The Elements of Chaos

Eldon... Wake up... Eldon... Eldon! You must awake at once! You must not let go! Fight Eldon! Fight!

Eldon slowly opened his eyes, only to be greeted by the bright blue sky above. He blinked a couple of times as his eyes adjusted to the light before he sat up to get a view of his surroundings.

Ugh... where... where am I? This place doesn't look familiar at all, Eldon thought. As Eldon's surroundings began to come into focus, he was able to make out a lone tree on a hill not too far from where he was. Something sat at the base of the tree on the opposite side, but Eldon couldn't see who or what it was. "H- hello? Do you know where I am?" The thing didn't respond, nor did it seemed it had even noticed him. Perhaps it didn't hear me, maybe I should move closer? No, talking face to face would be better. Eldon picked himself off the ground and felt the softness of the grass beneath his feet. Something about this place felt rather... peaceful, but Eldon knew that he was most likely needed elsewhere. He needed to find a way out and fast. As Eldon made his way towards the tree, he noticed how alive and fresh everything was, having never been contaminated by industry or waste. When he was a few feet away from the tree, the thing suddenly spoke.

"Ah, you are awake at last, I was afraid that you weren't going to make it," the thing said. Eldon recognized the voice immediately and when the thing stood up and turned to face him, his immediate suspicions were confirmed.

"M- Merlin!? What are you doing here? What do you mean I wasn't going to make it? Where are-" Merlin raised his hand which caised Eldon to become silent. "So many questions... Do not worry Eldon, I'll answer your questions in due time, you just need to be patient. As for where we are, are you sure you don't remember this place?" Eldon looked around him and scratched his head.

"No... no Merlin, I don't," Eldon replied and Merlin sighed with disappointment.

"Eldon, we are in your mind, the most powerful tool a magic user has. The magic may come from the heart, but it is used with the mind. Your mind is able to reflect how you are feeling in the waking world, as well as allow me to be able to contact you. When we were here last time, your mind was confused, resulting in the grey cloudiness, but now, your mind is calm, almost peaceful even."

"So whatever I'm feeling while I'm awake or when I fall asleep is reflected in here?" Eldon asked and Merlin nodded.

"That's correct Eldon, and the reason why I am here is because you used your magic."

"Wait- How did you- I never said I- My magic?" Eldon took a step back in disbelief as Merlin began to run his hand through his long and wispy beard.

"Come now Eldon, did you honestly believe that I wouldn't have been able to sense a vast amount of magic being used?" Merlin asked. "But what was it used for? Surely for you to use such a highly concentrated amount it must have been something grand." Eldon crossed his arms and closed his eyes, trying hard to remember what he did use his... magic for.

"I remember... I remember something heavy... as well as a lot of white," Eldon said. "Yes... I think... I think I used it to help save Canterlot from colliding with the ground, but for some strange reason, I can't remember everything I did. It was like I wasn't myself." Merlin gently placed his wrinkled hand on Eldon's left shoulder.

"Eldon... what you are describing sounds like a feat that would have taken a hundred Unicorns to perform. I felt so much raw and uncontained power... you could have possibly ripped your mind apart Eldon, or worse... you could have passed from the mortal realm."

"Wait, how do you know it was me at all?" Eldon asked. Merlin took his hand off of Eldon's shoulder and held it at his side.

"Each magic user has what is called a magical aura, their signature so to say. Each one is unique, so when I felt it, I knew it couldn't have been the princesses or a regular Unicorn, but rather something of immense power, which you've proven to be already. Like I said before, I was afraid you weren't going to make it because magic comes at a cost. If you lack focus and training, most magic users have a tendency of offing themselves by using too much of their energy. You however, it looks like that necklace of yours is what helped to keep you alive." Eldon looked down at his necklace to see that the orb had changed into something else.

"Merlin! The orb... it's different!" Eldon exclaimed and Merlin nodded.

"I saw Eldon. From the time I first laid eyes on it, I never thought of it as more than a pretty piece of jewellery. I remember now though... and as I look at it... I can't believe how your fate became intertwined with it," Merlin replied and Eldon raised an eyebrow.

"Intertwined? What do you mean Merlin?" Eldon asked as Merlin coughed into his sleeve.

"Ahem, Eldon, I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but I believed there to be a seventh element, an element capable of strengthening itself when it empowered the others." Eldon's jaw dropped in disbelief. As far as he was concerned, there were only six elements. Not five, not seven, just six.

"What!? A seventh element? That doesn't make any sense. Don't all elements need to be present when used in order for them to work?" Eldon asked and Merlin shook his head.

"I had thought the same thing Eldon, and I spent most of my years searching for it, only to meet with little success. However, I believe we shall find our answer soon enough," Merlin replied.

"Soon? What do you mean by we? You aren't even-" Eldon was interrupted again when Merlin raised his hand.

"We've spent too long on this topic Eldon and I have very limited time, but trust me, we will find out. Now let's return to the important matter at hand, you using your magic. Although I did feel you using a lot of power, I believe that you have not yet shown all of it," he said which caused Eldon's eyes to widen with amazement.

"Wait… so you're telling me that whatever I did was only... a portion of this magic I have?" Eldon asked and Merlin nodded his head.

"You are indeed a very unique case Eldon, very unique indeed," he replied. "I hope you have heeded my warning well, for we haven't yet seen what your limits are, but you can still be tempted by darkness. Few magic users have the ability to use both the light and dark side of their magic, and what you most likely used was your 'light' side. Try to envision the opposite of what I'm saying, and you'll see what I mean."

