Chapters Chapter 5: Decisions
Tyro awoke to the sound of arguing, in a small room. Judging by the contents, this appeared to be Twilight's own sleeping area. There would be time enough to look around later, though.
For the moment, Tyro was more interested in hearing what that arguement was about. With the rest, the pain had gone down, and he shakily rose to his feet. Unused to this new body, he unsteadily walked a few steps toward the main room, until he could clearly hear the voices.
"He has to go back! Remember what he told you about his people?" This speaker was unfamiliar, but that didn't really surprise Tyro any. "By his own admission, they lack the harmony we share here—"
At this point, Tyro felt obliged to cut in. Stepping into view, and walking towards the group, he said calmly, "The point you make is a valid one. Twilight, you know the most of anyone here about Equestria's history. Can you describe what Equestria would have been, without the Wendigos forcing cooperation?"
Twilight shuddered for a moment. "We all know the story of Equesria's founding. The fighting, the jealousy, the hate. The three races despised each other, hating their inter-dependence. The wendigos made all that impossible. Without them... our world would still be that way today. Our friendship would have been impossible."
Everyone shuddered at that prospect, but it was Tyro who spoke. "Aye. And so for thousands of years, my people have waged war upon each other. They made new weapons, each more powerful than the last. Even one of them would be enough to level Canterlot and render the area uninhabitable for thousands of years."
Rarity was horrified. "Of all the worst things that could happen, this is The! Worst! Possible! Thing!" She promptly collapsed onto a convenient red couch.
Tyro was distracted from wondering exactly where the couch came from by a worried question from Twilight. "You're saying you could destroy all of Canterlot?!"
"No, no!" As he received seven relieved looks, he quickly explained. "The materials to create such weapons are nearly impossible to find, not to mention the difficulty of making the device itself. I have neither the knowledge nor the skill to create such weapons of destruction. Nor would I, even if I could."
A collective sigh of relief rose from the assembled ponies, but Tyro looked terrible. "I weep for the future of my home. A day will come when my people finally destroy themselves, leaving the whole world a barren wasteland."
Pinkie Pie refused to accept this depression. "I know what'll cheer you up! We should throw a party! A welcome-the-new-pony-from-another-world-who-isn't-going-to-kill-us-all party! ...or maybe just the first part."
Twilight spoke up. "Pinkie, we should not discuss Tyro's origin so openly," she warned. "Other ponies might not be as welcoming as we are. It might be best if we just say he's from somewhere far away and leave it at that. I don't think anyone will try to make him talk about it if he doesn't want to. Not even the Cutie Mark Crusaders." She grinned.
As Tyro chuckled, Rainbow Dash jumped in. "What is your cutie mark, anyw..." His voice trailed off as he saw Tyro's unmarked flank.
"There are no cutie marks where I come from. People just have to guess and hope they're right. Sometimes they are, but sometimes they aren't."
Rainbow Dash was at a loss. "I, uh, I didn't know that. That must be terrible, not to know your purpose."
Twilight reassured her friend. "Don't worry, you couldn't have known. I'm sure Tyro will find his calling soon enough. He might even end up with magic as his talent, like me."
At this, Tyro jumped. "M-magic? What do you mean? I don't have magic, you told me that back in my world..."
Twilight giggled, pulling out a mirror and holding it so Tyro could see his reflection. "You didn't then, but you do now. You're a unicorn, silly! Of course you have magic! What's wrong, Tyro?"
Tyro looked confused. "Doesn't that mean I have to go to magic school?"
"Naw, don't be silly. I'm sure we can work something out. Maybe I could teach you. I still owe you for helping me get back here, after all. I'll ask Celestia if it's okay when I tell her about you."
"I already did." Spike coughed up a scroll. "Wow, that was a fast response. Let's see... It's addressed to Tyro! Looks like this is for you, new guy." He tossed the scroll over towards Tyro, who read it.
"Princess Celestia says that she would like to meet me to discuss my future at my earliest convenience. She also says that should I remain here, Twilight will be responsible for my magical training." Twilight jumped a little at that, then smiled. "She also wants to make sure that no more humans get into Equestria the way I did, so she wants to see Twilight Sparkle as well, with a copy of the spell used to get her back here. Well then. Oh, there's more. Princess Luna has also expressed an interest in my presence here, and would also like to attend this meeting."
A long moment came and went, before Twilight sighed, looking guilty. "I bet I'm going to be in trouble over this one. I don't think anypony has messed up this bad since... since... forever! She'll be so mad at me... She'll make me go back to... Magic Kindergarten!"
There was a collective gasp heard from everypony in the room. The last time Twilight had been so worried, it had been a disaster, and her friends feared the chance of a repeat performance.
Spike interrupted the suspenseful moment by coughing up another letter. "Hey, this one's for me. 'Dear Spike, please reassure my faithful student that I will not be sending her back to magic kindergarden. With regards, Princess Celestia.'"
Even Twilight had to laugh a little at that.
Chapter 6: A Test of Will
Tyro was deep in thought. The ponies here had done much for him already, but he had done nothing for them. That charity, he knew, would not last forever, and he felt a need to pay them back for their generosity. Rarity had spent hours trying to make an outfit that would match his dark red coat and dull black mane, and Pinkie Pie had thrown a huge party welcoming him to Ponyville. Meanwhile, Twilight had been teaching him basic magical skills, from summoning the magic itself to focusing it into spells he could then use.
There must be some way he could help everypony in order to balance out his debt.
"Tyro!" Twilight's call interrupted his thoughts. "Come on! If you're late for your lesson again..." She left the threat hanging, but it was more than enough motivation for him to sprint to the door and catch up with his teacher. He followed her to a small field that Applejack was leaving fallow this year, and they began the lesson.
