Prologue: The New Arrivals
Another quiet day had befallen Ponyville, and the clock was just striking four. The library was rather quiet that Sunday afternoon, and Twilight Sparkle decided that it would be a good time to sort out the new book donations. Regularly, the townspeople and those who were generous enough to stop by would donate their unwanted, used, or unneeded books to the library, to further its collection. Normally, the affair was a tedious one. Twilight would sit on the floor of the library, scanning through the books for rips and tears, sometimes discarding books she already had too many copies of. At this moment, she was in the process of doing just that.
“Daring Do and the Griffon’s Goblet… nope. A Study on the Phosphorescent Plants of the Everfree … interesting. I’ll keep that one for later. The Green-Hoof’s Almanac … hmmm. I could probably fix up these rips later… The Adventures of Scarlet Mane, Volume VII… Good! I’ve been missing a copy of that…”
Twilight continued to sift through the stack of books donated that week. However, a particular book caught her eye. It was leather-bound, and the paper was yellowed slightly from wear. It did not look like a modern book. Rather, it was something like what one might find in the Canterlot Library, or even in the Archives:
THE KNIGHTS OF HARMONY
The unſung Heroes of Yore
a hiſtorical tale by
EBON QUILL
the ſecond
“Ooh, this one looks like a classical piece! And in an original leatherbound quarto!” Twilight eagerly picked up the book. “By Ebon Quill himself! This is a wonderful addition to the collection!”
Twilight stopped for a moment. She had levitated the book with her horn and begun to carry it over to the shelf. She glanced at the book. ‘One doesn't simply come across an original Ebon Quill story every day...' Twilight thought, '...and I probably have enough time to read this before supper...' Twilight turned around and carried the book upstairs. She plopped herself down on the floor, laid the book in front of her, and turned the page.
Chapter 1: Clover's Revelation
The War had brewed on for twoscore years, and the three nations of the Old Equestrian land, the noble Unicorns, the brave Pegasi, and the humble Earth Ponies, still yet fought one another. The Old Lands, as was known, had been so long ago enrapt with frost and cold, and the three nations ventured southward through the Impenetrable Forest. In their haste, they knew naught of the others’ similar plans, and all three met again, then waging war once more in the new and virgin lands we know today as Equestria.
‘Twas the year nine hundred and forty seven. The three leaders of the three kingdoms had gathered in a cave under what is today Canterlot. At this time, however, the city had yet to be built, and the frosty plague sweeping southward had encroached upon the cavern.
Inside the cavern, these three leaders, each in their own respect more powerful than all of their subjects combined, stood powerless against the wretched frost outside the cave.
“And it was your ignorance that brought us into this toss-up!” exclaimed the Princess of Unicornia, Platinum Band. “Had you not led us up this wretched mountain, we would still yet have our lives!”
“But you know we near froze to death out there!” retorted Chancellor Puddinghead, the corpulent ruler of Terrestria. “It was the ignorance of the Pegasi that caused this plight. Had they simply maintained control over these winds and frost, they-”
Commander Swift Hurricane, of the pegasi, butted in. “Puddinghead, you liar! We had naught the chance to clear the weather! We never caused this atrocity in the first place: Surely the Unicorns’ foul magic tainted the air with this evil blizzard.”
Princess Platinum, enraged to the point that her white coat became scarlet, shouted at Commander Hurricane. “You bastard! We Unicorns have no knowledge of such a spell, and neither would we ever bring about such a disaster upon ourselves. In fact, we could’ve tided over until the blizzard ended if you Earth Ponies hadn’t kept all the food for yourselves!”
Chancellor Puddinghead was taken aback. “How could you say such a thing?” His neck-fat rippled under his beard. “There was no food even to hoard once that storm set in!”
The argument escalated to sickening heights in the space of less than a half-hour. By this time, the leaders were at their wits’ end. The chill in the cavern had become so great that even Puddinghead and Hurricane’s moustaches began to freeze, and Princess Platinum’s jewels began to crack.
“Brutish Pegasi!” exclaimed Platinum Band.
“Foul Unicorns!” shouted Commander Hurricane.
“Wicked Earth Ponies!” barked Puddinghead. “Oh, dear. What am I saying? This cruel storm has driven us to the point of insanity!”
“Perhaps we wouldn’t be driven to these measures had the weather been taken care of!” shouted the Princess.
“And maybe we should’ve taken care of each other much earlier!” Commander Hurricane drew his sword. Puddinghead and Platinum did the same.