Eldon closed his eyes and tried to imagine what Merlin had described. He saw a flash of red and a demon that looked like him, except the thing's eyes burned black and it was engulfed in a blazing red inferno. He quickly opened his eyes and shuddered at what he saw. "You see? The power of darkness can be a terrible thing if allowed to take hold of your mind. But there is one exception to this 'dark' side of your power." Eldon looked into Merlin's eyes.

"What is the exception?" he asked and Merlin coughed again into his sleeve before he continued.

"The power of darkness can be used to greatly enhance your offensive abilities, but only if you are able to stay in control will it do you any good," Merlin answered. "I highly recommend you to not delve into it though, not until you have more experience or just not at all. Just look at what happened to Sombra... what happened to Luna. It could also happen to you, Twilight, Celestia, Cadance, myself, and whatever other Unicorns out there that have the ability."

"Fortunately I trust you and the princesses Merlin, however it does concern me that there are other Unicorns capable of unlocking their dark side. Is it easy to do?" Eldon asked and Merlin shook his head.

"Fortunately, no. A regular Unicorn unlocking their dark side would take them years and years of study and work that most don't prefer it. Actually, most Unicorns aren't even aware that it still exists, and it's better left that way. But for magic users like us, we must be careful, for power is tempting and hard to resist."

"So... I have a light and dark side to my powers... that's quite scary actually," Eldon said.

"Indeed," Merlin replied. "Indeed."

"I have two more questions I must ask you Merlin," Eldon said. "One, somehow when I used my magic I was able to turn human again, do you know why? And two, will there be any time for me to improve my ability to use magic without killing myself or others in the process?" Merlin leaned against his staff, having grown quite weary.

"One, you were able to become human because you unlocked your power and willed yourself to become so is what I'm guessing," Merlin answered. "And now you can change as you please like I. As for your second question, I'm afraid that your friends will have to answer that one... the connec-...tion is fad- fading... Until we meet again... Eldon..." Merlin slowly began to fade away once more and Eldon reached out and tried to grab him, only to have his hand pass through nothing.

"Don't go yet!" Eldon shouted. "I need to know more!" But it was of no use. The environment began to darken and turn into an inky blackness. Don't go...

When Eldon awoke, he felt something heavy on his chest and his stomach. He slowly opened his eyes to find that his face was pressed against that of a pink pony. The two locked eyes and it only took less then a second for both of them to react.

"AHHH!" they both yelled at the same time and Pinkie hopped off of him.

"Pinkie! What were you doing?" Eldon asked, but Pinkie just bounced out of his room.

"He's awake! He's awake!" Pinkie shouted excitedly as she bounced down the hall. He heard her repeat herself until her voice had faded away. Eldon slowly laid back down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. His body felt incredibly sore.

Crap... there's no doubt now that they know I lied to them about being a Unicorn. What are they going to do to me now? Perform tests? Banish me? Surely they wouldn't go as far as to kill me out of fear for the safety of themselves... would they? Eldon thought. He quickly shook his head and pushed the thoughts out of his mind. No... of course not! But there's only one way to find out. He threw the blankets off of him and sat on the edge of the bed when he noticed a pile of clothing on the nightstand. He reached over and grabbed them to find that there was a t-shirt and a simple pair of pants, but they were both awkwardly designed. Huh, they must have taken some measurements while I was asleep. This is... this is actually pretty thoughtful of them though, especially since I'm sure they never had to make human sized clothing before. He quickly dressed himself in his new clothing and noticed that the shirt and pants were both a bit loose, but at least the fabric was soft and comfortable. I think I'll give them some more accurate measurements in the future if the time ever arises. Oh! What is this? Eldon had noticed a slip of paper on the ground and bent over to pick it up. It must have fallen off of the nightstand. He quickly brushed away the dirt and began to read it.

Good morning Eldon,

I had Pinkie stop by to drop you off some clothing since you were... probably needing it. I apologize if it isn't the greatest, but there is only so much we can do to try to convince the other ponies that you wouldn't kill them when you woke up. Anyway, meet us in the throne room as soon as you can, for their are important matters we need to discuss with Celestia in private.

Yours truly,

Twilight Sparkle.

Eldon finished reading the paper and placed it gently back on the nightstand when suddenly his stomach growled.

I know that I shouldn't keep them waiting... but food should always come first. I wonder where the kitchen is, Eldon thought and quickly left the bedroom. Having no idea where the kitchen could possibly be, Eldon began wandering the halls, hoping he would either stumble across it or find a pony that could help point him in the right direction. He soon found himself in a hall where paintings covered every inch of both walls, all of various designs and quality. Equestria's art is rather... interesting. I wonder if there are any paintings that are similar to some back on Earth? Bah, what am I saying, they wouldn't know anything about Earth! If I did come across a familiar painting... just enjoy it for what it is. He continued to look at the various works of art when the scent of baked bread filled his nostrils. Oh ho ho! What is this I'm smelling? Can it be? Where there is bread, there is an oven, and where there is an oven, there is a kitchen! Or there should be anyways. His stomach growled and he quickly began to follow the scent. Eldon soon came across a door that had 'Kitchen' inscribed on a sign to the left of it and he entered with caution. Eldon immediately noticed the loaf of bread on the counter and walked over to it. He let the lovely smell fill his nose and he reached out to grab it when an angry french voice yelled at him... or rather it sounded like a terrible french accent back on Earth.