She ran him through the basic exercises he had mastered, and then went on to more advanced manipulations. Rocks floated in the air, changing shape or color. Tyro had a little surprise today, though. He'd been practicing using magic on multiple targets at once, and this would be revenge for chasing him around with that boulder a few days before.
"Twilight," he said, looking straight at her, "look behind you."
Twilight looked, promptly jumping a couple feet in the air and landing on her rear. (Success!) Before her was a perfect, life-size statue of herself, made from solid stone.
"Tyro! You silly!" She chastised him, but he could tell she was secretly flattered by the lifelike reproduction. "Don't startle me like that!" She paused a moment before continuing. "Your test was going to be to lift Applejack out of the bush over yonder..."
A loud rustling sound was heard from the bush in question as Applejack fled the area.
"But instead, I think I'll have you move this statue into the library garden, using magic." She grinned at Tyro's expression as his prank backfired on him.
"B-but..."
"I know you can do it, Tyro. You have both the power and the endurance you'll need. As for the test of your control, I think you've shown that fairly well already." She glanced at the statue, then gave him a sly wink. "Although I do appreciate the flattery."
Tyro, defeated, resigned himself to the task, calling up the magic within him as she had taught him... not so long ago, really. Twilight had taught him a lot in the last few days.
"Tyro? If you don't put me down, you'll have to carry me and the statue back to the library," the floating unicorn warned.
Embarassed, Tyro gently lowered her to the ground, redirecting his magic to the statue and not its subject.
"Sounds like your control is fine, but your focus is much less so. Come on now, let's go."
With a great effort, Tyro focused every essence of his being on lifting the statue, finally raising it from the ground. Taking a slow, cautious step forward, he carried the weight alongside him. It wasn't easy, carrying such a load, but he struggled through it.
About three-quarters of his trip to the library were uneventful, but then Twilight became a little mischievious. She brushed up against his flank, and the statue wavered in the air. "Focus, Tyro," Twilight giggled. "Don't let yourself get... distracted." She rubbed against him again, grinning wickedly as the statue almost dropped to the ground. This teasing wasn't helping a bit with Tyro's ability to maintain the spell, Twilight knew it, and she was clearly enjoying the opportunity. A couple other ponies snickered as he went by, his face red with both exertation and embarassment. Twilight, on the other hand, was utterly shameless.
She finally let him be once they arrived at the library, allowing him to place the statue without interruption. However, Tyro, no longer burdened by the effort of concentrating on holding up the weight, could now get his revenge. He sidled up to her, touching her flank as she had his. "Do you like it?"
Twilight blushed. "The statue, or..."
Tyro responded simply, "both," and Twilight blushed even more. "Ooh, looks like you do, hmm?" Twilight's embarassment reached new levels, and Tyro finally let her go, into the library. He quickly followed, with a wink to the ponies watching the spectacle.
Inside the library, Twilight was seated in a chair in the main room. "I suppose I had that coming. But honestly, Tyro? That was a little much." Tyro just laughed.
"Come on, Twilight, you know you liked it..." Twilight blushed again, then fled.
Chapter 7: Dangerous Secrets
Twilight was for once at a loss. Should she have done what she did, getting Tyro's hopes up for nothing? Did he know she wasn't serious about it? Worst of all, she worried... was he right?
Normally she would try to find a book to help, but that wasn't an option, not with Tyro still in the main part of the library. Maybe her magic could... no, that would be wrong. And besides, she didn't even know how she felt about all this. Maybe she just needed some time away from Tyro to think about what had happened.
Her decision made, Twilight teleported just outside the libr—into the main room of the library, mere feet away from Tyro himself? This didn't make sense at all. Once again, she fled, but this time past him and out the door.
Tyro blinked, then resumed his reading, Understanding Mares . "There's definitely nothing in the book about that."
Outside, Twilight had reached the middle of the town before realizing she had no idea where she was going. Maybe Applejack's good sense could help her... no, Applejack would never have put herself in this position in the first place. Suddenly, she knew what to do.
"Rainbow Dash!" Hearing her name, Rainbow Dash sped down to see what was the matter. "Rainbow Dash, I need your help, but you can't tell anyone, okay?" Twilight's request was unusual; she rarely needed secrecy, especially from her. Interested, Rainbow Dash followed her to one of Applejack's farther orchards, and landed next to her friend.
"What's wrong, Twilight? What's going on?"
"It's about Tyro." Dash grinned at this admission. "Not you, too?"
"Come on, Twilight, everypony knows. If that's all this is about, I don't see why we need to be so secretive and all."
"But that's just it, Rainbow Dash! It isn't real!" Rainbow Dash promptly crashed into a tree, muttering something under her breath as she stood up. Twilight continued, "I didn't mean any of it, and I don't know if he did, and now I have no idea what to do!"
Her answer was simple. "Well, Twilight, how do you feel about him, then? I'm just asking, because if you don't want him, I'm taking him myself."
"You stay away from my Tyro!" Twilight recoiled at her own outburst. "Umm. Thanks for your help, I guess." Rainbow Dash laughed.
It was only hours later that she was recounting the whole story at the Sugarcube Corner. "So I told her I liked him, and you should have seen the look on her face!" Everypony laughed, except Twilight, who had just come inside from the rain. Hearing Dash's words, her anger rose. "How could you?! You swore you wouldn't talk about it!" A collective gasp rose from the table, then another as Fluttershy faced Rainbow Dash.
