A New Era

A New Era

Story 7

Chapter 3: Naming

By: SleeplessScribe

I will be honest, it was a little embarrassing when Cobalt handed me a rag to wipe my eyes with, but to this day, those events tear at my heart. It also surprised me that I had managed to take the young ones all the way through the Everfree Forest to our destination while telling my story.

The colts stood in awe at the glowing, white tree, but Twilight Sparkle and her friends all seemed very confused, shooting me the strangest of looks. “Princess Luna… why exactly have you brought us to the Tree of Harmony?”

I opened my mouth, but my sister’s voice answered the young alicorn. “It may be a risk to remove the Elements again, but I believe the Elements of Harmony may be the key to returning our brother to us just as they had changed Nightmare Moon.”

Celestia was carrying two rather large boxes with her, and despite knowing what was inside them, I found myself hoping she’d only open one until everything else was explained. Indeed she did, setting Twilight’s empty crown atop her head and the mares’ pendants around their necks.

“With Discord’s plunder seeds taken care of, there is much less danger in removing the Elements from the tree once again.”

All stood back as my sister and I used our magic to bring the Elements back to the keepers’ adornments. It only took a few moments, but the flash of light was still blinding. The good part was that there was no visible damage to the tree.

“Hold on a moment.” I looked to the Sirish stallion standing amongst the group. He honestly looked kind of out of place, being about as tall as Cadence due to his age, and hearing his foreign accent reminded me quite a bit of Starswirl. He even bore a very slight resemblance to the legendary unicorn.

“I’ve done my share of reading on the Elements of Harmony. So, if you think they are the key to changing Decay, why do we need to be here?”

Again, I readied myself to speak only to be stopped by my sister. “I did say that our time of ascension is almost upon us, did I not? I feel confident leaving Equestria under Twilight’s care, but this is a situation that requires two. You six stallions are just as relevant as Twilight and her friends are.”

Astro rubbing his chin for a moment before looking back. “How? I don’t even recognize any of these guys aside from Nova here, and that’s only because he’s a well-known name in Canterlot.”

The spikey-haired colt formed a proud grin across his face. A part of me truly felt bad for the decision he had to make; it couldn’t have been easy to give up a life he was so passionate about. Finally, I got a chance to speak without Celestia taking over.

“In time, you all will get to know each other. Sister… I think it’s time we open the second box.”

She nodded, lifting the box and opening it. Inside were dark blue pendants similar to the golden ones the mares were wearing, and a crown bearing a resemblance to the king’s that had given these Elements to us long ago. Each one was similar in shape to a key part of each colt’s cutie mark: a crescent moon, a horseshoe, a shield, a microphone, and a wrench. I found Beat Tempo and Torque’s to be odd looking just because of how vertical the shapes were, but hey, these weren’t for looks. To top it all off, the crown held a gem similar to a fire in its center, and as soon as Nova saw it, he let out a small sigh.

My sister handed the box off to me so that I could distribute the pendants inside and explain each one. First came Astro’s, the crescent moon.

“Astro, not only did you manage to aid in the defeat of Checkmate through both your magical prowess and sharp wit, but it was also that same wisdom that has elevated your student, Trixie Lulamoon, to a level of arcane ability rather close to Twilight Sparkles. With these accomplishments comes your naming as the Element of Wisdom.”

Next was Jet Rush. I had to take off his cap before actually putting the pendant on, and Applejack snickered when she saw how long his hair really was. “Jet Rush, throughout your struggle to save your city, you never once wavered when it came to following your own moral code. You managed to keep yourself and those you led above the level of the criminals you were fighting against, earning you the title of Element of Integrity. Also earning you a very sweet lover.”

Applejack blushed a little at my comment, prompting the gruff colt to wink at her. Next was the armor-clad pegasus who stood straight up and puffed out his chest like he was receiving a service ribbon.

“Cobalt Edge. Even with the responsibility of being a guard captain, you stopped at nothing to prove your griffin friend’s innocence, and you let nothing stand in your way of keeping Meadowbrook safe, even when faced against a powerful adversary. With that, I name you Element of Devotion.”

For some reason, it felt just a little fitting to have Rainbow Dash pipe up. Not only were they both long-haired pegasi, but Cobalt and Rainbow’s elements were somewhat similar as well. “Wait! Did you say griffin friend?”

The colt turned to her and smiled after I placed the pendant around his neck. “You must be Rainbow Dash. Gilda talks about you a lot, and you’ll be pleased to know that she’s safe, and more importantly, happy in her new home.”

All of the mares started smiling a little, but Rainbow’s was the biggest. “Oh… good. We’ve all been worried about her.”