"Get avay from dat filthy creature! Ze bread ez for ze royal breakfast only!" Eldon turned around and saw a pony wearing a chef's hat, complete with the attire and he brought his arm back.

"Woah there chef, I was just..." Eldon began to say but the chef didn't give him time to explain.

"Non! I vant none of your excuses! Get out vermin, or I shall call ze guards! Le pain n'est pas pour vous!" Eldon slowly began to back out, the chef now having picked up a frying pan and brandished it towards him until Eldon was back in the hall. "Do not let moi, Chef Pain Baguette, catch you in 'ere again! Oh, and by ze vay, your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!" Chef Pain Baguette slammed the door on his face and Eldon turned around and sighed.

Well, isn't he fun to be around, Eldon thought sarcastically. There wasn't really any need for that insult either, but maybe there'll be food in the throne room. I've wasted enough time already. Eldon then walked away and made his way towards the direction of the throne room, or at least where he hoped the throne room would be. It's strange really, I haven't met another soul since I left the bedroom, well, other than Chef Pain Stupide. Where is everyone? Fortunately, he did go in the right direction because as he neared the entrance to the throne room, Eldon began to hear the sound of many voices. That's strange, I wonder what the occasion is? Wait... is this where everyone has been? I thought Twilight said that this discussion was going to be private? Taking a deep breath, Eldon calmed his nerves and entered, only to be greeted by the brightly lit throne room and the silence of the ponies that were in there. "Uh... hello everyone, what's going on?"

A moment of silence followed when one of the ponies finally spoke.

"Oh sweet Celestia, the creature talks!"

"It's probably deciding on which one of us to eat first!" Eldon threw out his hands in front of him in confusion.

"What? No! Just hold on a damn second, I'm not here to do-"

"He's going to attack us! Somepony stop him!" a pony in front of him cried in terror, interrupting Eldon. Two of the guards pushed their way through the crowd and barreled into him, knocking Eldon to the ground and onto his back before holding him down. Another guard approached and held a pike to his head, just in case he tried to do anything. Eldon struggled to break free of the weight on him when a familiar face appeared above his.

"P- Pinkie!? What the hell is going on here!?" Eldon yelled and Pinkie just smiled at him.

"Oh? Do you mean all of this?" she asked and gestured towards the ponies. "They wanted to see who helped to save their city, so I brought them here to show that it was you!"

"Pinkie! They are- erf- they are trying to have me killed! Please help me!"

"Oh, well that's not what I had wanted at all! Hang on Eldon, I'll be right back!" Pinkie exclaimed and bounced out of his sight.

"Pinkie! Where are you going!? Gah! Please let me go! I've been through too much just to have my life ended here!" Eldon pleaded.

"What should we do with it?" one of the guards asked the other.

"I don't know, but his struggling is starting to get on my nerves..." the other guard that was holding him replied. Eldon suddenly heard the throne room doors slam open, followed by a very angry yell.

"What is going on in here everypony!?" Eldon recognized the voice to belong to that of Celestia. "Guards! Release the one that you hold on the ground!" The guards bowed their heads and released Eldon, allowing him to breathe comfortably once again. Celestia, alongside Pinkie Pie slowly made their way to the front of the room, the ponies parting for them as they passed. "I am very disappointed in all of you. I had thought you would have been more accepting towards our new guest. He may look new and different, but we should treat him with the same respect we treat everypony else. This human did help to save Canterlot after all." The ponies gasped in response as they realized the error of their ways.

"The... hooman... helped save us?" they whispered among themselves. Just as Eldon got to his feet, the ponies in the room knelt down before him.

"I... I don't deserve this everyone," Eldon said. "There was a chance that I could have destroyed the whole city... please stand up, I'm not the one who should be thanked, but rather the princesses." Celestia smiled warmly at him from across the room.

"I see that you are trying to be humble about this Eldon, but there is no denying that you are a hero, no matter how much you don't think so," she said.

"You are all very kind," Eldon said. "But I still wouldn't have been able to help if it weren't for Twilight and her friends."

"Don't you mean YOUR friends?" a voice behind Eldon asked, surprising him. He turned around to see five very recognizable faces.

"Twilight! Applejack! You guys! Am I glad to see you!" Eldon exclaimed. "But I lied to all of you. How can you forgive me so easily?"

"Eldon... just because you aren't like us doesn't mean you aren't our friend anymore!" Twilight replied. "Although some of us were upset, in the end it didn't matter because you've shown that you care about those around you, even if they are complete strangers." Eldon smiled at her in return.

"Thanks Twilight... that means a lot to me." Celestia cleared her throat and she addressed the other ponies in the room.

"You all may rise now. I believe it's time we moved on to some more important matters at the moment however. Everypony else is dismissed, thank you for coming this morning." The ponies began whispering to each other as the filed out of the throne room, pointing at Eldon as they passed until they were all gone. "Guards, you may leave as as well." The guards bowed their heads towards Celestia and they too left, leaving her alone with Eldon, Twilight, and the rest of their friends. They began making their way towards the throne which Celestia had now sat down upon. From the foot of the throne, Pinkie bounced down from next to Celestia and rejoined her friends.