"Some Element of Loyalty you are! Get out of here until you can learn to respect your friends!" She went on, getting progressively more aggressive, as Rainbow Dash backed towards the door a step at a time. When he reached it, he quickly turned and fled into the rainy skies.
Fluttershy turned back towards the other ponies, took a seat, and quietly returned to her pie.
"Wow, Fluttershy, that was amazing! But wasn't it maybe a little bit too much?" Rarity looked surprised.
"No, she deserved it!" Fluttershy looked shocked at her declaration. "W-what am I saying? That was a such a mean thing to do. And I was saying Rainbow Dash broke his element, but now I've done it, too! I feel terrible..." Fluttershy burst into tears.
Applejack spoke up. "Now you listen, Fluttershy, you have nothing ta be ashamed about. What you did was right, and you were right to be firm about it."
"Yeah," Pinkie Pie agreed. "She promised to keep Twilight's secret, and she told anyway! And promises are FOREVER!!!"
As the storm continued to rage, Twilight herself was now sitting in a corner, her head down. "I hate my friends fighting, but the worst part is that I can't fix it. I can't just magic all this away. In fact, it was magic that started all this in the first place! It only ever makes things worse. I hate magic!"
There was a crack of thunder, as the storm raged on. The door slammed open to reveal Tyro, standing in the doorway. As he walked into the shop, the others saw him magically dragging a struggling Rainbow Dash behind him. Kicking the door shut, he dropped the soaked pegasus before everyone else.
"I found this," he said coldly, "attempting to fly through the storm. Why?"
Everypony started pointing and yelling at each other again, only to be silenced once again by Tyro's anger. "I don't care who did what," he said, his voice no warmer than before. "What I care about is that this is one tune I have heard before, and I don't like it! " The whole room went dead silent, the only sound to be heard the beating of the rain and the angry wind.
All six ponies shrunk back a little at Tyro's anger. "I'm sure you all remember it quite well. It belongs to Discord!" At the last word his voice lashed out a little, showing a bit of the restraint he was holding on himself.
Applejack stood up, but his head still looked down in shame. "Tyro speaks the truth. We've been neglectin' the Elements we're supposed to represent, and that should shame us all. I apologize to y'all, for not speaking the truth ah didn't want to see."
Rainbow Dash looked up from the floor. "I'm sorry I betrayed my Element of Loyalty by telling Twilight's secret."
Fluttershy spoke next, quietly apologizing for her own unkindness towards her friends.
Twilight suprised everyone, however. "I have two things to apologize for. I tried to blame this on magic instead of looking for the real reason, which was wrong of me. But I'm also sorry for trying to hide my problems from you in the first place."
Tyro looked at Twilight, saying firmly, "Twilight. We'll talk later. Now I believe you all have some letters to write." With that, he went back outside, and the shamed ponies could see him walking back to the library, a magical barrier keeping him untouched by the storm.
Chapter 8: For Special Services
Tyro needed help. After his report to the Princess about the strange behaviors he had witnessed, she had tasked him personally with watching all six of the bearers of the elements. There was no way he could do it alone, but he couldn't afford to ask anyone for help who he didn't trust completely. Spike he could count on, and himself of course, but even the two of them couldn't watch everypony at once, especially not in secret. And so, he found himself here, where all the truly desperate eventually go. Into the too-quiet air made by his spell of silence, and with hope in his heart, he began to speak.
Dear Tyro,
After reading a number of reports from Twilight and her friends, I have begun to grow concerned. Three of them were acting exactly opposite their Elements without realizing it, yet the other three were unaffected.
Your report was the most concerning, however. The comparison to behavior under Discord's influence is not without merit, and I think you are right to suspect a possible connection. I can make sure Discord remains imprisoned, but I need your help as well.
I need you to observe and record patterns of unusual behavior from all six of the Elements. This must be done without them knowing about it, as I can't openly take such measures. Remember, Tyro: this task is very important, and no one can know!
Princess Celestia
"What I need you to do is to watch the six bearers of the elements as best you can—but without being noticed—and take notes on any strange behaviors that exactly oppose the elements. They can't know you're watching, so try to stay quiet and stay hidden when you can, unless you actually have a reason to be nearby. If you get caught, don't tell anyone what you were actually doing. Remember, Princess Celestia is depending on our success."
There was a silence after Tyro finished.
"So, how would you like to try out... Cutie Mark Crusaders: Spies of the Princess?"
The three young ponies cheered.
Tyro hoped he had done the right thing. The three young ponies would do the best they could to watch their family members, he knew, but wuld it be enough? More importantly, could they keep the secret? If even one of the ponies told anyone, Tyro would be in a heap of trouble.
But what else was he to do? He couldn't watch everyone with Spike's help alone, and nopony else could be as immune to suspicion as the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Tyro knew that they were his best chance at success, but he was still worried.
Returning to Spike, he made one last request. "Spike, I need to send a letter."
Dear Princess Celestia,
I have enlisted the best ponies I could find to help watch over the Elements, as you have asked. However, they are doing this at great risk to themselves and their non-existant cutie marks. With that in mind, I think once this is all over, they each should get a reward for their bravery.
Your Loyal Spymaster, Tyro
Princess Celestia chuckled at Tyro's letter. Enlisting the Cutie Mark Crusaders to spy on their family members... a bold stroke indeed. Calling over an aide, she quickly requested the creation of three medals, "For Special Services to Equestria."
Chapter 9: Sick Day
There was little Tyro could do over the next few days but watch, wait, and hope. There were no alarms raised, so the Crusaders must have made it through alright. He could only hope that what they had to report didn't match his own observations of Pinkie Pie and Twilight. If they did, the Elements of Harmony might have a large problem on their hands—no, hooves. And so he waited, and watched, and waited, and watched, and waited. After three days, he could stand it no more, and left a note on the wall of the treehouse: Report to Spike.
