Octavia smiled briefly as they walked by the last tree. The forest had been thinning for a while now, letting more and more moonlight fall upon them. A breeze flowed between them. It was cool and it smelled nice, calming their minds after all the hardship. The road had just ended, leaving them in front of a deep chasm. Fog pooled below, making the bottom all but invisible. To make things even better, the only way to cross it was an old bridge

A very old and visibly rotten bridge.

Octavia stopped smiling.

"Well ..." Berry tapped on the first plank of the bridge, making it creak loudly. "I guess we're just gonna have to cross it."

"Why don't Flitter and Cloudchaser fly us to the other side?" Fleur asked.

"We're not that strong. I barely managed to lift Octavia up back when the rocks were falling."

"So you two get to fly while the rest of us have to walk the bridge." Berry chuckled. "Terrific."

Minuette lifted a rock with magic, throwing it into the chasm. Everything was silent for nearly thirty seconds until a very soft splashing sound reached them.

"At least there's water at the bottom. Even if we do fall, we'll survive." five stares were directed at her. "Although in a lot pain."

Octavia started walking on the bridge, strutting carefully. Her confident walk was soon interrupted as she stumbled with a plank that was out of place. The rotten piece of wood broke, falling into the abyss below them. The entire group held their breath as Octavia slowly got up, carefully pulling her leg from the hole it had fallen through. Berry walked through the bridge, followed by Fleur and Minuette, slowly walking over the planks.

"Okay … if there's anytime for something bad to happen, this would definitely be the worst." Berry said.

"You shouldn't tempt fate." Fleur said from the behind her.

"Oh really? What’s it gonna do?" Berry scoffed. A loud snap echoed through the chasm. The entire bridge vibrated as one of the ropes started thinning and breaking. A couple planks fell from the sudden shake. The four ponies on top of the bridge steeled themselves, praying to the heavens that the bridge would break. It took a whole two minutes for the bridge to stabilize completely.

"You just had to say it." Minuette said.

Octavia hesitated a bit before giving one step forward. The entire bridge creaked, but nothing happened. She gave another step, obtaining the same result.

"Okay, I think its safe to cross." she said as she slowly walked over the bridge, soon followed by the rest of the group. The bridge creaked as the ponies neared the end of it. Octavia was about to step off the bridge when the rope finally snapped, making the bridge tremble in a increasingly erratic way as the ropes started snapping all over the place.

"Its falling apart! Run!" Octavia shouted. Planks fell from under hooves as the bridge began to come down with a horrible noise. The four mare ran for the lives. Minuette barely managed to jump to safety before the entire thing came off the cliff, falling down with a horrible noise. The four mares panted, more from shock than actual exhaustion, while the fallen bridge fell into the river below.

"Great ..." Berry said as she peered over the edge of the cliff. "Now there's no way back."

Octavia didn't pay attention to her. No, her attention was focused on something else, something much more important.

"Here we are." She said while the rest of the ponies stood at her side. "Let us go."

To call it ruins was actually quite an understatement. Walls were crumbled and covered in dust, entire sections of the roof had all but collapsed and there was an air of abandonment flowing in the entire castle. Only the entrance remained intact, almost beckoning the ponies to go inside. Room after room, it was the same depressing sight.

"This place is huge. How are we supposed to find the elements?" Flitter asked as they explored the castle. "Assuming that they are still here. What are they exactly?"

"I'm not sure. The book mentioned something about them being rocks of some sort. Their powers can only be activated by the ponies who hold their principles in high regard. Generosity, loyalty, kindness, laughter and honesty."

"So thats it? So we find this rocks and then we use them to beat the bad guy? Sounds easy enough. What do they look like?" Berry asked.

"Well, thats just it. I don't know. The book never actually described them beyond that. No images, no pictures, no description, no nothing." Octavia answered.

"But then how are we supposed to find them?" Fleur inquired. "Flitter is right. We can't just search room after room. We would be here for days."

Octavia sat down, pondering their situation. As much as she hated to admit it, Fleur and Flitter were right. There was no way they could hope to find the elements when they didn't even know what they looked like. The only reference she had was the knowledge that the princess had used them once. That meant that however they looked, they were small enough to be used by a pony. And if the princess had used it, then it meant they were probably in a very important place, somewhere fitting for royal property.

"We have to check the throne room." Octavia said.

"What makes think they are there?" Cloudchaser asked. Octavia didn't answer.

"Because they are there."

The six ponies were startled as the voice echoed through the entire castle. Red mist poured from the windows, covering them completely before pooling in front of them, slowly taking shape. A shape they didn't want to face at all.

"This is as far as you go." The Warlock Stallion growled. His mighty wings were on full display, ready to swat anypony who tried anything funny. The six ponies gave a step backwards as the imposing alicorn grinned cruelly before laughing.

"Y-you! What did you do with the princess!?" Octavia asked, stomping her hoof. The Warlock Stallion only laughed harder.

"Answer me!"

"My sister has been deal with accordingly to her crime." The alicorn answered. "If you six bow down and beg, I will consider being merciful."