"Hey, thanks Pinkie for helping me out of a tight spot,' Eldon whispered.

"No problem!" Pinkie whispered back. "Hoof bump?" She stuck out her hoof and Eldon made a fist and gently tapped her hoof.

"Hoof bump," he replied, feeling somewhat awkward about using his hand before he turned to face Celestia. "We are here now Celestia, what is it that we needed to discuss?" All eyes were now focused on Celestia.

"Eldon and friends, we are here this morning to discuss about the possibility of a seventh Element of Harmony," she replied. "Eldon, I've already told the others this, but I want all of you to visit the Tree of Harmony." Eldon gasped with excitement upon the mention of the name.

"The Tree of Harmony!? Really? I mean, uh, why do we need to go there?"

"It's because of the gem in your necklace Eldon. Something happened yesterday evening that allowed the gem to give you the strength you needed when ours had almost failed. We have evidence that your gem might be the lost seventh element."

"Oh, and what is the evidence?" Eldon asked. Twilight walked in front of him and lifted her hoof.

"Watch this Eldon," Twilight said and she placed her hoof on the gem. Eldon looked down to see that the gem began to change from its usual white to a magenta colour. When Twilight removed her hoof, the gem slowly reverted back to normal.

"Woah! It reacted to your touch Twilight! That's... new. Huh, I'm guessing it would change to a different colour if the others did the same?" he asked and Twilight nodded, indicating that he was correct.

"You see Eldon? We've never seen anything like that before, that's why I need all of you to visit the tree to look for any beneficial clues, as well as see how your gem reacts to the other elements," Celestia said. "Are you up to the task?"

"Oh I don't know... are you kidding me!? Of course we're up to the task! I have some of the most dependable ponies in all of Equestria right next to me!" Eldon exclaimed. "What say you everyone?"

"Yes!" they said in unison.

"Then it's settled," Celestia said. "You shall leave immediately. Oh, and may I have a word with Eldon in private please?"

"Of course!" Twilight replied. "We'll just be waiting right outside Eldon, after we pick up Spike though since I let him sleep in today. Yesterday evening's events tired that dragon out like you wouldn't believe!" They trotted over to the entrance of the throne room and opened and closed the wooden doors, leaving Eldon and Celestia alone.

"Here Eldon, I want you to take this," Celestia said and she levitated towards him a piece of ripped parchment that was hidden underneath the throne. He examined it and only noticed some strange markings and a few letters that he was unable to interpret, as well as what looked to be a part of a river.

"What exactly is it your highness?" Eldon asked.

"It is a piece of a map Eldon," she answered. "It was torn apart a long time ago to keep evil ones from ever obtaining what was shown on this very map. I do not know where the other fragments are exactly, but I do know that they are hidden throughout Equestria, waiting to be discovered." Eldon nodded and continued to hold the piece. "Oh! I almost forgot this." She levitated what looked like a satchel towards him and he grabbed it out of the air. "This is an enchanted bag of holding. It's small on the outside, but large on the inside. Very convenient for travel."

"Thank you your highness, I... I don't know what else to say!" Eldon exclaimed and he gently placed the piece of the map inside the bag.

"It's quite alright Eldon. Go now, your friends are waiting," Celestia said and Eldon bowed before her.

"We'll return before you know it Celestia," Eldon replied and tied the satchel to the waistline of his pants.

"Good luck Eldon the human," Celestia said, but he had already left. The last she saw of him was a single hoof exiting through the throne room doors.

Outside, Eldon met up with Twilight and her friends who were patiently waiting for him on the steps.

"Hey... Eldon!?" Twilight exclaimed, surprised at his appearance. "You look like us again, but how? Did you use a spell?" Eldon nodded his head as he stretched his legs.

"You could say that Twilight. I learned recently that I am able to change forms without too much effort. I just have to think about it and poof, although it won't work for anything else because I'm not exactly too great at using magic yet," Eldon explained. "I said I would never be like this again if given the chance... but I feel that it might prove to be beneficial for certain situations at hand, er, hoof. Anyway, shall we get going?"

"Yeah Twilight, let's go already!" Rainbow Dash shouted impatiently. "We've already wasted enough time as it is!"

"Alright alright, we can go now, come on Spike, climb on!" Spike stopped throwing pebbles and hopped onto her back. Twilight watched Eldon as he began to descend the stairs when she saw something on him that surprised her. "Hey! Hey Eldon! Your cutie mark! It isn't blackened out anymore!" she exclaimed. Eldon gasped and looked at his side. On his haunch was indeed a visible cutie mark, and it looked very similar to the gem's design. What was interesting about it was the fact that the left half was a white colour while the right half was a dark red, although it almost appeared black. "What do you think it means?"

I... I think it means that my unique trait... my destiny... is to defend those that I care for... yes, that must be it! A protector of the innocent! Eldon thought. "Twilight, I think it means that I'm supposed to defend those who can't defend themselves, even if it means sacrificing my own life in the process."

"That actually does make quite a bit of sense Eldon. I hope that it is what you wanted though, because there is no turning back on it now."

"Oh this is so exciting! We are going on another adventure!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"I'm with Pinkie on this one," Rainbow Dash said. "I can't wait to experience some real danger again!"

"Well, I am sure ma family can attend to the farm without me while I am gone. I am sure they'll understand," Applejack said. "Just as long as I am back in time for Apple Bucking season, ah can go wherever!"

