"This place is a lot bigger than I thought it would be..."

Twilight Sparkle climbed through the rubble in order to enter the main hall. And right there in front of her was something she did not expect. The pedestal with what looks suspiciously like the pictures in her books of The Elements of Harmony.

"Um... hey... purp.. isn't this the thing?.."

"Stop calling me that and I think so yes.."

Everyone loomed about with concern. "Ya'll certain?... I mean... we don't have to kill any dragons or solve any puzzles?... no illusions?... we just walk through the door and it sitting right here?..."

Applejack's words perfectly personified Twilight's concern. The whole way here there were traps and problems that were not natural. It could have been a coincidence. However, Twilight had a very good feeling that the theory she had in place was the most likely case.

"A thousand years of nothing really drags on your skills..." Twilight's voice was at a near whisper, but it's still made Applejack turn her head.

"What's up sugar cube?"

"...Nothing AJ... let's get these things down... I'm confident you can all count and understand why I'm a little bit concerned here even aside from the fact that we didn't have to fight our way inside..."

Fluttershy was the first to speak this time. "Only five!... there are only five elements..."

"Yes.. however that is another problem that has not been so clear. The books never specified exactly how many there were, and on top of that each translation is slightly different... one says the element of laughter the next says element of joy... there's even one that translates Loosely to element of a happy Good Times... however all of the pictures show 6 physical objects when referencing the elements of harmony... "

One by one the small spheres were removed from the pedestal. Just holding one in her hand she could feel that they were immensely powerful, this of course concerned her even more. It implied that these were indeed the elements of harmony. After fighting through manticores and crumbling cliffs, fear wards, and rampaging dragons, all they had to do was walk in and the elements were waiting for them not even 20 feet into the building.

"Alright let me do my thing... I just need a little bit of quiet so I can focus."

There were a few silent nods and Rainbow Dash was the first the gesture to the others to give her some space. All together they moved into the Next Room silently allowing Twilight time for her meditation.

However the meditation did not seem to be doing any good for her. She would cast her power directly into one of the elements in order to measure the magical recoil. Quite simply to feel it out and get a better understanding of what it was she was dealing with. This was the common practice when dealing with magical artifacts you did not quite know about. It was moderately safe to do assuming that it wasn't a weapon. However, every time she pushed her magic into one of the stones, nothing happened. It was as effective as head butting the stone.

With some aggravation she placed the stone she currently had in her hand back onto the ground and stood up. Slowly pacing to and fro she racked her brain trying to discover something she was missing. The texts were no good because they were simply too much variation between them. Granted she had not read all of them but each one described the elements differently. At this point she would have to go through and individually try a different variation of technique with every single Stone.

Aggravated she turned back to make a rude gesture at the stones out of that same aggravation. But that is when she saw it. It was honestly one of the most surprising things she had ever seen. In fact it was so unexpected she closed her eyes turn around shook her head and then turned back around to look and see if she was seeing things. But no, it was indeed Nightmare Moon standing in front of her hefting the stones with a smug grin on her face.

"Oh... well... crap...CRAP!"

Twilight made a mad dash towards Nightmare Moon and only just barely managed to make contact with one of the stones before the lot of them all at once teleported away taking her with them.

The powerful magic made her head spin. However, it was nothing compared to the intense pain that shot through her once she felt a boot strike her in the side, nor was it anything compared to the pain she felt when she hit the wall. Stars swam through her eyes and the pain was almost making her ready to black out. Struggling to her feet she called her staff to her hands and supported her weight on it.

"You really are relentless aren't you? Clever little thing... but that will only get you so far. I am already kind of tired of it." Nightmare Moon leveled her blade at the young mage. "I suppose I should I commend you for getting this far... you really weren't supposed to get this far but... meh..."

Twilight coughed and held her side trying to see if her ribs were broken as she breathed incrementally deeper breaths hoping the pain did not flare up too much. "You act pretty tough, you wasted away for a thousand years on the moon, you didn't have enough power to just kill everyone back in the town hall, you didn't even have enough power to kill those four guards granted he came pretty darn close. You didn't have enough power to gut out that cliffside entirely, you didn't have enough power to properly curse that manticore nor enough to place strong fear Wards... by the time you came across the dragons all you could do was cut up their blanket. I think I'm in a better place than you want me to think I am."

Twilight smiled confidently hiding the fact that she was well aware but even without magic the god of nightmares could probably just walk over and beat her to death with her bare hands.

However, Nightmare Moon's smile did not fade. "Oh you are so clever it's adorable, but let me ask you something... why am I here? surely you know why I'm here."

Twilight paused for a moment then gave her answer. " The Elements of Harmony of course... you want to stop anyone from using them against you."

"That is a fair guess, but I would like to point out that I had no idea the elements were still here..."

Twilight's smile instantly faded.

