There was a small moment of silence as my hooves hit the ground, my charges taking the lead as I blended into the background, merely joining the sounds of the forest and blending into the darkness.

My horn lightly glowing under my hood as I watched their trek forward, my eyes adjusting to the nighttime sky once again. It never got any easier going from the daylight that would pierce its way into my bedroll every morning before I undertook my adventure.

The ground began to tremble, the very soil refusing the dark magic flowing through it as it soon made its dissatisfaction known, the dirt beneath their hooves collapsing on them, the two Pegasus mares of the group catching two others in their grasp.

There was a yelp and soon I turned my attention to the situation in front of me, the purple mare. One Twilight sparkle, holding on for dear life at the earth pony mare’s hooves.

“Ah got you!” her southern accent trying her best to keep her newfound friend from panicking her way out of her grip. Using my magic as an anchor I began to trek down towards the tan mare before kneeling beside her. The darkness keeping me from sight.

I glimpse over the ledge at the two approaching pegasus mares and lean into the earth pony’s ear letting out a small whisper. “It is safe to let her go, Miss Apple. Your friends will catch her, I swear on my honor that she is fine.”

There was a moment of Panick where she began to hesitate before she steeled herself to my words allowing her expression to embolden as she spoke.

"What I'm sayin' to you is the honest truth. Let go, and you'll be safe.” The tan earthen mare spoke as her eyes met those of her friend. One could see the hesitation on Miss Sparkle’s face before she eventually nodded slowly.

“Alright... I trust you.” It took but a moment for the mare to let go and for the pegasus mares to catch her. Applejack hesitated to turn to where she had heard my voice confused about what had just happened before jumping down to join the other five.

"My my what a naughty pet."

Of course, my meddling was noticed by Lady Fate as I felt an unfamiliar presence wrap around me, the cold air reaching past my coat and past my cloak as I heard a voice in my ear.

“We can’t have you helping them anymore, I would hate for them to win against me.” When my eyes had adjusted, I was locked in a cage, the unfamiliar stones underneath my hooves telling me that I had been teleported...But to where was the question.

In front of my cage stood a mare, as dark as night, who met my gaze with a look of scorn, her hatred flowing through her very magic as it let go of its grasp on me. “Of course, my parasitic sister would give her favorite pet a guard. Who else would recognize their enemy at the first glance after all of these years.”

The mare seemed to pace in front of me, her attention solely on my eyes as if she was trying to anticipate my actions. “And to think she would send one of MY ponies to do the job.” her tone filled with venom at the mentioning of my race, not of malice but instead of disappointment.

Her attention seemed to be dragged elsewhere as she then spoke once again. “I will not kill you, Instead I will present you with a choice, stand with me and I will allow you the privilege of being my consort. Or choose to rot in this cell, it is nothing of my concern. But I will certainly expect an answer by the time I return.”

She turned to leave, her coat becoming the very same purple mist that had caused the landslide mere moments ago. Giving her a moment to leave was when I allowed my thoughts to catch up with me.

My discussion with the princess came to mind as I inspected the old rusty lock, the elements had begun to weather such a strong metal.

‘The mare I fought so many years ago was not my sister, it was like a whole other pony. All I do know now is that her return is nigh, and I will not be powerful enough to stop her. Not without hurting her.’

I shook my head as I began to turn and lifted my back hooves with a force that would make father proud, my metal horseshoes contacted with the cage door causing it to fly off its hinges.

‘To think even after all of these years she would not recognize my face. I am merely lucky she did not remove my gear.’ I thought amused looking down at my bracers that were gifted to me.

‘Enough admiring myself, I can do that later. My priority, to ensure the arrival of Twilight Sparkle and the Elements of Harmony.’ My eyes drift between the two rotted doors. One on my left, another on my right as I shook my head. ‘Scratch that, first is get out of these dungeons.’

Door after Door.

Every single door was beginning to lead to a dead end, my body beginning to feel rather sluggish as I finally found a set of stairs leading up towards Celestia knows where. 'I am going to kill the whorse who wanted so many of these damn things!'

My hoof-steps echoing through the halls as I made my way higher and higher, stumbling to the upper throne room. There was a small chance of making it on time and yet here I was. Or should I say there she was, Twilight sparkle trying her hardest to activate the elements without the others she required.

“It is useless, they are nothing more than stones that have gathered dust.” the blackened mare said as she was approaching the lavender mare, not seeming to stop for anything. Twilight merely gasped and kept trying.

“Yet the fact that you are worried that the little mare is trying to use them reveals that not to be the case.” The words leaving my muzzle as I tackled the mare leading us to connect. Our horns glowing as our magic flared sending each of us away from one another.

“I suppose you came to your answer then, Puppet of the sun tyrant. It saddens me that I have to put you down so soon.” Her tone changed from the sickeningly sweet she was using with the lavender mare to one of disgust.

“Who are you! Why are you helping me?!” Twilight spoke up as I grasped something from my side, a blade that shone in the moonlight while I glared at Nightmare Moon.

“Not an important question right now, miss sparkle! You are trying to use the elements without those who embody them.” I spoke as I began to rush towards Nightmare, her hooves flinging her forward as her horn grew glistening with the metal spike at the end of the object.”

The impact of blade against horn was the stuff of legends I am told, but it is a shame that my distraction kept me from witnessing the miracle behind me. As metal met metal and blood was spilled. A blast of magic engulfed the distracted nightmare moon.

The journal entry ends here. The rest appear to be minor scribblings of the blade contacting a horn of sorts. Each splintering as magic burst around it.

At the bottom of the page is marked with a name and a date.

Austere Urande Muse, Lord protector of the Elements.

1st of Solace, Year 1 AR

Author's Note

With all of these stories floating around of self inserts helping the elements through their own little trials, I figured a unique spin on them would suit it quite well.

After all there are consequences for those who try too hard to meddle with the fates of the destined heroes.

But here we are, Austere's personal diary is almost at an end, and we are almost at the beginning of the present day.

Other than that I would like to thank you for reading this chapter and to enjoy the rest of your day. or nights. who knows, all i do know is i am thankful for your attention on this story so far.