"I think it will be the perfect bonding experience for all of us. Don't you agree Spike?" Rarity asked.

"D- Su-sure Rarity, I will agree with anything you say," Spike replied with a dreamy expression on his face.

"Um, I think Discord will be okay that I'm gone for another day, um, yay adventure!" Fluttershy whispered.

"Then let's get going!" Twilight exclaimed. They all then began to descend the steps and head towards the train station as Celestia's morning sun rose behind them.

The train ride back to Ponyville was quick and mostly painless, except for the part that Rainbow Dash got into a fight with another Pegasus from her filly years. The Pegasus in question insulted Rainbow Dash's father and Rainbow Dash herself, causing the fight to escalate into a full out brawl between the two.

The Pegasus wouldn't be flying for a long while now, but Rainbow's actions caused her to receive a one week suspension from train services and a fine of two hundred bits. Fortunately, Twilight was there to reduce the charges, which would have been much, much worse if she hadn't been.

When they finally arrived at Ponyville Station, they quickly disembarked and headed towards the nearest path that led into the Everfree Forest, well, what everypony would consider a path anyway. The travelling group at last stood before the entrance to the Everfree, staring down the 'path' that laid before them.

"Well getting here wasn't too hard, although the train ride could have gone a lot smoother if SOMEPONY just decided to stand down," Twilight said.

Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs in annoyance and rose into the air. "Come on Twilight! That guy was just asking for it! Besides, you know me and I don't let other ponies insult my dad or I and let them get away with it!"

Twilight just sighed, realizing that she should just leave the topic alone. "Alright, anyway... now that we're here, it's just a short trip to reach the gorge. We shouldn't run into too much trouble if we all just stick together. Understand everypony?" she asked and they all nodded. "Good, let's get going then. I don't want to come back through the Everfree when it gets dark."

As the group entered the forest, Eldon felt some memories resurface. He remembered how he woke up here, not knowing where or what he was. He laughed at the thought and shook his head. Who would've known that I would end up here? he thought. I've learned so much in such a short amount of time. I do miss my family terribly though, I wonder how they've been doing?

"So Eldon, you're a human huh?" Rainbow Dash said, interrupting Eldon's thoughts. "You know, you are probably the first one ever to have arrived in Equestria!"

Eldon nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I guess I am," he said, although he hid the fact that Star Swirl was also a human that was there before he was. "How did you know I am a human by the way?"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Oh please! We were there when we saw you black out, and Celestia happened to had briefly looked into your mind while you were unconscious," she replied. She then imitated Eldon sleeping with his mouth open.

"That is not how I sleep!" Eldon said in a huff, but Rainbow Dash just laughed and returned to the treetops above them. He rubbed his forehead with his hoof, feeling like Celestia had trespassed into his own private sanctuary, but quickly dismissed the feeling, assuming that Celestia surely must have meant well. Wait... if Celestia looked into my mind, did she see Merlin? I wonder if they talked at all while I was still unconscious.

Roughly thirty minutes had passed when Twilight stopped. "Here we are!" she said. "That wasn't too bad at all, and we made it in good time too!"

Before them was a wooden bridge that had some work done on it as to make it a bit safer to walk on. Across the bridge sat the remains of an ancient castle, the castle that the royal sisters shared a thousand years ago before Luna's transformation to Nightmare Moon.

Next to them was a set of crumbling stone stairs, which brought up bad memories for Eldon. "Stairs!? STONE STAIRS!? NOOOO!" he shouted.

Twilight just shook her head and laughed, understanding the reference. "Come on everypony, the Tree of Harmony is just in this gorge down these steps."

"Yes Twilight we know already, we've been here before!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

Twilight just rolled her eyes. "Well, perhaps Eldon didn't know. Did you ever think of that Rainbow? Anyway, I'll meet you all at the bottom." She then launched herself into the air and slowly glided down to the bottom of the gorge, with Spike raising his arms as she did so.

"Hey... sorry Eldon I talked to Twilight that way, I had almost forgotten that this was your first trip here," Rainbow Dash said, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"It's alright Rainbow, although you should probably apologize to Twilight when you get the chance," he replied. "Although I'm sure it's not that big of a deal."

"Heh, you're right Eldon, see you at the bottom slowpokes!" Rainbow Dash shouted and she jumped off the edge and she too glided down to the bottom, followed shortly afterwards by Fluttershy.

"Slow!? Argh! Why does she always feel the need to annoy me?" Applejack said. The ponies that couldn't fly slowly began to make their descent down the slippery and weathered stone steps, Eldon grumbling and cursing to himself underneath his breath the whole time.

As they were nearing the bottom, the step beneath Eldon gave away, causing him to tumble down the last few steps just as the others ahead of him reached the bottom. "These- Ow! God- Ow! Damn- Ow! Stairs!" he yelled and his face disappeared into a pile of soft dirt at the bottom.

"Uh, Eldon? Are you alright?" Applejack asked. Eldon raised his left foreleg, face still in the ground, indicating that he was alright. He slowly pulled himself out of the dirt and did his best to brush himself off, and he looked to see the others trying to hold in their laughter.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Hey Eldon... nice moustache!" Spike answered and he fell off of Twilight's back laughing, which caused the others to begin laughing as well.

"It really... looks good on you!" Rainbow Dash said in between laughs.

Eldon just shrugged. "Eh, I have it as a human," he said and he joined in the laughter as well.

