Elements:the many paths to eternity

Twilight casually chewed on the eraser of the pencil in her muzzle tail gently twitching back and forth behind her as she considered the notes in front of her.

"I got nothin." She finally stated as she looked over the notes for the maybe fifth time from the books she herself had been reading. "Myths and legends abound about ways to reverse age or to make one live longer but actively preventing someone from dying." She shook her head softly and grumbled in an annoyed fashion before glancing over towards applejack who was pouring thru a dusty book with some kind of tree on the cover, what had pointed her to it was the cover.
'An honest account of mythical creatures in Equestria.' Her first thought had been 'well see about that'

"Ah don't rightly know, ah think ah might have somthin but I'm not sure sugarcube." Applejack said with a soft shrug and a smile as she continued to pour over the text paying more attention to some details, flipping back to earlier pages and then back to where she was now and then comparing previous passages in the book to what she was reading and then moving to other books to look thru them too...she wasn't the smartest pony around sure even she was willing to admit that but AJ knew enough to get by and Twilight helped her with the parts she had trouble with.

"There's somethin' in here about a tree that's 'spose to grant wishes ta anyone that's 'true a heart' or somethin' like that, but the way ah findin' the dang thang is a bunch of hocus-pocus ah can't wrap my head around jus yet." she said as she flipped thru some pages again a look of concentration on her muzzle.

Rainbow Dash was flipping thru her own stacks of books, several 'unabridged' copies of daring do books, by that one meant daring's actual journals that she had lent to her number one fan when she had been told what they were attempting.

She'd mentioned that she had discovered an artifact at one point during one of her travels but couldn't remember where or when and had simply given RD the journals on the promise she would show nobody other than the elements, and they be returned when Rainbow dash was done with them.

"I think I found what Daring was talking about when she handed me these, she stumbled on the rumor when she was on her adventure in the temple of goons but never had a chance to follow up on it cause she didn't go back to that part of the world. Somewhere in Saddle Arabia there's supposed to be a powerful artifact that can grant its wielder 'the unending and eternal power of the wind' but, that's all she found out not where to look for it or even what it might be called. " She paused for a breath and then when she finished she grinned broadly.

"Sounds more than awesome enough for me and hey if it was spelled out for me it wouldn't be much of an adventure now would it" She clapped her hooves as she floated into the air visions of an adventure just like her hero daring do went on constantly danced in her brain. "Look out Saddle Arabia Rainbow 'danger' Dash is heading your way!"

Twilight shook her head. "Cool your wings Rainbow Dash don't go flying off half cocked." She said with a smile and a chuckle. "I know you're always eager for adventure but the deserts of Saddle Arabia can be a dangerous place filled with all manner of strange creatures and nomadic ponies, some of them with less than friendly intentions not to mention you know the sorts of nasty characters 'those' sorts of treasures tend to attract...do I need to list off every one of the villains Daring has faced, sure she may not have stared down discord but that puma monkey thing with the blue fur, definitely not pleasant."

Rainbow Dash nodded "His name was Ahuizotl, trust me I took the time to memorize how to pronounce it properly just in case I meet him again, he's not the type to be happy if you fudge up his name, and he will be ticked off at me enough as is after what I helped daring pull on him last time." She said with a chuckle and a shrug. "Not that he will give me too much trouble." she said smugly "I've improved a lot since then after all."

Twilight nodded and looked around. "Anypony else?" Rarity sighed and shook her head pushing another pile of books away and Fluttershy just looked into her cup of tea with a dejected expression having given up on her stack of scrolls about an hour ago after having utterly no luck.

"It's not looking like there's anything else in these scrolls here, um..." She looked around and ducked her head meekly. "Sorry...i tried i really did." She said looking so tiny and meek.

AJ chuckled at her and shook her head. "Shucks flutters, y'all dun need ta worry yer pretty head none over it we knew this would be a doozy from the get go, me and RD just got plum lucky is all...there's other places ta look ya know" she looked over at Twilight who was looking over her notes once more.
Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy all nodded as they looked at there respective piles of books and scrolls.

"Well there is...one other place we could check" Twilight said breaking the silence. "Well, two actually most of the books here are also in the Canterlot library but, Celestia is very particular about letting books out of her restricted section...we might find something there, and then there's the ancient library of the crystal empire there's books there that have been lost for a thousand years." Twilight said with a beaming smile.

---------------------------------------------------half a week later Canterlot----------------------------------------------------

Celestia sat on her throne with Luna at her side in her own, the newly redesigned throne room now expressed both of them as equals, as it should be, with the motif of the wall mural behind them of the sun and moon sharing the sky and even a touch here or there suggesting both Cadence and Twilight in there too.
The dais there thrones were on was three steps up high enough for them to look down over the throne room but not so high as to appear unreachable it was a carefully calculated choice and it was how Celestia and Luna wanted there little ponies to see them a goal to strive for, but never beyond reach.