"Crime?! What kind of crime did the princess do?!" Berry shouted.

"Betrayal. And for that, I will execute her as the sun rises, ushering a new era of true power for Equestria."

"That is a lie! All you want is to begin a war, so that you can get off on it!" Flitter said. The alicorn snarled before flicking her horn, shooting a spell at the pegasus, who barely managed to dodged before the spell exploded the rock where she had been standing on. Charred rocks and half molten pebbles were all that remained.

"Watch your tongue! How dare you speak to me like that you pathetic quim!" The Warlock Stallion roared. "I am fulfilling my duty! Equestria is surrounded by enemies, and it is my destiny to destroy them! But if enemies won’t appear, then I shall make them myself! That’s how the world works!"

"No it doesn't."

All heads turned to Fleur, who was standing firmly besides Octavia. The Warlock Stallion gave a snort.

"And what do you mean by that young mare? Are you saying that we should all just live together with our enemies and frolic with our killers?"

"No. I'm saying that we don't have live in conflict. You say you are doing your duty of defending Equestria by making enemies to defend it against. But aren't you starting the very thing you are supposed to avoid? By creating these enemies, you are failing your duty already. Why not try something more peaceful? If you just stand down and let us help you, who knows what could happen?"

"Oh really? And what will you do if somepony tries to attack you? Are you going to try living with them in peace as well?"

"Why yes I am." Fleur answered confidently. The Warlock Stallion grinned, chuckled and then laughed hysterically, as if Fleur had said the greatest joke of all times.

"I can't believe it. I really can't. The student of my sister surrounds herself with such pathetic creatures. Once I return things to how they should be, I will make sure to educate ponies properly, so they never become as weak minded as this."

Octavia perked up at the mention of her teacher, she gave a couple of bold steps, face frowned in a snarl. Warlock Stallion or not, she was going to get answers.

"Where is the princess now?!" she asked, doing her best to appear threatening. Judging by the reaction of the alicorn, it wasn't really working.

"As I said, she is taken care of." He answered. "I grow tired of this banter. Bow down now, or I will kill you where you stand." The Warlock Stallion took a battle stance, but Octavia was undaunted.

"Not until you tell me where the princess is." She demanded. "If you hurt her in any way, I will-"

"You will what?" he mocked. "You don't have magic nor wings. How do you even expect be a challenge for me, let alone beat me. I am a warrior. You are merely a an earth pony, a farmer, a lowly being forced to get her hooves dirty to accomplish anything. What was my sister thinking when she took you in?"

"Oh is that so? Well, you just are some blood lusting freak, who is too arrogant to accept the fact that he's useless to the kingdom and that he had throw a tantrum to get some attention!"

The Warlock Stallion flared his wings in anger, blowing all the ponies away with a massive gust of wings. Dust and red mist swirled around the place in a small tornado of fury. Minuette had close her eyes to stop anything from reaching them. All she could hear was the wind blowing around. And a gasp.

"Wow. That’s cheating you big … jerk?" Berry said as the wind died down. Minuette opened her eyes. Fleur, Flitter, Cloudchaser and Berry were alright, if a little messy from all the dust that was settling down. But her attention was grabbed by Octavia. Or the place where Octavia used to be.

"Where is Octavia?" Fleur asked.

Said earth pony was, well, not where she wanted to be. Her lungs ached and her eyes were itchy as the red mist enveloped her. Octavia felt the ground below her disappear, replaced with an overall sensation of weightlessness. Dizziness and nausea invaded her for a few seconds before she slammed on a hard, cold surface. She waited a few seconds for the world to settle back in place before opening her eyes.

"Even after this time, they are still here"

Octavia shot back on her feet. In front of her, in a small platform, stood the mighty Warlock Stallion. At his feet were five small spheres of rock, each with a jewel symbol carved on them.

"The elements of harmony have always been a last resort. They are filled with powers beyond our knowledge, and yet, we use them to end whatever conflict that may arise, without actually learning from it. What good is ultimate power if you don't know its real worth?" he explained. "If we simply erase every problem, how are we supposed to get stronger?"

"Easy to say that when you have the strength to tumble a mountain." Octavia retorted. "Aren't you being a bit of a hypocrite?"

"By creating a world of peace and tranquility, my sister has made the ponies soft and weak. The contrary will apply once I do the opposite."

"A place where everypony is at each other's throats?"

"A place where the value of life is actually learned."

Octavia glared at him, then at the Elements. They just laid there, right besides his hooves, undisturbed by the events going around them. Maybe if she was fast enough, she could get them before he could actually do something.

"You travelled all the way through the perils of the Everfree forest, avoided all of my traps, and sorted through all of my tricks. But I have been observing your journey. The only reason you manage to reach this place was because of the ponies that were with you. And now you are alone ..."

The Warlock Stallion took a battle stance, his wings extended to their full might and his horn flaring with dark purple magic.

"Too late to try anything now." Octavia thought dryly.

"If you want the elements of harmony, you are going to have to fight me for them." The evil alicorn grinned with anticipation. "Can you do it little pony? Can you best a god of war?”

Author's Note

Almost there.