The Collected Adventures of Tyro

Chapters

Part 1: A Storied Beginning
Welcome to Reality
Going Home
Consequences
Decisions
A Test of Will
Dangerous Secrets
For Special Services
Sick Day
Tyro's Letter
Taking Charge
The Journey Begins
Ancient Magic
Part 2: No Rest for the Weary
Preparing for the Worst
Flight of the Pegasi
Nature Unbidden
The Element of Balance
Reflections
Trials
Aftermath
Closing the Breach
Into the Wild
Primordial
The Cost of Success
Part 3: Twilight's Dilemma
Invitation
Dreams
Flight of Shadows
Diplomacy
Politics
Confrontation
Preface
The End of It All

Part 1: A Storied Beginning

COMING TO GRIPS

Chapter One: A Storied Beginning

Aaron sighed, looking up from his work. Writing these stories wasn't easy, but they were the closest thing he had to being in Equestria himself. If only he could have that chance, to even meet somepony, he could be truly happy. Getting up to get something to eat, he noticed a tiny shimmer in the air, but easily dismissed it as nothing more than a mere trick of the light.

It was nearly six, so it was dinner that Aaron sat down to eat. After a delicious meal of pasta and salad, he returned to his study to continue his writing. It was only then that he saw what stood there watching him. A creature he knew well, of purple hue and powerful magic: Twilight Sparkle herself. She seemed confused, however, looking around without recognizing what she saw.

"What is this place?" She sounded accusatory, almost as though blaming him for her presence.

"This is my house. I live here," Aaron replied. "But what are you doing here? How did you get here, and why have you come? I mean sure, it is an honor to be visited by none other than the princess' protege and the bearer of the Element of Magic, but you must have some reason for coming here?"

Twilight was immediately suspicous of this strange creature. She had never heard of such disproportional, stick-like beings, so how did this one know of her? "How do you know me?" she demanded, aggressively. "And yet you claim to know nothing of my arrival here? I think you have some explaining to do!"

Her horn glowed, the door swung shut, and a chair came up from behind him, forcing Aaron to sit unceremoneously as Twilight's angry eyes bored into his skull.

"First I at least need to know what you're talking about," Aaron protested meekly. "What exactly happened that brought you here? What do you know of this? Because if you know anything about what is going on here, you know more than I do about all this.

"All I know," he continued, "is that we have stories here (best not try to explain television just yet) about what happens in a fictional land we call Equestria, and that your arrival seems to mean that those stories are somehow true. I don't understand this any more than you do, and probably less!"

"So you say you have nothing to do with my appearance here? Nothing to do with my spell going wrong and sending me here?"

"Yes. That is what I am telling you. I don't know how you got here, it's an honor to meet you, and I don't know how you can get back

Dropping his pen to his desk, Tyro stopped writing. He shook his head as his thoughts broke apart. What was he doing?

That kind of thing just doesn't happen, even if you want it as much as he did. He would have loved to go to Equestria, or even just meet somepony from that bright land, but he also knew that his dream isn't a real one...

Tyro became so caught up in this thoughts that he doesn't see the slight shimmer in the air, only taking notice when he feels the space around him start to warp and go all out of shape.

Then, suddenly, there she is: Twilight Sparkle herself. In an eerie parallel to his own story, she demands to know where she is and has has happened. Tyro isn't quite sure, but he has a suspicion...

"Let me guess. You were casting a spell that went terribly wrong and now you're here and you don't know why?"

Twilight was speechless for a moment. "Err, yes, that about sums it up. But how did you know?"

"Call it a lucky guess. Now, before you go all crazy on me, let me explain what is going on here. On this world, there are no ponies—at least not like the ones you know, anyway. Most things work like they do in your Everfree Forest; they work without outside help. The sun and moon move by themselves. In short, this world is nothing like the one that you know.

Instead of ponies, we have humans, creatures like me. Magic of any kind is regarded as nothing more than a myth, because no creature in this world can perform it.

"So I can't help you get home. I can give you food and a place to stay, but that's about all I can do for you. If you want to get home, you're going to have to fix whatever spell brought you here in the first place, if you can."

Twilight remained quiet for some time after this revelation, trying to accept what this "human" was telling her. She might never see her friends again if she couldn't get that spell to work, and she'd have to do it on her own. Sure, she'd done harder tasks before at Princess Celestia's school, but never with so much on the line.

Seeing Twilight becoming lost in thought, Tyro quietly left the room, threw together a healthy salad, and returning to her, placed it gently where she will be sure to see it. Only then did he return to the kitchen to prepare his own meal.

Welcome to Reality

Chapter 2: Welcome to Reality

Tyro woke up. He'd had the most incredible dream, in which he'd met Twilight Sparkle in his own home. Tyro chuckled to himself. What a crazy thought. As he started making himself some eggs for breakfast, he heard something that made him blink. He wasn't entirely awake yet, so it was understandable that he hadn't realized the truth. When Twilight walked into the room, commenting, "oh, I see you're awake," he very rapidly realized the truth, retaining exactly enough presence of mind to crack a few more eggs into the pan than he normally would.

"Umm, how did you sleep? I trust that the spare bed was comfortable enough?" Tyro nervously tried to fill the empty air with talk, not really sure how to address a unicorn who up until moments before he had been sure had been no more than a dream.

Twilight stopped to confirm her approval and respond to Tyro's attempts at conversation, but quickly moved on to her own concern. "I've been going over the spell that brought me here, but I can't seem to figure out—"

Tyro cut her off. "I would love to hear all about it, but I'm sure you must be hungry, and that will have to come first. No visitor in my house goes hungry while I have anything to say about it!" With that, he served up a plate of breakfast for Twilight's enjoyment, and another (somewhat smaller) plate for himself. It ocurred to him that ponies should technically live on a strictly vegetarian diet, but in the show he had seen ponies eating just about any food they wanted to. Tyro figured the egggs should be an acceptable meal, especially after he added some vegetables to the eggs, along with a single, delicious, red, Washington apple.

Twilight seemed delighted with his offer of breakfast, quickly thanking him for the food. "I don't mean to be a burden or—"

Tyro cut her off, mid-sentence. "Don't you worry about it. Meeting you is worth far more to my than a few bits to buy some food." Tyro silently congratulated himself on thinking to use the Equestrian currency instead of his own. "I need to clean up in the kitchen, so we'll have to talk later." As much as Tyro wanted to stay and keep talking to Twilight, he was still in relative shock that she was there at all. Furthermore, his mind was blank when he tried to think of things to speak with her about. Using the dirty kitchen as a way to get more time just seemed natural, and it was a valid excuse.

As Tyro washed the dirty dishes (save Twilight's own, of course, since she was still eating), he thought about what had happened to him. Was he crazy? Was all of this in his mind, or was Twilight really there? The half-written story on his desk was so similar, it was like it was coming true before his very eyes.

Tyro caught himself. This was not a productive line of thought at all. What he needed to focus on was dealing with the fact that Twilight Sparkle was sitting all of ten feet away in another room. Tyro sighed.

There was one story he had read, called "My Little Dashie," that resonated with his own situation. Sooner or later, Twilight needed to go home, and that would be the end. And this pony was no young amnesiac, either. That end

would have to be soon, whether Tyro wanted that or not. Twilight did not belong in this world, and he had no right to keep her here anyway. She needed to return to Equestria, and he needed to do whatever he could to help her get home. The thought saddened him, but he knew it was the truth.

Returning to Twilight, he sat across from her at the table. "Twilight. As much as I love having you here, you need to go back to Equestria. This world isn't where you belong, and I have no right to keep you away from your friends, who I'm sure are very worried about you.

Twilight looked at Tyro for a long moment. "You're taking this very well, my human friend. I had not been looking forward to telling you I need to go home, but I see you already understand. From what you've told me, my friends and I are quite popular here, and meeting me must have been an exciting time for you. But like you said, I do need to go home."

Tyro nodded at this, in sad agreement. "You need a way to get back to Equestria, though, or none of all that really makes any difference. As far as I can tell, you're stuck here until we can figure out what happened."

When he included himself in that statement, Twilight started a little, blinking. "What do you mean, we?"

"I mean I'm going to help you in any way I can. I can't have you here, but I can at least know that I was able to help you in some way or another. If I recall, there were a lot of things that Spike was able to help you with, even though he has no actual magical capacity of his own. I can do those things for you, so that you can work without interruption. I'll do whatever it takes to get you back home safely."

As Tyro went on, Twilight's eyes got bigger and bigger, until at his conclusion she burst out, "But why would you do all that for me? You don't even know me!"

"You've forgotten something, Twilight. You may not know me, but I know you very well. You're the kind of pony who would help someone who needs it, friend or not. I admire that, and that's why I will do whatever it takes to help you."

The look on Twilight's face changed slowly, from incredulity to surprise, and finally to understanding. "You are helping me now, because you know I would do the same for you. I can respect that. You humans are noble creatures."

Tyro looked awkward for a moment before making his reply. "No, Twilight." She looked shocked. "We are not noble creatures. We make war on each other, destroy the land, and pollute the seas. We once had honor, and we once had friendship like you do, but those times ended long ago. The Elements of Harmony are all but lost to us. We are terrible, terrible creatures."

Twilight began to protest, but Tyro went on. "It is through great fortune that I was the one to find you. Other humans would not be so friendy as I have been. They would lock you in a cage like an animal, and collect bits from those who want to see you. They would use you for their own ends, and they would certainly never let you go home. I am one of the best of my kind."

Twilight was clearly concerned over this new development. She seemed speechless, so Tyro tried to explain. "You see, there is no Princess Celestia in this world to guide us. There is nothing to keep us honest, kind, loyal, or generous, so we drifted away from those ideals, and our world became a cold, hard place. Unfortunately, we had no Wendigos to freeze our land and make us think about each other. All we have are the stories of Equestria, and few listen to them."

Horrified understanding of Tyro's words swept over Twilight's face. "But what about you?" She seemed a little uncertain, but went on nonetheless, slowly gaining confidence. "You didn't act like all that. You were honest, when you told me about other humans. You were kind, when you offered me a place to stay. You were generous, when you gave me food. And you were loyal, when you didn't betray me to the humans you just told me about. You have the Elements in your heart. So not all humans can be bad."

Tyro was able to respond to that fairly easily. "There are some small number of us who listen to the stories, and we do our best to keep the Elements in mind, in all we do. But we are few, and those with empty hearts are many." Tyro's voice was filled with sadness at this last statement, as he silently wept for all humanity.

Twilight wasn't quite sure how to respond to this, so she quietly excused herself and walked out of the room, back to the spare bedroom where she had slept. Thinking back on what Tyro had told her, she wondered at her luck, to end up somewhere relatively safe in an apparently hostile world.

However, these thoughts did not trouble her for long. No, not when there was a mystery to be solved. She needed to find out what went wrong with her spell. Collecting herself, she left the room to ask Tyro what he knew of what had happened.

When she explained that she was going to work on figuring out what happened, Tyro quickly offered her some thin material for writing on, and a strange-looking tool, presumably to use like a quill. At her confused look, he explained that the device was like a quill that didn't need ink. Twilight resolved to puzzle out the workings of this device—once she found a way to get home.

At her prompt, Tyro began to speak, Twilight carefully taking notes. "Well, all I can really tell you is what I saw. There was this weird thing in the air, and it got bigger until it was a little bigger than you are. The middle part sort of twisted around, like something was pushing reality out of shape. It felt really strange, like being squeezed except it didn't hurt. The center part—I don't know how else to say it—ripped open like a hole in reality, and you came through, and it snapped closed behind you."

Twilight thought for a moment, then started asking questions.

Going Home

Chapter 3: Going Home

As the discussion went on, Twilight collected more and more sheets of notes on the table. Eventually, she stopped asking, and started thinking about what she knew about the event.

Tyro watched her write and write, occasionally going from simple text into arcane-looking diagrams. She seemed to be recreating the spell she used to get here, which made sense. However, he knew she no longer needed his help, so he left to go make a salad and some beans for lunch.

When he returned with their meals, the table was covered in papers and Twilight looked proud of herself. "I think I've figured it out! The spell is actually designed to make thiks kind of travel possible, but it needs two anchors to work properly, and I only used one! So instead of my destination, it just sent me to a random location, which was right here."

"Uh... what?" Tyro had no idea what she was talking about, apart from there being some thing wrong with the spell. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Twilight gave him a patient look, then explained, "This spell is designed to allow teleportation between places, even if those places are in sdifferent worlds. The problem is that it needs to have something from each end to anchor the spell. Otherwise, it won't know where to sent the user."

"So it didn't work because you didn't give it the right directions? It should be easy to fix, then, right? You just have to do the spell again to get back!"

"That's the problem. I would need a living focus from Equestria—I can provide that on my own—but I also would need a living focus from this world. The spell transports the one who casts it, but I don't know what would happen to the other focus." I can cast the spell to take me home. I've figured out how it works, but that isn't the problem. The problem is the second focus. I refuse to put somepony else in danger just to get me home."

A long silence passed between the two of them. It was Tyro who finally broke it. "I'm not a pony."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you said you wouldn't risk putting somepony in danger to get you home. But I'm no pony, and I'm willing to take the chance."

Twilight laughed. "Don't be ridiculous! This spell could kill you, or worse! I won't accept what you're offering. No."

"Twilight. I don't really care what happens to me after this. I've had the chance to meet you, and that's all that matters to me. I'm not waiting for you to ask me. I'm doing this whether you ask me or not."

Twilight looked at him again, bemused. This was something she hadn't expected. But if Tyro was so set on doing this, she might as well let him. It didn't look like she was going to be able to talk him out of it.

She gave him a short checklist of things she would need, and watched as he left the room, already reading it.

"Chalk in several colors, pure water... okay, these make sense... Cookies for Twilight?" Tyro shook his head, smiling, as he went to get the supplies—and a bag of cookies.

Returning with the supplies, he sees Twilight looking around at the room, frowning. "I need a bigger area than this to make this work. Tyro brought her out into his empty garage—his car got repossessed last month—and with Twilight's approval, they got to work. Or rather, Twilight got to work and Tyro got to sit on a step watching things flying around his garage. Finally, the activity ceased, and Twilight surveyed her work.

Tyro was startled by Twilight's voice at his side. "Here, have a cookie," she said, relaxed. A cookie floated in front of him, surrounded by a faint purple glow. Chuckling, Tyro took the proferred cookie with a word of thanks.

"Okay. So, we have a number of lines on the floor, but what now?" Tyro suspected he knew what the answer was, but he asked anyway.

Twilight turned to face Tyro, and sighed. "I'm sorry that our friendship has to end today, Tyro, but you know I won't be able to come back. I will never forget what you have done for me in the two days I have known you."

Two days? It felt like a lifetime ago that reality had split around him and brought the unicorn into his life. "I won't forget you either, Twilight Sparkle. You changed my life and brought me happiness."

