CHAPTER 11
AUDIENCE WITH ROYALTY
As soon as Twilight Sparkle returned to her library with Spock and his compatriots, she insisted that they tell her everything about them. Spock repeated that he and his friends can only tell her what they felt was necessary. Twilight Sparkle reluctantly agreed to the compromise. Fluttershy wasn't with them, however. She stayed at her cottage under the excuse that she had her animal husbandry duties to look after. Twilight Sparkle promised Fluttershy that she would tell her all about Spock and his friends once she sees her again.
Spock then proceeded to tell Twilight Sparkle selective information about them that he felt would not violate The Prime Directive. A few minutes later, Twilight Sparkle began to sort this out.
"All right, let me get this straight:" Twilight Sparkle began. "You three males are members of an exploratory sailing ship called Enterprise, and you possess highly advanced magic weaponry and navigation tools!?"
Spock nodded. "That is correct."
"And your primary mission is that of exploring uncharted regions of Equestria and beyond!?"
"That is also correct."
"Wow!" Spike, sitting next to Twilight Sparkle, exclaimed. "Even though I'm still quite confused, your job sounds quite exciting. I'll bet you've seen a lot of extraordinary stuff in your adventures!"
"More than you can imagine, Spike!" McCoy said.
"All right, I'll accept what you just told me." Twilight Sparkle said. "However, that still doesn't explain what you are all doing here in this area, and why King Sombra would capture your Captain…"
Spock glanced back to his compatriots. "We were simply on shore leave in this area, and took it upon ourselves to learn more about how you ponies lived and your local culture…"
"As for why our Captain was captured," Dr. McCoy said. "we were hoping you could tell us, since you would've dealt with this King Sombra before…"
Twilight Sparkle shrugged. "Well, I've only dealt with him once, and all I know is that he's a tyrant bent on taking over the Crystal Empire and all of Equestria…"
"But that still doesn't explain why he would want to take our Captain prisoner!" McCoy said.
"It may very well be, Doctor," Spock began. "That either he or one of his minions was observing our behaviour in the Town Square yesterday, and it was decided that the Captain was a threat to him… OR he may have simply been curious about the four strangers in town, and wanted to learn more from their leader."
"Well, if he was curious, he's got a weird way of satisfying that curiosity! Why go through all of the trouble instead of simply showing himself and saying 'Hello there! I have a few questions for you.'?" McCoy said.
"Tyrants only know one thing, Doctor!" Spock said simply.
"Spock's right, Doctor." Chekhov said. "It would explain why he did what he did."
"So… now I take it that you're going to try and rescue your Captain?" Twilight Sparkle asked.
Spock nodded. "That is our main objective, but we will not do so without risking casualties among the crew of our ship. We are now relatively certain that he is being held in King Sombra's hideout near the North Pole, but we do not know how heavily fortified that hideout is, or how many guards King Sombra would have at his disposal. That is our main dilemma!"
Twilight Sparkle was pensive. "Well, I still wanna help."
"Any assistance you can give us would be most appreciated." Spock said.
"And I think I know of a way that we can get that help." She said.
"Then proceed." Spock said with a nod.
"Spike, I need you to write a letter to the Princess!" Twilight Sparkle said.
"Yes, ma'am!" Spike said happily, then he rushed to grab a quill and parchment.
Twilight Sparkle told Spike to write the following:
Dear Princess Celestia,
I am writing you this to let you know of some friends of mine who are in dire need of assistance. They are members of an exploratory sailing ship who were visiting Ponyville when their Captain, a certain Tiburon Tamer, was captured by whom we believe to be King Sombra. It seems our old foe is still alive!
They would be very grateful for any help we can give them to rescue their Captain, whose life may be in grave danger, for there is no telling what King Sombra may do to him! Please reply as soon as you can to tell me what to do!
Your loyal and faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle
After this letter met with Mr. Spock's approval, Spike rolled it up and used his magical fire to send it to Canterlot for Princess Celestia to read. "There! It's sent." Spike said.
"Now what?" McCoy asked.
"Now we wait!" Twilight Sparkle said.