The next morning, Tyro woke to see Spike in his room with a pile of scrolls. He quickly silenced the room, and they got to work looking at the reports. The Crusaders had come though perfectly, providing him with detailed information. Unfortunately, it was information he had hoped not to see.
Including his observations of Pinkie Pie and Spike's of Twilight, all six bearers of the Elements of Harmony were showing signs of increasing deviance from their respective Elements. Twilight was the most affected (an observation that Spike noticed caused a great deal of stress on Tyro's part), Pinkie Pie the least, and all the others somewhere in between.
"Spike, what do you make of all this?"
Spike, between spoonfuls of ice cream, replied, "It looks like all six are affected, whatever it is is getting worse, and it has something to do with the Elements themselves."
"I agree. I guess we have some bad news for the princess. We'd best get writing, and fast. Spike, you go outside and do your normal morning chores for Twilight, and I'll take care of writing the report. Tell her I'm sick or something, okay?"
Spike shook his head, wondering if that would really have the result Tyro wanted, but left to comply anyway.
Quickly, Tyro composed a letter to the princess explaining both his findings and his conclusions, slipped inside the reports from Spike and the Crusaders, and sealed the letter, with a seal of black wax. That would get the princess' attention.
He had just enough time to slip the scroll out of sight before Twilight burst into the room. His fear that Twilight might discover the deception left him with sweat rolling down his face. "Is it true? Spike said you were sick; are you feeling okay? Do you need anything?" She looked closely at him. "You're sweating a lot! I know, I'll make you some tea!" Then she was gone, as quickly as she had come. A moment or two later, Tyro heard the sound of breaking ceramic and a yelp from Spike, who came running into Tyro's room.
"Tyro, help! Before she drops another cup of scalding tea on me!" Tyro winked at Spike, magically closing and locking the door behind the dragon. In seconds, he had the scroll out, and Spike sent it on to Canterlot and Princess Celestia.
Hearing Twlight preparing to break down the door, Tyro turned to Spike, who got a worried look in his eyes. "I'm sorry to do this to you, Spike. Tell her I went to Zecora's, and yes, I can get there on my own just fine." With that, he unlocked and unlatched the door, then teleported to the ground just outside his window.
Tyro knew Twilight would take some time before she could get anything coherent out of Spike, so he ran in order to maximize his head start. Thinking quickly, he ran right past Fluttershy, scaring away the bird she was talking to. With luck, he'd be well into the Everfree Forest by the time Twilight got free of an irritated, grumpy Fluttershy.
Reaching Zecora's took almost no time at all, but he got there gasping for breath, unable to speak.
Zecora greeted him in rhyme, as always. "What is your need, that you come with such speed?"
"Twilight... after me... need potion... does nothing..." he gasped. Zecora nodded sagely.
"You need a false potion, to implant a notion. To fool a friend, for a noble end?"
"Yes! Yes! She needs to think I was sick and you made me better." Tyro could finally speak again.
Zecora nodded, handing Tyro a clear bottle containing some red liquid, and with a word of thanks, Tyro left to return to Ponyville. Hopefully before Twilight found him.
Alas, he had no such luck. Only a quarter of the way back, Twilight intercepted him. Quickly, Tyro explained before she could say anything. "Zecora says I need to drink from this twice each day, and I'll get better. I already had my morning dose at Zecora's, and I feel great!" The lie felt wrong on his tongue, but he had no choice. It was that, or explain everything else. So he ran past her, back down the path. "Race you back to the library!"
When the two finally reached the library, Twilight was breathing hard, but Tyro was gasping. She chided him. "You won't get better if you keep overexerting yourself like that, Tyro." Tyro sighed. "Don't you sigh at me like that, Tyro!" He tried to look meek and entered the library, trudging up to his bed.
Twlight saw Spike on his bed, and called up her magic to move him elsewhere. A moment later, Spike was embedded in the wall and Twilight was looking embarassed.
"It's okay, Twilight, I can take care of poor Spike over here. You should get back to... whatever it is you're working on." Twilight backed out of the room, and Tyro shut it before she could blast it off its hinges.
Chapter 12: The Journey Begins
Celestia's sun had risen. Today would be a day for action, Twilight knew. The Elements of Harmony would follow Tyro into the Everfree Forest, and perhaps find an end to this madness. She just hoped Tyro was up to the task. Zecora's potions were powerful, it was true, but she was still worried. Unfortunately, she had more important things to worry about. Tyro had not been himself this morning. Tyro had bolted down his breakfast, disappearing for a moment, then reappearing with the book Spike had been translating last night, along with the original text. The pony she had grown to know and lo—No! The pony she grown to know was missing, in his place standing the crazed pony before her.
"Twilight, this book still doesn't make any sense, even with the translation. It mentions the Elements, some dark power, a room filled with runes, and a door, but it never says anything of substance. It feels like it's... incomplete, somehow."
Twilight paused a moment, considering the possiblities. "Fine, we'll take it with us, and maybe we'll find out what's going on wherever you end up taking us. But there is no use going on and on about it now!"
Tyro stopped midsentence. "You're right, Twilight. I don't know what came over me. I need to go re-check my packs to make sure I didn't forget anything." He stood, calmly walking up to his bedroom, and disappeared within.
The morning's surprises were not over yet, however. Turning around, she spotted Spike doing something by the cupboard he used to store things in. He was filling an odd-looking bag with a number of unlikely objects. "Spike, what are you doing?"
