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My Little Pony: The Light of Equestria Ch. 29

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    “Stop pushing me!” yelled an earth pony to the buffalo next to him.

    “I was not “pushing” you…I was only trying to get through, and I happened to bump into you by accident,” the buffalo defended.

    “Hmph! From your size, I doubt that is not all you bump into!”

    The buffalo snorted and glared at the now angry pony. A few zebras nearby were getting very annoyed with their arguing, and came over to separate them both. “Will you two be quiet! We are trying to listen to the conversation the ponies inside are having.” A female zebra ordered.

    Although the two wanted to snap back at the zebra, she was right; shortly after the Champion of the Light returned, he was brought into the Salt Block Saloon to rest. Many ponies and the leaders of the other creatures gathered inside, while the rest had to remain outside since there was not enough room.

    Every pony, zebra, buffalo, and dragon were right outside the saloon, listening to whatever was going on in there; they were anxious to hear what the brown alicorn had to say on the events of how he was imprisoned. Unfortunately, the situation with every creature outside close together was starting to raise tension and would soon cause a commotion that might be hard to end.




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    Inside the saloon, Courageous Heart was seated at a table and offered a glass of water. Holding the glass with both his hooves, he drank the cool liquid down slowly. As he sipped his water, every creature gathered around him as best they could; To everypony, Courageous was a hero and they were honored to be in his presence.

    Twilight and her friends sat around the table with him, with the earlier sitting very close to him wishing to be by his side, to which he warmly accepted. Once he finished his drink, Courageous let out a great sigh and tried to take in all that was around him, for this time period was so much different then his own; four-thousand years to be exact, which no doubt is hard on anypony in that situation.

    The lavender unicorn gently placed her hoof upon his shoulder to comfort him, “Are you alright…Courageous?” Twilight asked, wishing there was something she could do.

    The Champion was honestly not entirely okay, but chose to nod his head, “Yes, Twilight. This is just a lot to take in. This place I am in now; The ponies and all others around me that I am unfamiliar with, plus the fact that I was trapped inside an amulet for a long time, I just need a little time to take it all in.”

    “Take all the time you need. I’m here for you.” She smiled with a small blush.

    “That’s right. We are here to help however we can, because that’s what friends do…even though some of us have only just met you,” Rainbow Dash announced to the alicorn.

    Courageous smiled at the pegasai’s words, “Thank you, Rainbow Dash. I am very thankful to be welcomed here like this.”

    Everypony in the Salt Block all replied politely and proudly to the Champion of the Light, for they were still in awe to have him here.

    Courageous noticed the looks in their eyes and gave a small smile in return. He then noticed his glass being refilled by Braeburn, “Here ya go, partner. If ya need any more, just ask,” the yellow colt said as he returned to his seat.

    “Thank you. That is very kind of you.” Courageous thanked and took another sip of his water. As he drank, the eyes of the ponies and creature around him were still staring, for many of them had questions to ask on everything. The Champion sighed and nodded, “I can see you have much to ask on what has transpired. There is little time, so I will explain the important parts. I shall start with how I came to be Tirek’s prisoner.”

    As everypony inside and outside the Saloon became quiet in order to hear the tale, Courageous summoned the power of the Light from his horn. What soon followed was a bright flash that created a vision for all within the town to see; They were practically placed in the past to see the events of long ago:





    “When the world was covered in Darkness, there were only a certain few left that were brave enough to fight and save their homeland. Though our numbers were fewer then that of the enemy, the strength of our hearts were what would bring us victory.”

    “Over the course of my life, there were many herds and tribes that I ran with and learned much from: the Buffalo; the Zebras; the Unicorns; the Pegasi; the Earth Ponies; and the Dragons. Although these six stood apart from each other, I was able to show them the path that was the only way to ensure victory and allow us to keep our freedom.”

    “After coming together, we forged a power from the Light that would represent each tribe and would be wielded by a member of each. The ones chosen were six dear friends of mine; one from each tribe.”

    “United under our friendship, the Elements of Harmony, and the Light…we were ready as the Darkness arrived. They came in great numbers: Goblins, Trolls, Ogres, Changlings, Gargoyles, and much more. Leading them all was the great demon that ruled over them: Tirek the Supreme.”

    “A great battle was waged. We fought bravely, 
but it would only be a matter of time before the enemy would claim victory. Calling my friends together, the seven of us summoned the power bestowed to us. With their combined strength, the Rainbow of Light was formed. Rising high into the darkened sky, it came down upon the demon centaur. Within mere moments, the clouds cleared away and the rays of the sun could be seen again. With the Master of Darkness weakened and unable to strike back, his followers fled; they would be forever shunned by those that dared to join his cause.”