Today however there normal schedule had been put on hold for a group of very special visitors, siting before them heads bowed respectfully for a moment were the heroes of Equestria, and personal friends to both of the royal sisters.
Twilight was the first to step forward and speak after they had been introduced and had entered "Celestia..." it had taken Twilight quite a while to finally be able to consistently refer to her mentor this way to treat her as a friend and equal rather then someone who was above her, but now she managed it quite well. "...As you no doubt know and have confirmed by your own words to me recently my status as princess, and more to the point alicorn, brings with it certain benefits and challenges as well as many responsibilities." She stopped and looked around at her friends and smiled at each in turn before continuing they each gave a reassuring nod back she could feel there confidence in her flowing back into her and she stood up taller taking a breath and then taking the plunge.

"Among those many benefits one stands out perhaps higher then the others because of its potential to allow me to do great things, but also the terrible burden it places on my shoulders." she shook her head "The weight of eternity is great indeed and though I hold myself well now it is because of have good friends to support me, friends who have stood by me thru it all and without whom I would not be who I am today." Celestia and Luna both looked down nodding and Celestia allowed herself a proud smile at her students humility in acknowledging those who had aided her to where she was.

After a time she continued. "I do not delude myself into thinking that I will never make new friends, I know that over the years I will have countless many and each and every one will be special, a snowflake in a storm by the time the last turns of time pass and I slip with creation into nothing countless but each and every one special and a treasure."
She paused once more to look over Celestia as if trying to read her features to see if the eternal princess of the sun knew where she was going with this regardless of weather she saw it or not she continued on.

"But among those crystalline works of art there stand a precious few that are above the rest, those whose effect on my life rise above and beyond all others, gems among the snow glimmering beacons that draw all others to them by the example they set and the place they hold" She smiled at each of her friends once again, they had each helped her prepare this speech on the train ride here, it was mostly Rarity and Fluttershy really but the others had put in some too.

"These few...I find myself shuddering at the idea of being without, they are my pillars my rocks in the storm and without them i fear i will crack and shatter in the winds and be lost each of those you see around me are special treasures, priceless beyond any hope of replacement. " She spread her wings out as she spoke out louder leting her passion for her words fill her voice.

"There will never be another Applejack, never would there be one more awesome then Rainbow Dash, nary a soul more kind then Fluttershy who thru words and love alone tamed the spirit of chaos, no mind as creative or heart as giving as Rarity, and never a heart filled with more joy and laughter then pinkie pie." Each of the girls stepped forward as they were called out "For this reason among others I have asked of them and they have after consideration agreed to undertake a great quest, for once not for Equestria though it may yet benefit from it, but for us for them...to seek to find a way that we might remain together for all of time the elements of harmony forever united."

She bowed her head nuzzling and hugging her nearby friends as she stepped back giving the royal sisters there chance to respond to what it is she had said, Celestia was first clapping her hoves together with a smile on her face "That was a rousing speech my faithful student, my dearest young friend Twilight." she looked over the group and chuckled lightly "I feel almost bad that it was spent on just myself and my sister here truly such a moving thing perhaps you will recount it again for the ponies of Equestria before you embark on this great quest." twilight looked like she was about to say something else but Celestia raised a hoof to forestall.

"We understand why it is you have come to us now with this and we heartily approve of your actions in this regard." Luna said with a serene smile and that enigmatic look she was so well known for she was as unreadable as the dark side of the moon. "Many in your situation would fall into despair at worst or at best a grudging acceptance of the inevitable but you never were a mare to sit down and just let something happen, it is something we respect you greatly for young one." The princess of the night said with a glimmer of mirth in her tone as she saw twilight slack jawed expression.

"Did you expect us to discourage young princess of friendship, to condemn and forbid?" Luna said with a chuckle and a shake of her head stepping forward from her throne "You are hardly the first in this world to seek eternity dear ones, my friends and you will hardly be the last but i know in my heart if there are any that have the will and the strength to find that elusive goal it will be you and yes we shall provide you with any aid that it is within our power to give." she turned back to Celestia with a smile and asked "We will yes?"

Celestia nodded "and i think i know what specifically you have come here seeking, advice and access to knowledge...we can provide both come my little ponies let us adjourn to the dining room where we might discuss this further over lunch i have found over the years that one thinks best on a full stomach." Twilight shook her head rapidly as she tried to collect herself, out of all the things she had expected this, this was not one of them she had expected maybe a grudging acceptance after some convincing at best. Shed come up with a 3 foot long checklist of reasons why this was a good idea to try and sway her if she denied....all pointless now.

Still, better than the alternative she laughed with her friends as they all felt relief at this turn of events heading off to the dining hall following behind Celestia talking about old times and adventures now rather than the weighty topics to come just a group of friends having a get together.

-------------------------------------------------------------------deep in Everfree------------------------------------------------

Somewhere deep in the Everfree forest, in a small clearing with a beautiful lake where the normal dangers of the wood seemed to have just taken a detour around, within a cave carved into a cliff face sat the wondrous sight that was the tree of harmony the mother protector and avatar of the harmonic energies that guided and guarded Equestria since ages past...each of the six gems that dotted its surface had begun to glow a brilliant golden color, power beginning to gather.

"So it begins..." said a voice standing in the shadows cast by the glowing crystal tree.