Twilight led him to the center of a small circle. "I need you to stand here, and try to keep your mind clear." Leaving him, she walked to another circle within the complex diagram. Facing her new friend, Twilight said, at last, "thank you, Tyro. Thank you for everything."

Twilight's horn began to glow, brighter and brighter, magical energy lighting up the lines of chalk, one at a time. When the energy finally reached him, Twilight spoke in some unknown language. Reality twisting around him, he felt a tremendous surge of pain, and everything went black.

Consequences

Chapter 4: Consequences

Tyro slowly regained consciousness. His whole body was in pain, his eyes wouldn't focus, and his head was pounding.

"Ughh," he groaned. Then he tried to move, and found that he couldn't, not without making everything hurt even more. So he lay there on the ground, waiting for the pain to stop. It didn't.

Eventually he realized that the pain wasn't going to just go away and started focusing more on his situation. He was lying on his back on the ground, unable to move. He could see the sky above him, so he didn't seem to be in his garage anymore. Or maybe the garage didn't exist anymore. That would explain the pain, too.

No, it couldn't be the garage, or the ground would be hard and unyielding. This felt more like dirt. Clearly, Tyro had been moved somewhere by the spell, but where could be anypony's guess.

Tyro's eyes were finally beginning to focus again when an orange head came into view. "Twilight," he moaned, "that isn't funny."

"What, now? I'm not Twilight, I'm Applejack. I see ya must be new 'round these parts, not knowin' everypony... who are you, anyway?"

Tyro said hoarsely. "Applejack? My name's... Tyro. W-where am I?"

"This here's Sweet Apple Acres, Tyro, home of the best apples around. Ya really are lost, aren't ya? Ya mentioned Twilight before, maybe I should take ya ta go see her. Let's go, Tyro!"

Tyro tried to stand up, but it didn't seem to work so well. "Huh. Looks like he's out cold again. Well, I'll just take him to see Twilight myself." With that, she slung him over her back and trotted down the road to the library, to go see Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight was not particularly impressed with this dark red pony Applejack found out in the fields. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with him, at least physically. "You said this pony said he knew me? I've never see him before in my life!"

From Tyro's chair there came a muffled exclamation. "Sweet Celestia, I'm a pony now, am I? When will the madness end?"

That got Twilight's attention. "Now listen, what are you talking about?"

"You don't know me, but I know you." That phrase sounded familiar to Twilight, but she couldn't place it. It was understandable. She had been through a lot since that time.

"Twilight, when he was awake before, he said his name was Tayo, or somethin' like that." Applejack sounded uncertain, but Twilight was horrified. "Tyro, what have I done to you," she cried out. "If I had only known..."

Applejack sounded irritated. "Will somepony tell me what in Celestia's name is goin' on here?"

Twilight sighed sadly. "Applejack, this is Tyro."

"Well ah figured that out already!"

"Tyro... I owe him a great deal, I'm afraid, because I've done a terrible, terrible thing. When I went missing a few days ago, I told you the spell didn't work right, remember?"

"Yeah, but ah don't see what that has to do with Tyro here—"

"I'm getting to that. The spell didn't just send me somewhere else in Equestria. It sent me to a completely different world. Tyro was willing to trust himself in the grip of an unknown spell, just to get me home. I knew it might do something to him, but not this!"

"So, are you tellin' me that this here pony is from a different world?"

Gathering his strength, Tyro spoke. "Yes, Applejack. I am from a world... a world where the Wendigos never came and forced everypony to work together. And I didn't used to be a pony, either. I guess I'm one now, though..."

Applejack blinked.

Tyro went on. "It's not so bad as you're probably thinking, Applejack. That world was dying. I'm happy to be here. That place held nothing for me. In fact, I would rather be here anyway. Twilight, I'm not blaming you for what happened. I'm thanking you. I think I need to rest now, though." With that, he closed his eyes and was soon asleep.

Decisions

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 argument 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. "To be honest, 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?"

"I'm... a unicorn." Looking at his reflection in the mirror, Tyro finally realized the significance of his condition. "I'll never be human again, will I? I can never return to my home now, even I wanted to. I didn't have much I left behind, but still, I'll never see my home again. I guess I don't really have a home anymore, do I?"

Twilight interrupted his increasingly depressed monologue. "It's okay, Tyro. I'm sure we can work something out. Maybe you could stay with me. I still owe you for helping me get back here, after all, and it's my fault you got dragged here. I'll ask Celestia if it's okay when I tell her about you."

"I already told her." 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 after struggling for a moment to get it open.

"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, as it is her actions that have brought me here." Twilight jumped a little at that, wondering whether to be worried or not. "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 big 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, there 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 kindergarten. With regards, Princess Celestia.'"

Even Twilight had to laugh a little at that.

A Test of Will

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.

Dangerous Secrets

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 Rainbow Dash was recounting the whole story at the Sugarcube Corner. "So I told her that if she didn't take him, I would, 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 increasingly 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 away from her 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." She didn't really believe it, but the earth pony took pleasure in seeing how this fight would go on.

"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 through the air 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. After all, 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 neglecting the Elements we're supposed to represent, and we should all be ashamed of ourselves. I apologize to y'all, for not speaking the truth ah didn't want to see."

Rainbow Dash looked up from the floor. "And 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 surprised 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. I shouldn't have tried to keep it a secret like I did."

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.

For Special Services

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.

"You can count on us!"

"For Princess Celestia!"

"Silent to the end!"

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 would it be enough? More importantly, could they keep the secret? If even one of the ponies told anyone, Tyro knew he 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 that once this is all over they each should get rewards 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."

Sick Day

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 Twilight 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 past the 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, Tyro!" He tried to look meek and entered the library, trudging up to his bed.

Twilight 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.

It was the work of a moment to cast the silence spell and pull Spike out of the wall, although Spike's retrieval of the Princess' reply took somewhat longer as he staggered around the room. Finally, Tyro broke the seal on the scroll and began to read.

Tyro's Letter

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."

Taking Charge

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.

The Journey Begins

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. I 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."

Ancient Magic

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.

Part 2: No Rest for the Weary

Prologue:

In Ponyville, it was a night for celebration. The Elements of Harmony had been restored, a new power had been found in the form of Tyro's Element of Balance, and disaster had been averted once again. The heroes of the story, however, were less than excited. The experience they had all been through had tested them all, and the trek back to Ponyville hadn't helped much either. Twilight just wanted to go to bed, and get the first good night's sleep she'd had in days. Most of her friends seemed to share that sentiment. Even Pinkie Pie was too tired to really enjoy the party, Twilight could tell. However, she knew that each of her friends were satisfied by the recent success, and she went to sleep with happy thoughts.

A week or two passed, with little particular excitement, but it couldn't last. A day soon came when the peace that had settled over Ponyville was abruptly and completely shattered.

Chapter 1: No Rest for the Weary

Twilight's eyes snapped open as she abruptly woke up. Tyro was standing over her, something she didn't mind one bit. The expression he bore, however, she did. It didn't tell her he wanted to cuddle up next to her, or anything remotely romantic like that. No, this was a look of concern, and maybe even a little fear.

"Twilight," he began. "I'm sorry to wake you, but I just received a letter and a sealed scroll from Princess Celestia, with instructions to read the scroll in front of the collected Elements of Harmony, and not before. I think we should hurry."

Twilight caught his hoof as he turned, stopping him. "About the letter—not the one to you, but the scroll. What color is that seal?"

Tyro had known before he even woke her up that she would ask that very question. Silently, he held the scroll up for her examination. The seal it bore was of not of the usual red wax, but black.

Without a word, Twilight jumped up and dashed out the door, Tyro following her close behind. Her very close behind. Unfortunately, there was work to do. Black seals carried black news, and required rapid action.

It was only when all six of the orginal elements stood before him in the library that Tyro broke the seal. Without a moment wasted, he began to read.

To the Elements of Harmony,

Something terrible has happened, and I will never forgive you.

Hearing his words, Twilight looked both shocked and horrified at once. "But... we didn't release anything..."

"Wait, everypony, there's more here that just now appeared on the scroll." Tyro once again commanded the group's attention as he began to read this added message.

When Tyro retrieved the Element of Balance, he broke a seal on that chamber, one that had existed for thousands of years. According to legend, the previous bearer of that element had engaged a terrible force in battle, buying time for his friends bearing the Elements of Harmony to create a magical cage around them both. And so the two were sealed away together, and disaster was averted, though at terrible cost. However, when Tyro entered the chamber and claimed the Element, the cage was severely damaged. The force it held, once called Primus, was able to fully break through the cage early this morning.

You must find a way to deal with Primus' reappearance before he begins to wreak havok among our people. Do not fail, or Equestria as we know it may perish.

Princess Celestia

Princess Luna

There was an awkward silence while everypony stared at Tyro. It lasted only a moment, but it felt like a lifetime. He could feel their eyes boring into his soul, judging him for what he had unwittingly done. He was to blame for this, those eyes told him. Unconsciously, he took a step backward, away from those disapproving eyes. The eyes followed him, still staring, as he took another step back.

Tyro couldn't take it any longer. He turned heel and fled the obvious disappointment of the ponies before him. He wasn't sure he could call them his friends anymore, not now that he had failed them and his Element so completely. Tyro closed and locked the door into his room, then broke down and wept.

Tyro just stepped backwards, then suddenly dropped the scroll and ran away from his friends. Nopony had an explanation for his abrupt flight, until Pinkie Pie finally stepped forward. "I know why he ran," she told them. "He thinks this is all his fault. His action was what let Primus get free, and so he blames himself for all that has happened now. He forgot that he had no choice, and that he risked his own life by activating that spell in hopes of making the Elements pure again."

Rainbow Dash stepped in. "No, Pinkie Pie, it's worse than that. What is his Element?"

Applejack quickly responded, "It's Balance, you know that."

"Exactly, Applejack," Rainbow Dash continued. "And what would letting this thing free do to the balance of Equestria?" She paused for a moment to let the implication sink in. "Not only does Tyro feel he betrayed us, he feels that he betrayed his Element as well, and Equestria as a whole, for that matter."

Fluttershy, normally quiet, made herself heard. "He probably thinks we must hate him now. Us, and the princesses, too. Everyone he looked up to. He must feel so alone." A tear rolled down her cheek, at the thought of her friend's sorrow.

The room went quiet. Twilight quietly excused herself, ascending the stair to stop before the door to Tyro's bedroom, where he always went when he was in pain. Reaching out with her magic, she tried to open the door. When the door still refused to open, she remembered the latch on the inside, and was quickly inside the room. Such things were of little use against a unicorn.

A red and black heap lying on the floor began to rise as she entered, closing the door behind her. "I know why you're here," Tyro choked. He knelt before her, his head down. "I accept the consequences of my mistake."

Twilight stood before her friend, confused at his behavior. Why did he say that?

"Do it now, Twilight. Please. I can't bear this any longer."

Twilight's face went white as she realized what her friend was asking her to do.

Preparing for the Worst

Chapter 2: Preparing for the Worst

"No, Tyro. I will not do what you ask. Not only that, but without a doubt, you are being the most self-centered foal I have ever had the misfortune to encounter. This misguided attempt to punish yourself for what has happened is just ridiculous."

"But I set free an ancient evil that could destroy Equestria as we know it," the stallion protested.

"Yes, but you didn't know that would happen, and you still not only saved the Elements of Harmony but added your power to our own in the process."

"Princess Celestia told us not to, though! She warned us, and I ignored her!"

"Yes, and I'm sure she didn't like that all too much. However, you also saved the Elements of Harmony from corruption, which is much more important than that."

"But she said..."

Twilight had lost her patience with the pony, and her raised voice was now clearly audiable to the others standing awkwardly outside. "To the moon with what she said! Now are you going to sit here and feel sorry for yourself like a little colt, or are you going to get up, finish what we started, and show us you deserve the Element you have been given?!"

Outside, several ponies flinched. "Remind me never to get on Twilight's bad side," whispered Rarity to Applejack.

"If you don't, I will personally recommend to Princess Celestia herself that you spend some time on the moon yourself. Maybe you'll learn something about doing your duty while you're up there!"

Even the imperturbable Applejack winced at that jab. There was a resounding crash as Twilight flew through the closed door and across the room before hitting a bookshelf and sliding to the ground, books toppling on top of her. All five of the other original Elements jumped, except Fluttershy who hid under a table. As the dust cleared from the remnants of Tyro's door, he walked through it, his horn lit with red magical energy.

Rainbow Dash munched on some popcorn as Twilight crawled out from the heap of books on top of her. "Now that's more like it!" The glow vanished. "Now that's the Tyro I came to lo—value so much!" Applejack groaned quietly at the obvious substitution. Tyro, his rage extingushed, blushed vividly.

Applejack coughed. "Are we all done with all this nonsense now?"

Spike coughed, and a letter appeared. "It's from Princess Celestia! Let's see... she want to know if we're done yelling yet. She had a pool going as to how long this would all take to sort out. Apparently the dragon ambassador won... 800 bits!? That's not bad..." Spike stopped talking, seeing everypony staring at him. "Hey, that's just what it says here!"

Tyro turned towards Spike. His horn lit for a moment, and the paper burst into flames. "I have no further comment on that matter," he said. "Now, we need to fix this, right? Let's get to work, then. Twilight, do your stuff."

Twilight looked at Tyro, smiling slightly, then began. "I know none of the books here mention this Primus, so I'll be going to the Canterlot archives to look there. Tyro, can you work on locating this... creature?" As an afterthought, she added quietly, "we really should at least find out what it is so we know what to call it. This is annoying."

Tyro laughed. "That's easy. The disturbance in the balance Primus creates makes finding the location the work of a moment. Primus is currently located in the Everfree Forest, not far from where he was caged for so long."

Twilight thought for a moment, then addressed him again. "Perfect. That leaves you free to help me with the archives.

"Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, you'll need to find out what is happening now in the Forest. Rainbow Dash, you'll need to find Primus and try to see if you can tell what it's up to, or at least what it looks like. Keep a safe distance!" She caught the blue pegasus' disappointed look. "No hero business! Remember what happened with the dragon?" Rainbow Dash nodded quickly, and she went on.

"Fluttershy, I need you to talk to the creatures in the border areas of the forest. Find out anything you can."

She turned again. "Rarity, check on the Elements of Harmony. Make sure they're in top condition, with no loose stones or anything. They've been through a lot lately, and we can't risk having them fail on us."

"Pinkie Pie. The pegasi will be able to work faster if they don't need to stop for food. See if you can whip something up that they can carry with them."

"Applejack, I need you to pack some bags for everypony for when we go to face Primus. We'll need to be prepared for anything."

"Spike." Spike jumped. "You didn't think I didn't have a task for you, too, did you?" She chuckled briefly. "Send Princess Celestia a letter so she knows we're on the job. Ask her to send a chariot so that Tyro and I can get to Canterlot to go through the archives."