Two hours later, everyone was still in the library waiting for Princess Celestia's reply. As every minute went by, Dr. McCoy was becoming more and more impatient.
"Does the Princess usually take this long in replying!?" McCoy asked.
Twilight Sparkle shrugged. "It depends on how busy she is. I sometimes get a reply in minutes. Other times, it could take hours."
"And sometimes days!" Spike added.
"Spike, you're not encouraging!" Twilight Sparkle said harshly.
"Sorry." Spike said in apology.
"Don't worry, Doctor Goodwill," Twilight Sparkle said. "We should hear something very shortly."
McCoy simply sighed and sat back down on one of pony sized seat cushions that was in the room.
Mr. Spock engaged Twilight Sparkle in a few games of chess with a set that Twilight Sparkle happened to have while they waited. It was only one dimensional, rather than the three dimensional chess Spock was more used to; and the chess pieces were made to resemble ponies, including the knights; but the rules of the game were relatively similar to Earth based chess, so it was right up Spock's alley.
While they busied themselves in this fashion, Chekhov found some interesting books to read from Twilight Sparkle's collection.
He let out a sudden chuckle. "Amazing! This Daring Do character is wery much like Russian adwenturer Indiana Jones."
"Indiana Jones wasn't Russian, he was American!" McCoy corrected.
"True, Indiana Jones moved to America, but he was born in Russia!" Chekhov said.
McCoy rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. "You're impossible, Chekhov!"
"Boys, would you please keep it down! I'm trying to concentrate!" Twilight Sparkle complained.
Twilight Sparkle then refocused herself on the chess game. "AHA!" she exclaimed as she noticed something. She used her unicorn magic to move her bishop up the board. "I've got you cornered now, Spock! You're helpless!" she said with a sinister expression on her face.
Spock raised an eyelid. "I beg to differ." He said as he moved his rook up the board. While the Vulcan Spock used his hand to move the chess piece, his projected bay pony self moved it with his teeth. "Checkmate!" Spock announced.
Twilight Sparkle was greatly surprised as she eyed the board. "Incredible! That's six games in a row! Nopony's been able to beat me like this before!"
McCoy smiled. "My dear, you're looking at the Grand Master of chess!"
"I appreciate the game because it allows me to think and strategize. It is not a competition for me."
"Well, in any rate, nobody's been able to beat you… except Captain Tiburon…" McCoy smiled.
"Because he plays most illogically, Doctor."
"Well it takes more than logic to win in chess, Spock; or in any game, for that matter!"
Spock raised his eyebrows. "Perhaps."
"Captain Tiburon sounds like a great pony!" Twilight Sparkle said. "I'd love to meet him."
"You may yet get that chance, Twilight Sparkle, if our mission is successful… Shall we begin another game?"
Twilight Sparkle sighed. "Might as well, since we're still waiting…" She used her unicorn magic to rearrange the chess pieces.
"Uhh… Twilight!?" Spike cried as he ran in the room.
"What is it, Spike?"
He raised a finger, then covered his mouth. His cheeks grew big with air, then he let out a BURP as magical fire erupted from his mouth. Out of the fire came a rolled up parchment. It rolled for a few feet as it fell to the floor. The ribbon surrounding it and the wax seal was enough to tell Twilight Sparkle who it came from.
"It's from the Princess! She's replied!" Twilight Sparkle said happily.
Her unicorn magic hummed as she used it to grab the parchment, break the wax seal, and unroll it. She read the following words out loud for Spock and his friends to hear:
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
Thank you for writing to me directly about this!
You can imagine my distress at the news that the tyrant King Sombra was not killed when you and the other keepers of the Elements of Harmony defeated him in the Crystal Empire, but I am even MORE distressed that one of my subjects was being held prisoner by him for apparently no good reason.
Of course, I am always willing to help out my subjects in any way I can; which is why I would like to meet your friends and listen to their plea. I shall be sending my chariot to the Ponyville library to convey you and them to Canterlot. Expect it to arrive in one hour upon you receiving this.