Spike turned towards her proudly. "Well, were supposed to keep in touch with the princesses in Canterlot, so I've been packing writing supplies. I have blank scrolls, ribbons for tying them closed since we can't stop to melt wax, ink, extra ink, and half a dozen quills." Adding a small pile of gemstones into the bag, he added, "And a little something for me, too. Rarity made this for me last year, but I've never needed to use it before." With that he stowed the bag and was off doing something else in the library. Twilight shook her head and went on with her own packing.
Tick. The sun moved up in the sky. Twilight looked outside, horrified. Not this again !
It was almost time to go, and everyone was assembled in the library, except Spike and Rarity. Twilight wondered why, then just about died as she saw Spike enter the room, the bag from earlier now attached to his back through some sort of harness. Rarity saw Twillight's expression as she followed the dragon into the room, and grinned.
Tyro spoke up. "Now that everyone is all packed, let's do this!"
"And so the eight of us set forth, seven ponies and one dragon, to find a way to save Equestria and themselves."
"Pinkie Pie, would you stop that?" Fluttershy looked around grumpily. "It's bad enough that I have to be around you ponies without your narration!"
Applejack wasn't impressed. "Fluttershy, if it weren't for that Element you're wearing, we'd have left Your Grumpiness back in Ponyville, so why don't you just deal with it?"
Two ponies jumped as something stung their flanks. Turning, they saw Spike, tossing a gem up and down in his hand. And they heard Tyro, saying to Twilight, "you didn't think I gave him all those gems just for the book, did you? Every time he catches somepony acting against their element, he gets to have one. (That's also why I gave him all small ones.) Something is telling me he's going to be enjoying this."
Twilight grinned at him. "It's things like this that are why I l—why you're such a good friend," she said, trying to hide the substitution.
Tyro grinned back. "I feel the same way," he replied, playfully bumping his flank against hers.
Twilight blushed fiercely, suddenly glad she was in front where her friends couldn't see her face. "I'll get you for that," she mumbled under her breath, once she recovered her composure.
The red pony beside her mumbled back, "good, I'm looking forward to it," winking at her and making her blush again. Twilight glared at him silently, vowing revenge.
The Everfree forest began to close in around the ponies as the left its border regions. The relatively tame forest on the outskirts gave way to untamed wilderness. The road Tyro was following slowly thinned down into a trail, forcing the ponies to start walking single file.
Applejack was the first to ask the question everypony was wondering. "Tyro, do you actually know where we're going? At all?"
"No, Applejack. We just have to have faith that my instincts will lead us true."
Fluttershy mocked him. "Ooh, thet your instincts lead us true, huh? Truly lost , you mean." She continued to heckle at the stallion, but her mockery was cut off abruptly when she felt a sharp pain. A moment later, Spike picked up his thrown gemstone, munching on it happily.
"You get her, Spike!" Rainbow Dash cheered. "This is actually really fun to watch. Everypony getting their element all mixed up; what a—Ow! Spike!" The dragon grinned, then shrugged blamelessly.
Pinkie Pie sighed. "Spike, how can you possibly be having fun at a time like this? Don't you understand that—Hey!" She flinched as the gemstone stung her flank. ; suppose you have a point there, Spike. I need to follow my element as much as any of the rest of you need to follow yours."
Spike smiled happily. "That's the spirit, Pinkie Pie!" Then he tripped over a tree root, and everypony chuckled a little as he got up.
As the trail went on, it slowly became little more than a track through the underbrush, probably created by deer or elk, according to Fluttershy.
Tyro groaned as he saw a new obstacle in the way: a field of blue, star-shaped flowers going right across the path. Seeing the flowers, Rarity gasped. "Of all the worst things that could happen, this is The. Worst. Possible. Thing!" A red couch appeared, just in time for Rarity to dramatically collapse onto it.
"Rarity," Tyro yelled, "please don't tell me you brought that thing all this way!"
Rarity giggled. "Nope! I just magicked a flat rock to look like it." She stood up and the couch disappeared, to indeed reveal a flat rock next to the path.
Tyro stared at her for a moment then cried out, "Rarity, you're a genius!"
"Well, of course I am, silly. It took you long enough to notice!"
"No," Tyro explained, "we can use the rocks!" Everypony looked at him, confused, until his horn glowed and he lifted Rarity's rock, setting it down firmly on top of the flowers. "We can use the rocks to cross!"
Trying to save face, Applejack said, "Ah knew that was what he was gonna do." She got an emerald to her side for her efforts, and everypony chuckled.
"I think Spike disagrees with that assessment, Applejack," commented Twilight.
The group got moving again after crossing the irritating flowers over Tyro's rocks, only to find themselves in the deepest part of the forest. The magical taint of the Everfree Forest was strong there, and it showed. Trees grew into strange shapes, the soil was tinted red, and strange bushes rustled as their inhabitants fled.
Twilight was uneasy. "We should go back, Tyro. We're approaching the very heart of the forest, and this place isn't safe."
Tyro overrode her decision, however. "What we're looking for lies ahead. I can feel it calling to me." Twilight and Applejack exchanged worried looks.
"Tyro, this is the Everfree Forest, remember?" Applejack's concern got his attention. "This is an evil place. If there is something calling to you from this forest, it may not be a good idea to seek it out."
Twilight agreed. "There are greater dangers here than manticores and annoying plants. Many dark powers have been sealed away in these woods. If we let one escape, even accidentally, it would be terrible and Princess Celestia would never forgive us!"
Spike burped, a letter appearing.
