Harmony Rising (*DO NOT READ YET*)

Twilight momentarily put down the book and went to fetch a hoof-ful of

hay-fries, munching thoughtfully on them as she returned to the book.

“Hmm, *munch munch*, so that was the original form of the Elements? A liquid? Intriguing…How much magical energy is needed to change state of matter like that…? The armaments are an interesting turn of events as well…What kind of metal is that armor made of, and where is that battleaxe? The wingblades as well appear to be missing. And I suppose I shouldn’t leave out High Captain Sumira’s daggers…I wonder where they all went?”

She called Spike over to her with a yell.

“Spike! Take a letter!”

The young dragon bounded over, pulling out a quill, scroll and small bottle of ink from Celestia knew where. “Ready!”

“Dear Princess Celestia, I recently happened upon an interesting book about the War of Sun and Moon. It detailed the events, and I would like to inquire about where some of the artifacts are, especially Commander Skystrafe’s wingblades. The opportunity to examine the original condensed form of the pure Elements would be once in a lifetime. It mentioned a strange suit of green armor as well. Could I inquire about the materials composing it?

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle.”

Spike exhaled his purple-and-green flame, burning the letter to magical cinders and sending them to be reconstructed in Canterlot. Afterwards, the purple unicorn went back up to her bed, eager to resume her reading.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The bright fire crackled in the center of the camp as Skystrafe honed his wingblades with a whetstone. The rhythmic rasping echoed around, matched by the same from Sumira. Celestia’s massive battleaxe had no need of sharpening, cloaked as it was by a magical aura of protection, but she still had plenty to do as she stoked the fire, spitting a skewer of apples above the flames for their dinner. There was a clacking of rock as Skystrafe pulled out a different whetstone, an honing whetstone with a much finer grain to put a perfect polish upon the blades. He replaced the coarser one in his saddlebag and began to draw the new one across the blades.

Suddenly, he went quiet as he heard an ever-so-soft rustle in the bushes behind him. He motioned for silence among the other two and crept towards the bush, jumping into it with a snarl. Out of the other side he tumbled, carrying with him a young unicorn mare, her eyes and mane a rich brown and her coat a vivid shade of green. She looked about the same age as Sumira, but slightly smaller, with a slight, wiry build and a powerful longbow strapped to her back. Sumira looked appreciatively at the massive weapon, nearly as long as the mare herself was. It was crafted of a dark orange-ish wood with a quiver of two dozen white arrows with stylized fletching resembling leaves. She instantly flipped, and before Skystrafe could react, it was he that was pinned and not the other way around. She snarled at him angrily, her brown eyes flashing.

“What did you do that for, you ugly pegasus clod? Do that again and I’ll toss you over a tree!”

Sumira leapt at her, knocking her off of the stallion without harming her. She stood protectively in front of him. “Touch him again and it’ll be you who gets tossed, you-Whoa!” She was suddenly jerked off her feet side as the unicorn’s horn flashed a bright green and knocked her backwards almost three meters. She was winded by the sheer force of the blast and lay on the ground, breathing laboriously. Skystrafe hauled himself to his feet and advanced upon the unicorn, brandishing his wingblades threateningly. She attempted to knock him back like she had done to Sumira, but a strange bubble emanating from the great crimson gems upon his wingblades neutralized the magic, deflecting it and sending it into a nearby tree, shaking the tree violently.

As she looked on, the Princess decided to intervene. She stepped forward calmly, her very presence quelling the fight. She spoke in a soft voice, firm, but not unkind. “Stop. What's even the point of what you're doing?” She then stepped forward to the stranger, looking at her enigmatically. “If you would, tell me, what is your name?”

The unicorn bowed, stammering slightly as she addressed the monarch. “M-My name is Leaf Canopy…But you can just call me Leaf. I live here in the Moria Forest, in the Heart of the Forest, the one place left that the armies of the Night Queen haven’t found.” The other pony’s ears perked up, the very words lifting their spirits. It was Skystrafe that spoke first. “I’m sorry for my assault. It’s been a long time since we’ve been without fear. Please, could you lead us to this Heart of the Forest, Miss Canopy?