"Now, does everypony know what they need to do?" A chorus of cheers answered her. "Then let's get to work, everypony!"

After the room cleared, only Tyro and Twilight remained in the library. Twilight spoke quickly. "Now, the carriage from Canterlot should probably get here in about an hour. I have a checklist here of things we should do while we wait."

She began walking up the stairs behind him to the upper rooms in the library, as Tyro uncertainly remained where he was. "Everything we'll need will already be available in the archives, so we won't need to pack. That leaves... just one thing on the list left to do." Tyro never even saw her coming.

Flight of the Pegasi

Chapter 3: The Flight of the Pegasi

Pinkie Pie had pulled through amazingly. Within hours of returning to the bakery, she produced a number of small, light, and durable rolls for the pegasi to carry with them. They didn't taste very good, but Pinkie assured Rainbow Dash that they would provide far more energy than regular bread would. The pegasus looked doubtful, but took her at her word. Fluttershy accepted her own supply with a quiet word of thanks, and the two pegasi began their journey.

Fluttershy could tell her friend was nervous about what lay ahead. Entering the forest was one thing, but looking for trouble there was something else entirely. Fluttershy knew the outskirts of the Everfree Forest well, but even as the two walked between the sparse trees near her cottage she felt unsettled.

The forest grew silent as the pegasi followed the old road to the Palace of the Sisters. That was the first thing she noticed. As Rainbow Dash chattered, Fluttershy shushed her gently. "Do you hear that?"

Rainbow Dash listened for a moment before replying, "do I hear what?"

"That's the problem, Rainbow Dash. At this time of day, the forest should be buzzing with activity, but I can't see or hear any animals at all. If they're here, they're hiding."

Rainbow Dash was nonplussed. "So?"

"If they're hiding, that means they have something to be afraid of, Dash. We'll be lucky if I can find any animals to talk to, at this rate."

"Let's keep moving, then, Fluttershy. Staying here will only make us a target."

Quickly, the pegasi resumed their travel. It was a short while before they reached a familiar clearing. Rainbow Dash looked around uncertainly.

"Isn't this that clearing where we met the manticore that you helped before?" No sooner had Rainbow Dash spoken than an orange paw reached out of a large bush and pulled Fluttershy inside.

"Rainbow Dash, I found the manticore... there's a small cave that I think he lives in over here. I think you might want to come inside and see." Fluttershy looked up at the dangerous creature, stroking one of its paws as the other pegasus cautiously pushed through the undergrowth.

"Fluttershy, get away from that thing!" Rainbow Dash was horrified.

"Don't be silly, Rainbow Dash. Manticores have long memories, and are pretty smart. This fellow remembers me from when I helped him before." She stopped a moment to think, as Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped. "I think he's trying to protect me. He pulled me over here to get me out of the open, so I could share his hiding spot." She stroked the manticore with a hoof as she spoke. "He's shaking like a leaf, Dash. Primus must be pretty nasty to scare a manticore."

Rainbow Dash's stomach rumbled. "You know, now might be a good time to get something to eat. If this is a safe. Place, we should take advantage of this opportunity. We may not get another."

Each of the pegasi dug one of Pinkie Pie's travel rolls out of their packs, but Fluttershy surprised her companion by offering hers to the manticore.

"Fluttershy, are you crazy?" The blue pegasus opened and closed her mouth a couple times. "Why would you give him your food?"

Fluttershy smiled. "He offered us a safe place to rest. We should at least repay that hospitality."

The manticore ate Fluttershy's gift in a single bite, then looked at her entreatingly. "All right, you can have two," the pegasus conceded, and dug out another one for her grateful friend. Rainbow Dash looked at her like she was crazy.

"Dash, a little kindness goes a long way. Next time I see this fellow, he'll be a lot more interested in helping me." She looked at the manticore, who returned her smile.

Rainbow Dash had been given something to think about. She embodied loyalty, but it had to be earned first. That was what Fluttershy was really doing. By offering a gift of food to the no-doubt hungry manticore, she had earned its loyalty. Now she could count on him to help her in the future. He was a friend.

"I think I understand now, Fluttershy. Your kindness earned you his friendship, both before and again today."

Fluttershy smiled. "Maybe you should mention that in your next letter to the princess, Rainbow Dash. It looks like you learned something today about friendship."

The pegasi had already finished their meals, so they politely bid their new friend goodbye and continued on their way. To Rainbow Dash, the forest seemed a little gentler now. The silence was still oppressive, but it was a little easier now to bear. With warmth in their hearts and food in their stomachs, the pegasi were cheerful, even in these unwelcoming suroundings.

It seemed like no time at all before the pair reached the Palace of the Sisters. They could see the resting place that had held the Elements, as it lay empty. The ruins of the palace surrounded them.

Rainbow Dash seemed unnerved. Fluttershy knew this, and worried for what they might find. As the pair—for neither pony strayed far from the other—searched the ruins for hints of the released power, they found nothing, and then nothing again. The palace was empty. Nothing was there.

It was only when Fluttershy peeked over the cliff that either found anything out of the ordinary. It lay far below, in the wild forests beyond the ruined palace. Just what it was, neither could be certain, but something was down there.

Rainbow Dash, seeing her companion looking over the cliff, walked over to join her. "What is it, Fluttershy?"

The yellow pony's response was uncertain. "There's something down there. I'm not sure what, but there's something."

Rainbow Dash thought quickly. If Fluttershy became frightened, she wouldn't be able to fly. "Fluttershy, you stay here. I'll go down and check this out."

With that, the blue pegasus flew down from the cliff, approaching a rock formation that didn't look quite right. Then it moved, and Dash was able to see it for what it really was: a giant... something made out of dirt, rock, and plantlife. It looked unnatural as it rose to its feet, standing like Spike did. The thing was huge, and looked dangerous.

Remembering Twilight's caution, Rainbow Dash kept her distance, but it was to no use: the thing had detected her presence. It turned toward her, and boomed, "What mortal dares seek out Primus, primordial power of nature unbidden?"

That voice was as loud as Luna's Traditional Royal Canterlot Voice, and Dash stumbled in the air, startled by the volume.

The voice went on, however. "For what purpose have you come here, into my domain? Perhaps you intend to seal me away again? Not this time!" The primordial seized a tree, sending it hurtling at the pegasus, missing by inches as Dash dodged out of the way.

This was too much. She never would have admitted it, but Rainbow Dash was truly scared of this monstrous creature. Quickly, she flew back to the top of the cliff, to where Fluttershy waited.

"Okay, I've seen what we came here for. Let's get back to Ponyville. Let's go!"

Fluttershy quickly agreed, and the two rose above the trees, speeding back to Ponyville—and more importantly to Dash, away from Primus.

It was only when the pegasi reached Ponyville that the extent of the precautions became clear. A royal guard was there, supervising preparations, probably because Twilight was in Canterlot looking at dusty old books. As the two approached, he called out to them.

"Fluttershy! Rainbow Dash! We've been waiting for your return!"

The guard continued once the pegasi landed before him.

"Hi, my name is Shield Banner. I've been tasked with overseeing preparations to face the threat that has appeared within the Everfree Forest. Since Ponyville is the only town in this area, it has been the main focus of our efforts..."

Rainbow Dash was direct, as always. "Just tell us what's going on already!"

The guard closed his eyes for a brief moment before answering. "Ponyville is right next to the Everfree Forest, which is where the danger lies." The pegasus could hardly disagree with that claim. "With that in mind, the entire forest and the surrounding areas are under quarantine—no one goes in, and absolutely no one comes out. We were only awaiting your safe return to make the announcement."

Sadly, the guard turned to Fluttershy. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy, but the quarantined area includes your cottage. Again, I'm very sorry for the inconvenience, but we just can't take the risk..."

Rainbow Dash was quick to help out her friend. "It's okay, Fluttershy, you can stay at my place!"

Fluttershy looked unhappy, but she readily agreed that it wouldn't be safe to stay so close to the forest. Flying back to her cottage, she stopped to pick up Angel and a bag of carrots, then flew up to Rainbow Dash's cloud residence to finally get some rest. It had been a long day.

Nature Unbidden

Chapter 4: Nature Unbidden

Morning came far too quickly for Twilight and Tyro. They had spent long hours the day before poring over ancient copies of even older texts, stored deep within the famous archives in Canterlot. Even there, with the help of almost a dozen archivists, the two had found little information of use.

There was only brief mention of the lost Element of Balance, similar to but distinct from the Elements of Harmony. Tyro was able to learn more about how his new magic worked, and the many limitations it had.

Twilight had focused on passages referencing Primus, with much less success. She found only a few cryptic references to primordial spirits, and not much else. Even the princesses admitted to little knowledge of the name, and most of that long forgotten. Twilight wondered just how long that chamber had been sealed away, then decided she didn't want to know.

As Twilight woke, she stretched, then quickly went to the kitchen. Some tea would be just the thing to help her wake up. Unfortunately, there was none left.

As she groaned, Tyro walked in, blinking owlishly. Owlowicious blinked back at him in a similar manner, and Twilight laughed, smiling. Perhaps she could do without the tea after all.

Tyro was all business, it seemed. "We should get everypony together and share what we've learned. I'm anxious to find out what Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy found in the Everfree Forest, and I'm sure our friends here will want to know what we found out from the archives."

Twilight nodded with a yawn. "That sounds like a great idea, Tyro. How about you get everyone together while I go back to bed..."

Tyro laughed at her suggestion. "Sorry, Twilight, but if I have to be awake, so do you. I'll get Pinkie Pie and Rarity if you get Applejack. We'll have to send one of the princesses' pegasus guards for Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. I heard they're both at Dash's fancy cloud house or whatever it's called."

Twilight agreed with his plan, leaving to find Applejack. Tyro followed her outside, but split away to head into the middle of Ponyville. Rarity and Pinkie Pie wouldn't be too hard to find.

It was less than an hour later that everypony had once again assembled in the library. Tyro and Twilight looked uncomfortable, and the pegasi looked a little shaken. It was time to solve the mystery.

Twilight felt uncertain, but someone had to speak. "Our research yesterday turned up some information, but what we found was of little use in finding out about this Primus. Essentially, we don't have anything." Tyro nodded sadly in agreement.

Rainbow Dash stepped up, with a glance at Fluttershy, and began to tell everything she could think of about what she had seen. A giant made of plants, dirt, and stone; that was what she spoke of. A monster that could have easily destroyed her but never attacked, and a frightened manticore. A creature that named itself a force "of nature unbidden," yet seemed unnatural itself.

It was Twilight who broke the silence once again, as her friends listened closely. "I know," she declared, "what Primus is. After hearing Rainbow Dash's description, everything I found in the archives suddenly makes sense."

Tyro nodded in agreement. "Your information was what we were missing before. Now it all fits together."

Twilight began to explain her conclusions. "Primus is one of a small number of ancient beings, called primordials. As Rainbow Dash was told, Primus symbolizes unbidden nature. That probably doesn't mean a lot to you, but this will. Unbidden nature made the Everfree Forest the way it is. The clouds that move on their own, the animals that don't need to be woken up in the spring. That is all because of Primus' influence."

Tyro took over the explanation. "It's worse than that, though. The area that is now Everfree Forest was created last time Primus was released. Now that he is out again, the primordial's influence will spread over the land once again. In perhaps two weeks, probably less, the boundaries of the Everfree Forest will begin to expand. If we cannot stop Primus, eventually all of Equestria will become like the outer parts of the Everfree Forest. We can't let that happen, or Equestria as we know it will come to an end."

The room was shrouded in utter silence. Twilight glared at Tyro, who quickly tried to make things sound a little optimistic. "On the other hand, my Element of Balance was able to seal Primus away before, even if it was at the cost of its bearer. If it comes to that," he said sadly, "that is a sacrifice I am ready to make, if I must, and without hesitation."

A range of emotions crossed Twilight's face, from horror, to shock, to even a hint of anger. Seeing her expression, Tyro quickly went on.

"Fortunately, that shouldn't be needed this time. My predecessor didn't have the Elements of Harmony, and we do. This time, things will be different."

Everypony looked relieved. Over the few weeks they had known Tyro, he had earned their friendship, and the prospect of losing that was disheartening. Twilight, however, saw through his words to the truth beneath them. There was something else, something he seemed reluctant to talk about... but what?

The Element of Balance

Chapter 5: The Element of Balance

For years, Twilight had lived among the social elite of Canterlot. If there one thing Twilight had learned from her interactions with those people, it was how to spot a lie. So while Tyro spoke confidently to his new friends, she saw right through his deception. He was hiding something. It was probably something she wasn't going to like, and therefore it was probably something that she needed to know about. And so she took action.

"You're hiding something, I can tell. What aren't you telling us, Tyro? Don't you trust us as your friends?"

Tyro sighed. Ignoring her question, he walked up the stairs, returning with the ancient book from the archives. Twilight hadn't gotten around to sending it back yet, but she didn't know Tyro had it. He set the book down on a table, flipping it open to a random page. On the left was text in ancient Equestrian, while on the right lay the mysterious language from the sealed chamber.

"Twilight, this book isn't exactly what I thought it was. It isn't a guide to reading those chamber walls. It's a guide to the language itself. More importantly, Twilight, I've been able to read it ever since I received the Element of Balance. There's something important about this, and about the magic I hold. I don't think it works like the Elements of Harmony. When we were at the archives last week—remember, when Spike ate that strange gem and was acting all weird—I found a number of books in the same language as this one. They seem to focus on how to use Balance magic, and it acts different from the magic you've been teaching me. Follow me, and I'll show you." Tyro stood, walking through the door leading outside.

"While a spell to seal away Primus is beyond my ability at the moment, I've been practicing some much simpler spells, and I think I've just about mastered this one."

Turning, he faced her, then pointed at a pile of rocks with a hoof. "See the rocks there? Throw them at me, with your magic." His horn glowed with red, magical energy, and a translucent black sphere formed around him.

Twilight was dubious. This was very strange, even for Tyro, but he seemed confident, so she went along with it. Lifting the small pile of stones into the air, she sent them flying towards her friend. Where the rocks contacted the sphere, it flared, the rocks bouncing off to hit the ground. Tyro first dropped the spell, and then to his knees. "A shield spell. It stops physical objects, though not magic. The trouble with this kind of magic, according to both the book and my own experience, is that it's very exhausting."

"This is amazing, Tyro! Can you show me how to do these spells, too?"

"Sure," he replied, "but you'd sleep for a week if you ever tried to use one, so I wouldn't recommend it. The only reason I can use them like this is my connection to the Element of Balance."

At Twilight's disappointed look, Tyro felt a bit of sympathy. "I remember watching you use magic when we first met. I saw that, and I envied you for your magic. I know how you feel.