When it died down, Twilight wiped away a tear before she spoke. "Haaa...we're almost there everypony, just a bit farther."

Eldon looked past her and saw a faint light blue glow being emitted from the far side of the gorge. "Hey! I think I see it over there!" he exclaimed. He began to gallop towards the source, pulling far ahead of the others.

"Hey Eldon! Wait up!" Applejack shouted and the group followed him.

Eldon stopped in front of an opening to a cave. Inside, he saw where the blue light was coming from and he gazed in awe at the sight. "The Tree of Harmony..." he whispered.

He heard the stamping of hooves behind him and shortly after his friends appeared on either side of him. "Sorry everyone for pulling ahead. I was just too excited! I just had to see the tree for myself!" he exclaimed.

"It's alright Eldon," Twilight replied. "Just next time, we all go together okay?"

Eldon nodded. "Okay, I promise," he said. "Why don't we all enter the cave together then?"

"I like that idea!" Pinkie exclaimed and they all went inside the cave together. Inside the cave, Eldon was finally able to get a clear view of the Tree of Harmony. It was a beautiful sight to behold. The tree appeared to be encased in a fine crystalline substance, similar to what some of Twilight's palace was made of, or was it covered? Perhaps the whole thing was made of crystal? Sparkling gems also dangled from the branches, but what caught his attention the most were the big branches and the gems that resided in them.

Each gem had a distinct shape that was related to one of the cutie marks on each pony. The first gem was a pink butterfly, the Element of Kindness. Fluttershy represented that one. Although she is shy, she does her best to make her friends happy and watches out for others. The next one was a blue balloon, the Element of Laughter. Pinkie Pie represented that one, and there was no doubt that there has been a lot of laughter with her around. The top branch had a red lightning bolt, the Element of Loyalty. Eldon knew that no matter what, Rainbow Dash would never abandon them in their time of need, nor would she ever betray them. The next one was a purple diamond, the Element of Generosity. Rarity represented that one due to her generous attitude, even though she can be a bit too generous sometimes, which is most definitely not a bad thing. She probably oversaw the creation of my clothing, Eldon thought. And better yet, I was able to make it so I didn't lose them when changing forms, although I should probably get some more made soon.

The second last gem was an orange apple, the Element of Honesty. Applejack certainly wasn't afraid to speak the truth whenever she had to and was also Ponyville's most dependable pony. That didn't mean the others around her weren't capable though. The final gem on the tree, Twilight's, resided in the center of the tree. It looked like a magenta coloured star and it represented the Element of Magic. Merlin keeps telling me that I have a powerful magic... but what magic can be more powerful than Twilight's? She is the Element of Magic! The Element of freaking Magic! Not to mention she is also an Alicorn with years and years of magical experience and knowledge, while I on the other hand don't even know how to use it, let alone control it! What looked like the sun and the moon appeared just below it.

"Alright everypony, start searching the tree for anything that seems out of the ordinary," Twilight said. As the group searched high and low in the cave and around the tree, Eldon was studying its roots, looking for something, anything, that might lead them to some answers. The gem around his neck was glowing brightly. Something about the place was causing it to react.

After an hour had passed with no luck of finding anything useful, Rainbow Dash decided she had enough. "This is hopeless!" she shouted. "We've searched this whole cave and have found nothing! We have to admit that the gem is just weird and somehow took some of Twilight's magic!"

Applejack trotted over to Twilight. "As much as I hate to say it, she's right Twilight," Applejack said. "We haven't found anything outta the ordinary since we got here."

Eldon suddenly stood up and turned around to face them. "That's because we haven't searched everywhere yet!" he exclaimed. "We've searched the tree, as well as the walls of the cave... but what about beneath it?"

Twilight and Applejack looked at each other and then at Rainbow who just shrugged. "I don't know, I guess it's worth a shot," Rainbow said.

"Eldon is right though. I watched as we searched the entire cave, but never did we think to look underground," Twilight replied.

Eldon nodded. "Exactly, now who here knows how to dig?"

Twilight laughed and her horn began to glow a magenta colour. "Um, Eldon? We can just use magic," she said.

Eldon brought a hoof to his face, feeling like an idiot. "Of course... just begin digging underneath the tree please, we should start there first," he said. Twilight directed her magic towards the base of the tree and the dirt there began to shift.

"Hey all! Ya might want to get your rears over here!" Applejack called out, and the others who weren't present walked over immediately, having also not found anything.

Twilight was careful as to not disturb the roots of the tree until something began to poke at the surface. "Hey, I think I found something!" Twilight exclaimed. She quickly levitated the object out of the ground and laid it gently on the ground in front of the group.

"What is it?" Fluttershy asked. Before them was a small chest covered in complex engravings. A single key hole was located at the front.

"It looks to be some sorta chest I reckon." Applejack answered. "Hey, there's that same symbol as the gem that Eldon has around his neck!" Eldon looked at his glowing gem and back at the chest. She was right, the symbols were oddly identical. The gem stayed at the same level of brightness as he neared the chest for a closer look.

"Careful Eldon," Fluttershy said.

Eldon looked back at Fluttershy and nodded. "Don't worry," he said. "I think I'll be okay." He raised his hoof and slowly touched the front of the chest.

Eldon closed his eyes, expecting something to happen, but nothing did. He opened them to see that the chest was still the same and covered in dirt, while the gem was still glowing at the same level as before. "I don't get it... how can a chest with the same symbol not have a reaction!?" he yelled.