Sincerely yours,
Princess Celestia
"Well, that's good news!" McCoy smiled.
"For a change!" Chekhov said, also smiling.
"Indeed." Spock said. "Since we still have an hour to wait, would you care for a few more games of chess, Twilight Sparkle?"
"Sure!" Twilight Sparkle said. "And this time, I'm pretty sure I can beat you!"
Spock raised his eyelids. "That remains to be seen."
"Well, while you two are gonna get into another game, is there anything to eat around here?" McCoy asked.
"I'm sure the Royal Servants at the palace can provide you with anything you'll need, in terms of food; IF you're willing to wait, Doctor." Twilight Sparkle said.
"That's a good idea!" Chekhov said. "I've always wanted to sample Royal cuisine!" He smiled.
"You would!" McCoy said sarcastically.
Spike raised a finger. "I think I have some leftover jewel cake that may interest you!"
"No, thanks!" McCoy said in disgust. "I think I'll wait." He then sat back down on his seat cushion.
Twilight Sparkle giggled at this exchange.
Then she proceeded to getting into another game with Spock while McCoy simply sat around to wait for the Royal Chariot to arrive. Chekhov went back to reading the 'The Adventures of Daring Do' book he had taken from Twilight Sparkle's collection.
As expected, Princess Celestia's Royal Chariot arrived at the library in one hour. Twilight Sparkle, Spock and his compatriots immediately proceeded to embark in the chariot to be brought to the Canterlot Palace. A few citizens in Ponyville were surprised to see the Royal Chariot arrive in town. Some of them thought that Princess Celestia was paying them a surprise visit; but once they saw that the chariot was empty, and that it was headed towards the library, they deduced that Twilight Sparkle was going to Canterlot to meet Princess Celestia for something. When those same ponies saw the chariot leave with Twilight Sparkle and three male pony companions, it made them wonder all the more.
It only took a matter of minutes for the swift chariot to arrive at the Canterlot Palace. Upon arriving, Twilight Sparkle and her guests were offered every hospitality Canterlot had to offer; including the much anticipated lunch in the dining hall. Dr. McCoy and Mr. Chekhov eagerly helped themselves from the trays of fruits and vegetables that were offered to them. Twilight Sparkle helped herself to some of the fare as well. Since ponies were vegetarian, the spread was catered to meet ponies' dietary needs. Mr. Spock only helped himself to a banana from a whole bunch of them that were laid out on a silver tray. In fact, everything was laid out for them on silver platters!
Once their meal was over, they were lead to the Throne Room where Princess Celestia was waiting. There were guards lined up every few feet from the dining hall all the way up to the huge double door entrance to the Throne Room. Spock and his friends took in all of the exquisite architecture of the palace. Everything about it told them that Canterlot was incredibly wealthy, and that the palace itself must've taken decades to build!
As they arrived at the huge double doors that lead to the Throne Room, the two guard ponies pulled the doors open and ushered them inside. The Throne Room itself was quite large. A long red carpet was laid out on the polished white marble floor from the threshold of the doors all the way to the throne. Every few feet, there was a male pony guard that stood. They all wore the same polished bronze coloured armour with a light blue five point star symbol on the chest plate, and matching Roman style helmet and hoof shoes. They were also carrying long spears.
As they approached the throne, they were able to get a good look at Princess Celestia. McCoy and Chekhov simply stood in awe at this magnificent looking pure white female alicorn pony wearing a polished golden crown with purple encrusted jewel in the middle. She also wore a matching golden necklace and hoof shoes. Her long flowing multicoloured mane and tail rippled as if being blown by the breeze, though none was evident. Spock estimated her height to be around six and a half feet tall. If you included her unicorn's horn, her height would be about seven and a half feet tall. Quite tall, by pony standards!
But she wasn't alone! Another alicorn pony was sitting to her right. This alicorn pony was dark blue in colour, she wore a simple black crown with a matching black necklace embossed with a white crescent moon symbol in the middle of it. She also wore silver coloured hoof shoes. Her long flowing mane and tail also appeared to ripple in a non-existent breeze, and were of a lighter blue shade than her coat. They also appeared to have twinkling stars in them. She was much smaller than her pure white counterpart at no more than five feet tall; five feet, nine inches tall, if you included her unicorn's horn; still quite tall, by pony standards. Spock deduced that she must be another Princess, but wasn't sure if she was related to the pure white Princess or not. They were quite a contrasting duo!