"And Twilight? My new magic may be strong, but it's only useful in maybe a handful of situations. In the magic we use every day, I will never even approach your ability. So it's really not as amazing as it looks. Now, let's go inside, it's cold out here."

Twilight's expression cleared as her friend followed her into the library, and she seemed to regain her composure. His attempt to make her feel better seemed to have worked.

"Twilight, I'm going to need your help. That spell I showed you out there is all fine and wonderful, but it's a simple spell. The spell that had been keeping Primus sealed away... was not. It was a ritual spell, and not a simple one at that. I'll need your help designing our own seal to contain Primus. This won't be easy, but we can't afford to fail."

In a flash, Twilight's expression went from thoughtful to analytical. "We'll need to test the componants somehow before we cast the whole thing..."

Tyro smiled. With Twilight at his side, there was no way he could fail.

Reflections

Chapter 6: Reflections

Rarity was deep in thought. Days had passed since the return of the pegasi, but while her friends prepared for a fight with Primus, she only felt conflicted. As she examined the Elements of Harmony for signs of wear or other problems, she reflected on the meaning of each, hoping for insight.

First, of course, was her own Element of Generosity. The flawless violet gem it held shone in the light. Rarity carefully checked the setting, making sure it wasn't loose, before carefully examining every surface for imperfections...

Generosity. Rarity remembered when she had first earned that Element, with her gift to the distressed serpent. "A meaningful gift," Twilight had called it. But how could her generosity help with this new threat? Primus needed nothing, desired nothing. Perhaps her generosity would be of better use helping her friends. She could be generous with her time, by doing whatever she could to help everypony else with their own tasks.

Her inspection complete, Rarity set the jeweled necklace to one side, and picked up another. Looking at it, she saw it was Pinkie Pie's, the Element of Laughter. This one showed a little more wear than her own. One of the prongs had to be replaced, but that was all that seemed needed. But what did that Element really mean?

Certainly, there was Pinkie Pie's literal, infectious laughter, but that wasn't what the Element symbolized. Pinkie Pie knew how to make ponies feel better, no matter how terrible the situation. Somehow, she found a way, and her cheer kept everypony trying their hardest, even when defeat seemed unavoidable. Laughter was powerful, but difficult to truly understand until that power made itself known. Pinkie Pie's laughter would keep everypony from losing hope.

Which should be next, Rarity wondered as she finished cleaning the Element of Laughter. Perhaps Rainbow Dash's Element of Loyalty. Its red lightning bolt center sparkled as it was struck by a stray beam of sunlight. Like Rarity herself, Rainbow Dash took good care of the magical symbol she bore. The gem was secure, and the band accompanying it in perfect condition.

What did Loyalty really mean, though? Dash had turned down the offer from the Shadowbolts in order to help her friends. (Fluttershy had told her that Luna had later made a similar offer, though that time without the ultimatum attached. Rarity briefly wondered what Dash's reaction had been to that.) She always stood up for her friends, even facing a dragon to try to keep them safe. Her loyalty gives her the courage and strength to face her foes. That bravery would be sorely needed in the days ahead, she thought.

Rainbow Dash's finished, Rarity moved on to Applejack's, expecting the worst. The stone was loose in the setting, and the necklace was in poor repair. This one would take some time.

What would Applejack think of all this? She believed in the simple, common sense she saw every day. Any problem could be solved with a little hard work; everything else could be ignored. Applejack would want to fight Primus, much as Rainbow Dash would, but for different reasons. However, Applejack had to be honest, both to others and to herself. She helped her friends be honest with themselves. Without that, success could be impossible.

Finally, the Element of Honesty was in proper order once again. After a moment's thought, Rarity picked up Fluttershy's Element of Kindness. Of course, it had no damage at all, but still...

What would Fluttershy do? She could be kind, pleasant, and meek, but once her anger rose, Fluttershy was a terror to behold. Her rage had intimidated a dragon once, and she could probably stare down the princesses themselves if they gave her reason to do so. Yet, Primus had done nothing to anyone. Something had to be done, but perhaps anger wasn't the way. Fluttershy's kindness might go a long way with this Primus, and perhaps there could be a better way. Maybe Primus didn't have to go, if he could understand that what he was doing would cause problems for ponies everywhere. If anyone could find a diplomatic solution, it would be Fluttershy.

With the last of the necklaces examined, Rarity moved on to Twilight's tiara. The Element of Magic. It was the most powerful of the Elements, though not always the most appropriate. Magic could go wrong, like when Twilight was sent to Tyro's world, and when she unknowingly brought him back with her. Yet, magic was the centerpiece of the Elements, the focus of their greatest power. Without it, they were powerless. Such a powerful tool, but a dangerous one as well. It was a blessing that it was Twilight who bore the Element of Magic. Its power, in the wrong hands, would be disastrous. Twilight, thouh, she had the self-control needed to hold the power without becoming corrupted by it. Few ponies Rairity knew had such inner strength of will.

Rarity was about to return the Elements of Harmony to the small box Twilight had given her, but then she saw something else, tucked away at the bottom. This necklace could never be confused of one of the Elements of Harmony. It bore silver decoration, instead of gold, and no gem lay within the amulet. No, this necklace bore a simple medallion, formed of onyx and monstone formed into the shape of a lunar eclipse. Remembering Tyro's cutie mark, also an eclipse, she identified this piece of jewelry as the Element of Balance, held by her new friend, Tyro.

Rarity remembered the first time he had fought for his element. Rainbow Dash had broken a promise to Twilight, and all everypony was fighting about it, until Tyro stepped in to end the fight, carrying a waterlogged Rainbow Dash. He didn't care, he'd said, what the fight was about, only that there was one. It had disrupted the balance within their friendship, and he put an end to it. He had cleared the imbalance within the Elements, and that between their bearers.

But how would a force for Balance react to Primus? The primordial, by nature, was an unbalancing force, his very presence upsetting the balance between all things. Tyro, then, would do anything to stop that being. His statement from before, she realized, was actually true: he would sacrifice himself, without hesitation, if it was the only way to stop Primus. To do otherwise would be a betrayal of his Element.

With a shudder, Rarity packed up the Elements, and left the Boutique to return them to Twilight. A sign on the library door said she'd gone to Sweet Apple Acres. Rarity sighed, made room n her schedule to go to the spa later, and headed off to find out what Twilight was up to.

Applejack took her to a small, empty field, which she said she was "leaving fallow" this year, whatever that meant. Twilight and Tyro had flattened out a large area, and seemed to be drawing heavy lines in the dirt . Rarity was the first to admit she didn't know a whole lot about magic, but she could tell that this was some kind of ritual, and whatever it did, it looked complex.

Tyro looked up as she approached with the Elements in a small box. "I see you finished working on the elements. That's great! We're almost done with this. Would you like to watch? Don't worry, you won't be in any danger or anything."

Rarity was always interested in seeing some fancy magic in action, so she agreed quickly. "Sure! Let's see it!"

Trials

Chapter 7: Trials

Princess Luna walked up behind Rarity. "Hi Rarity!"

Rarity jumped, startled both by the surprise of the speech and by the alicorn's presence at all.

"Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to startle you," Luna said sheepishly. "I'm helping Tyro and Twilight test their new containment spell. If it can hold an alicorn, I doubt anything else will be breaking through it." She grinned, apparently unconcerned. "I'll also owe my sister eighty bits, but that's not really the point."

Opening the box with the Elements inside, Tyro pulled out his own. "Hey, did you polish this? Thanks, it looks great!" Rarity smiled as he put it on. "Okay, let's do it."

Rarity watched as Luna walked to a circle near the centerof the diagram. There was a flash of dark energy near her hooves, and Rarity could see her straining to lift them from the ground, to little effect.

"Tyro, the rooting effect is definitely working," the alicorn called out.

"Perfect. Everything is working properly so far, then."

Luna still looked unconcerned. "Hmm, basic dispel... nothing. What does it take to dispel this again?" When Twilight and Tyro exchanged grins, she no longer looked unconcerned. "Twilight? Twilight?!"

Tyro's horn glowed, building up a powerful charge, as he stepped into a circle drawn into the diagram. Luna looked worried. The red glow grew, as Tyro called forth even more magical energy. His horn now almost radiated red light as he lowered his head. Luna looked increasingly worried.

"Twilight? I'm beginning to have second thoughts about this..." Twilight just grinned again, as Tyro released the energy from his horn into the pattern of the ritual. As the magic touched the lines inscribed on the ground, however, it turned black, flowing along its path. Within moments, the magic had spread through the entire pattern of the intricate spell. There was a pause, then a watery wall of translucent, dark energy rose around Luna, who was looking around, panicking as she tried to escape, wings flapping madly. The root spell held, however, and the walls of dark energy folded into a dome above her, quickly changing to a much more solid appearance.

Tyro groaned, dropping to his knees before Twilight caught him, quickly touching her horn to his own. A purple glow appeared, first around Twilight's horn, the around Tyro's. Almost immediately, Tyro stood again, and the glow vanished. "Thanks, Twilight. I needed that."

"Okay, Luna," Twilight called out to the imprisoned princess. "Try to escape, any way you can."

Luna's eyes flashed. Her horn glowed, and the spell binding her to the ground broke with a loud snap. Tyro nodded, as though expecting this.

Spike walked up behind Rarity. "I'll put ten bits on the spell," he joked. Rarity looked down at the dragon, unable to resist.

"Sure, Spike. You're on."

Luna leapt into the air, intending to fly over the spell, only to crash into the top of the dome. Irritated, she ran to the side, pawing at the wall with her front hooves, but to little effect.

Tyro chuckled. "She hasn't gotten desperate yet. Spike, would you let Princess Celestia know that we've, ah, caught her sister in a compromising situation?"

Spike quickly jotted down a note, sending it to the princess of the sun. Seeing Spike's green fire, Luna guessed exactly what happened, her attempts to escape redoubled. Turning, she bucked the wall with all of the power in her formidable hind legs, but still to no effect.

Moments later, there was a sudden pop as Celestia appeared. Everypony bowed quickly, then went back to watching Luna. "What exactly is this all about?" The princess did not look amused.

Twilight quickly explained. "Princess Luna offered to help us test the containment spell that Tyro and I made for Primus. We'll let her out eventually, of course, but I thought you might like to watch." She winked.

The princess looked thoughtful, then smiled. "Eighty bits on the spell!"

Luna went berserk, trying to fight throught the barrier. After a couple minutes, she returned to the center of the dome and stopped to catch her breath.

A nearby guard approached Pinkie Pie, who was now taking bets on the outcome.

"Hi, Shield Banner! It's good to see you again! What brings you here?" The pink pony was clearly excited by this whole event. Indeed, the only pony who didn't seem to be having a good time was Luna herself.

The earth pony chuckled. "I'd like to place a bet. Fifteen bits on Princess Luna."

Pinkie Pie smiled. "Sure thing! Fifteen bits on Princess Luna!"

Nearby, Twilight smiled. "Now's the interesting part. She's figured out she can't force her way through from within the dome, only to reappear back in the center again.

Luna called on her powerful alicorn magic, and the inside of the dome was bombarded by bolts of energy flying outward from her in all directions. When the pounding stopped, the shield had grown very dark indeed. Luna walked up to the edge, sitting down.

"Fine." The dark alicorn had finally given up. "I can't break through."

Immediately, Twilight stepped forward. Calling on only a touch of her magic, she touched her horn to a particular point on the diagram, releasing the energy into the spell. The glowing black lines on the ground were overlaid by violet ones. When the last of the black lines disappeared, the dome around Luna returned to its watery state, sliding back into the ground as quickly as it had risen. A few moments later, the violet of Twilight's magic faded, and the spell was gone.

Rarity frowned unhappily, then started counting out the bits she owed Spike. Luna looked daggers at everyone (except Rarity and Shield Banner, the only two ponies who had supported her).

Luna looked very unhappy. Pinkie Pie walked up to her, concerned. "Luna, what's wrong? You did great! Just because you couldn't break the spell doesn't mean..." At Luna's harsh look, Pinkie Pie trailed off midsentence.

"I remember a thousand years, Pinkie Pie, of a spell not unlike that one. A thousand years of solitude, spent on the moon. That's what's wrong." Luna stalked away, leaving Pinkie Pie, stunned, behind her.

A storm was forming overhead when Twilight returned to the library, slamming the door closed behind her. Tyro gulped as he saw the deadbolt drop into place and heard shutters slam shut over closed windows. Something told him he should run, but he had nowhere to go.

Twilight faced him, with fire in her eyes. Tyro had never before seen her so angry. Her voice was like ice when she spoke to him. "How dare you do that to Princess Luna? If we didn't need your precious magic to get rid of Primus, I would throw you out the door right now."

Tyro, shaking, protested quietly, "but she said she'd be willing to help..."

Twilight's voice rose. "And you! You used that kindness against her! You humiliated her in front of her only friends. Laughing. You even invited her sister to come watch her public humiliation at your hooves."

Tyro found himself backed up against a wall. He tried to say something, anything in his defense, but Twilight kept going. "You stripped away her power, trapping her in your spell just as Celestia once did with the Elements of Harmony. And you did it with all her friends there to see her helplessness. And you laughed."

Tyro was truly afraid. He cowered against the wall, eyes darting around him. Seeing an unstable stack of books, he nudged it so it fell, than fled in Twilight's momentary distraction. He made it most of the way up the stairs before she caught him in the grip of her magic. His struggle to get free got him nowhere. What he had said before was true: Twilight's magic was stronger than his own. His Balance magic was powerful, but only occasionally usable. Thus, he was now entirely at her mercy, and she knew it.

"How does it feel, Tyro, to be the bug under the glass? Perhaps you would like a taste of what you did to your princess for yourself?" Violet magic solidified into a steel cage around him. Moments later, a metal collar appeared, snapping around his throat.

Managing to look at Twilight, Tyro was horrified. Her body was overlaid by a faint, flickering image. A dark purple unicorn with a sharpened horn, wearing stylized battle armor. Twilight's own Nightmare form, threatening to emerge from her anger at him. "You're afraid, aren't you? Do you feel helpless yet? Trapped? Do you feel... betrayed?" Her laugh chilled him to his bones. There was a touch of madness in it. A touch of a Nightmare. "I wonder, should I hang this cage outside, for everyone to see? After what you did to Luna, you deserve the same."

Tyro tried to teleport away, to do anything, but his magic wouldn't come. "Oh, and by the way, Tyro. Your magic won't work again, until I decide to take that collar off."

Still laughing madly, Twilight approached the cage. Her horn glowed, and a chain formed, linking his collar to the cage itself. It glowed again, and a door appeared on the side of the cage, swinging open at her touch.

If Tyro had been afraid before, now he was terrified. Now not even the bars of the cage kept her away, now. All he could see was the Nightmare that was Twilight, coming closer, a step at a time. With every step, Tyro cowered in a corner of his cage. The Nightmare stopped before him, leaned down over him, and licked his face sensually. Any other time, he would have been delighted, but now, it felt lewd and terrible.