The green and brown pony waved her hoof, dismissing the title quickly and easily. “Aahh, it’s nothing, I was just surprised. And like I said, call me Leaf.” She beckoned to them, then took off through the forest, blasting rocks and branches aside with her magic, her horn almost perpetually glowing green as the debris flew. Sumira had a hard keeping up and kept getting hit in the face, while Skystrafe and the Princess could simply fly. After more than seven hours of a forced march, Leaf slowed down, leading them into a massive clearing. In the center, there grew a single massive yew tree, dwarfing all the other trees around it. It’s trunk was at least fifteen meters wide, stretching up nearly out of sight, low clouds parting around the top. Leaf walked up to it reverently, speaking of it fondly.

“This is the Heart of the Forest, the Greatwood Yew. A myth exists among my tribe. They say that this was the first tree, and that all other trees sprung from its branches. It was fully grown even before the two Princesses came into being, and now, this ancient tree watches over the world, breaking the will of all evil that enters the clearing and transforming the creature into a Morn tree, a tree with black bark and dull gray leaves. Because the trees sprout from pure evil, they always look forlorn and gloomy. Look around at the trees surrounding this clearing. These are the Morn trees. Be warned, because the Heart will find evil in your heart and punish you for it.

Celestia stepped forward, her lavender eyes solemn. Her horn touched Leaf’s and she kept contact for only a few seconds before pulling back, nodding gravely. “I see. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, Burl Bark.”

The other three looked at her like she had grown a second horn. None of them, not even Leaf, had ever heard of anypony named Burl Bark. Leaf spoke, confused. “You…you must have the wrong pony. I told you, my name is Leaf Canopy!” Celestia responded promptly. “Yes, it is. But it was not always so. Have you ever wondered why both your parents were earth ponies, and yet you are a unicorn? Why they were blue and orange, and yet you’re leaf-green? Why even your powerful magic is the color of the earth?”

Leaf shrugged, not entirely at ease with the oddly intrusive questions. “They told me that they had found me at the base of the Greatwood Yew.”

Celestia shook her head, a hind of a sad smile touching her angular face. “That’s true, but it’s still not the full story. You were chosen, Leaf, chosen from all the foals in Equestria to become the Dryad Spirit, the true spirit of nature. Every hundred years, a new foal appears at the heart of a great forest in a grand cycle. The Dryad Spirit from one thousand years ago was the first one I met. He was a stallion named Burl Bark. His coat and mane were both brown, his eyes a brilliant yellow. Your cutie mark is the same as his.”

She pointed at the stylized tree upon the mare’s flank, notwithstanding the shocked expression upon Leaf Canopy’s face, who quickly jumped away. “Whu…What? Nonononononononothere’snoWAYI’manythingspecial! I’mjustaregularunicorn. SureI’mgoodatmagicbutIcan’tbesomecrazynature-spirit-thingthat’sjustimpos-“ The Princess quickly stifled the blabbering unicorn with a hoof and smiled a bit.

“I remember much the same response from Swamp Flower, the last Dryad Spirit. Everypony reacts somewhat dubiously when they are singled out, and you have a great and very unique gift. The Dryad Spirit is bestowed with great magical strength, as they draw their power from nature. Everywhere nature is, they can cast spells of exceptional strength, but when they are cut off from all things that spring from the earth, their magic is drowned, their legs becoming weak and their mind falling into unconsciousness. So take care, as your gift is tempered by danger.”

Leaf stepped back, her eyes seeming to grow glazed as she refused to accept who she was. She was about to break into another unrestrained babble, but Skystrafe stepped forward and plugged her mouth just as Celestia had done.

“Believe me, Leaf, I know how you feel.”

She looked at him and wrenched his forehoof away from her mouth, her eyes ablaze.

“Know how I feel? KNOW HOW I FEEL? How could you possibly understand? Have you ever been the embodiment of the entire natural world? WELL?” Skystrafe simply looked at her, then slowly and deliberately spoke. “No, I can’t say I have-“ He was cut off by her rage. “Then how could you know how I feel, you moron?”

He softly smacked himself in the forehead with his hoof. “Alright, let me rephrase that. I don't know exactly how you feel, but I can certainly guess. I mean, I'm kind of the living incarnation of loyalty and all.”

Leaf stared at him uncomprehendingly for a moment, then began to mutter out an apology. Skystrafe intercepted her midsentence and shook his head.

“No need to apologize. I know how it feels to have a heavy weight slung upon your shoulders.”