Spock also noticed that the larger white pony had a sun image cutie mark, while the smaller dark blue pony had a crescent moon overlaid against a black sky as her cutie mark. The Sun Princess and the MOON Princess, ruling together! Fascinating! Spock thought.
Twilight Sparkle led Spock and his friends all the way up the red carpet, and stopped roughly twenty feet away from the throne. Then she came forward a few feet and bowed. "Princess Celestia, I have come, at your request."
"Twilight Sparkle, my loyal and faithful student." Princess Celestia said in reply. She had a voice that sounded both kind and wise.
"Princess Luna." Twilight Sparkle said as she bowed to the dark blue coloured alicorn.
"Greetings, Twilight Sparkle!" Princess Luna said. Her voice sounded more stern and commanding.
"My loyal subjects" Princess Celestia began as she addressed Spock's group. "I would like to officially welcome you to Canterlot. I have asked my sister, Princess Luna, to be a part of this audience; because I feel this concerns her as well."
As Celestia gestured to Luna, Spock got confirmation that the dark blue coloured alicorn was related to the pure white one. Spock thought the two made quite a contrast, obviously inheriting different family traits from their parents.
"Who among you speaks for your group?" Princess Celestia asked.
Spock immediately came forward to stand next to Twilight Sparkle, and bowed. "I do, your Highnesses." He began. "I am Spock, Commander of the exploratory vessel Enterprise."
"Strange!" Princess Celestia said. "I know no exploratory vessel called Enterprise… No matter. Continue."
"Just yesterday, our friend and Captain, Tiburon Tamer, went missing. We were able to trace the whereabouts of his disappearance to the Everfree Forest where we found evidence that he has been capturedby an evil tyrant known as King Sombra."
Several ponies in attendance gasped at this news, and the din of worried mutterings filled the room.
"Order! Order!" an usher called out. Everypony immediately fell silent.
"Are you certain of this?" Princess Luna asked.
"Yes." Twilight Sparkle said in answer. "Inside the castle ruins, we found a magic doorway in what used to be the castle dungeons. It was enchanted with his dark magic."
More mutterings erupted from some of the ponies present.
"We believe that whoever captured our Captain brought him through that doorway to King Sombra's hideout." Spock said.
This brought out more worried mutterings.
"So he would have minions working for him now?" Princess Celestia asked.
Spock nodded. "Affirmative. We've found evidence that some of them may be… bat ponies."
More gasps and worried mutterings erupted from the crowd. The usher urged order again from the crowd.
When the din of the worried mutterings died down, it was Princess Luna who spoke.
"It would explain much!" she said. "A short time ago, an entire garrison of my Royal Guards suddenly broke rank and disappeared. We had no clue where they may have gone… until now… Based on what you have just said, it seems that they have joined our enemy!"
More gasps and mutterings emerged from the crown. It seems that there was a sense of panic in Canterlot at this news!
"How many?" Twilight Sparkle asked.
"Roughly a hundred and fifty of them!" Princess Luna admitted.
More mutterings erupted. "Order!" the usher called again.
Twilight Sparkle groaned in dejection. "There's no way we can help rescue their Captain now! Even with the Elements of Harmony, we couldn't possibly defeat a hundred and fifty well trained soldiers!"
"Which is why you will need help." Princess Celestia said. "Mr. Spock…"
"Yes, your Highness?" Spock said in response to his name.
"Do you have any idea where King Sombra's hideout may be located?"
"We believe he may be located somewhere near the North Pole."
"Just South of the Crystal Empire, Princess!" Twilight Sparkle said.
This brought on more gasps and groans from the audience.
Once that has died down, Princess Celestia continued. "Then I believe I have the perfect solution! Twilight Sparkle, do you remember the magic mirror that is inside my chambers?"
