Meanwhile, at Canterlot Castle, Princess Luna, the well-known alicorn of the night, paced around in the hall aligned with stained-glass pictures of the Bearers of Harmony, her sister, and even a special dragon defeating more enemies than you could count shining with the sun's light, reflecting off her indigo coat and matching mane.
However, Luna paid no attention to the windows as she trotted in the room, lost in thought about the very recent attack in Ponyville. Could it be? Could he have… returned?
Princess Celestia, Luna's sister and the alicorn of the day, appeared in the room and saw her younger sister's silent war at her thoughts. The wise royal sighed and said, announcing her presence, "I know what you're thinking, sister."
Luna turned to her and said solemnly, "This is no jest at all, sister. How could he have returned?"
"Luna, the Elements were not strong enough…"
Luna snapped, "I know! It's just, if we had the seventh Element, we would've reformed him. Oh, I was so foolish! My heart told me to use it, but I couldn't bear to test what would happen to him! I promised his father I would look after him!"
The alicorn looked down shamefully. Celestia wrapped her wing around her sister and said, "Sister, we need to be strong. Your heart may tell you it is wrong, but our subjects are in grave danger. We need to keep him from discovering the secret Element before the successors can find it!"
The younger princess pondered the thought in her head until she heard the voice of Celestia's former student outside the room downstairs.
"Celestia! Luna!" Twilight exclaimed, galloping in the room along with her family and friends plus Shining Armor and Cadence, who arrived immediately after the news of the attack reached them. They reunited with Melody after they arrived at the castle gates at the same time the gang and their parents appeared out of nowhere; to their relief, their daughter was unharmed.
The youngsters screeched to a halt as they reached the room and stared at the windows in awe.
"Wow, I can't believe we're actually inside Canterlot Castle!" Paucity squeaked with sheer delight, squishing her cheeks.
"I know! It's so cool!" Sun Streak awed.
Suddenly, Rainbow Dash herded the two back to the others and said, "Whoa there, you two! We're not on a field trip!"
"They ain't the only two that think so," Applejack said in a deadpan tone, gesturing to Star Gazer and Leafly on the side, staring at the window telling the story of how their mothers defeated Nightmare Moon. Star Gazer was explaining the story to the Pegasus, who stared in awe at the picture.
"And then how my mother united all six Elements to defeat…"
"Star Gazer! Leafly! This is a Princess Emergency, not a tour!" Lightning Flash yelled impatiently. His voice echoed throughout the room, surprising himself. "Whoa…"
"Ooh, ooh! My turn!" Berry squealed, yelling random noises at the ceiling and hearing them echo. She giggled continuously as she fell on her back.
The two princesses looked bewildered at the scene, but Twilight said calmly, "Never mind her, Princesses."
"So what was with those ponies back there?" Apple Cider asked concernedly and angrily. "Those things were ready to pounce on us!"
"Yeah! And they crashed Melody's party! Don't those dudes have any respect for royalty?!" Lightning added out loud.
"Lightning, it's not a big deal," Melody said calmly. "All that matters is that we're safe."
Lightning sighed and calmed down as Celestia said in a firm tone, "Follow me, all of you."
All ponies and dragons quizzically followed her straight to what looked like a wall. Celestia let her horn spark up an aura and rest against it before it started glowing and sliding over, revealing a secret path. The ponies stared in awe at it as they trotted in, following her down a gray, cobweb adorned staircase lit with torches on the walls. The only sound made was their hooves against gravel and the crackling of the fire.
Finally, reaching the bottom, the ponies stepped on the floor before gasping at the sight before them.
There, staring back at them, was a statue of a male alicorn with bat wings, posing with one hoof bent back. His look was vicious as if he was facing an enemy as his mane and tail flowed around him. He wore armor adorned with rubies that glimmered at the flickering light. On the bottom of the statue was a platform that supported it, two words stretched across it:
PRINCE OBSIDIAN
"Prince Obsidian?" Star Gazer questioned. "I never heard of him."
"Says the brains of the gang," Lightning said sardonically.
"He's right," Luna interfered. "Everyone who ever heard of Obsidian passed on without sharing the legend to the next generation verbally or in script."