Leaf nodded gratefully, then looked down again. “I-it’s just, this is so unexpected. It just sort of came out of the blue, and I’m not really sure how to respond, y’know?”

Sumira looked from one to another, utterly lost. “I’m not going to pretend I know what you guys are talking about…I deal in daggers and facts, not ancient spirits, so I believe that we should get going on our little quest. Oh, and Leaf? If you wanna come, you’re always welcome to join.

Contrary to the expectations of the others, Leaf sadly shook her head, declining the offer. “I’m grateful for the opportunity, but I must decline. This is where I belong, and this is where I made my life. See this bow?”

She instantly pulled the massive longbow from her back, using her magic to nock and pull an arrow, shooting it at a stump lying about one hundred and fifty meters away. It slammed into the old wood, hitting the exact point that she was aiming for and the arrow burying itself halfway into the rotten stump. This entire action was completed in less than three seconds. The other ponies gasped. Even as a commander, Skystrafe had never once seen an archer with the speed and precision as this one. Her powerful magic once again came into play, the incredible force of it able to pull the huge strength of the bow. It must’ve been at least a two hundred pound pull, yet she drew it like it was a toy. She then used her magic to completely deconstruct the stump, retrieving her meter-long arrow in a matter of moments.

“I made this bow from a branch of the Greatwood Yew. I call it the Druidic bow, because it seems that whenever the arrow strikes a dead or dying tree, it blossoms back to full bloom. The power of the Heart of the Forest is indeed powerful. And the forest…it is dying. It needs me. Without me, even the Heart will succumb to the influence of the Dark Queen. Look closely at the trunk of this great tree.”

Sumira turned, inspecting the trunk closely for the first time. Now that she looked more carefully, it was covered in small scars, almost like pinpricks compared to the massive size of the tree. She turned to Leaf, a question in her eyes. Leaf answered before she could voice it, however.

“These are the marks of my arrows. I'm keeping this thing alive.”

Unexpectedly, Celestia stood up, brandishing her horn. “If you truly wish it, Leaf Canopy, I can protect this tree and all it stands for.” The green mare’s mouth dropped open slightly, then clamped firmly closed as she shook her head.

“I’m sorry, but I c-“

Sardonic laughter echoed through the clearing, shutting Leaf’s mouth as a dark red pegasus stallion swooped into the clearing, brandishing a heavy flail in his forehooves. His sickening smile grew wider as he saw what appeared to be the two ponies that had escaped, and one more pony, green with brown eyes and mane. His voice was cordial, but carried an undertone of distaste and contempt. “Ah, there you are, Commander. I’ve been looking everywhere for you and your lady friend. Nightmare Moon would like to have a word with you in person.” Looking around, Sumira found that Celestia had vanished without a trace. In response, the cerulean mare drew two daggers as Skystrafe flared his wings, revealing the razor sharp blades. Leaf, on the other hand, wasted no time with subtleties or intimidation. She instantly drew the bow and released, the arrow angrily hissing off and slamming into the flail, knocking it from the pony’s hooves and sending it spinning off into the forest. His black eyes flashed angrily, and when he spoke, his voice was cold and hostile, having lost all pretense of saccharine intent.

“Very well. In that case, I’ll have to carry that message back to my mistress. You’ll regret the day you ever did this, you foals!”

Leaf actually giggled to the other two ponies. “Hee hee hee! Isn’t it cute? He thinks that I’m actually going to let him live!” The bloodred pegasus’ face was instantly coated in a sheen of cold sweat as the mare’s magic swiftly pulled another arrow from out of her quiver. Judging from the force that had ripped the flail away from him, the bow was incredibly powerful, and she could shoot it with amazing accuracy. For the first time since he had enlisted in army of Nightmare Moon, he wondered if he was perhaps not as invincible as he viewed himself. A bully at heart, he was used to brutalizing poor, emaciated ponies for what frugal money they had and what crops that they somehow managed to grow in the endless night, and facing a trio of powerful, well-armed and highly trained warrior ponies didn’t seem like a pleasing prospect.

Of course, just like many bullies, he attempted to bluster his way through it.

“Let me live? If I had my flail, I would kill you before you could even draw your little toy! But you, as a cowardly mare, decided to knock it away before you could even face me! I coul-“

“ENOUGH!”