"You mean the one that you use to communicate with others parts of Equestria!?" Twilight Sparkle smiled.
Princess Celestia nodded. "The very same! I give you permission to use it to contact Princess Cadence in the Crystal Empire, as well as your brother Shining Armour. They can give you and your friends the help you need!" Princess Celestia finished.
"Thank you very much, Princess Celestia!" Twilight Sparkle smiled and bowed deeply. Mr. Spock and his companions did the same.
With the Royal audience over, Twilight Sparkle and her friends immediately made their way to Princess Celestia's chambers.
Even though Twilight Sparkle already knew the way to the chambers, a couple of Royal Guards led them there.
As they made their way down the large elaborately polished and decorated marble hallway, Dr. McCoy decided to ask Twilight Sparkle for more information about her brother.
"So tell me more about your brother…"
"Well, he's Captain of the Royal Guard, and he won't hesitate to help us with this. We can trust him!"
"And what about Princess Cadence?"
Twilight Sparkle smiled brightly. "She's actually Princess Celestia's and Princess Luna's niece. She became the Crystal Princess shortly after the Crystal Empire was rediscovered."
"After lying dormant for one thousand years?" Spock asked.
Twilight Sparkle nodded. "That's right. She was also my favourite foalsitter when I was a filly, AND she's married to my brother!"
"You mean Shining Armour?" McCoy asked.
"Yes!"
"Then… that makes him… a Prince, right?" Chekhov said.
"I guess it does!" Twilight Sparkle finally said upon this realization. "Funny, I never thought of my big brother as being… Prince Shining Armour before!" She giggled.
"Well, I'll tell you one thing, my dear: You certainly have a lot of friends in high places!" McCoy said.
Twilight Sparkle giggled again. "Comes with being known as the most gifted unicorn in all of Equestria, I guess." She shrugged.
The two guards finally stopped in front of two large double doors and opened them up. One of the guards smiled and ushered them inside. They closed the doors behind them once they were all inside the chambers. Spock and his friends took in the elaborately decorated rooms. Even the bedroom's interior decorating was luxurious! McCoy couldn't help but shudder at the amount of taxes that were levied to pay for all this!
It didn't take long for Twilight Sparkle to locate the magic mirror in question. It was a large free standing mirror big enough for even Princess Celestia herself to gaze at her image. Twilight Sparkle concentrated as she used her unicorn powers to bring forth the magic spell required to activate the mirror. It wasn't long before the mirror glowed and the image of grey clouds appeared.
"This is Twilight Sparkle calling Princess Cadence. Come in, Princess Cadence!" she said into the mirror.
The grey cloud image in the mirror continued. "Princess Cadence, this is Twilight Sparkle!" she repeated. "Are you there?"
The grey cloud image dissipated to reveal the image of a beautiful alicorn pony. "Twilight!" she said brightly. Her voice sounded soft and caring. "What a pleasant surprise! Are you using Auntie Celestia's magic mirror?"
"I am!" Twilight Sparkle. "She gave me permission to use it!"
This alicorn was, in fact, very beautiful! She looked to be about a little under five feet tall, and was light pink in colour. She had a long mane and tail that almost touched the ground, and were curled at the ends. Her mane and tail were coloured purple, dark pink and white. She wore a simple small golden crown with matching necklace and hoof shoes. There was a purple jewel similar to Princess Celestia's encrusted on her crown, and it actually matched her eye colour.
Dr. McCoy and Mr. Chekhov were simply awestruck by her beauty. I can see why Twilight's brother MARRIED this pony! McCoy thought to himself. She must be the envy of every male pony in Equestria. Spock simply thought.
"That's no small favour!" Cadence said in reference to Twilight Sparkle gaining permission to use the magic mirror. "I have a feeling that you're contacting me for more than just a chat!"
Twilight Sparkle nodded sadly. "You're right. We're contacting you because… we need your help!"
"How can we be of assistance?" Cadence asked.
"Is Shining Armour there?" Twilight Sparkle asked.