"We're going to have a lot of fun with you tonight," the Nightmare crooned. "A lot of fun."

Across Ponyville, ponies shivered in their beds as unearthly screams cut through the storm, only to be abruptly silenced a moment later.

Aftermath

Chapter 8: Aftermath

Tyro slowly woke up. He seemed to be on a flat, hard surface. He was sore and in pain from some terrible experience he couldn't remember.

He knew this wasn't his bed in Ponyville, and he didn't have one anywhere else. His eyes opened, slowly, and he saw that he was locked inside a steel cage, one of his hooves chained to it. Whatever his ordeal had been, it didn't seem to have ended. Tyro tried to get his eyes to focus, but he couldn't seem to manage it. Between that, the raging headache, and the pain all over his body, Tyro just slumped to the floor again. He felt something wet against his flank, looking down to see blood smeared on the bottom of the cage. Judging by the injuries he could see and the pain he could feel, it was probably his own.

Tyro let his eyes slip closed, to end the dizziness of trying to see through them, and prayed to Celestia for unconsciouness. It evaded his grasp, however, and so he lay there, bleeding, with little hope.

Tyro heard a door open, then a yell, then a receding sound of hoofbeats as the door swung shut again. He was in too much pain to care what it was.

A door opened again, then closed. Yelling and arguing. It hurt his ears, aggrivating the headache he still felt. Finally, a door opened, the closed, and Tyro had his silence again.

A door opened. He heard someone giving orders, then an angry voice. His cage vanished, and he dropped painfully to the floor below. Angry voice again, then silence.

Somepony picked him up, carrying him somewhere. His eyes glided open, and focused for a moment as he looked up at Nurse Redheart.

Tyro felt himself being laid on a soft bed, and covered up by a warm blanket. Finally, sleep came.

Tyro woke, slowly. His eyes were able to focus again, and he saw he was in the Ponyville Hospital. He was almost covered in bandages of some kind or another.

As he stirred, a yellow face looked down at him. Fluttershy. She had waited here for him to wake up... that was nice of her. He croaked out his thanks, hoping she understood. She seemed to, but he couldn't be sure. Most of the pain was gone, but his head felt thick and he couldn't think very well.

"Tyro, you're awake," the quiet pegasus observed. "I'll go get the others—"

"Fluttershy... no... just you stay..." For some reason, he didn't want to be near anypony, but with Fluttershy there he felt safe. He felt protected. Nothing would hurt him. At some level, he knew that this was the same trust as that which the pegasus' creature friends had for her. At another level, he didn't really care as long as she didn't leave him alone again.

Fluttershy wasn't really sure what to think. Tyro had clearly been through some terrible ordeal in that cage in the library. She knew, of course, about the incident with Luna. Twilight couldn't have been happy about that, but she would never go so far as this.

Soon enough—too soon for Tyro—the pegasus had no choice but to let in a visitor. It was Luna herself, who had hurried to Ponyville immediately upon hearing the news about Tyro. Fluttershy allowed the princess to enter, alone, closing the door behind her. And so Fluttershy didn't see Luna's horror at what lay before her. She only heard it.

"Fluttershy... come here, please." There was pain in Luna's voice, and the pegasus hurried to comply. The last thing she expected was for her princess to throw her front legs around her, shaking. "This was done by... by a monster," Luna explained. "The creature who did this enjoyed it. Delighted in his pain and suffering."

Fluttershy looked up at Luna. "Then... who did this? Or what?"

Luna shook a little bit. "I once did things like this. But when I did, ponies called me by another name. Those were the days of Nightmare Moon."

Fluttershy gasped. "N-Nightmare Moon?"

Fluttrshy, this was not my doing. Nightmare Moon is gone. Where did you find him?"

Fluttershy immediately answered, "in the library, locked in a cage. But I don't see... It couldn't have been Twilight... could it?"

The princess nodded. "It had to be, or rather Twilight's own Nightmare. Everypony has one, you know. Even you, Fluttershy."

The yellow pegasus refused to believe this. "I could never do something like that."

Luna sighed, stroking her friend's mane. "You could too, if you had a good enough reason. The problem is that when we push ourselves too hard, our emotions take over. Twilight was vulnerable and something pushed her over the edge."

Tyro had woken up, and finally spoke. "I noticed that." His voice still rasped a little bit, but it was better than before.

There was a knock at the door. From outside, Applejack's voice was heard. "Twilight is here. She wants to see Tyro."

Fluttershy squeaked a quiet "no, don't, please" while Tyro rasped "please, no!"

Luna overrode them both. "Send her in." Both ponies gave her a look of horror. "This has gone on long enough."

The door opened, and a pony stepped through. This wasn't Twilight, this was a disaster. Her hair was in disarray, her face showed signs of recent tears, and her head drooped low. Luna closed the door again behind her, and the unicorn slowly approached Tyro's bed. When she saw the extensive damage, she somehow managed to look even worse.

"Tyro, I'm so sorry... what I did last night... how could you ever forgive me for that? The terrible things I did to you, the things I said. Tyro, I took pleasure in hurting you! I used magic on you that horrifies me even now." She swallowed, hard. "I've talked to Applejack, and she's agreed to give you a place to stay. I don't expect that you'll want to come anywhere near me for a while."

Luna looked at Fluttershy. She was clearly not expecting such a severe apology. Twilight was practically on her knees, begging for forgiveness. Luna peeked around the edge of the bed. No, she was on her knees. Luna herself had expected nothing less.

"Twilight," she said, putting a hoof on the unicorn's shoulder, "I know better than anypony what you're going through right now. Your Nightmare was controlling you last night. You can't blame yourself. The pony who did this wasn't you, Twilight!"

Twilight looked unconvinced. Luna wasn't sure what to say, so she just stood there, trying to be supportive. Tyro, though, seemed to have something to say.

"Twilight," he whispered hoarsely. Luna knew he was planning something. She knew he could speak louder than that. "Twilight."

The guilt-ridden pony leaned over the bed to hear what her friend had to say. Tyro's uninjured foreleg reached up and pulled her closer. Twilight's face was a study in confusion, and Luna suddenly knew what he was going to do. Quietly, she left the room.

"Everypony, it's time to go. Tyro needs rest, and Twilight needs... what Tyro has to say to her. We can visit him later." Tyro's friends looked disappointed, but complied.

Inside the room, Twilight had no idea what was going on. Tyro had reached around her and pulled her closer until she was practically touching him.

Tyro whispered again. Three words. Twilight collapsed against her friend, shaking, as he held her against him.

"Tyro, after what I did—"

He silenced her with a touch. "That doesn't matter, Twilight. I don't care what happened. Your Nightmare came out, and you aren't responsible for what you did after that. I don't blame you, and you shouldn't either."

Twilight was silent. It was enough just to have him there. He had forgiven her. He didn't want to go live with Applejack instead of herself, and he didn't cringe from her touch. She broke into tears, then, tears of happiness.

"Uhh, Twilight? I hate to ruin the moment, but you're getting my bandages wet." This was just too much, and she buried her face in his mane. Tyro kept holding her close, until she finally broke away.

"Thank you, Tyro. I don't deserve it, but thank you. I should go. You need to rest." Quietly, she went out the door, closing it gently behind her.

Tyro looked at the closed door. "You do deserve it, Twilight." He closed his eyes, an was soon asleep.

Closing the Breach

Chapter 9: Closing the Breach

Twilight's high spirits dropped as she walked back to the library. Tyro wouldn't forgive her, not really. He clearly wanted her to feel better, but nopony could so readily forgive something like what she had done to him. She had wantd to hear those words so much that she hadn't heard the lie behind them, but now she had realized the truth. Tyro hadn't really forgiven her, and he never would. What they'd had was lost, and would never come back.

It was as though she had lost her friendship with Princess Celestia. For that matter, what would Celestia think of all this? Of her letting her emotions get the best of her, until she tore apart the pony she cared for? Twilight's spirits sank even lower.

As she entered the library, Spike saw the look on her face, and

wondered what to do. Quickly scanning the shelves, he pulled out a book he'd hoped never to need. Troubled: Dealing With Crazed Unicorns. Opening it, he began to read.

Twilight paid no attention to her assistant as she ascended the stairs to her bedroom. She just wanted to be alone with her sorrow. Sitting in front of a window, she watched as a scheduled rainstorm began. The falling water matched her mood perfectly. She didn't know how many hours she sat there, watching the rain fall.

* * *

After less than a day in the Ponyville Hospital, Tyro was told he could go home. You have no idea how wrong you are, he thought, with a sudden pain.

Returning to the library, he went to talk to Twilight. She would understand what he was feeling. "Twilight, I need to talk to you."

There was no response, so he ventured up the stairs, to find her sitting in her bedroom, staring out a window at the light rain falling outside. "Twilight?" She still didn't respond. It must be the guilt again. Tyro was sure of it. Walking up behind her, he sat down next to his friend and put a hoof over her shoulder. "Twilight, I understand that you feel terrible about what happened to me. But stop blaming yourself for what wasn't your fault! It doesn't change how I feel about you, and it better not change how you feel about me."

Twilight looked at him, really seeing him for the first time since her breakdown. There was no deception in his face. What he said was true. She turned to the window again. "Tyro, what I did to you was unforgivable. You offered forgiveness, but I don't know if I can accept it. You deserve better than—"

Tyro stuffed a hoof in her mouth, silencing her. "Twilight, stop this nonsense right now. For a ridiculously smart pony, you're being really dumb about all this. I don't care about what your Nightmare did to me before. What I care about is this." He reached out, wrapping both his forelegs around her, and just held onto her. She tried to pull away, but he just tightened his hold around her. Eventually, she stopped resisting, and slumped sideways into his embrace. The dam broke, and she held him as close as he had held her, as if to make sure he wasn't going away. Night approached, as the two ponies sat by the window, holding each other, in silence. No words were needed.

Finally Tyro's stomach rumbled, and they both laughed. "Sounds like we're going to have to get up, aren't we?" They laughed again, and went to make something to eat.

Night found them sitting outside together on the balcony outside her bedroom, Twilight teaching Tyro the names of all the stars. Dawn found them still together, Twilight's hooves wrapped around Tyro's flanks, both of them smiling in their sleep as they lay on Twilight's bed.

Spike walked into the room. Twilight didn't seem to be awake yet, and as Spike glanced at the two figures in the bed, he figured out why readily enough. He coughed gently, and Twilight woke up.

"Uh, hi Spike," she said awkwardly.

"Hey, Twilight. Looks like you slept pretty well, didn't you?" teased the young dragon. Twilight blushed.

"Any particular reason why you're waking me up and making me miss out on this?" She snuggled up a little closer to Tyro's still-sleeping form.

"Um, Applejack is downstairs. She says she wants to see Tyro. She specified both alive and in one piece." At that, Twilight just groaned.

Resigning herself to the inevitable, Twilight shook Tyro to wake him up. His eyes opened slowly. "Good morning, Twilight..." A moment passed, before he realized his current situation. "Twilight, what the hay is going on here?"

"Applejack's downstairs and wants to make sure you're still alive and everything," Twilight explained.

"No, I mean what the hay is going on with this?" He touched her hoof hooked over his body with one of his own.

Twilight blushed, as Spike watched with interest. "Well, apparently my unconscious mind is still worried about losing you. That and this feels really nice." She let her eyes close partway as she rubbed against Tyro's back.

Tyro grinned. "Your justification is acceptable," he told her. "Spike, tell Applejack... tell her I'm busy." He arched his back against Twilight as she smiled at his response.

Spike dubiously left the room, tactfully closing the door behind him, then walked to address Applejack. "Tyro said to tell you he's busy right now, but would be willing to talk later."

The earth pony blushed. "Ah... ah don't think that will be necessary, Spike." She quickly left the library as Spike chuckled and closed the door behind her.

Into the Wild

Chapter 10: Into the Wild

The two unicorns shared a certain peace, lying there, together. No words were necessary. They had each other, and nothing else mattered. Until Spike rapped on the door.

"Listen, I know you two... ponies are enjoying the chance to... spend some time with each other, but we need you out here." Spike's voice was apologetic. Tyro grumbled and scooted backward against Twilight, who smiled at his attitude. "Everypony else is already here, so we're just waiting on you two."

That got their attention. Twilight quickly teleported off the bed as Tyro got up. They looked at each other, realized how they must have looked. Tyro's horn glowed. Twilight's horn glowed. The two looked at each other. Problem solved.

Two unicorns came down the stairs into the main room of the library. Sly looks were briefly exchanged among the assembled ponies. The group waited for the pair to reach the floor, then Rainbow Dash began.

"Listen, everypony, I think we all know why we're here. Tyro has his fancy spell ready, and that's all we were waiting on. I say, we get out there and shove this great hulking thing back into the ground or wherever it came from!"

Applejack nodded. "My winged friend has the right of it. We only have a few days before Primus will be able to reach outside the Everfree Forest. The saddlebags are all packed. I'll carry some of Tyro's supplies on account of his injury."

Rainbow Dash took over again. "The weather over Ponyville is all set for the next five or six days, and the weather team is as prepared as they're going to be."

Twilight looked around. "You ponies are right. We're wasting time staying here when we could be out there. It's time to go."

Spike refused to come along this time. "After what Dash here told everypony, I'm staying right here." To prove his point, he sat down hard on the floor.

Twilight shook her head, then the seven ponies went to the farm to collect their bags and set out on their journey.

Twilight remembered the last trip like this they'd taken into the forest. Everypony had been fighting and arguing. The miles had been long ones.

This time, things were different. Ponies were in good moods, and weren't being affected by corrupted magical artifacts.

No, this time they faced different dangers, Twilight thought, after removing the fourth vine to wrap itself around her leg. The forest itself resisted their progress through it. There were no animals in sight, and the forest was silent around them. To Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, this was old news, at least for the inner portions of the forest. Now, it reached into the farther parts of the forest.

Fluttershy wondered what to expect today in the manticore's clearing. She feared what she might find there. The silence was oppressive as the ponies approached.

The clearing was empty. There was no sign of the manticore's presence. Rainbow Dash noticed her nervousness, and spoke up. "Twilight, we should stop here for a moment. Fluttershy has something she needs to do."

The yellow pegasus gave her friends a look of thanks, then approached abush at the side of the clearing. Twilight made as though to follow, but Rainbow Dash stopped her.

"No, Twilight. This is something she must do alone. We can only wait here for her return."

And wait they did, until Fluttershy emerged from the bush again. "Everypony, this is worse than we thought. My friend the manticore there is hiding in the back of his lair, and won't come out. He didn't want me to leave either, I could tell." The pegasus was clearly concerned.

"We should get moving again," Tyro said, after a minute or two. "The sooner we end all this, the sooner the forest can begin to heal again." Fluttershy agreed, and the ponies went on their way.