"You are smarter than I thought... so cute. I imagine you understand now. I did not waste away on the moon. I was just not banished to the Moon with all of my powers, so naturally I needed to return to the one place that my Powers were.... the place where I was defeated the first time. And guess what..."

Nightmare Moon held out her hand and the air itself shimmered and boiled. Solid black Arcane Fire danced at her fingertips. Magic so powerful that it belonged in Legend. "It is exactly where I left it... fancy that."

She brought one of the elements to her hand only to inspect it for a short moment and then toss it behind her.

Sheer panic flooded through Twilight. It took her awhile to come up with the theory, she was so relieved when she saw the proof of it. But now that ship was long since gone. Not only did it set sail but then it capsized and then was struck by lightning and then somehow further detonated on the bottom of the ocean. She could think of nothing that she could do.

Nightmare Moon and simply laughed. "Did you really think you could use the elements against me? I mean you don't even know what they do. Otherwise I am fairly confident you had to have been acting a lot differently, and you would not have thrown your friends out of the room. You don't represent any of these elements... how could you hope to use them?"

Twilight grit her teeth and decided that if ever she was going to make her stand it might as well be now. From the bottom of her heart she hoped that Nightmare Moon was bluffing at least a little with how much of her power had returned. Twirling her staff and snapping into a combat stance she glared at the god.

"... Wait....your joking right?... right?... you have to be joking... oh my goodness... you aren't, that is so cute. But you should know that cuteness will only get you so far."

With a simple gesture a magical Shield enveloped Nightmare Moon. "Do you see this? Just remember that I am a god. This level of magic is something you will never Attain. It is some of the most simple of my abilities and no mortal is powerful enough to penetrate this shield with even their most devastating of magic."

She smiled twirling her blade softly between your fingers. And that is when the rock hit her face. "Gah!.. you little!..."

"Wow I can't believe that worked... did the literal Immortal God forget to defend against blunt force trauma? I wonder what else you're forgetting?" Twilight laughed as she picked up another rock.

"Cute... really... but I told you already that cuteness will only get you so far. And it won't get you anywhere after this."

ightmare Moon Crouched and what happened next was so fast that within that very moment Twilight's plan was almost ended right along with her life.

Magic enveloped her, and Twilight Sparkle reappeared over the elements. Her hand shot down to her belly then withdrew for her to see the slightest trickle of blood. Nightmare Moon's blade have gone less than a quarter of an inch through the skin. Had she teleported even one hundredth of a second later if she would have been paint on the wall. But at least her plan worked.

Without wasting another second she poured every ounce of her power into the elements. If there was a way for her to use the elements she would discover it on the fly. And surprisingly the elements gave an immediate response to her magical command. But it still felt like she was manhandling them. as impressive as her command was, it didn't last long.

An armored fist struck her in the face and sent her tumbling backwards. "You are really testing my patience, and that is something that I do not have much of!"

Nightmare Moon Raised her Weapon and brought it down in the middle of all the elements. Still crackling in surging with Twilight's magical power, they instantly shattered bringing a heavy smile to the Goddess's lips.

" I told you that you did not have the power to use them. And even if you did it's not like I would ever let you..."

There was a flash of energy and Twilight felt the same boot in her gut again. And then again the wall against her back. Pain racked her body and there was very little she could do other than groan in the immense pain. Her eyesight was blurry but she did not need to see to know that it was Nightmare Moon's hand that grasped the front of her shirt and picked her up off the ground.

You sure had a good laugh... you should be proud, no one has ever played me for a fool as much as you have... but I'll make sure that it is slow enough for you to regret every moment that you defied me and my will!" The back of her hand smoothed over Twilight's cheek as the nightmare God smiled. "Such a waste of a pretty face..."

Twilight's eyes opened to see the blade slowly going towards her stomach. This was just about the worst case scenario she could ever think of. But the very moment that she could feel Cold Steel pressing against her bare skin as it effortlessly slid through her clothes in a single effortless cut, the blade touched gently on her naval and she could feel the icy cold of the blade that could cut through flesh and bone like it was air, then a bolt of fire struck Nightmare Moon in the back of the head.

Twilight hit the ground and barely was able to see dozens of arrows streak through the air at Nightmare Moon. The moment Nightmare Moon brought up a shield a fiery sword came in from behind her and she was forced to bring up another Shield to prevent the Paladin from striking her.

The hands of two different girls quickly hauled the Twilight to her feet and away from Nightmare moon.

"She has broken bones! We have to get her to safety quickly so I can heal her." Flying past all three of them, Rainbow Dash let out a yelp after she impacted the wall.

With a little bit of effort Twilight pushed away from them staggering to her feel holding her belly still recoiling in fear of what Nightmare Moon almost did to her. "No! She is still regaining her power. We have to end this now! We cannot flee."