He shook his head, his sandy ponytail swaying along with it. “No need to. She’s fine.” His ears twitched as he snapped back to me. “Forgive me, Your Highness. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

I couldn’t help but laugh some. “It’s quite alright.” I then moved on to the singer. Even as I presented him with his Element, I couldn’t help be question whether this was the right decision or not. However, the Element decided he was good enough, so there wasn’t much I could do.

“Beat Tempo. You were successful, well off, and very well-known. Despite this, you gave up everything to keep the little things that mattered most to you. For this, you’ve earned the title of Element of Sacrifice.” As I put it on, I winked at him as well, lowering my voice. “By the way, congratulations on the foal. I’m sure it will be beautiful.”

“Let’s not forget that he helped my little Sweetie Belle earn her cutie mark as a singer herself!” Rarity’s statement was followed by quite a bit of chatter, and I had to raise my hoof to quiet them all. Finally I addressed the newly married colt.

“Torque, despite the rather negative situations you found yourself in, you managed to keep your head held high and a smile on your face, earning yourself a lovely wife, sweet daughter, and the title Element of Optimism.”

All eyes then fell on the final pegasus. Nova looked up at me and took another deep breath, staying silent as I approached him with the crown. “Nova Dash. You never backed away, even when faced with frightening circumstances. During your time in Ponyville, you also learned very quickly the difference between being brave and being reckless, and I am proud to name you Element of Courage.”

Celestia’s horn was already glowing, and I already had the spell ready as I lowered the crown onto his head. Once the crown touched his head, beams of power shot from the other five elements and came together on him. Of course, I had a few words I wanted to say to him, and I was grateful that time stood still while we walked through the pegasus’ hall of memories.

“Whoa… um, Princess? Where are we?”

“These are all the memories from your life. You’ve come a long way, haven’t you?”

He scratched the back of his head, chuckling a little. “Yeah, I guess so.”

I felt the music wash over me again, but I wanted some insurance before I gave in to it. “Can I expect any interruptions this time?”

With a smile on his face, he shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Go ahead.”

“It's hard to stand

On shifting sand.

It's hard to take

When you feel like it's all fake.

Trust me now.

It's who you're meant to be.

We need you now.

Help set this poor land free.

Be a flame when the light dies down.

Nova, this is your crown.”

That was all I needed. With my little song done, the light faded, and Nova was made visible again by all.

In all honesty, I was expecting to feel… something. I didn’t even realize it was over until I opened my eyes. It wasn’t really a surprise that the reactions were a lot calmer than one would think, but this had already happened once. In fact, I think I heard my sister giggling.

“That looks so weird on you.”

Everyone started mumbling as I stood and reached up to touch it. I felt a little spark when I did, pulling my hoof away quickly. “Thanks for not making a big deal out of this, everyone. Making this decision was already hard enough without everyone messing with me.” The fact that I hadn’t already been introduced to only two ponies out of this whole group helped, but it still felt awkward, especially considering that the guy Luna called Cobalt was the first one to speak.

“We’ll save our congratulations for later. Based on what we’ve just been told, we don’t have a whole lot of time on our hooves right now.”

Celestia nodded and made her way through us. With closed eyes, she removed the elements from the tree and brought them back to their respective ponies. In small flashes, each one returned to the shape that fit inside the pendant, and Twilight’s crown once again looked… normal.

“Now, I’d like you all to return to the castle so that we may discuss what my sister and I believe should be our next course of action.”

I’m not sure if it was my new royal status or what, but I found myself staying behind and raising my voice as everyone began to walk away. “We’re not done.”

All heads turned my way, and I think one or two jaws dropped. Luna raised a brow, but there was no sign of emotion on her face to tell me if she was upset with my defiance or not. “Is that so, child?”

I swallowed back a lump in my throat, taking a deep breath before speaking again. “You said you’d tell us everything when we got here. Well, I still have one question, and your answer earlier wasn’t good enough. Why me? Why make me a prince? Why not Astro, who’s apparently a super powerful unicorn? Why not Cobalt, who you’ve said is a guard captain? Surely he’s more fit to be a leader than I am. Heck, even Jet let his own little vigilante group before he moved to Ponyville. So why, of all ponies, have you chosen me? And say it out loud so everyone can hear. They all deserve to know.”

She sighed and turned around, bringing everyone back with her. When my sister came over, I made sure to keep her close just in case her reaction to what Luna would say was… less than stellar.

“Very well.” Luna closed her eyes for a moment. Isn’t it weird how some people do that right before they say something big? “The Elements of Virtue were given to me by one of the kings of El Dorbronco. One of your ancestors—”

I should have known it’d be Rarity to say something. “Wait, did you say El Dorbronco? As in, El Dorbronco, the city of gold? I thought that was only a myth!”