There was no sign at all of the sea serpent. He had probably left for elsewhere long before. Fording the shallow river, the ponies ventured onward.

Finally, the ponies reached the Palace of the Sisters itself, as night fell. Tyro spoke quietly to Twilight, and then faced everypony. "The palace itself is in ruins here, but Twilight has confirmed my own observation that many of the protective wards around it remain intact. Even with Primus so close, we can safely spend the night here. We should wait for morning to do this." Twilight nodded in agreement. "And besides, dawn and dusk are times of balance. If we cast the spell then, that will increase its power."

Applejack looked unconvinced, but reluctantly agreed with the decision to wait, along with the rest of the ponies. In an effort to relieve for of their worries, Tyro went out of his way to be obvious about casting his own wards around their sleeping area.

"Tyro, what the hay are you doing?" Twilight looked at him. "You're just casting a warding spell, you don't need all this." She pointed to the circle of stones around them. "I don't think most of this would even do anything."

A few worried looks were cast their way, and Tyro quickly responded. "Twilight, you see, this is a very complicated spell, using more than just magic. Our friends need to be sure we're doing everything possible to keep them safe, after all."

Tyro watched a light turn on in Twilight's head. "Oh, I see it now," she exclaimed. "The different magic, I mean. In fact, how about I reinforce your spell with my own magic?" She winked slyly at him.

"Twilight, that's a great idea! Nothing could get past it if we work together." He winked back. The other ponies just sat there and watched the obvious performance. Rainbow Dash was trying very hard not to laugh, and Applejack rolled her eyes. Finally, the unicorns turned and walked back to the rest of the group. Lying down on blankets from Pinkie Pie's pack, the seven ponies drifted off to sleep, Tyro with his back covertly pressed up against Twilight's.

The next morning came too soon for anypony. As Rainbow Dash looked around, bleary-eyed, he saw other ponies waking up. Applejack, naturally, had been awake for over an hour. She seemed to be taking all sorts of equipment out of her packs. Rainbow Dash recognised it immediately. "Climbing gear?"

"We shouldn't actually need this, but I brought it anyway, just in case." Everypony looked relieved at Applejack's explanation, except the pegasi, who just went on looking smug.

"So, is everypony ready? Let's get moving!" Twilight looked excited. She pointed to a set of stairs leading downward at the edge of the cliff. They couldn't have been more than five feet across.

"See ya at the bottom," said Rainbow Dash, as she flew into the air. Or would have, if Applejack wasn't holding her back be the tail.

"No, Dash, you and Fluttershy have an important job to do, yourselves. These stairs are narrow. If someone falls, the two of you will have to catch them. The path doubles back on itself, so you can just lower them to the next switchback."

"How did you find out about all this, Applejack?" asked the blue pegasus.

Pinkie Pie jumped into the discussion. "She used a map, silly!"

"Anyway," Applejack went on, "you two will be catching anypony who falls, and that means you'll be up here, with us!"

Rainbow Dash frowned unhappily, and the seven ponies began the descent.

Halfway down came the first close call, as Pinkie Pie stumbled over a rock. She would have fallen, but Rainbow Dash was quick enough to simple push ber back onto the path. She didn't like this task, and he was quite willing to point this out, but she couldn't be faulted for her determination to do it well.

The second near-fall was near the bottom. The distance was little enough that the pegasi just carried Rarity to the base of the cliff. A minute or two later, the rest of the group joined her, and they set out looking for a suitable cave. After struggling through plants for five minutes and moving five feet, Twilight got fed up with the interference and leveled a sizable area of plant life. The plants left them alone after that.

Primordial

Chapter 11: Primordial

After a long trek through the thick woods, the group stumbled into a good-sized cavern. Tyro looked around happily, pleased with what he saw, and Twilight started giving instructions.

"Applejack and Pinkie Pie, we need a flat surface for the spell, so we'll need those rocks out of the way. See what you can do about that. Rarity, we'll be casting a ritual here, so be ready with the materials. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, do what you can to clear away any debris in here, from leaves to animals to anything else."

Tyro finished. "Twilight, throw a temporary ward on the entrance, then come back here so we can start building the spell." He pulled out a pair of chisels and a pile of scrolls. "This spell will be a little more permanent than the last one. Unfortunately, it won't be nearly as easy to cast."

All over the cave, ponies got to work. Within hours, the debris had been cleared, the cave floor was relatively flat, and a pair of unicorns were hard at work scoring deep, solid lines across the rock.

The ritual diagrams were almost complete when Twilight looked hard at Tyro. "This isn't the same spell you used before, is it?"

"No, Twilight. That spell was much simpler than this. It had a lifespan of a few days, maybe a couple weeks after Luna attacked it. This spell will last for millenia, or perhaps forever."

Twilight went on with the task, but she was still worried. "Promise me, Tyro," she said, when they had finished, "promise me that you'll walk out of this cave with me."

The pony who looked back at her was not the Tyro she knew. This pony was the holder of the Element of Balance. "I'm sorry, Twilight. That is a promise I cannot make."

Twilight looked at him, then looked down at the ritual the two of them had completed. "Tyro, tell me the truth. What does this ritual do?"

His answer was long in coming. "It does many things, Twilight. But your real question, whether this is a spell that I could just activate like the other? It is not. This spell... it allows me to cast the spell that will actually imprison Primus. The ritual yesterday was a simple test of individual parts of another spell, the one I will be casting tonight."

Twilight looked worried. "Are you sure you can?"

"I can't afford to doubt it, Twilight. When I call, the magic will come."

Evening approached, and Twilight banished her ward. The potent magic of the Elements of Harmony within the cave would lure Primus inside, and then fate would decide.

As expect, the primordial arrived to investigate this strange power. The sun would set in mere minutes. As Primus entered, the seven ponies huddled together at the back of the cave. Primus had reached the middle of the cave, right over a small circle inscribed on the ground, when six ponies raced past him towards the entrance.

Turning, the primordial looked at them. "What ponies do I see here, who seek out Primus?

Tyro shouted back, having taken up his own place in the circle during the Primus' distraction. "The six you see before you hold the collected Elements of Harmony, here to stop your corruption of this world." Before Primus could respond, he added, "And I bear the Element of Balance!"

Tyro's already lit horn dipped to activate the ritual, losing its glow as black lines lit up in the rock. Primus looked surprised.

Tyro waited for his magic to return through his ritual, watching his friends battle the primordial. Twilight cast fireballs at him, that briefly set fire to the plant-like portions of the giant, while Rainbow Dash flew around its head to disorient it.

His magic restored, Tyro's horn blazed again, his Element radiating darkness. This time, the red was joined by streaks of black. After a few long seconds, a bolt of darkness lanced from his horn. When it struck, a black tint suddenly covered Primus' body, keeping him from moving.

"Now!" yelled Twilight. "Tyro can't hold him forever!"

The Elements of Harmony around each pony's neck began to glow brightly. With her friends arranged behind her, Twilight rose into the air, supported by the magic flowing through her body. Her eyes flew open, and were filled with bright white light. A rainbow of color appeared, and flew towards the primordial, just as it was able to break Tyro's hold on it. Outside, the sun touched the horizen.

Primus had just enough time to shout, in his moment of freedom, "What magic is this?!" before the rainbow reached him. Rapidly, it wrapped around him, and Primus was held motionless once again. "When I return, you shall pay for this!"

Tyro was already preparing his next spell, as the magic of harmony kept the spirit of unbidden nature held in check. Almost all the magic around his horn this time glowed black, growing larger by the second. Finally Tyro released the magic, and it flew out into the air, rippling like water. The magic seperated as it approach Primus, spreading out to circle behind him. It formed a dome of rippling water around Primus, seemingly unaffected by the magic of harmony passing through it. The dome hung in the air, and Tyro rose up into the air. His eyes opened, revealing an endless darkness behind them.

There they were. Twilight, her eyes glowing white, and Tyro, his eyes glowing black, standing on opposite sides of the creature to be sealed away. Outside, the sun was setting; day balanced with night. The Element of Balance fed upon these things, and magic surged forth upon Tyro's command. A second bolt flew, and the dome turned solid, the color changing to a shiny, reflective black. The Elements of Harmony had long given up their light, their task completed. Tyro's magic, too, had dissipated. When Rarity went to look, the ritual carved into the stone of the floor had vanished as well. She kept her distance from the black dome, however. For some reason, it unnerved her. Perhaps because she knew what was trapped within.

Fluttershy was more concerned about her friends' condition, quickly flying to check on Tyro. He lay on the ground, unconscious. She called over Applejack, and the strong mare slung Tyro's unconscious body over her back, carrying him back to the rest of the ponies.

Five ponies stood around two unconscious ones, wondering what to do. Carrying them back up those stairs was out of the question, even if somepony could actually locate them. Simply put, they had no way to get home. They would have to spend the night here. Nopony wanted to sleep near Tyro's black dome, but there was no choice. One by one, the five fell asleep on the thick blankets.

The Cost of Success

Chapter 12: The Cost of Success

Princess Celestia groaned, opening her eyes to see her sister standing above her. "Are you alright, Celly? You collapsed when Tyro started throwing those big spells around."

"How long..."

"You were unconscious for almost eleven hours, my older sister. Much longer than last time. You should stop watching Tyro like this. I don't think it's safe, even for us."

"Luna, I value the friendship between us. That said, get out of here before I, uh..." Celestia faltered, unable to come up with a threat, and Luna laughed.

"Get some rest, Celly. I'll wake you in an hour to raise the sun, and then we can check on our friends throwing magic around the Everfree Forest.

* * *

Somewhere in the Everfree Forest:

Applejack stirred as the sun rose, opening her eyes to a strange sight. Fluttershy was missing from her blanket. Instead, she was sleeping with a manticore (also asleep) curled up protectively around her, her head lying on his shoulder.

"I know I run an early schedule, but I am absolutely not ready to deal with this, this early in the morning." She got up, and went outside the cave for some fresh air.

Applejack was outside when she heard a familiar-sounding pop from nearby, then another. Twilight and Tyro must have woken up. She turned to head back into the cave, then turned again when she heard her name.

"Applejack? Is that you?" That voice belonged to nopony who had come with her. No, that voice was Princess Celestia, walking towards her. Princess Luna followed, and the two stopped. "Where is everypony else, Applejack?" Luna sounded worried.

The earth pony quickly reassured them. "They're in this cave, but sleeping, so we should be quiet." The princesses nodded, and the only sounds were hoofsteps. As the three turned the corner into the room with the Tyro's black dome in it, Luna giggled.

At her sister's inquiring look, she pointed to where Fluttershy was sleeping with the manticore around her. "Only Fluttershy could turn a manticore into... Into whatever that is." Celestia giggled for a moment as well, but quickly moved on.

"Luna, I'd like to take a look at this spell Tyro has wrought. I haven't seen anything like it before."

"Celly, it's his containment spell. The same one he trapped me with the other day, remember?" She reached out with her magic to touch the surface, then recoiled. "No, this one is different. I wouldn't want to be whatever is trapped in that thing."

Applejack answered her unspoken question. "That would be Primus, yes. The primordial spirit of nature unbidden, he called himself, or something like that. Rainbow Dash just called him a giant, which he was too."

The princess of the sun looked thoughtful for a moment, almost sad. Her counterpart, however, rose and gave the dome no more thought.

It's a shame, really, thought Celestia. There are so few of us immortals, and so many of those there are who must be locked away. And now Primus will lie here for all of time.

Her horn glowed, magic spilling out from it. The stone before her shifted, rising up to form a pedestal, with an inscription.

Here lies Primus:

Primordial spirit of nature unbidden.

Under this shell of magic and darkness,

Forever he must be hidden.

Satisfied, she stepped back to examine her work. It would do.

As Celestia created her stone pedestal honoring the fallen power, Luna returned to the ponies sleeping by the entrance. Most had awoken. Fluttershy was feeding bread to the manticore. Rarity was clearly unnerved by the creature, and Pinkie Pie didn't seem to care. Twilight had woken up, but Tyro remained motionless, despite Twilight's attempts to wake him.

"I just don't understand it!" Twilight cried out. "Why won't he wake up?"

Luna rested a hoof on her shoulder. "Twilight, be calm. I can help him." As Twilight moved away, Luna knelt before Tyro's body. Her horn glowed, and she lowered it to touch his head. For a minute or more, nopony moved. Then Luna raised her horn, dismissing her magic, and Tyro shifted in his sleep.

"I've done what I can to ease his dreams, but you must understand, his body needs time to recover from the magic he used."

Twilight protested. "But Luna, I had to recover, too, and I'm awake!"

Celestia had returned, and now she spoke. "Twilight, he delibrately activated the Element when it was at its most powerful. Then he used a ritual to amplify his already-boosted magic. You need to understand that the amount of magic he used last night would have killed any other pony. Tyro only survived because the Element of Balance protected him."

Twilight didn't like where this was going, and said as much.

Celestia looked at the unicorn with sympathy. "I'm sorry, Twilight. Even I don't know how long his body will need to recover. It could be days, a week, maybe more. But he will wake, in time. That at least I can promise you.

Luna added her own encouragement. "I calmed his dreams, and he is more relaxed now." She paused. "Celly, I'd like a moment alone with Twilight."

The white alicorn nodded and walked away to join the other ponies in their own discussion.

Luna turned to Twilight. "Twilight, I have something for you. A gift, of sorts."

Twilight's ears perked up. "What kind of gift, Luna?"

"A gift of knowledge. Do not take it lightly, for such a gift as this is not easily come by. Dreams, you see, are reflections of their dreamers' emotions. If you know what lies within somepony's dreams, you know their deepest desires, and their greatest fears."

The princess of the night went on. "I know what happened to Tyro, and I know what happened to you. Your Nightmare took over, and hurt the very pony you care about. And when morning came, you convinced yourself that Tyro would leave you."

"And so I have a gift for you. I will tell you what lies in Tyro's dreams. Your Nightmare is not among them."

Twilight felt relieved. "Luna—"

Luna wasn't done, however. "Tyro's happiest dreams are of times he's spent with you, Twilight. The nightmares are his fear that he might lose you."

"Speak not of what I have told you. It is a private matter, between the two of us alone. Simply know, and let your heart be at ease."

Part 3: Twilight's Dilemma

PART 3

Chapter 1: Twilight's Dilemma

The second day had dawned since Tyro and his friends had sealed away Primus, that great primordial power, using the magic of the Elements. And yet, the unicorn who had risked his life to channel that magic still would not wake. Twilight worried, feeling her inability to truly help her close friend and her... best not to dwell on that.

She cared for his motionless body, mixing milk and honey together to keep him from starving, and giving him water to keep him from thirst. Fluttershy had told her that this would keep his body alive while Tyro's spirit wandered, waiting for its body to recover from the strain.

