sure I’ve heard the term before…,” Twilight turns towards the shelf of books on the wall of her room, looking closely at it before taking one book out with her magic, “Terms and definitions of olden pony times.” Twilight starts flipping the pages of the book until she gets to the W, “Witch … witch … ah here it is. ‘A term commonly used to describe unicorns who intended to use their magic to harm other ponies. Easily recognized by a black, pointy hat with a wide brim, witches were often treated as outcasts to society. There were unicorns though who didn’t want to harm other ponies, but still wanted to be recognized as a witch by heritage. These unicorns tied a white ribbon above the brim of the hat to show they had no bad intentions towards other ponies.’ Aah, that makes sense,” Twilight closes the book and puts it down on the desk, besides the one she was reading, “I might need this if any more terms show up.”

The witch is allowed inside, Lance waiting to greet her politely, not having to rush, “Good morning, can I help you?”

The witch walks up, looking up from under the brim of her hat, “Hiya, I’m familiar around the castle, thank you.”

“Oh, might I ask what your destination is?” Lance asks.

“I was summoned by princess Celestia, so that’s where I am heading.”

“What a coincidence, I was summoned there myself. Allow me to introduce myself,” Lance held his left front hoof up, making a polite bow, “My name is Lance Ironhoof, royal knight of princess Celestia.”

“Ooh, fancy,” the witch responds, “Well, manners are manners.” She dons her head and bows her head down as well, “I am Dusk Star, charming magician and faithful student of princess Celestia.”

“Student of princess Celestia? Heh, that sounds more fancy than a royal knight,” Lance chuckles as Dusk puts the hat back on her head.

“It all depends on how you see it,” Dusk starts walking again, “Come, we can’t let the princess waiting.”

“Of course,” Lance starts walking as well, moving next to Dusk as they trotted along the halls of the castle, making their way to the throne room. They approach the room and are quickly greeted by one of the guards in front of it.
“Sir Lance, miss Dusk, good to see you, the princess has been expecting you,” the guard sounds very cheerful, knowing both of the ponies well.

Dusk pouts, “The guards outside didn’t even recognize me!”

The guard chuckles, “They must be new guards, we recently had a party advance to royal guards.”

Dusk smiles and winks, saying in a playful tone, “Well, make sure they know me next time.”

“Of course, miss Dusk,” the guard opens the door to the princess’ throne room, allowing the two access.

Lance compliments the two guards as he passes by, “You’re both doing a good job, keep it up.”

The guards respond by giving Lance a salute before he enters the room.

Dusk Star and Lance move towards the throne, where Celestia is waiting for them, “Dusk Star, Lance, it’s good to see both of you.”

“Good morning princess!” Dusk responds in a cheerful voice.

“Greetings, your Highness,” Lance answers in a polite tone, making a polite bow like before again.

“I’m going to be blunt, why did you ask Lance here over as well?” Dusk points a hoof at Lance, “No offense.”

“None taken,” Lance says, while also being curious why he wasn’t summoned alone.

Celestia chuckles softly, “Yes yes, let me get to that. I have summoned you both for a special mission.”

Twilight flips the page over, “Oh, hey, there’s a drawing here. I guess that’s Dusk Star, and that must be Lance. Hmm, now that I think about it, I never heard about a student under Celestia called Dusk Star. I’ve never heard of any other students at all. I guess I can ask her later.”

“Special mission?” Dusk Star repeats, “Like … graduation special~?”

“Yes, indeed it is,” Celestia responds, making Dusk’s face beam up, “Please, let me explain something first. Many years ago, up until about seven-hundred-and-fifty-years, I didn’t rule Equestria alone. I ruled it with my sister, princess Luna. She, however, was turned evil, and I had to seal her inside the moon.”

“The mare in the moon?” Dusk asks, knowing who Celestia is talking about.

“Correct. I have predicted that she will one day break free, and try to bring an eternal night over Equestria again. That is why I want you, my faithful student, to gather the Elements of Harmony, which I spread across Equestria many years ago, as I had lost the ability to use them without my sister.”

“The Elements of Harmony? Is she coming back already?” Dusk asks curiously, wanting to know more.

“No, I don’t think she will break free of the moon yet, but I feel the Elements are not safe spread across Equestria, they can’t be used in an emergency if they are far apart.”

“So you want me to gather them huh?” Dusk Star grins, having already caught on.

“Yes, exactly, sharp as always I see. I have marked the locations on a map for you,” Celestia floats a rolled up scroll from besides her to Dusk Star, who opens the map and looks at it.

“Hmm … the Frozen North … White Tail woods … San Palamino desert … Haysead swamps … the eastern ocean … and Canterlot?”

“That is correct, I hid one Element deeply below Canterlot, the most important one in fact. But I want you to focus on the other five first,” Celestia turns to Lance, “And Lance, I want you to escort Dusk Star on her mission, since the mission is of utmost importance.”

Lance nods and salutes Celestia, “Of course, your Highness, I will do as you request.”

Dusk giggles, “You sound funny talking like that!”

Lance looks at Dusk with a surprised look as Celestia can’t help but giggle at the comment as well, “I suggest you go to Haysead swamp first, considering the flow of the seasons.”

“That’s true, I will make sure to visit the Frozen North during summer, and the desert during winter, or it would be dangerous,” Dusk makes some notes on the map, before lifting up her hat with her magic glow, showing her unicorn horn clearly, and putting the map in the hat.

“You can plan your journey at Dodge Junction, it’s adjacent to Haysead Swamp. Please contact me when you get there,” Celestia gets up and walks up to the two, spreading her wings, “I wish you both good luck on your journey, I’m counting on you.”

Lance bows politely, somewhat confused at how they would have to contact Celestia from such a place. Dusk Star nods, confirming she knows what to do, before turning around and moving towards the exit of the throne room, leaving Lance to catch up. “Fare thee well, your Highness,” Lance says before turning around and catching up to Dusk Star.

“Fare thee well, my faithful student, and my loyal knight,” Celestia watches the two as they move out of the throne room, waiting for the doors to close before turning around, walking back to her throne.

“Is her Highness sure that she wants to leave it in the hooves of those two?” a unicorn in armor comes out from behind the throne.

“I trust my student to know what she’s doing, this will be a good test for her too,” Celestia responds.

“But what about the pegasus?” the unicorn questions.

“He may not be the highest ranking knight, and only the first pegasus knight, but I trust he will do better than any knight could. I have faith in him.”

“If her Highness is sure….”

“Are you questioning my decision?”

“Oh, no, of course not, your Highness,” the unicorn bows apologetically.

Celestia giggles, before resuming, “They will do fine, I have faith in them.”

“I trust your decision, your Highness.”

“Seven-hundred-and-fifty years, hmm. If princess Luna was sealed in the moon for a thousand years, that means the book takes place about two-hundred-and-fifty years ago,” Twilight talks to herself, “That’s quite some time ago.” She giggles to herself, “I forgot that the princess has lived for much longer than that already. Well, the prologue seems to end there, I guess I will get something to drink before I read the rest of it.”