A flashbang detonated a quarter of an inch from Nightmare Moon's face as the trickster mage joined The Fray. And just as fast Rainbow Dash rejoined as well.

"Well she's tearing us apart pretty fast darling, any suggestions? How about the elements? I don't suppose you know how to use them." Rarity's voice was still the charming flirty tone, even as one hand held a dagger forged from her charms and the other still tried to get Twilight further away from the fight.

Twilight's eyes lights lit up at the mention of the elements. There was something that she was very clearly missing. Something that Nightmare Moon had said in conjunction with what the books have been telling her all along. Something about the elements and her specifically. What she didn't have.

Nightmare Moon grasped Applejack by the throat squeezing her, hoping for a pop but the next attack had just begun so she opted to just throw her over hand at Rainbow Dash knocking both of them to Twilight's feet. Pinkie Pie join them surprisingly upon her own will.

"You... all of you!... from here on out. The world will remember you as a reason that no one will EVER rise up against the Queen of the night again! I will make sure that everyone in this entire world See's what I do to you... and they will tremble in fear and Terror at the mere thought of betraying my will! Even on display for the kingdom to see, no one will even be able to guess that you were once human!"

Twilight coughed and wiped the blood from the corners of her mouth, images and nightmares of what Nightmare Moon had in mind flashed in her subconscious threateningly. She quickly pushed the images to the side as the others quickly stood up beside her, now absolutely confident that they had fought the good fight and they were still going to lose. But Twilight's face turned as she smiled.

"Actually I'm pretty sure it's going to be a bit different than that, in fact now I'm absolutely positive of it, Did you really think that it would be so easy to destroy an old world artifact? The Elements of Harmony aren't some petty physical thing... you crushed The Vessels that once contained their power. But you were right, specifically I didn't have what it takes."

Nightmare Moon's eye twitch in anger and she slowly began to walk towards them turning her blade over in her hand, her magic flaring as she projected the horrors into their minds to inspire fear. Torture, desecration and more. But the six mages stood firm, not budging an inch, as if they were protected somehow.

"I hadn't really thought about it, I thought that it was a physical thing too. But honestly it was you who showed me exactly what I needed to see. The elements are not physical, they're magical, Not Only Magical but spiritual as well. They must resonate with something that represents them... but let's see if I can get this correctly, the ancient Scrolls were really vague about this. And really the only book I could find was not much help either."

Twilight stood up on her own power and slowly lifted her finger to point at Applejack. "The first element... truth honesty consistency in moral value... the element of Creeds... you can always have faith that there is no corruption within such a strong soul..."

She then pointed at Fluttershy. "Kindness Mercy and love... these things are apparent in the element of Grace... someone with enough love in their heart to forgive any transgression and to extend an undeserved Grace..."

She pointed next at Pinkie Pie. "Laughter and smiles, Joy is all that you need to dissolve the pain and fear that life brings to you.... no matter what the pain is. Joy is always an option. The element of Joy is with us."

She then smiled looking over at Rarity as the shattered remnants of The Elements of Harmony began to rise from the floor. "Generosity, understanding, and care... the idea of being selfless is almost extinct in this cruel world. But to thoughtlessly give what is most valuable to yourself all so that someone can have something that they never thought they would... the element of selflessness is right here..."

The shattered crystals orbited each of the girls. She then pointed at Rainbow Dash. "Loyalty, sternness, to adhere to your goals... and to let nothing come between you and what you have been sworn to do. The element of Adherence is one you can always count on... we have the elements."

As she had walked and listened, Nightmare Moon's face displayed more and more uncertainty. And now she was slowly moving back. "Y...you still don't have everything!..."

"Oh... but we do... I was just too stubborn to see it. I wanted to believe that I was all that I needed, but when I left a mark on this world that it would be upon my own will and my own power that no one else would have been involved... I saw the dependency on others as a weakness... I was a fool. It's more than just a strength. And it's not a dependency. It's magic... it is all of these things. To live by your Creeds, the show Grace even to those who deserve nothing, to bring joy into the hearts of those around you, to be selfless and give what you cherish to those who can give nothing to you in return, to adhere to your Oaths... that...is harmony. It is a magic long since forgotten within your heart. And it is a magic that is more powerful than anything you could ever conjure."

The crystals all came together with a crackling blast. And even to Twilight's surprise, there were 6 instead of 5. Each of them quickly taking form of a caste mark, each connected to the mage that represented them as a golden clad gemstone. "We are Harmony, and we won't let you hurt our world..."

Twilight's eyes opened wide and from them shined a blinding light as Elemental bonds shot forth from each of the young Mages. Once they had all interconnected Nightmare Moon had brought up her shadows to consume her in hopes of escaping, the light shattered the shadows, likewise her dark mist failed her. Left with nothing else she quickly turned about and began a full Sprint away from them. However it was far too slow as the elements of harmony latched themselves upon the bodies of the six mages and released a massive colorful blast that seemed to sing out with each element as it twisted and turned with in the air as if seeking out the dark God's power.