And with one swift blow, each leader struck another, and the three fell dead, the glistening walls of the cavern slowly seeping the wicked frost into their bodies. And, with that, a force more evil than they could have possibly imagined sprang forth into the world, hungrier for chaos than ever before.
Then, on the mid-summer solstice of nine hundred and forty eight, the advisers to each of the three deceased leaders met, for the first time, to declare peace in the lands of what they would later call Equestria.
“…but hae can we institute peace with the war going on?” Smart Cookie interjected with her highland accent. “Even without their leaders, our three tribes continue to fight. I doubt anything we do will offset their hatred for one another.” Cookie turned to Citron Pansy, who began to speak.
“Even without this plague of frost, our tribes battle each other. The work of Discord has become too great to simply subvert ourselves. Clover, what say you about the matter?”
A wizened mare spoke raspily from underneath her cloak. “There is but one artefact that may bring forth Peace in the land.” Clover the Clever shook her head, throwing the hood of her cloak off and revealing her frazzled white mane. “The Elements of Harmony, ancient tools of yore. Each of the ancient pony tribes sought to keep it for themselves, but in the end it seemed to be lost for all time.”
Both of the other mares in the room stared in awe at the witchlike mare at the opposite end of the hall. Clover threw a book down on the ground, titled “The Vault of the Alicorns”, by Star Swirl the Bearded. “My mentor, Star Swirl himself, had the privilege to have corresponded with the Alicorn Empire before its downfall. He had learnt of a secret treasure that the Alicorns kept in their great vaults, sealed away for dire circumstances. 'Tis quite a shame they never could use it themselves…” Clover trailed off, lost in thought.
“So you are implying the alicorns kept the Elements sealed away in the vaults?” inquired Citron.
“Indeed.” Clover threw her wild white mane back from over her face, revealing the fern-green shade of her face, and with it her piercing gaze. “I am an old pony, and I cannot search for this artefact myself. And I doubt either of the likes of you would be willing to undergo such a gruelling task.” Smart Cookie and Citron Pansy wrinkled their brows.
“So what do ye suggest we do?” Smart Cookie asked.
“The Elements are composed of six different values, each essential in maintaining Harmony throughout the world:”
“Honesty, for without which a kingdom would succumb to corruption and lies.”
“Loyalty, for without which a kingdom becomes segregated and weak.”
“Kindness, for without which a kingdom would become cruel and alienating.”
“Generosity, for without which a kingdom is greedy and stone-hearted.”
“Laughter, for without which a kingdom ceases to be fruitful and entertained.”
“And finally, the one for which all the others work: Magic, for a kingdom cannot flourish without a spark of hope and prosperity.”
“Together, these elements combine to form a magical force unrivaled by any evil, not even that of Discord himself. This is why we need the Elements, and also why we need their bearers.”
“Their bearers?” asked Citron, puzzled.
“Each element must take a bearer. One who befits the honor of holding within them the value that it represents. For an example, the bearer of the Element of Loyalty would be one who never gives up his nation or his friends, no matter what the cost. Therefore, we must seek out those who would bear these Elements, so that they may journey forth and find them, and use them themselves to stop Discord, once and for all.”
“So we should seek out the bearers of these Elements?” Smart Cookie said. “Where would we find them? Where should we look?”
“I have gazed into the future, and what I saw was this and this only.” Clover stepped back. As she recited the vision, she found herself moving around the room, weaving amongst the two mystified ponies that served as her audience:
“An Azure pegasus, whose loyalty is sworn upon his birth;”
“A Crimson stallion, whose merry antics cause great mirth.”
“A Hearth-drawn one whose Golden skin stays true as his own word;”
“A Sterling Silver unicorn whose generosity is naught demurred.”
“A yellow Leafy one who resides up in the trees, granting kindness to all of those who dwell within the leaves;”
“And a magical unicorn with a coat as dark as Dusk, whose Starry knights we do with these great Elements entrust.”
Clover paused for a moment, letting the words of her vision sink into the two younger mares in the room. The elegant Private Citron Pansy and the Chancellor’s adviser Smart Cookie stared bewildered at this awesome revelation.
“I saw but this. I know naught the full meaning of this vision, but it is a great one. Go now, and find these, who will bear the Elements. Discord’s downfall is drawing even closer nigh.”
With that, the three mares parted until they would find those who they thought would be the Elements of Harmony, saviors of the realm.
