Chapter 7

Steelmind had left Frostburn with her sister, looking around the small town as ponies started looking at him with some curiosity. Nopony really seemed to know how to react to his presence, but he barely noticed. The Thought Trossel's mind was elsewhere, as it always was. He finally stopped and sat down under a tree to try and steady his thoughts a bit more. I just don't get it, he thought. When he finally snapped out of it, he noticed all the ponies staring at him.

"Hello," he said cautiously. "It's nice to meet all of you...here...in the same place. My name's Steelmind." Nopony reacted. "I'm not that much different from any of you. Just a normal, average pony. Go about your business." Steelmind slowly backed away, before bumping into somepony going the other way. "Oh, sorry. Didn't see you there." he readjusted his glasses to see who he'd bumped into. She was a very regal white horned pony with a long curly purple mane and bright sapphire blue eyes.

"Think nothing of it," she said in a very articulated and sophisticated voice. She looked around the crowd that had gathered around, all waiting anxiously to see what this new mysterious pony would do. "You certainly seem to know how to draw a crowd." Steelmind chuckled sheepishly, before stopping immediately to avoid digging himself deeper. He followed the unicorn back to her boutique, littered with all sorts of fabrics and ponnequins. "Don't mind the clutter. It isn't always like this. I don't believe I caught your name." Steelmind glanced over at her, slightly disoriented.

"Oh, yeah," he said, extending a hoof to her. "I'm Steelmind." Noticing she didn't take it, he slowly retracted it.

"Rarity," the unicorn said. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Steelmind looked down at his feet to see a large fluffy white cat, purring at his hooves and rubbing against him. "It seems Opal likes you. I've never seen her act this way around anypony before."

Princess Celestia looked out the window and saw a dark cloud very far off in the distance. Before she could contemplate matters further, her guards entered with two very familiar-looking ponies in tow. The one on the left was a fairly light-colored freckled pony with a golden crown on top of her orange and pink mane and a bright green bandana around her neck. Her spotted tail had a large dark blue bow and was covered in ribbons of several different colors with a big white ribbon at the end. Her deep plum eyes looked very bright, but also cast shadows of the very bleak and dark emotions beneath. The one on the right was a grey-teal pony with a black and dark pink mane and his white puffy tail with covered in small lilac spots. Unlike the other pony, however, his teal eyes were proud and dominant. Something immediately apparent was that these ponies had large spikes protruding from the backs of their hooves. The guards finally stopped, as did the two ponies accompanying them.

"Your majesty," one of the guards said. "These two ponies come from Seldreinia. They say they have urgent news that could prove detrimental to the fate of Equestria." the Princess gestured for her guards to leave and they departed quickly.

"I am Lord Xanatos," the grey-teal pony addressed, speaking in a very thick tone. "The duke of Seldreinia, and, due to our father's absence, king of Trossels. This is my little sister, the Omni Trossel Queen Paragontal." she shot him a weak look, which he took no mind to.

"I told you not to introduce me like that, Xan," she said. "Princess, we've come to warn you of a great danger. Five evil spirits collectively known as the Cursed Trossels have been reawakened after their fifteen hundred year imprisonment. By tomorrow, they'll have taken over and destroyed Seldreinia and the remaining populous; said destruction will slowly make its way here and, if not stopped, will ultimately destroy everything and envelop what's left of the world-if anything-in an endless black void for eternity." she turned to Xanatos as though expecting him to say something, but he didn't respond.

"Your highness," Celestia started.

"Paragontal," she corrected. "I'd like to believe that I do have some identity outside of just what I am."

"Paragontal," Celestia said. "I'm afraid there isn't much I can offer to your ponies. I will assist in any way you see fit."

"That's just it, Princess," Xanatos interjected. "according to legend, the only way the Cursed Trossels were defeated was by the Sixth Elements." The Princess looked down at the Balance Trossel in confusion. "I believe you have something similar referred to as the Elements of Harmony, yes?" Princess Celestia nodded, motioning for him to continue. "Only five are known, however: Fire, Water, Earth, Air, and Darkness. The final element has been lost to even the eldest and wisest of Time Trossels. If we can find the five reincarnated members of the Sixth Elements, we'll able to seal away the Cursed Trossels forever."

"If all the Trossels have fled," Princess Celestia inquired. "How can we assemble the reincarnations of Sixth Elements?"

"They've all travelled across the world to attempt to get as far from the Cursed Trossels' wave of destruction as possible," Paragontal said, her voice bearing a sliver of confidence in it. "It's only a matter of time before they're revealed." Paragontal turned away from the Princess once her back was turned and Xanatos noticed out of the corner of his eye just how unsure of herself his little sister really was deep down.

"Come to think of it," Celestia said. "my personal student did send a letter telling me about a group of Trossels taking up refuge in Ponyville. It's not too far from here, and I can arrange a chariot immediately."

"We appreciate the offer, Princess," Xanatos said. "however, we will have to respectfully decline. We will find these Trossels on our own accord, and we'll thank you to ensure that activity regarding the Cursed Trossels is kept quiet, so as not to arise any unnecessary attention from the commoners." Celestia nodded, and the two flew out the window.