Nightmare Moon screamed and poured all of her power into a defensive spell but as if it was made out of loose sand, the colorful blast struck it's like a wave of the ocean's water. She was consumed by the magic.

Only moments later when the power had faded everyone present struggled to stay upright.

"Holy solar spankings!... that was both fun and amazing!... am I supposed to feel this tired?" Pinkie Pie wobbled about as she blabbered on. However she quickly silence yourself as an orb of light entered the room and without any noise detonated. As the glare faded they are standing right in front of them was the archmage herself.

Despite all of her pain Twilight instantly shot up and rushed over. The others only just noticing quickly turned and bowed.

"Archmage! Blessid Sun you are alright!"

The archmage simply smiled. "Of course I was in very good hands.. your hands.."

Twilight stepped back a little uncertain. "W..wha?.."

"Don't be too shocked. I was very happy to see that you saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return, I have literally been counting the days ever since I banished her in the first place. Why do you think I sent you out on such a silly mission? The elements choose their wielders. And by fate the wielders are brought together. I have known since the day I first laid eyes on you and your caste mark... "

With a gentle hand Celestia touched Twilight just over her heart and the cast mark that all adult Mages had quickly lit up and expanded. The six- pointed star was identical to the element that rested within the crown that now sat upon her head.

"This is what you were destined to be, and I knew the very moment I saw you... the very moment your caste mark began to Glow... well done my good and faithful student... you have done so much more than you you could possibly comprehend..."

Tears welled up in the archmage's eye as she turned away for a moment and step towards the last known location of Nightmare Moon. It was this very location that they could see a small lump on the ground. Between charred pieces of armor and the remains of black swirling mist, a small figure struggled to her feet. It looked like a child. She was so small, but floating off of her back were wings. Wings that marked her as an immortal.

"Sister..." Celestia looked down at the pitiful form which cringed like if her gaze was one of Fire.

The young looking girl look back up as if making eye contact was painful. "Sister... I am so sorry... I didn't mean to... the darkness just... it... i..."

The archmage pulled the girl in and hugged her tightly. " I know sister... I know you were deceived. Not a day has gone by and these 1,000 years that I have not looked back and wished I would have done something different. I wish I would have loved you more. If only I wasn't so confident that I had been doing everything flawlessly, if only I wasn't so blind to your needs, I could have given you the love you deserved. The love you needed. But don't worry. I'm here now and that love is yours."

The moment was close to ruined as Rarity spouted in glee. "Oh Blessid Sun above my hair is back!"

The sun was high in the sky and the celebration was in full swing. Much to their surprise six young girls stood next to the archmage herself and what most didn't know was her long-lost sister.

"I seriously had no idea what I was doing.... I mean who on Earth throws a rock at the face of a god? how are we still alive?..." Twilight held her head between her hands and the others just laughed.

"Hey now purp, we saved the day and honestly none of us could have done it without you!"

"The day?... not so fast Rainbow... I'm pretty sure we saved the entire world, this is going to be a good Mark on the history of the Ordos Poma... I can just imagine telling the story to great-grandchildren."

They all laughed again. But Twilight seemed a little bit distraught.

"I meant what I said... I'm going to be a bit sad going back to Canterlot. I really did think but I was all I needed... I hate to admit it but... I have never been more happy that I was dead wrong. And now that I finally have friends... I have to go back."

A playful hand bopped her on the head, and the archmage looked down at her from behind pulling her in close.

"You know, with how busy I am I never really see you anyways... and when I need to see you I would still travel across the entire world just to do so. And I fully intend to do so. Meh... perhaps I'm just bad at explaining things, but my point here is that. You are still my student and I will happily come and visit you. But whether you like it or not your new assignment is here in Ponyville. Even if you are not needed in an official sense, I will still need you and the other elements right here where I can call upon you, and I'm pretty sure that Ponyville has been requisitioning a librarian for several years. So if it's alright with you I'm giving them the best librarian and I can possibly give. So you do your best to take up your lessons here. And keep in mind that this is just the beginning of what Fate has in store for you... what Fate has in store for you all..."

She smiled and hugged her student playfully before flying up and Landing carefully into the grand chariot next to her sister. "You all have fun now... I'll give you a shout the next time the world needs the elements of harmony but in the meantime you keep up your studies!"

Twilight smiled. "I can't believe it worked out that way.... under these circumstances I would normally be absolutely livid. But all I can manage right now is to be completely overjoyed... let's have that party!"

The end

Author's Note

Thank you for staying with me and reading.
This story was created a few months ago on the Equestrian Amino. I have since taken it and remastered it so it is presentable here.

There are other "my little mage" stories out there, but this is my take on it. I do hope you enjoyed ^_^