When she wasn't caring for Tyro, Twilight had singlemindedly searched her library for some spell, some forgotten magic, that might bring him back to her. She found none. As Luna had told her, there was nothing she could do to force him to return. As night fell for the fourth time since his collapse, Twilight wept.

After the fifth day, she had sent a letter to the princesses asking for help. Twilight remembered a time long ago, when a young, purple unicorn had lost control of her own magic, and Princess Celestia had saved her from her own power. Surely she could also help Tyro recover?

There was a knock at the door. No doubt another attempt by one of her friends to make her feel better. Twilight didn't want to feel better; she knew that taking care of Tyro was her responsibility, and if he didn't get better it would be her fault.

"Leave me alone!" Twilight yelled. "I've told you before, I don't need your pity!" She slammed the bolt into the door, so whoever it was would leave her alone.

It didn't work. Twilight had already turned and begun walking away when she heard the distinct pop of a teleportation spell.

"Twilight, you may not want pity, but you do need help," said Princess Luna.

Twilight spun around at the voice. "Luna!" She ran up to the surprised alicorn, hugging her, but crying at the same time.

Luna stood uncertainly, wondering what to do. This was not among the reactions she had planned for. It also was not something Luna really knew how to deal with. Awkwardly, she sat down, wrapping a wing around the unicorn. This seemed to comfort Twilight somewhat, as the tears slowed, and finally stopped.

Luna still didn't know what to do, so she followed her instincts, just sitting with Twilight, a wing wrapped around the unicorn holding onto her with a death grip, feeling her friend still shaking a little bit. Finally, Twilight let go, abruptly pulling away.

"I'm so sorry, Princess Luna! I didn't—"

This, she knew how to deal with. "Twilight," she said quietly, "that's why I came here. I could feel the pain in your letter, and so I came here."

This seemed to be the right thing to say, as the unicorn fell against her again.

"Thank you, Luna. I remember what you said, but it's so hard..."

"I know, Twilight." The alicorn thought hard for a moment, thinking carefully about her next words. "I've been watching over your dreams, Twilight, and I can see what you must be going through. You feel like you've lost your friend, and you wonder if he will ever come back."

"Twilight, Tyro will return. I told you that before, and it's still true. His body is healing; I can sense that even from here. It is only a matter of time."

"But Luna, can't you help him? Or Princess Celestia? You know so much, there must be a way..."

"I'm sorry, Twilight. With all the magic we have, even we have things we cannot do, and this is one of them. Trying to use magic to fix this would only delay his recovery more. Sometimes, Twilight, we just have to wait and see how things turn out."

Twilight nodded sadly. "I know that, but..."

Luna rose, folding the wing she had held over Twilight. Her horn flared, the bar slid out of the door, and the door opened. "Go, Twilight. Staying here like this does no good for Tyro. I'll watch over him until you return."

Twilight's mind went blank, and she automatically walked outside, the door closing behind her. Only then did her thoughts return. "Luna! What the hay did you do?"

Twilight had no chance for further protest, however, as her neglected friends picked her up and bodily carried her away.

Luna snickered as she looked out a window, watching Twilight struggle ineffectively as her friends trotted off.

And so more days passed, though these were easier for Twilight to bear, with Luna's company. Tyro, however, did not wake.

It was the afternoon of the eighth day when Luna decided that she'd had enough.

"Twilight?"

The purple unicorn walked to Tyro's bedside where Luna stood.

"This has gone on quite long enough already, and Tyro's body is almost fully healed.There is one thing I can do to help, without magic, but first..."

Twilight looked perplexed. "What? But first what, Luna?"

"What I intend to do once would have been a trivial matter, but that was a thousand years ago. Ponies seem to have changed since that time, and so I must ask."

Twilight was getting frustrated. "Ask what? Can't you just give me a straight answer?"

Luna sighed. Ponies used to have respect for her abilities. Alas, how times had changed.

"Twilight, I can't ask Tyro for permission to do this, so I have to ask you instead. I watch over dreams, but I can also change them, even enter them if I wish. I would like to have a word with Tyro, in his dreams, with your permission."

Twilight thought for a moment. "Luna, dreams are indeed a very private matter. What you want to do is difficult for me to agree to, but I think you're right. Tyro has slept long enough. Do whatever you need to do."

"Thank you, Twilight, for understanding. I will go now." With that, the alicorn knelt before Tyro, touching her horn to his head, just as she had a week before. This time, though, she didn't stand up. Minutes passed. When Twilight looked, Luna's eyes were closed. Clearly, this was not so simple a task.

Invitation

Chapter 2: Invitation

Rainbow Dash yawned, stretching lazily on his bed of fluffy clouds. There was nothing quite like that feeling, waking up after—

There was a knock at the door.

"What the hay!?" Rainbow Dash was startled into flight. "Who in their right mind would come here this early in the morning?"

She quickly flew over to her front door, opening it to see what was the matter. A note was tacked to her door.

Rainbow Dash,

You have been chosen to join the ranks of the greatest fliers in Equestria. At midnight tonight, a dark cloud will be visible over the Everfree Forest. Meet us there. Tell nopony of our request.

There was no signature. The blue pegasus wondered at that for a moment, but then dismissed the thought. Of course there wasn't a signature. Everypony know that the greatest fliers in Equestria were the Wonderbolts, so none was needed.

Rainbow Dash was incredibly excited. She had been hoping to perhaps audition for a chance to join that illustrious group, but this was an outright invitation! Had it been the performance at the Best Young Fliers competition that had caught their eye? Perhaps her dedication to her duties in Ponyville coordinating the weather?

It didn't matter, the pegasus decided, as she flew down to Ponyville to share the news with her friends. Rainbow Dash stopped abruptly. She wasn't supposed to tell anypony about the letter. The Wonderbolts were a very special group, she knew, and often had to be told of things that needed to stay secret. This imposed silence might be some kind of test. She chuckled to herself, as she flew. There was no need for them to worry: as the Element of Loyalty, Rainbow Dash would never betray a secret...

Except that one time, she thought, with a sharp pang of regret. That one time, that could have destroyed the bond between her friends, and almost did. Rainbow Dash still didn't know how Tyro had managed to find her that night, after she had left Sugarcube Corner. The storm raging outside had been little better than the one she had fled, and her wings had become heavier and heavier as the water soaked into them.

Finally, the pegasus had become too weighed down by the water to fly, and so she walked down the street in the pouring rain and raging wind. However, her attempts to stay aloft had taken their toll, and she had little stamina left. Tyro had finally found her under the library tree, trying to take shelter there from the storm. Tyro... At the time, she had only felt worse at the identity of her rescuer. She'd readily given up the location of her friends, not realizing what Tyro was planning, and not realizing that Tyro had seen that her face wasn't just wet from the rain. And so she could only struggle uselessly as he'd magically carried her back to Sugarcube Corner and presented her dripping form to her friends, in all her misery.

That one time, she had let a secret be told, and it had almost destroyed everything. No, this summons would remain unspoken of, even to her closest friends.

And so Rainbow Dash resolved to say nothing of the invitation, and tell nopony of her excitement. It wouldn't be easy, but she could do it. She had to.

Author's Note: Sorry for the short chapter, but I'm covering multiple things all going on at once, so it becomes somewhat necessary.

Also, feel free to make suggestions in the comments!

Dreams

Chapter 3: Dreams

Tyro relaxed on the warm, sandy beach, watching the ocean. The waves rode up the sand, only to lose their energy and slip back into the ocean.

The sun beat down on his crimson flank. It was warm, and he reveled in it. When he got too hot, he would just roll over, and bake his other side.

There was a stream here, flowing out of a nearby forest into the ocean. The place was probably tropical, judging by the fruit on the trees. All he had to do was kick a tree, and there was lunch.

The sun felt good. The tide came in. The tide went out. That was all there was here, and Tyro was content.

Night began to fall, and Tyro slept.

Tyro looked down over the Everfree Forest. Somewhere down there was a very unhappy primordial, and Tyro felt a moment of guilt for sealing him away. There had been no choice, but still...

Tyro's awareness shifted, and now he looked down over Ponyville, as the sun rose. Peeking into the library, Twilight was writing a letter. Rainbow Dash was sleeping on a cloud, and Fluttershy was outside her cottage, beating up a bear. All was well, and he moved onward.

Canterlot was... interesting, Tyro decided. Such chaos. It reminded him a little bit of what his old home had once been. But this was different. Ponies greeted each other on the streets, as they walked to their destinations. This was a friendly place. A better place, Tyro thought with a smile.

Tyro woke to the light of the sun as it rose over the ocean. Another day. He stood, turning to go get breakfast. Then he stopped up short.

Another pony was on his beach. In all the days he had been here, he hadn't seen another pony. But standing before him now was Princess Luna. The pony he had publicly humiliated.

At some level, he knew this was a dream, and so he knew that sooner or later he would have to come to terms with his mistake. That time was now.

"Tyro, we need to talk."

"I know. I'm sorry for what I did to you, Luna. I didn't think about your feelings, only the fun I had at your expense. That was wrong, and I..." Tyro trailed off as he saw Luna shaking her head.

"I appreciate your apology, Tyro. However, that isn't why I'm here." Luna paused for a moment, before continuing. "Tyro, how long have you been here?"

Tyro thought for a moment. "A few days?"

"No, Tyro. Twilight has been taking care of your unconscious body for over a week now."

"That can't be!" Tyro was stunned, then confused. "But—"

"This place exists within your mind, Tyro. Time here is whatever you want it to be. Eight days have passed since the defeat of Primus, and yet still you do not wake."

Tyro was speechless, as Luna went on, relentlessly. "Twilight sent me and my sister a letter, asking for help. She hasn't left your side for more than a few hours at a time in days."

Now he was angry. "You lie. There's no way you could know all this, not if you're part of this dream, or whatever it is. Or... Are you?" He looked at her suspiciously, circling her a couple times to examine the alicorn. "Are* you part of this dream? Or are you the real Luna, come here from reality?"*

The princess panicked. If he wanted to, he could make her leave. She couldn't stay in Tyro's dream against his will. Not for long, at least. That was a limitation of the power she held.

"Please, you need to understand—"

"Why did you come here? After what I did to you, why would you want to talk to me?"

Luna hadn't expected this question, but it made sense. Tyro still felt guilty for what he had done to her. They would have to have a talk about that later.

"I came because I was asked, by a mutual friend of ours. Twilight asked me to do anything I could. She has grown desperate, Tyro. Even something as personal as this was acceptable to her, if it would bring you back." She saw Tyro's eyes widen as she spoke.

"I've spent... a long time here, haven't I?"

"Yes, Tyro. It's time for you to come home."

* * *

Luna stood, her legs protesting the sudden movement. She looked down at Tyro, lying sprawled on his back. The sleep he was in now was a normal one, and he would wake up soon. Quickly, Luna went to go fetch Twilight, to bring her to see Tyro.

Tyro felt himself starting to wake up. He heard Twilight's voice, then Luna's. A door closing, then Twilight's voice again. He guessed that Luna had left, then wondered what to do when he finally did wake up.

He felt breath on his face, and began to fully wake up, though his eyes remained closed. Twilight. He didn't move, though, knowing that she thought he was still aslep.

When he next felt the breath on his face, he just reached up and pulled her down onto the bed with him, grinning. "Hey, look what I caught."

Twilight was caught off-guard by the sudden movement, and Tyro had pulled her up against him before she could react. She didn't try to squirm away, though. After all, why would she?

Flight of Shadows

Chapter 4: Flight of Shadows

Thunder crashed as the storm raged, lightning flashing far below. This was a truly amazing storm, far larger than the ones occasionally scheduled over Ponyville. No, this was the raw fury of the elements, warring through the sky.

Rainbow Dash was not afraid. Or so she told herself, as she flew towards the great storm, with only the dim light of the moon to light her path. Angling upwards, she climbed, heading up and over the storm. By now, Ponyville was far out of sight, with only the expanse of the Everfree Forest below. Up above the storm clouds, nopony awaited her.

It occurred to Rainbow Dash that she might have been tricked, that this was nothing more than an elaborate joke at her expense. There was more than one pony who had a motive to do something like that, Rainbow Dash knew. Anypony could have placed that note. She might as well wait anyway, though, having flown all this way.

The sky-blue pegasus was absorbed in thought, and didn't notice as a wispy cloud floated in front of the moon, dimming the moonlight until it eventually blocked it out altogether. Only the stars provided light, now.

It was easy to surround the mare as she sat on the cloud, unaware of the three ponies watching her. She was distracted, and their dark suits blended in with the darkness.

"Rainbow Dash," said a voice behind her. The pony spun, but saw nothing there.

"We've been waiting for you," said another. She still couldn't see the ponies she knew were around her, but she could hear them, focusing on their voices. A third spoke.

"It has been long, you know."

"Long since we have found a pony to join us."

"A pony with speed, skill, and power."

"A pony whose loyalty is as unshakable as the very moon itself."

Rainbow Dash remembered something, from long ago... similar words, but she couldn't remember just where they had come from. As the moon reappeared from behind its shroud, she realized the truth. The pegasus had heard these words before, but from an illusion crafted by Nightmare Moon. These were not the Wonderbolts, no, not at all.

These ponies were a dark version of Princess Celestia's famed Wonderbolts. A shadow to their light. These were Princess Luna' own elite military unit: the Shadowbolts.

Not a lot was known about the Shadowbolts. Already a secretive group even before Nightmare Moon's ascension a thousand years before, memory of them faded, and they became relegated to myth. Apparently, those myths were true.

Rainbow Dash looked upon them, now revealed by Luna's moonlight. Everything made sense now: the secretive request, the meeting during Luna's own night instead of during the day, and the anonymous letter.

Rainbow Dash could think of only one thing to say. "What do you want, Shadowbolts?" She almost spat the name, angrily. "Is this another trick? Who are you working for now?"

The apparent leader of the squad, the pony who had spoken first, seemed unconcerned by Dash's anger. "We serve to Princess of the Night, as we always have, for thousands of years. We have existed as long as have the Wonderbolts, and you know their history quite well."

Rainbow Dash waited, listening. She was still angry at having been tricked, but they hadn't actually lied to her, and their words intrigued her.

"We, however, serve a different purpose than they. The Wonderbolts are as much showponies as anything else, after these many years of peace. Their training is more about doing tricks to impress crowds than it is about how to fight an enemy. Even the Royal Guard has begun to grow soft over the years. Our purpose, on the other hoof, remains as it was so long ago."

Rainbow Dash began to suspect that these Shadowbolts were something more than she had realized. Their next words confirmed her suspicion.

"We remain what we have always been. As we were once, long ago, we are today: the best of the best. We are the shadows within shadows, the unseen agents of Equestria. And we are... interested in having you join our company."