Everypony jumped at the sound of Skystrafe’s voice. It was livid, full of rage and relishing the prospect of beating the other pegasus’ face in. “I will retrieve your flail and face you in single combat by my right as a Commander!” The other pegasus cursed inwardly. He had heard the rumors of the great Skystrafe Galathandros, and though he was never one to play fair, even Nightmare Moon respecting the ancient rite of trial by combat. If he refused, his life was forfeit anyway.

After a brief hesitation, he decided that the only chance he had was to fight and hope that the stories of the commander were mostly exaggerated. He nodded sharply and the commander suddenly blasted off, causing grass to blow in the wind of his acceleration. He bolted around the trees, his sharp eyes taking in nearly everything. Finally, he found the flail, lodged in the crotch of tree with Leaf’s arrow still deep into the wooden handle. Grabbing it in his mouth, he was taken aback by the weight. It was a heavy weapon, and the pony that wielded it was certainly strong. He would do well not to underestimate the stallion. In just a few minutes since he took off, he slammed back down into the clearing, the foe’s weapon grasped in his teeth. He let it drop in front of the red pegasus and retreated to the other side of the clearing, flaring his wings once more.

As soon as the fight was declared, he began to edge slowly towards the stallion, his starsteel blades reflecting the light of the campfire that was even still burning. The crimson pegasus looked at them with some apprehension. The blades were legendary for spelling out the demise of all who even looked upon the commander or his friends with hostility.

There was a blur of motion as Skystrafe took to the air, forcing the other combatant, whose name was Windstreak, into the sky. This was not an arbitrary decision. His wingblades were tailored to his wings, letting him fly with no compunctions. A flail, by comparison, was large and unwieldy, made for ground use. It unbalanced him, giving Skystrafe a definite advantage. Windstreak began swirling his hooves in a circular manner, building momentum in the flail. As Skystrafe grew closer, Windstreak lashed out with the flail in what would surely have been a fatal blow, had it connected. Instead, it struck thin air, its only purpose to unbalance him and make it easier for Skystrafe, who attempted a standard wingblade maneuver; spreading his wings and soaring in a straight line at his opponent, aiming for his neck. Unfortunately for Skystrafe, Windstreak had been trained in aerial defense and utilized the standard counter, a fast spin in midair. The razorlike blade slid only centimeters past his neck, audibly slicing the air like a deadly whistle.

The spin performed by Windstreak had a second purpose. As he swung, the spiked steel ball whirled around with him, bashing into Skystrafe’s back with an incredible amount of force, knocking him out of the air. He landed on his belly, winding himself. He managed to struggle to his feet, flaring his wings again, when Windstreak landed as well. The red pegasus quickly lashed out with the flail, which Skystrafe just barely managed to evade. His back was killing him, his breath coming in short gasps as he ducked and wove around the deadly weapon. He cursed inwardly. He had lost the advantage on the ground, and he was too pinned down to take off again.

Examining Windstreak’s technique, he suddenly realized that he had a chance, and only one, if he could manipulate it just right. Ducking and dodging, he led Windstreak in a circular dance around the clearing, waiting for him to get annoyed. Once he was suitably enraged, Skystrafe decided that any more toying would get dangerous. He cut inward, his back to the Greatwood Yew, giving the pretense of being cornered. This was it. The timing had to be perfect. A second off and he was dead.

Windstreak smiled maliciously, clearly thinking that he had won. He aimed a last, massive overhead smash at the head of the Commander. Just as he was about to be hit, Skystrafe quickly shifted to the side. The flail, instead of sticking in his skull, stuck into the massive root of the enormous tree. The red pegasus tugged at it, attempting to yank it out, when he suddenly felt a searing pain in his upper-left chest. He managed to look down, seeing Skystrafe at the other side of the clearing, then suddenly fell to the ground, dead, his heart sliced in half.

Suddenly, the corpse began to shimmer and fluctuate like a liquid. Then it suddenly exploded, shooting up. Still shimmering, it began to mold itself into a different shape. When the shimmering stopped, there was left a black tree, it’s dull gray leaves fluttering in the slight breeze.

Skystrafe walked a few shaky paces, breathing heavily, then collapsed, falling into unconsciousness. The last thing he heard before darkness took him was Leaf muttering, "Delayed reaction, huh?"