He kicked the ground with his hoof and leaned against the tree, feeling that this had all been a waste of time. But when Eldon had touched the tree, a light blue spark jumped from it and was absorbed into his necklace, causing it to turn a light blue.

"Uh... Eldon? Your necklace changed colour," Spike said.

Eldon looked down at the necklace to see that it had indeed changed colour and he slowly began to back away from the tree towards his friends. "What is going on with-" Eldon began to say, but stopped as the gem fired a light blue beam at the tree. It slowly began to work its way through the tree until it reached the Element of Laughter, causing it to lightly glow before moving on to the next one.

"Ooh! Pretty colours!" Pinkie exclaimed. After the beam passed through each element on the branches, it finally reached the Element of Magic. Each gem then shot a beam of light into the empty space in front of the tree, combining the colours and forming a glowing white sphere of energy.

"Everyone, get back!" Eldon shouted. The sphere began to rotate until it burst into thousands of sparks. The sparks began to slowly float downwards, but then started to swirl round and round, creating a small whirlwind. All of a sudden, they combined, and the image of an old and bearded pony faded into existence before them, causing the whole group to gasp. Twilight immediately recognized the old pony at once.

"Star Swirl the Bearded!" Twilight exclaimed.

"It's you!" Eldon exclaimed at the same time.

The old pony smiled at the ponies standing before him. "Yes, it is I, Star Swirl," the image said. "I see that you have united the elements at last, something I tried to do for so many years, and for that I thank you."

Twilight took a couple of steps back, still surprised at the appearance of Star Swirl. "Aren't you... supposed to have passed away?" she asked. "How are you able to communicate with us? You're not... from the past are you?"

Star Swirl chuckled at her question and coughed afterwards. "No Twilight, I'm not from the past, nor am I dead. I am in the present, just like you and everypony else. I am alive and well, just merely... resting is how I'll put it."

"How are you able to contact us if you're sleeping?" Applejack asked.

"Ah, another good question. You see, when you brought the elements together-"

"Woah, hang on. So we are confirming that the gem is the seventh element?" Rainbow asked, interrupting Star Swirl. "If so, then what does it stand for?"

Star Swirl raised a foreleg and coughed into it before continuing. "Firstly, I am here because of Eldon's connection with his element. By using his mind and the power of the elements here, I was able to project an image of myself, but it won't last long," Star Swirl explained. "As for the second question, yes, Eldon is indeed the bearer of the seventh element. If his gem wasn't the element, I would not be able to communicate with all of you right now. I unfortunately don't know what his element represents, but what I do know is that it has a special connection with the rest of your elements."

"So... so I was right all along! Yes!" Twilight shouted triumphantly.

"Well, it was I that discovered it before you, but that's not the point," Star Swirl continued. "Let us speak of how the elements can work together, such as when you used the rainbow power to fight... uh..."

"Tirek!" Pinkie shouted.

"Ah, yes, of course! Tirek, a rather nasty fellow isn't he?" Star Swirl said. "But moving on. Listen to me everypony, your rainbow power, although indeed powerful enough to stop Tirek, will be nothing against what you have been fighting these last few weeks."

"You mean the strange darkness?" Twilight asked and Star Swirl nodded.

"Yes, the darkness," he replied. "You are aware of what has befallen the Crystal Empire?" Twilight nodded her head sadly in response. "Prepare yourselves for more bad news then. The darkness you have been fighting with no success... is an old enemy from the past," he said. "An enemy so old and filled with hate that he is successfully manipulating these dark forces and spreading chaos and fear. An enemy I thought was defeated long ago. He is chaos incarnate... The God of Chaos."

They all gasped. "No! It's not Discord!" Fluttershy said as she hovered in the air. "He has been reformed!"

Star Swirl sighed. "No Fluttershy, Discord is merely a tiny fraction of what this monster is capable of, I assure you though, he is not the one I'm talking about," he replied.

Fluttershy lowered herself to the ground. "Oh, well, um, that's good then," she whispered.

"Indeed," Star Swirl replied. "This monster has more destructive ability than Discord, tens of thousands of times more. The six elements weren't able to defeat them on their own in the past, but now we have all of them, and there is only one piece left that we need in order to assure his ultimate destruction."

"What is the final piece we will so desperately need?" Rarity asked.

Star Swirl looked down at his hooves before looking at them again. "The Elements of Harmony need to be charged, and only I know how to unlock their true power." The ponies let his words sink in. Once again, they managed to get caught up in the fate of Equestria. "But in order to do this, you must find and awaken me from my slumber."

"So why don't you just tell us how right now?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Star Swirl shook his head. "If only it were that simple," he replied. "No. Before I was shut away from the world, I had discovered their hidden potential. You may think they are powerful now, but just you wait until they reveal their truest forms. You must find me, and to help you get started, I remember there being a map, although I don't know what has happened to-"

Eldon brought out a piece of the map that was given to him by Celestia from the satchel that had now gone on his side like a saddlebag. "This map?" he asked.

Star Swirl's eyes widened. "Yes yes!" he said, "But that's only a piece of it. I remember that it was split into four pieces, but I don't know where in Equestria you would start looking for them-" Star Swirl was interrupted as the map flew out of Eldon's hoof and hovered in front of him. The gem shot another beam at the map and when it connected, the map projected a map of Equestria. Three blue sparkles were shown on it, each in different locations. They then beamed themselves into Eldon's head, making him permanently remember each location that a sparkle was shown to be. "This is amazing! Who knew your element held such power Eldon!"