Dear Twilight Sparkle & Co.,
Spike told me earlier that you have been looking for answers in the Everfree Forest. I've been watching over your progress from Canterlot, and I see that you are approaching the heart of the forest. Many dark powers have been sealed away in those woods. If you let one escape, even accidentally, it would be terrible and I would never forgive you.
Princess Celestia
"Now do you get what I mean?!" Twilight was even more agitated than before. "We can't go in there, we just can't!"
"We must," Tyro said, steel in his voice. "And we will."
Chapter 13: Ancient Magic
The ponies finally found a small clearing, and spent the night there. Nopony rested easily, despite Tyro's idea of posting a watch. Morning came, and with it the sun. Anywhere the sun's light could reach, it was said, Princess Celestia could watch over those in need. This was litle consolation, however, as the trees quickly blocked out the sunlight once the company left the clearing. Spike brought up the rear today, stopping for a moment to send off his report to the princesses.
As the ponies went on, they fell silent as the gloom closed in around them. Wisps of thin fog floated here and there in the still air, and the forest itself was silent. Fluttershy knew there must be some animals living there, but she saw no traces. These animals were careful to remain undetected, to avoid the notice of the creatures said to stalk the heart of the Everfree Forest.
This was not the Everfree Forest she knew. It was the forest Princess Celestia had warned them about, where dark and dangerous powers lay chained beneath the earth.
She was not alone in her nervousness, however. Even Rainbow Dash, for all her bravado, was afraid. She could see the her own fear reflected in the eyes of her friends as the walked onward through the dim light.
Finally, Tyro stopped. Looking oddly at him, Twilight asked what was the matter. "Twilight, we've come as close as this path can take us." He pointed with a hoof. "That is where the power resides that calls to me."
Rarity shivered, but stood firm. "We will follow you, then. But I hope wherever you're going has a nice, warm bath..."
Applejack rolled her eyes at Rarity, following Tyro as he stepped off the path. "Come on. Let's not stay here any longer than we have to."
They walked on. Hooves became sore, and hopes were falling when Tyro stopped again. Looking at the small clearing before him, he turned to his companions. "You may rest easier now, I think. We have arrived."
The clearing sat at the bottom of a tall cliff. A few stones lay here and there, from some ancient ruin. "Odd that there would be so little remaining of the stucture," Twilight mused.
"Everypony! I know where we are," cried out Rainbow Dash. "These stones are from a ruin at the top of the cliff!"
Tyro looked at him, not understanding.
"We're standing at the bottom of the cliff today, but we once stood at the top, to face Nightmare Moon. This is the Palace of the Sisters!"
Nopony had a response to that. After a minute passed, Tyro broke the silence. "We still need to find what we came here for. It's very close now. Look for anything suspicious. It would probably be best to keep the elements with us." Guided by a reddish light, five neclaces fit around five throats, and Twilight's tiara settled onto her head.
The ponies searched for some time, until Rarity called out. "Hey, I found a door hidden in this crack here. It won't open, though!" Twilight cantered over, summoning her magic. A small explosion later, the stone had been blackened, but the door was untouched. Tyro walked over, and was about to try it himself, when the door swung open on its own, as though welcoming him. He shivered. "Weird. And kinda creepy. But what I'm here for is in that chamber." With that, he walked inside, his horn glowing to provide light. "Twilight, you have to see this! They're the same symbols as in the book!"
Twilight ran to the door, but found herself unable to enter. "Tyro, it looks like you're the only one the chamber will let inside. But you have Spike's book, don't you?"
There was silence from within the chamber for a time, then an exclamation. "I've got it! It wasn't a regular book, Twilight, it was a guide to reading the runes here! If you give me a minute, I can tell you what they say. The sound of pages turning emerged from the darkness, then Tyro began to speak. "Okay, so there are symbols carved into the stone on every surface I can see. Some are those runes from before, but there're also these lines, like from when you cast the spell that brought us here. Except these look a lot more complicated and they cover the walls and ceiling and stuff too. Anyway, here's what it says...
"'The traveller will come, and bring harmony.' That's the same symbol it uses when it refers to the Elements of Harmony, though. Hmm. Anyway, next one. 'With chaos he will come, but with balance the traveller will leave.'
Okaaay. I don't think these riddles are going to get us anywhere. I'm going to look around some more." There was silence from within again. "Hey, Twilight, when you used that spell to take us here, how did those circles work?"
Twilight blinked. "Uh, they absorbed the magical charge from my horn, and spread it through the spell I drew on the ground."
"So you pretty much just stood in the middle of your circle and used your horn to activate the spell?"
"Uh, yes, but why?"
"Hang on a second, I'm going to try something."
"Wait, Tyro, what are you doing? Are you—" She saw a reddish glow in the darkness. It shot to the floor, then travelled outwards along what must have been the lines carved in the rock. There was a flash of blood red light, then a wave of dark mist spread from the door of the chamber, quickly surrounding her before she could even react. Everything she saw was bathed in darkness, except for the Elements of Harmony, which now glowed with a sickly, greenish aura.
Another light appeared, the red of Tyro's magic. He was suspended in the air, standing upright, magic flowing around him. His eyes glowed, but they were black. A wave of dark energy slammed into her, and she lost consciousness.
Author's Note:
First off, I'd again like to give a shout out to my readers, without whom this story would never have been born. I value your feedback on my work, and I like to think that my writing is better becouse of it.
I hope I never meet one of my characters. I'm fairly sure that Tyro, for instance, would try to kill me. I'm almost certain that he would win. I wouldn't really blame him, either.
Thanks for reading!