    “As Tirek remained there, I knew one last blow from the Rainbow of Light would forever vanquish him from this world. But before my friends and I could resummon the most powerful source of Harmony, the demon held up his amulet within his hand; Only I was able to see it before the vortex was summoned. Unable to fight it, I was drawn in and imprisoned within. My friends and family could do nothing but watch as I was taken away from them.”

    “I was alone in the endless Darkness. Nowhere to run, nowhere to go. I could feel the essence of evil upon me. The Light protected me by wrapping me in a cocoon to keep me safe. There, I stayed in a state of hibernation. I did not age, nor did I falter. My escape could only be accomplished by the Elements of Harmony, but Tirek kept his amulet hidden from the eyes of the righteous.”

    “Without The Light and its Champion, the Elements could not finish the demon. So, he was chained and placed within a prison that ran deep underground. He remained inside the deepest of dungeons known as Tartarus. With him gone, the world could once again continue on.”

    “But that peace would not last: Those that I had united eventually separated. Driven by my disappearance as well as their differences, they went their separate ways, and the Elements of Harmony vanished. The hope of true peace, friendship, and harmony…was lost.”

“Generation had passed. The six species remained apart, while other creatures of good and evil roamed the land. The tale of the Light and the Darkness was soon forgotten by most. Some kept what they could remember safe and passed it down, so that they would be ready, should history repeat itself.”




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    The vision came to an end and everypony returned to reality. The experience was breathtaking and exhilarating; no amount of magic could do such a thing as the Light could.

    “Wow…that was…incredible, Courageous,” Twilight spoke first as her head started to clear up.

    “Yeah. A’m glad we now know what exactly happened to ya,” Applejack agreed.

    Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie all agreed as well. Rainbow Dash however had one other question on her mind, “But there is one other thing I need to know.”

    “You may ask,” Courageous Heart replied and awaited her question.

    “If Tirek was imprisoned, how is it he escaped? I mean, I heard Tartarus was inescapable.”

    Courageous nodded and explained without the need to show a vision through the Light for this, “When he was first placed in there, he was still in a weakened state. The chains and cage that held him made it harder for him to regain his power. Tirek knew this, but he was patient. Biding his time, he would absorb the evil or wicked deeds of those all over the world.”

    Rainbow and the others still had some trouble understanding this, but things became clearer once Courageous continued, “As the Supreme Master of Darkness and Evil, anypony in the world could aid him in regaining his strength…even if they were unaware of it. From the smallest to the greatest acts of cruelty, it slowly helped him rebuild everything he lost…and even helped him learn some new powers, such as the ability to manipulate the wills of others.”

    Twilight listened well but felt the need to ask, “So, you’re saying that everypony here and elsewhere, even myself…helped him at some point in our lives?”

    Courageous sighed, closed his eyes and gave a simple light nod. Seeing his answer made all within the Saloon feel guilty, knowing they played a part in Tirek’s return.

    “Do not blame yourselves for what has happened. It was inevitable, and nothing could have changed it. Tirek waited patiently for this day. But to help speed up the process, he reached out to others with his mind; Certain individuals that would build up enough evil within them for him to absorb…ones that most of you are, or were, familiar with.”

    “L-Like who?” Fluttershy asked nervously, afraid to know the truth.

    Courageous answered the shy little pony, “There were many, but there were those you had encountered before: the ones called Nightmare Moon, Queen Chrysalis, and King Sombra. He chose them because of their potential, and as the evil within them grew, Tirek absorbed it and drew ever closer to his eventual escape.”

    As the truth continued to be told, Rarity spoke up, “Well, all that you speak of explains a lot, and believe me darling, that is a lot to take in and accept.”

    “I agree with you, Rarity.” Spike supported from nearby.

    “If Courageous says its true, then we should believe him,” Twilight said, supporting the pony she cared for deeply.

    “Thank you, Twilight…and thank you all for listening,” Courageous smiled at her and then to all around him, ”But now, we must discuss our plan to retake your Equestria from Tirek.”





    “Do you have a plan?” Sheriff Silverstar asked out of the blue.

    “I might, but if we all work together, only then can we-” Courageous was interrupted when the voices of those outside the saloon rose in volume.

    “What in tarnation is goin’ on out there?” Applejack blurted out.

    “Let me check,” Pinkie Pie volunteered, who started bouncing through the crowd, “Pardon me! Excuse me! Hehehe!!” The moment she reached the window, she peeked out, “Ooooo…looks like a fight is going on…and that can’t be good.”

    Upon hearing Pinkie as well as the argument outside rising, Courageous rose from his seat and flapped his wings. He flew right out the door and landed on the patio. From there he could see many buffalo, zebras, ponies, and dragons arguing over who-knows-what. The sight of this was enough to make Courageous upset.

    His eyes suddenly glowed brightly and with great strength, he stomped upon the floorboards and gave a loud echoing order, “ENOUGH!!!” The creatures all fell silent immediately and turned their attention to him.