"He is! One moment." Princess Cadence then turned to her left to call out to her husband. Spock and his friends all noticed that her cutie mark was a blue heart shaped crystal which looked to be resting on top of a brass coloured pedestal. That must identify her as the Crystal Princess. Spock thought.
Princess Cadance came back to the mirror accompanied by a white male unicorn. "Hey, Twiley! What's up?" the male unicorn said with a smile.
This male unicorn was a little taller than Princess Cadence, and his mane and tail were coloured in various streaks of blue with light blue coloured eyes. He was wearing a special uniform that identified him as the Captain of the Guard, and he was carrying his helmet in one of his forelegs.
"Shining, we have a serious crisis on our hooves, and we need your help!" Twilight Sparkle said urgently.
The royal couple shared a worried look. "What's going on, Twiley?" Shining Armour asked.
"I'd rather let my friend here tell you all the details." Then she nodded for Spock to come stand in front of the mirror.
"Greetings, your Royal Highnesses!" Spock said as he bowed. "I am Spock, a friend of Twilight's."
"Greetings, Mr. Spock." Cadence said in return. "Though your pony name is most… unusual, I am delighted to make your acquaintance." She smiled.
"As am I." Shining Armour smiled as well.
"I shall get to the point." Spock continued. "Our friend and Captain, a certain Tiburon Tamer, has been captured by King Sombra, and he is currently being-"
"Wait!" Princess Cadence interrupted. "Did you say King Sombra?"
Spock nodded. "Indeed!"
"He's still alive!?" Shining Armour asked.
"Yes!" Twilight Sparkle said. "We found a doorway in the old castle ruins of the Everfree Forest that was infested with his dark magic, which means that he's been operating in Ponyville for some time now!"
The royal couple shared another deeper worried look. "You're right!" Princess Cadence said."This is very serious! But what does that have to do with us!?"
"I was just getting to that" Spock said. "As I was saying: We have found evidence that our Captain is currently being held in a fortified location just South of your Crystal Empire."
Princess Cadence gasped. "The old Empire Dungeons Complex!" she said to her husband.
"It must be!" Shining Armour said.
"Dungeons Complex?" Twilight Sparkle asked in confusion.
"Yes!" Princess Cadence said. "It served as an Empire prison for a long time!"
"It's where King Sombra kept most of his political prisoners when he took over the Crystal Empire a thousand years ago." Shining Armour said.
"But it was abandoned shortly after he was defeated!" Cadence said.
"So that's where he's been hiding all this time" Shining Armour said. "AND keeping your Captain prisoner!" he then said to Spock.
"But that's not all of it, Shining!" Twilight Sparkle said. "Princess Luna told us that a bunch of her Royal Guards defected and went to join him! One hundred and FIFTY of them!"
"Hmmm…" Shining Armour was pensive as he brought his free forehoof to his chin. "Then there's no other alternative, we'll have to invade that dungeon complex and capture those traitors! Here's what were gonna do: At noon tomorrow, me and a hundred and fifty of my best soldiers will storm that complex and capture as many of those bat ponies as we can!"
"At the same time, me and my friends will take the Elements of Harmony and go through that gateway in the Everfree Forest, try to locate Captain Tiburon Tamer and rescue him!" Twilight Sparkle said.
"It'll be a coordinated assault!" Shining Armour exclaimed happily. "Don't worry, my good fellow, we'll get you all the help you'll need!" He then said to Spock.
Spock bowed deeply. "For which you have nothing but our eternal gratitude."
Shining Armour and Cadence smiled and returned the bow. "Our pleasure!" Cadence said.
"See you in the Crystal Empire, Twiley!" Shining Armour said.
"Talk to you soon!" Cadence said.
Twilight Sparkle smiled and bowed. "Later!" she said simply.
The image in the mirror then faded to be replaced by the grey cloudy background that was there at first, then the mirror faded to black and stopped glowing.
Twilight Sparkle then left the chambers to head back towards the Throne Room. On the way back, they ran into Princess Celestia who was on her way to her chambers. She was accompanied by four of her guards.
"Well, Twilight, how did it go?" Princess Celestia asked her student.