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Keep an eye out for The Continued Adventures of Tyro , the new sequel to Tyro's Tail!An old foe of the princesses has escaped its ancient tomb. Calling itself Primus, it seeks to spread the strange properties of the Everfree Forest over all of Equestria. With the fate of all ponies, buffalo, zebras, diamond dogs, and everypony else resting firmly on their shoulders, a heroic group of ponies must attempt to stop this primordial being before it destroys everpony's whole way of life.
Chapter 10: Tyro's Letter
Princess Celestia was startled when a heavy scroll appeared in front of her, sealed with black wax. Luna was much more surprised at the seal, however. "Has the black seal become meaningless in my thousand years away? Do ponies now use it so casually?"
"I'm afraid not, my sister. We should discuss this privately, I think. Perhaps in Twilight's old tower?" Princess Luna agreed, and the two flew out of the court, up to the old tower.
Once they had entered, Luna silenced the room, then expressed her concern. "So this really is..."
"Yes. A threat to all Equestria."
"We'll, let's see it then!" Luna broke the seal, a number of papers spilling out onto the floor. Luna unrolled the scroll the rest of the way, and began to read.
Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,
It saddens me to affix a black seal to this message, but it is warrented. A new threat to Equestria has indeed appeared. I don't know what it is, or how it works, but though the observations of myself, Spike, and my recruited helpers, I have determined what it does.
My prior suspicion was completely wrong. These shifts are nothing like Discord's corruption, and are, in a way, even worse. What seems to be going on is some sort of magic resonating between the Elements of Harmony, resulting in temporary but complete reversals of personality. As time passes, these reversals are becoming more and more frequent. Twilight seems to be the most affected, with her magic becoming increasingly unpredictable every day, her attempts at reversing it only making it worse.
I don't know where to go from here. I have included the Crusaders' observations as well as Spike's. I hope you can understand this better than I can, or we may all be lost.
Your Loyal Spymaster, Tyro
SWEETIE BELLE
Report 1 - Rarity Generosity - Agent Sweetie Rarity unwilling to give me a few bits for cupcakes; abnormal behavior noted. Offered some flawed gems to Spike when he came by; behavior typical.
Report 2 - Rarity Generosity - Agent Sweetie Rarity seems stressed, but behaviour is normal. Sent me to Sugarcube Corner with several bits to pick out something for each of us; behavior uncommon. Chewed out customer for making common request; promptly ran to apologize, offered to do it for free.
Report 3 - Rarity Generosity - Agent Sweetie Rarity somewhat stressed, highly aggressive. Keeping distance. Seems highly possessive.
APPLEBLOOM
Report 1 - AJ Honesty - Agent Apple AJ suspects nothing. This alone is a sign that something is wrong, because normally she can smell a lie at 50 feet. No evidence of any form of deception by AJ. Seems worried, however.
Report 2 - AJ Honesty - Agent Apple AJ broke a tool today, but lied about what happened. Later seen jumping up and down, reason unknown.
Report 3 - AJ Honesty - Agent Apple AJ visibly distracted but aggressively denies any kind of problem. Behavior very abnormal. Seems preoccupied.
SCOOTALOO
Report 1 - RD Loyalty - Agent Scoot Nothing to report.
Report 2 - RD Loyalty - Agent Scoot Nothing to report, but saw Fluttershy chewing out small woodland creatures. Later returned with treats, possibly to make amends.
Report 3 - RD Loyalty - Agent Scoot RD agrees to help Fluttershy with unknown task (possibly garden-related) but leaves part way through. Comes back later to apologize, Fluttershy chews her out viciously. Kept distance from confrontation for safety reasons.
SPIKE
Report 1 - Twilight Magic - Agent Spike Twilight accidentally shattered an inkwell today, but was later unable to lift a single book.
Report 2 - Twilight Magic - Agent Spike Problems seem to come and go. Successfully cast spells seem to trigger magical difficulties.
Report 3 - Twilight Magic - Agent Spike The more Twilight tries to fix her magic, the more problems it develops. Almost completely dysfunctional by end of day.
Immediate Action Recommended.
Princess Celestia looked to her sister with unease. "Have you ever heard of something like this happening before?"
Luna was as worried as Celestia, admitting no knowledge of such a problem ever happening before. "Although," she said worriedly, "There are connections between each of the Elements that allow them all to work together. Whatever this is could be travelling along those connections."
Celestia jumped in. "And that's why it's only the holders of the Elements who are affected! But knowing that the elements aren't working won't help us fix them!"
"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do, Celestia. Not even my Nightmare form was able to stand up to the Elements of Harmony. For us to try such a thing would be suicide. It will have to be up to the bearers themselves to fix this one, I'm afraid. We can only hope."
"But we can't just sit here and do nothing! There must be some way we can help!"
"I'm sorry, Celestia, but we must. I learned on the moon that sometimes things should be left alone. A hundred changes I would have made, that I later discovered would have sent a hundred causes to their doom."
"Come on, sister. We have things we must do here in Canterlot."
Chapter 11: Taking Charge
To My Loyal Spymaster,
It is good to have your report on the situation, however unfortunate be its contents. Your use of the black seal meets with our approval. This is indeed a threat to all of Equestria. We thank you for your efforts.
We can confirm that the strange behavior is probably coming from the Elements themselves; they seem to have aquired a green aura around them. For all our years, we have yet to see such a thing, so we regret that we can do little to help you ourselves.
We already have researchers all over the Canterlot Archives, searching for anything about the Elements of Harmony. If they find anything useful, we will let you know.
The Elements themselves are already on their way to Ponyville, and will be delivered to the library.
For what it's worth, good luck! Princess Celestia Princess Luna
The room was silent for a long moment. Finally, Tyro broke the silence. "We need to tell them what's going on." Spike just burrowed into Tyro's bed and hid. Shaking his head, Tyro banished the silence spell and left the room. "Twilight, we have a bit of a problem."