The princess raised a hoof. “Very few ponies know of the city’s existence. They never did make any attempts at garnering attention. That is, until 19 years ago when the first signs of Decay’s return began to show. My sister and I were actually traveling there to meet with the king, and a terrible earthquake tore the city from the rest of our continent. All of its residents were turned to stone, though we managed to save one little colt, who just so happened to be the king’s son: prince Solar Flare. Or as you know him: Nova Dash.”

I think the reactions those words were met with were what I would have gotten if Twilight hadn’t already become an alicorn before me. Loud gasps, wide eyes, and a sister that tore herself away from me and shook her head.

“Now hold on a minute! You’re saying that the stallion I’ve known since birth isn’t my real brother? Princess, I know you don’t have any reason to lie to us, but I find that really hard to believe!”

Rainbow’s words were followed by quite a bit of chatter, but Luna simply held up her hoof again, and I kind of stepped on my sister’s tail to quiet her. “I understand that this may be hard to believe, but as Nova gets closer and closer to meeting his full potential, you’ll see. My sister and I chose you above all others because of your close connection to El Dorbronco and the Elements of Virtue. Not only that, but as a princess myself, I know what I’m saying when I tell you that leadership runs in the blood. Whether you know it or not, assuming your role as a prince will be much easier than you think.”

Again my sister was the first to speak up. “Nova… you seriously gave up racing? That was your whole life! You worked so hard, and for what? Just to throw it all away?”

It took a few moments, but finally I looked up at her with a certain answer. “Racing may have been my passion… but this isn’t my choice to make. If I’m really the best choice, then who am I to deny Equestria a new leader? Who am I to force Twilight to reign over Equestria with someone she barely knows, or worse, all by herself? Yes, it was a very difficult decision, but it was one I had to make.”

“Well, I must say, the horn seems oddly fitting for you.” Of all ponies, Rarity was the last I expected to hear a compliment out of.

However, my mood started to brighten when one of my favorite ponies decided to start talking. “Wow! Can you imagine? A city of gold! And Nova’s a prince! Wait, if the city is gold, why aren’t you all shiny and stuff? In fact, why aren’t you gold? Oh, silly me! If you were gold, you wouldn’t be able to breathe, and that’s kind of important!”

Finally, Applejack decided to poke a hoof on Pinkie’s mouth. The hyperactive mare never failed to cheer others up, but this was a serious matter. Twilight seemed to understand this too, as she hung back with me as we all made our way back to the castle.

“You seem pretty calm given what we just heard.”

I let out a sigh, looking up into the sky. Well, more like the trees blocking out the sky. “To be honest, Twi, I always had a sneaking suspicion that I wasn’t truly related to the Dash family. I mean, look at me compared to all of them. It didn’t really surprise me to find out I was adopted, and at this point I don’t really care where I came from.”

She tilted her head at me and blinked. “Why’s that? Haven’t you ever been curious?”

“Well, I have, but not to the extent that you’d think. I mean, Thunder Dash and Rainbowshine raised me basically from birth. I was in their family even before Rainbow was born. Even if my father named me Solar Flare, my dad named me Nova Dash, and Nova Dash is who I am. I guess this knowledge doesn’t really faze me because I know who I am. Even though I’m pretty much a prince now, deep down I’m still Thunder Dash’s pride and joy and Rainbowshine’s little boy.”

A soft smile began to spread on her muzzle. “Well, that’s very admirable. Though your statement about knowing who you are is a little invalid now.”

“Invalid?”

The alicorn nodded and pointed towards the royal sisters, then to my horn. “We just learned that, regardless of how long you were actually with them, your parents were royalty. That means you are, too. Your life was, in a way, already determined for you at birth.”

I shook my head, spreading my wings out. “No, Twilight. I made my life. Even now I’m still making it. Luna gave me a choice, and while I honestly don’t feel I could have said no, I did have the option. I could still be a racer right now.”

“So… why give that up?”

I sighed again, lowering my head some. “I don’t know. I loved racing. I still love racing. It’s just… I do feel like this is something I have to do. Giving up my passion was not an easy decision, and even now I’m questioning whether or not I made the right one. There’s no going back, though.”

Twilight started picking up her pace so she could catch up with the others. “Well, just know that you’re not giving up everything. You still have us, and your friends aren’t going anywhere.”

That was enough to help me lift my head back up. “Thanks Twi, that means a lot.”

She nodded and turned around. “You don’t need to thank me. We’re friends. Besides, we both already said that we’re in this together, right?”

Smiling became a lot easier when she said this, and I found myself picking up the pace as well to catch up with her. “Yeah, together.”