    Courageous sighed and shook his head as his eyes returned to normal. Everypony in the Saloon watched and listened from where they stood. The brown alicorn took in a deep breath and spoke them all, “Whatever it is your are arguing about, needs to stop…now!!”

    Before any of them could explain or complain about what happened, Courageous halted them with his own words, “I care not for what happened, but right now none of you see the bigger problem behind your feuds.”

    Everypony knew not was he was talking about, but Courageous was determined to show them the answer, “For too long, every pony, zebra, buffalo, and dragon here have refused to accept the other all because of your small and unimportant differences. Don’t you see what is happening?! THIS is the reason why the world fell into Darkness so easily long ago, and why it is falling into it again.”

    Courageous sighed and continued, “I united your ancestors and showed them that there is no reason for us to be enemies. Together, we stood against a common foe to insure our victory and freedom. I had hoped that after we could finally achieve true peace and harmony with one another. But unfortunately, they put everything on me and when I was imprisoned and your ancestors lost the one hope that would keep them strong and together. Tirek knew this and it is why he took me away. He knew that all the creatures would lose hope and be driven apart. This is what he wanted. This way once he escaped, he could take over the world once again, only this time...he would succeed.”

    “Tirek however made one mistake…” Courageous stated, “…He chose to keep me imprisoned instead of removing me. He could not do it while in prison due to the restriction of his power. But once he escaped, he could have removed me anytime, but he chose to keep me as a trophy. I was fortunate to have the strength to reach out into the dreams of a certain special pony.” He referred to Twilight, who gave him a warm smile from behind.

    As the creatures listened, what they were hearing was starting to make sense. Courageous spoke again, only this time he would give them the most important lesson on Friendship…one that nopony has discovered, “Look at yourselves. It does not matter how different you or the ones next to you are. We are all the same…on the inside. Every one of us will do what is needed to protect our home and the ones living within. Your ancestors knew this, and they put aside their differences to work together to face the Darkness. If they could do it…then so can you.”

    Everypony in Appleloosa were moved by his words and started looking all around at the many whom they once disliked because of who they were or what they may have done to them long ago. It was still hard for most to accept.

    “My friends…” The Champion spoke with such courage in his heart, “…This is your home, and you are its inhabitants…its protectors…its Light.” Taking in a deep breath, he announced at last, “You are the Light of Equestria, and she calls on all of you to protect her from the Darkness and its Master. So I ask you: Will you put your differences aside, not just for this battle, but from now on…so that we can work together to save our home and the rest of the world?”

    Courageous Heart’s bold and heart-filled words reached out to every pony, zebra, dragon and buffalo within the town. They all knew he was right; this was their home and the only way to save it was to work together, not as allies…but as friends.





    Most were too nervous and did not know where to start. However, inside the Saloon, the zebra tribe leader Subria, called out to Rainbow Dash and approached her. This drew the attention of the rest.

    “Y-Y-Yes…Subria?” Rainbow Dash asked, slightly nervous of the zebra who never liked her much.

    Subira stood there with a firm look on her face for a moment or two. Suddenly, she moved in towards the cyan Pegasus and hugged her. Rainbow was surprised by this action.

    “Wha…” Rainbow was speechless.

    The zebra sighed lightly and her firmness turned into that of acceptance, “I am truly sorry, my dear friend. You are a zebra among us, now until the end.”

    Rainbow Dash gasped. She smiled and returned the hug, “Thank you, Subira. That means a lot to me.”

    As the two continued the hug, showing their accepting of the other and putting their past differences aside, this caused the rest of the town to do the same. Every zebra, dragon, pony and buffalo exchanged words with the other; apologizing for any misdeeds of the past, discussing the common interests they share, and just making friends in the process.

    Courageous Heart sighed with joy as he watched every species talking together as good neighbors. Twilight Sparkle came up to him and gently nuzzled his cheek with her own.

    “I am so proud of you, Courageous. You brought everypony together and made them see each other as friends.”

    “No, Twilight. It is you who brought them together. You are responsible for this, more than I am.”

    Twilight smiled warmly at the young stallion and his kind and truthful words. The two spent their time nuzzling each other as the creatures all around them resumed their conversations, accepting all those around them…as friends.
Courageous Heart has much to reveal about how he was imprisoned for so long. But even then, there is still much unrest among the other creatures within Appleloosa. Can the most important lesson on Friendship help unite them to face the Darkness and its Master?

Next Chapter: The preparation for the final battle, and the origins of the Elements of Harmony


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Digigex90's avatar
Huh, so it looks like now they reach their differences after all this time. Good. :)

Anyway, if the darkness were to been the one from destiny, then probably these characters would of been gone. Why i said that? The Darkness in Destiny is so evil it almost wiped out the human race.

Anyway, you did good on this chapter. I'll read more. =p