Quickly, Tyro explained about the Elements causing the problems, as Twilight's eyes got bigger and bigger. "And how did you find out all this?"
Time for the trump card. "From a letter signed by both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna." Twilight looked a little more convinced. "They used a seal of black wax." That got her attention.
"If this is true, and I no longer doubt that it is, we need to do something, and fast! You get everypony over here, and I'll come up with a plan! Go!"
Tyro needed no further encouragement. Quickly running through Ponyville, he collected the five missing bearers, and brought them to the library, leaving Twilight to explain the situation as he dug Spike out of his bed.
"Sorry Spike, but you're coming with us. The Princesses said they'd be in touch, and so you can't stay behind." Finally just picking up Spike with his magic, he returned to the main room just in time for Twilight to finish telling everypony that she didn't have a plan.
Tyro, faced with a journey to an unknown location to find a way to bring balance to the Elements, abruptly felt something pulling him towards the Everfree Forest. "Okay, listen, everypony. I'm sensing some kind of powerful magic in the Everfree Forest. If we don't know where to go, we might as well find out what it is. We'll be taking the Elements along with us, we're leaving first thing in the morning, and that's final! Now go get ready!"
The rest were too stunned to speak, and then it was too late because, Tyro had already entered his room, shutting the door behind him. The library was silent, for a moment as everypony looked at each other, then quietly filed out the door, save Twilight. She really didn't know what to think of Tyro right now.
He could be kind and understanding, but he could also be cold and implacable. Tyro was no simple pony to understand, it seemed. One thing bothered her, though. The princesses sent the letter to him, and not herself. Did they now view her and her friends to be unstable, and thus unreliable?
"Hey, Twilight!" Her thoughts fled at Tyro's call. "Can you help me with this book? I can't make any sense out of it at all."
As she approached, she saw Tyro holding an small, ancient-looking book, far older than anything in her library. "Twilight, one of the archivists found this with a number of other books about the Elements of Harmony. But half of this, I can't recognize at all, and the rest is nonsensical!"
"Tyro, the part you were trying to read is in ancient Equestrian - a language that disappeared over a thousand years ago. I can't read it, but I have a book here that we could translate it with." She pulled a book out of a bookshelf, then both ponies winced as it smashed into the opposite wall. "Spike!"
"Twilight, let me handle this. Hey Spike, I need a favor!" As he called out, he walked up the stair towards the little dragon. "Can you translate this for me? It's from the archives, and could be very important to solving this mystery."
Spike jumped up. "From the archives? Sure, Tyro! No problem!" Flipping open the book, he sighed. "Ah, the old language. Can you get—" The translation book dropped to the floor next to Spike. "Oh, you did, thanks." Spike ran into another room, returning with an blank book, and began mumbling to himself as he got to work.
Twilight was astounded. "How did you do that," she asked, amazed. "He's never like that for me!"
Chuckling, Tyro explained. "When Rarity goes out to get more gems, I go with her. She gives me a number of the flawed ones in exchange for my help." Leading her to his room, he opened a chest to reveal a large pile of sparkling gemstones. "They may be flawed, but Spike doesn't seem to mind much. He knows if he does something for me, he'll get a tasty reward for it."
Twilight stared, unmoving. "Oh. That... makes sense, I guess."
Twilight, still looking bewildered, turned and left to go pack for the journey ahead.
Chapter 14: The End of It All
Twilight opened her eyes, her vision blurry for a moment before her eyes focused. Tyro's face peered down at her. "You're awake. Finally."
Twilight flashed back to what had happened just before she lost consciousness. "WHAT DID YOU DO?! You activated the spell in there, and everything went all weird. What happened, Tyro? And I want a straight answer!"
Tyro looked at her. "I stood in the ring, and I activated the spell." He paused for a moment. "Twilight, I am like you now."
She looked confused. "I hold an Element, now, Twilight." Confusion gave way to disbelief. "I have taken on the Element of Balance, and the responsibility that comes with it." He indicated the necklace that now hung around his neck. An eclipse on Tyro's flank—his new cutie mark—matched the symbol on the amulet.
His friend's jaw dropped. "Close your mouth, Twilight, you look ridiculous." She complied. "My role is not like yours, though, Twilight. The Elements of Harmony keep evil from Equestria. That is not my function. I can only act to restore the fundamental balance here. It's really complicated, and I can explain it all later. The important thing is that the Elements of Harmony have been purified. Your magic should work properly again, and everypony's personalities will have returned to normal when they wake up."
Twilight groaned. How would she explain this to Princess Celestia? "Tyro, I'll be right back." Twilight walked to the doorway, peering inside with her lit horn. The chamber was empty, with no sign of the inscriptions from before. Unhappily, she returned to Tyro as he watched her friends."
"It's empty. I could have told you that. It only needed to function once, and that use consumed the spell. But some things..."
"Tyro!" Spike sounded almost frantic. "The princesses are demanding to know what happened here, and they don't sound happy!"
"Very well. I will tell them. Take a letter, please.
Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,
I apologize for the painful headaches you are no doubt experiencing about now. The magic I used earlier probably overwhelmed your scrying spell that you were no doubt using to watch us.
The Elements of Harmony have been restored to their proper states, and I have been able to detect no ill effects from the magic. We can discuss this if you require a more detailed explanation, but now is not the time for that.
Your Loyal Spymaster, and the Element of Balance, Tyro
"Send it. Now," Tyro said, looking at Twilight as she stood, alone, "I believe I have a more important matter to attend to."