Eldon looked at the gem and then at Star Swirl. "Yeah... I didn't know an element could do that..."

Star Swirl suddenly dropped to the ground and the projection began to flicker. "My power is weakening... once again... this will be the last... time I can speak with all you... until you find me... remember Eldon... do not... do not let chaos reign..." he weakly whispered.

Star Swirl then began to disappear the final time, just like in Eldon's encounters with him in his mind. "Wait Star Swirl! I have so many questions for you! I'm your biggest fan!" Twilight shouted. "I can't believe you're still alive after all these years!" But he was gone, and the Elements of Harmony that were glowing faded back to their original state.

"That just ain't natural," Applejack said. "But then again, I've seen plenty of bizarre things these last few years!"

Eldon picked up the map piece that had floated down to the ground with his hoof and carefully placed it back into the satchel. "Jeez... to think that the Elements aren't at their strongest yet... I'm guessing that what Star Swirl meant was that the Elements of Harmony are powerful together, but they need to still remain powerful while on their own, similar to this one. Well, what are we waiting for? We have to report this to Celestia!"

Twilight nodded her head in agreement. "He's right everypony, it's time we returned and tell Celestia what has happened here, she'll know what our best course of action should be to go about gathering these map pieces," she said and turned to look at Eldon. "Lead the way Eldon!"

He nodded and was just about to leave when he remembered something. The chest! he thought. We should probably bring that with us. "Twilight, can you put the chest in the satchel on my side please?" he asked.

"Sure thing Eldon," she replied and lifted the chest with her magic and carefully placed it inside the satchel. He noticed that the bag didn't get heavier after she put the chest in.

Celestia, this is quite the gift! he thought. "Thank you," he told her and Twilight nodded, accepting his thanks.

"Come on everypony, we are burning daylight!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Then let's be off shall we? I'll race ya Rainbow! Although we have to take the stairs together, because those things are just the bane of my existence," Eldon replied.

"Oh, you are so on Eldon!" she shouted and flew out of the cave. Eldon chuckled and galloped out of the cave after her. Twilight just shook her head as she and everypony else followed them, eager to get back to Ponyville and rest before taking the train back to Canterlot.

Meanwhile, in the darkest parts of Equestria, a lone figure sat. His fingers were steepled as he watched the events unfold before him, carefully listening to every detail, every word that came out of the fool's mouth. "So... Star Swirl yet lives... it'll be a shame once those ponies..." He let the word roll off his tongue, his black heart burned with hatred every time that word was mentioned. "...lead me directly to him." He waved the scene away and sat there patiently when a portal suddenly materialized and opened before him. Sombra and Chrysalis stepped out of it and the portal closed behind them. He could see the fear in their eyes and it felt... delicious. "You are late..." he hissed.

Sombra gulped and he managed to speak. "We- we come with some good news and some bad news oh great one. We were successful in-" he was interrupted when a hand smacked him across the face, sending him flying to the left.

"Did you really think that I wasn't aware of what the both you have done and failed to do!?" he roared.

He looked down at Chrysalis and she quickly averted her gaze. "M- my lord, we did everything we could, and the One wasn't even-"

"SILENCE!" he roared and Chrysalis immediately stopped talking."I do NOT have the time to listen to your pathetic excuses. With each second my power returns to me, and I shall soon march on this world, starting with Equestria! But for every failure you make, my patience grows less. You are not having second thoughts are you?"

Chrysalis was trembling at this point. "N- no my lord! We wish to see Equestria destroyed as much as you! We have been your faithful servants for the past two thousand years after all. We had given up hope when you were banished all those-"

"ENOUGH!" he roared. "I'll be giving you and Sombra a second chance Chrysalis. When the time arises, we shall capture the One and his element so I can finish my creation at last. Do you have your Changelings stationed in Canterlot?"

"Of course my lord," Chrysalis replied. "Just give me the word and they'll follow them. They have already infiltrated the ranks of their highest organization. The S.P.O.F."

"Excellent, now begone Chrysalis, I'll tell you when it is time, as for you Sombra..." he said and raised his hand. A bright green energy erupted from his palm and it brought Sombra before him. "I thought you to be stronger than that pathetic attempt at fighting the princesses back in Cantelot. I brought you back so you can have your revenge, but I grow tired of the incompetence of mortals. Return to the Crystal Empire and await for my orders. Begone," he said.  Sombra nodded weakly and melted into shadows, escaping his grip and disappearing into the darkness.

He rose from his seat and slowly made his way over to a tree, but this was no ordinary tree. It resembled the Tree of Harmony, except it was blackened and filled with poison. Six familiar green gems shone brightly on the tree, a colour so vile that even Rarity would have fainted at the sight of them. "At last... the final element is within my grasp," he whispered. "Little did those fools know what happened when they blasted me with the elements. I tasted their power... and it was enough to let me create my own deliciously twisted forms of them. None shall interfere with my plans for this world! When I have the final element in my grasp, none shall be able to withstand the might of the God of Chaos! The ENDBRINGER! And with that final element, I'll at last have finished my greatest creation... The Elements of Chaos!"

To be continued in Part Two: The Hunt For Star Swirl...