"A legend?" Leafly breathed, clearly interested.
Luna began, "A year or so before my sister banished me, Obsidian, named Nightfall before, was a kind, well-beloved prince here in Equestria. He was young, dependable and he had a good humor around his friends. He had a mother who loved him, and he loved her back. His father, on the other hand, died sometime after he was born. His mother did everything she could to raise him single-hoofed, and she turned him into a good-hearted pony.
"However, one evening, a curse took over him, turning his heart black as obsidian and cold as ice. He went insane and destroyed everything in his path; it was a miracle that few ponies were injured… or worse."
Luna closed her eyes sadly and continued, "His mother did everything she could to stop him without hurting him, but he felt that love was a curse and refused. Finally, the Elements of Harmony were used, banishing him. However…"
Luna could not continue as her throat clogged up with anger. Celestia turned to her and rested a wing on her shoulder. She proceeded, "The Elements were not strong enough."
"What do you mean the Elements were not strong enough?!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "Every pony knows that the Elements were strong enough to banish a pony, let alone turn Discord to stone!"
Suddenly, Discord, the Spirit of Chaos, appeared out of nowhere wearing swim trunks, shades, and a ring shaped float and said, "I heard someone calling my name! And did you say something about turning me to stone?"
He then noticed he was still in his beachwear. "Whoops, hold on!" he exclaimed, snapping his fingers. The accessories disappeared immediately.
"Anyway, I was just enjoying a day under the sun innocently when some pony decided to mention my past nightmare!" he sneered, pointing daggers at Rainbow Dash.
"This isn't about you, Discord! It's about Obsidian!" Luna scolded.
"Oh, that's nice," Discord said calmly before the thought processed completely. His eyes widened, and you could hear the sound effect of glass breaking as he did. "O-o-o-o-obsidian?"
Luna nodded somberly. Discord twitched his eye before he fainted, landing on top of Flash Sentry, who tried desperately to hold him up while standing on two legs.
Apple Cider noticed and asked, "What's his deal?"
Luna replied immediately, "You do not want to know."
"So what does Obsidian have to do with the attack?" Jewel asked confusedly.
"He led the attack to… eliminate you, the successors of the Elements," Celestia explained simply.
"Successors?!" Star Gazer exclaimed. "You mean we will use the Elements after our parents?"
"That is correct."
"Wait a minute," Jewel said suddenly. "I thought the Elements were returned by our mothers to the Tree of Harmony!"
"Yes, but half of its power stayed in your mothers. Their influence on you seven made you the ideal successors."
"That makes sense," Star Gazer agreed before realizing the last thing Celestia said. "Wait, did you say… seven?"
"I thought there were only six Elements!" Berry exclaimed.
"For once, she makes a good point," Lightning added.
"That is another thing," Luna justified. "The reason why the Elements did not completely reform Obsidian was because they lacked the seventh one."
Twilight's jaw dropped along with her son's. "There is a seventh Element?" she asked in disbelief.
Gazer added, "I've heard legends, but it didn't seem to be true."
"That Element was kept a secret from Obsidian to keep him from destroying it," Luna clarified, "but somehow he found its source,"―she turned to Melody―"Melody."
The room was quiet for who knows how long before Lightning exclaimed, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a second! Let me get this straight; we are the new Bearers of Harmony, Melody holds this secret seventh Element, this Obsidian dude wants us killed, and everyone's pretty much okay with this?"
He paused before he screamed, "AM I MISSING SOMETHING HERE?!"
"Whoa, sport! Calm down a minute!" Soarin said gently. "In and out!"
Lightning immediately took deep breaths to recompose himself. As he did, Melody stayed in shock as she was when she discovered she was the Bearer of a very special Element. She gazed up at the two sisters and asked them in nothing more than a murmur, "What is the seventh Element?"
Celestia and Luna looked at each other and nodded seriously before the latter replied, "It is…"
"LOOK OUT!"
A.N.: Huh, I find it ironic that I hate cliffhangers, yet I still use them. At least I am not the only author with that problem… or am I?
Excuse of the day: don't ask. Just read the freaking story. Get on with your day.
Peace.