Somehow, Rainbow Dash had seen this coming. "How do I know this isn't a trick? Your kind has tried before, to tempt me away from my friends, to break my loyalty. It won't work this time, either!"

Rainbow Dash prepared to launch into flight, only to be stopped by a new voice: the third Shadowbolt, silent until that moment. "You need not leave your friends. As for your loyalty, that's one of the reasons we extended this offer: you would never turn against us. Does that satisfy your concerns, Rainbow Dash?"

The pegasus turned. "Then what do you want from me?"

The first Shadowbolt spoke once again. "We want you to join us in our defense of Equestria. Our orders come directly from Princess Luna herself, and she grants us a substantial degree of autonomy. When a threat arises, and the Wonderbolts fail—or if the threat is a sensitive matter—we fly to meet it."

The second took over. "Our loyalty lies first to Equestria, then to each other, and then to whatever other matters interest us. When you must face danger, we will fly at your side, and you will be expected to do the same."

The third finished the explanation. "All this will be your gift and your responsibility, should you accept our offer. Either way, you must never reveal our existance. So, Rainbow Dash, will you accept our offer to join the Shadowbolts, and take up the defense of Equestria?"

Rainbow Dash was silent for a long time. The Shadowbolts seemed to expect this. More than once, she turned to look at them, before turning away again. She was conflicted. To join the Shadowbolts would be the best possible thing she could do for Equestria, but she would never find fame with the Shadowbolts. Only she, her fellow Shadowbolts, and the princesses would ever know of her accomplishments. She wouldn't be like the Wonderbolts, praised and recognized for their achievements, and receiving the adoration of everypony else. She wouldn't have that dream come true. Yet, at the same time, the Shadowbolts needed her, and Equestria needed them.

The decision was clear. Rainbow Dash finally looked back up again, and gave the pegasi her answer.

Diplomacy

Chapter 5: Diplomacy

SWEET APPLE ACRES - Midnight

Unable to sleep, Applebloom looked out the window. The midnight sky outside had a certain beauty to it, she thought to herself, as she gazed up at the stars. Then she felt something. A sound, but one she felt, not heard. With it, a ring of darkened colors blossomed across the sky. It reminded her of something she had seen once before, but she couldn't remember what. Shaking her head, she closed the window and went back to bed. There could be only one cause for such an event.

"That's the last time ah have cider before going to bed."

* * *

PONYVILLE LIBRARY - Late Afternoon

Twilight stared at Luna. "So, you're telling me that part of your job is to deal with the other countries around Equestria, like the diamond dogs and the griffins? Who did that when you were gone, then?"

Luna looked bashful. "Celestia is a great leader for Equestria, and she always does what she thinks is right, but diplomacy has never been one of her best abilities. Over the centuries that I have been gone, relations with other countries have begun to fall into disrepair."

"But what does that have to do with us," the unicorn asked, "when it has always been your responsibility?" She looked around at the other Elements of Harmony. "How are we involved with this?"

Luna looked uncomfortable as she explained. "Twilight, you and your friends are national heroes of Equestria. I can only be in one place at a time, but the Elements of Harmony themselves can be just as effective in a diplomatic situation as I can, especially after I've been gone so long. You six have shown before that you can resolve problems: it was you who negotiated the treaty with the buffalo in Appaloosa that prevented catastrophe, and you who were able to convince that dragon to move. Celestia and I need you to help resolve other tensions that have recently arisen as well."

The princess of the night paused before continuing. "And that, Twilight, is why the six of you will be coming with me on this mission, so that you can get a little more diplomatic experience before we send you out on your own. Spike and Tyro will have to stay behind, however; neither is one of the Elements of Harmony, and would not be recognized by any of the dignitaries we will be meeting. Moreover, the dark power Tyro holds could be taken as a threat, which isn't exactly the image we want to display. Tonight, pack whatever you will need for a long trip, and get a good night's sleep. We will have far to travel."

Twilight nodded, albeit with a touch of sadness. She had only just had Tyro restored to her, and now she would have to leave him behind. And Spike... well, was Spike. "I think I understand. We will come with you, then, when you leave first thing tomorrow."

Each of the other Elements exchanged glances. This would be yet another disturbance in their daily lives, but as always, Equestria's needs would have to come first. None of them resented it, but the interruptions were always a bit of a bane to their daily lives.

As the rest of the ponies left, Twilight went upstairs to explain the situation to Tyro. He seemed to take it pretty well, promising to practice his magic while she was gone. That done, Twilight moved on to start a checklist of things to do before leaving, and another of things to bring with her.

Far above, Rainbow Dash worried about different matters altogether.

Politics

The journey south was, for once, uneventful. The seven ponies passed through forests and plains, finally ending their trip outside the entrance to a cave, well over a hundred miles from Ponyville. As the group approached the cave, they saw several diamond dogs standing guard outside it.

Only one of them spoke, the others remaining silent. "You must be the Equestrian ambassadors. Please, proceed. We have been expecting you."

Luna was worried by the attitude of the guards. These weren't like the showy (though generally ineffective in actual combat) ones in Canterlot, or even the ones she had seen on her diplomatic missions with diamond dogs in the past. These guards were soldiers, trained fighters. The presence of such trained warriors was clear proof that relations had degraded between the Great Pack and Equestria. If these talks went sour… best not to think about that.

The other ponies seemed to be optimistic about the upcoming negotiations, so maybe she was getting worried over nothing. Only Rarity seemed nervous as everypony walked into the cave. The tunnel was lit by strange torches that burned with an unnatural, bluish flame, seeming to produce little heat and no smoke. It twisted and turned as they descended into the ground, until finally opening up into a large cavern, its walls extending upwards into darkness.

Covering the walls, between many unlit tunnels leading into darkness, were carved pictures of diamond dogs at work, but the largest and most prominent one was straight ahead. Over and around an archway, two armies of diamond dogs fought in vicious battle, showing the reality of war in terrible detail. Through this arch lay a hall of worked stone, also lit by the bluish lights.

Luna paused a moment, allowing her companions to take in the sight, before indicating the battle scene. "Diamond dogs are powerful, and relentless in war. Untrained, they are dangerous enough, but diamond dog warriors are deadly, even when they're alone. During the last war in which we had to fight the diamond dogs, it took two ponies to match a single diamond dog in combat, and three or more to capture one alive."

Fluttershy tried to hide behind the other ponies, but Luna quickly reassured her. "But that was over two thousand years ago, before Echo united the diamond dogs and created the Great Pack."

Twilight looked at her curiously. "Echo? The Great Pack? I haven't read anything about either of those. What happened?"

Luna smiled, stopping. "It's a good story. It's a shame that we ponies have forgotten it.

"Mosspaw was the last true chieftain of the Greenclaw pack. He and Frost Snap, the mayor of a local pony town, were the first of us to work together with ponies instead of fighting them. Unfortunately, the two grew too ambitious, and were tainted by an evil power. It consumed both of them. Mosspaw went insane, led the pack in an attack on the town, and killed his friend's wife.

"Her death pushed Frost Snap over the edge, and he led the town in attacking the Greenclaw pack. Mosspaw was killed, and the Greenclaws were slaughtered, except for one young pup who escaped. His name was Echo."

Seeing the end of the hall approaching, Luna picked up the pace of the story. "Echo killed Frost Snap in order to drive away the last of the taint and redeem his pack, and reforged relations with the town. It was through his work that the packs were united, and his actions that were the first steps towards the creation of our society. He was the first Sirius, who is the leader of all the diamond dogs. Since then, the Sirius has ruled the diamond dogs, passing on the title to the strongest of the alphas."

With that, she walked through the opening at the end of the hall into another large cavern. All around were dozens upon dozens of diamond dogs, here to see the spectacle of the pony visitors. Luna was used to it, of course, and Fluttershy had some experience with performing for a crowd, so she felt alright. Naturally, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash enjoyed the attention, but Twilight and Applejack looked uncomfortable and Rarity looked even more nervous than before.

The bluish lights were present here as well, augmented by what looked like regular pitch torches. There must be a natural chimney to this room. Before them stood a great beast of a diamond dog, who waited a moment before addressing them.

"It has been long," he said, pausing every few words, "since we have seen ponies in these halls. I am Razor, Sirius of the diamond dogs. Princess Luna, I hope you are in good health? And who are these little ponies you bring with you?"

Luna responded cordially, "Thank you, I am quite well. As for my friends, these ponies are the Elements of Harmony, heroes of our land. Equestria sends only the best to speak with you, Sirius."

"The Elements of Harmony, eh?" The large dog looked closely at the six ponies. "I take it we have you to thank for averting more than one disaster in recent years, if the tales are to be believed. However, you have me at a disadvantage: you know my name, but I do not know yours."

At Luna's prompting, the six ponies began to introduce themselves. They didn't have the chance to finish, however, because as soon as Rarity stepped forward, a diamond dog yelled out.

"It's her! Rarity! She's the one who we warned you about! The one who whines, and tricks you! She's the one who stole all our gems a year ago!" The speaker had a familiar face. "As Rover, alpha of the Gemhunter pack, I claim insult first at her inclusion in these talks, and again at her very admission to this sacred place!"

Confrontation

Author's Note: Some changes have been made to minor parts of the story. Nothing huge, but you might want to re-read parts of the story. I added a new character called Shield Banner; he's a royal guard stationed in Ponyville. He shows up occasionally. Keep a close eye out and you'll spot him here and there.

DEEP IN THE DEN OF THE BLACKBLOOD PACK

Time: Unknown.

Luna worried, looking around sadly at her friends. The moment the diamond dogs had left after throwing them in these cells, Twilight had tried to escape, blasting through the wall with her magic. It merely reflected off the smooth surface of the glassy cell. Magic-resistant, just like the one Chrysalis had once trapped her inside. This time, though, she had neither anger nor desperation to fuel her magic, and so the prison held against her power.

Through the glassy surface of the gem, Luna could see Applejack struggling against her bonds for some time, but they held strong, and the earth pony finally gave up. Pinkie Pie had deflated somewhat, and didn't even try to fight her own restraints. Rarity was trapped in another gem like Twilight's, muzzled. The wings of the pegasi had also been bound to their sides, and Fluttershy had been blindfolded after her first (abortive) use of the Stare. Most of the ponies had finally fallen asleep from exhaustion.

The diamond dogs had been thorough, neutralizing each pony's unique strengths. None of them could escape, or even reach one another through the bars of the cells.

Now, she could leave if she wanted to, magic-resistant cell or not, but it would mean hurting her friends in the process. The diamond dogs had placed her in a magic-resistant cell, warning her that it was keyed to her friends' restraints. If she broke the spell around her, those restraints would grow flaming hot, burning her friends. Thus, the Elements of Harmony had become the canines' leverage against her.

The mission had been a complete failure. Far from easing tensions with the diamond dogs, it had only made things worse. Even from her cell, she could hear the sounds of the diamond dogs preparing for war.

There was only one thing she could do, from within her cell. One power left to her, that the diamond dogs could never detect. It was a simple spell to activate, but one that had taken years to perfect and finally cast.

Conjuring an ashen scroll, she inscribed a message on it, with quick, short sentences.

Diplomacy with the diamond dogs has met with complete failure. We are imprisoned in Clan Blackblood's den. Retrieval is not advised. Report to Princess Celestia for instructions, then await further contact. Use discretion.

Luna's horn glowed, and the spell activated. The scroll ignited, burning with a lightless flame, and vanished into nothingness.

Luna jumped, as Rainbow Dash started awake and leapt to her feet, looking around alertly. Only a moment before, the pegasus had been in a deep sleep. The princess wondered for a moment, then shook her head. It must have been just a coincidence.

* * *

PONYVILLE LIBRARY

Time: Late in the night, or perhaps early in the morning

Tyro awoke to hear somepony pounding on the door downstairs. The sun had set long ago; it was deepest night. The air lay still and calm, the silence unbroken save for that knocking. As Tyro stirred, rising to answer the door, he heard an angry voice from downstairs.

"Open up in there, or we will break down this door!"

Tyro hurried to the door and opened it, wondering why police-ponies would come here at this time of night. Then he saw just who these ponies were. Stunned both by their appearance and by the anger visible on their faces, he quickly backed up a few steps. Three Shadowbolts followed him as he retreated inside, however. There was nowhere to run.

As the pegasi circled around him, their expressions did little to soothe his fears. This was the end. Tyro had never expected to die like this, but now—"

"Where is she?" The pegasus' voice was harsh and intimidating. "What have you done with her?"

"Wait," Tyro was speechless. He finally stammered out, "Who? What have I done with who? And for that matter, who are-"

He was interrupted by one of the other pegasi. "Silence! We shall ask the questions here. You know why we're here. Now, tell us what you have done with Rainbow Dash, or you will rue this day for the rest of your very short life!"

At the mention of his friend, Tyro's anger rose, taking over. These villains would learn nothing from him.

"Rainbow Dash? She isn't here, and just what business do you have with her? In the Everfree Forest, she turned down your poisonous words. Even if I knew where she was, which I don't, I certainly wouldn't tell you."

Two more pegasi stepped through the door, bringing the total to five. One of the newcomers spoke up. "Tyro, you poor fool of a pony, do you really think we mean her harm? We look after our own."

Looking at the five pegasi before him, Tyro's newfound confidence evaporated. Such was his concern that he completely missed the meaning of the pegasus' words. There was no way he could fight five ponies at once, even with magic, and there was certainly no way he could escape five pegasi intent on catching him. There was nothing he could do, it seemed.

Tyro had never imagined it would end this way, facing death at the hooves of ponies he had thought were no more than myth. Twilight herself had told him that, and to have escaped even her scholarly notice… This wasn't how Tyro wanted to die. He wanted his death to be meaningful, not… not like this. He was going to die if he stayed silent, and he knew it. And so, Tyro finally gave in.

"Rainbow Dash is with the other Elements of Harmony, on some kind of trip or something. I don't know where they went, but-"

He stopped short as an ashen scroll materialized from the air. Quickly, one of the Shadowbolts broke the seal, reading quickly. Then he made some kind of gesture, and the scroll must have been enchanted or something to respond to that, because it promptly burst into flames. Then, the pegasus spoke, almost like he was chanting.

"The night commands. We fly tonight."

As one, the other four turned to face the speaker, responding almost ritualistically.

"The night commands. We fly tonight."

Before Tyro could react, the pegasi flew back out the door and were gone.

Preface

Yes, a preface. Feel free to skip it; I won't blame you.

This work is not a new story, not exactly. This is a compilation of all of Tyro's adventures, from the beginning to the end. Originally, I published them as individual stories, but I have since come to realize that they're all really one story, even divided as they are.

Sure, each one has an ending to it, but it's more like Lord of the Rings in that there is a greater, overarching story. That is why I have put together this collection. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!

The End of It All

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 in Equestria. 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 particularly 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. Had I known, I would have warned you not to look.

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 urgent matter to attend to."

END PART 1