Ancient Adventures

"So.... you're Flash Sentry," Shining said. His eyes narrowed at the orange pegasus.

"Attention!" Shining suddenly bellowed.

Almost instinctively, Flash stood at attention, one hoof at his forehead in salute.

"Okay, now, I'm going to ask you some questions and I want you to answer them. Truthfully," Shining said.

"SIR, YES, SIR," Flash shouted, military style.

"Good," Shining began pacing around the nervous guard, "Is it true that you are dating my LITTLE SISTER?"

"Uh... SIR, YES, SIR," Flash said.

Shining scowled fiercely. His horn began powering up.

Then, suddenly, he was encased in a bubble of blue magic. He turned to his wife, who was glaring at him and shaking her head.

"Oh, come on!" Shining whined, "Can't I just destroy a not-so-tiny bit of him?"

Flash paled so much that his coat seemed gray.

"Shining....," Princess Cadence said warningly.

"Fine!" said Shining, sounding like a pouty six-year-old.

"Umm.... okay,"Rainbow said

Applejack just stared for a bit and then shook her head, muttering, "I've seen stranger things"

"Did y'all find anything?" she asked.

This snapped them back to attention.

"Indeed, we found a scroll just outside the Everfree Forest" Haley said, hoofing a scroll to his marefriend.

The scroll was regular parchment but was held together by a seal that nopony recognized. It was a rainbow shooting out of the bottom of a purplish-pink, six-pointed star. Around it there were four images. The one on the top right corner was a apple. The one on the top left corner was a diamond. The one on the bottom left corner was a pink butterfly. The one on the bottom right was a yellow balloon.

"I'm guessing that's Twilight's seal," Rainbow said.

Applejack picked it up and tried to open it.

"Huh,"she said after a few minutes of trying. No matter what she couldn't get it to open.

"Darling, wait!"Rarity suddenly exclaimed, "There is a message on the side of the scroll!"

Applejack read out the message:

"Only a special five,

To both live and to die,

Orange, white, cyan, yellow, and pink,

Only together can they see what has been inked."

Rarity looked confused. She was not the only one.

"Okay. What. The. Hay!" Rainbow exclaimed.

"I'm afraid I don't know." Rarity said.

"How 'bout we go through it one line at time?" Applejack suggested.

"Only a special five" Rarity read.

"Special five? Hay, that could mean anything! It could be Spitfire, Soarin', Fleetfoot, Lightspeed, and Airdart!" Rainbow said.

"Who exactly ar-" Rarity began.

"Spitfire, Soarin', Fleetfoot, Lightspeed, and Airdart are the five most athletic pegasi in Equestria!" Rainbow squeed. Then, noticing that everypony was staring at her, she said, "But, yeah, off topic"

"It could be the Royal Family, minus Twilight," Rarity suggested.

"Are you actually suggesting that Blu-," Pinkie began.

"Darling, as long as you do not mention that name, I will answer your question. And the answer is yes-," Rarity said, before she was once more interupted.

"Look, there are too many "maybes" to be sure of anything! How 'bout we move on to the next line and try to figure it out?" Applejack said.

"To both live and to die," Rainbow quoted,"Uh.. anypony know what that means? 'Cause it sounds kinda creepy. Not "Cupcakes" creepy, of course, but still creepy."

"In my opinion, it means that these five ponies are alive, but they can still die," Rarity said.

"I 'gree with ya there," Applejack said.

"So we should probably move on to the next line," Pinkie said.

"Orange, white, cyan, yellow, and pink," Fluttershy read, "Only together can they see what has been inked."

"Hmm....," Rarity thought, "Together........ Harmoniously........ Harmony........ The Elements........"

"Of course!" she gasped out loud, "The Bearers of the Elements of Harmony!"

"So we basically have to open one little, tiny, scroll together?" Rainbow said, "Sounds kinda lame"

"Lame or not, we still gotta do it," Applejack said.

"Fine," Rainbow said, rolling her eyes.

So they all worked together to open the scroll. Rarity contributed with her magic while the others pulled at the scroll. It easily opened.

"Wait a second," Rainbow said,"Why are WE the only ones who can open it?"