"We've decided on a coordinated assault of King Sombra's compound." Twilight Sparkle said immediately. "Shining Armour's gonna take a hundred and fifty of his best soldiers to capture the bat pony regiment while me and my friends will take the Elements of Harmony and go through that doorway in the old abandoned castle to try and locate Captain Tiburon Tamer and free him."
"We shall accompany them, of course." Spock said. "We are well trained in the art of combat, and Doctor Goodwill here is a very adept Medical Officer."
Princess Celestia smiled. "Such a brave group of ponies! You all make me very proud!"
"Thank you, Your Royal Highness." Spock said as he bowed.
Princess Celestia continued smiling. "I don't stand much on formalities. You can simply call me 'Celestia', or 'Princess', if you'd like."
"Very well, Princess." Spock said as he bowed again.
Dr. McCoy rolled his eyes at this.
Princess Celestia giggled. "All right. I shall send for the Elements of Harmony from the Royal Vaults. You shall take them back to Ponyville tonight, Twilight Sparkle. I wish you all the very best!"
"Thank you, Princess!" Twilight Sparkle smiled and bowed.
Princess Celestiaand her guards then moved past the group on the way towards the chambers.
It wasn't long before Twilight Sparkle got the Elements of Harmony, as word was sent quickly that she needed them. They were kept in a simple wooden chest with brass plated hinges. When Twilight Sparkle showed the Elements to Spock and his friends, they were quite amazed to see that simple golden necklaces like these were capable of channeling such awesome power through whoever wears them!
McCoy was particularly amazed to see that the jewels in the center of the necklaces matched the cutie marks of the bearers. Even the crown's star shaped jewel matched Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark! "It's almost as if you and your friends were destined to have these!" He exclaimed.
Twilight Sparkle nodded. "That's what we thought so, too! I think the jewels of the crown and necklaces change to match the wearer's cutie mark as they're passed down through the ages; but the main qualities of each element stay the same: Kindness, Loyalty, Generosity, Honesty, Laughter and Magic! Only ponies who have those qualities the strongest can inherit the element, and my friends definitely have those qualities as their strongest attributes!"
"Amazing!" Chekhov exclaimed.
"Fascinating!" Spock simply said as he raised his eyelids.
"Those are the best qualities anybody can have!" McCoy commented.
"They sure are!" Twilight Sparkle smiled brightly.
"And you, Spock, can definitely learn a thing or two from the Element of Laughter." McCoy mocked.
"Perhaps!" Spock said as he raised his eyelids again.
McCoy sighed heavily. "You'll never change, will you, Spock?"
"Perhaps not!" Spock simply said.
Chekhov simply rolled his eyes at this exchange.
"Well, let's go find the Royal Chariot." Twilight Sparkle said, changing the subject. "It's to take us back to Ponyville."
They found the Royal Chariot in the courtyard in front of the Palace. The two male Pegasus ponies quickly got themselves hooked up to the chariot itself to prepare to leave.
They arrived in Ponyville within minutes of leaving Canterlot. Since it was Princess Celestia's Royal chariot, it was the swiftest in all of Equestria! It was sundown by the time the chariot pulled up alongside Twilight Sparkle's balcony that was part of her library home.
"Thank you, sirs!" she said to the two Pegasus ponies as she disembarked. They both smiled brightly.
Twilight Sparkle invited Spock and his friends to spend the night in the library. Spock politely refused saying that they had an encampment outside of Ponyville, and they were going to spend the night there.
Spock then asked the two Pegasus ponies pulling the chariot to carry he and his group to the crossroads just outside of Ponyville. Spock and his friends thanked the two Pegasus ponies as they reached their destination and disembarked. Both Pegasus ponies smiled and immediately took off to head back towards Canterlot.
The sun was had almost disappeared over the horizon when they arrived at the forest clearing that was their beaming coordinates. Spock then signaled to the Enterprise to have themselves beamed up. The hum of the transporter beam can be heard as it caught them, and it wasn't long before their shimmering forms disappeared from the forest cleaning as they were beamed up.
