//------------------------------// // New World // Story: Equestria's Outcasts // by TheFullCrumb //------------------------------// Author's Note: This story was my original fanfic, created by my hand, first on paper, then typed out and edited. It was the first time I had ever decided to type out a story from something I had written down. Anyways, Chapter 6! I hope you all enjoy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hammer waved everypony back. He was going in, and he didn't want any of his friends getting hurt. He tried the door, but didn't have much luck. Taking a few steps back, he bucked it as hard as he could, cracking the lock, and causing the door to slowly swing open. As he entered, he saw what the glow was. The Elements of Combat, they were real! As he approached, he noticed they were solid stone balls with 5 symbols on them; one was a half-gear with a hammer attached, another was a book with a question mark on it, the third was of a pony saluting, the fourth was of a shield, and the fifth, and final one there was a pony holding up a large weight. He trotted back outside. "I'm going to need your help, guys. These seem quite heavy." Beanstalk galloped inside, and began lifting the stone balls with ease. As they brought the stone balls down, each one that came into contact with them began glowing. When it was removed from the pony it reacted to, it stopped glowing. Hammer pulled out the Book of Legends, and flipped through. "There's nothing on how to activate them! Gah, what do we do now?!" As they all stared at the Element balls, they began to float, and move away from them. While the others were dumbfounded by the strange movement of the Element balls, Hammer began chasing after them. They began spinning, as if they were a whirlwind. Hammer could barely see a small amount of magic energy flowing in the middle, as if a rift was being created. He charged headlong into the whirlwind, and found himself in another area, facing none other than Solar Flare. He looked around. His friends were not there. He returned to facing Solar Flare, and gritted his teeth. He set his jaw in a determined expression. "Whatever you just did, you're going to pay for doing that!" He galloped up to her as fast as he could go. He started kicking right and left, his emotions exploding, as if a fireball had detonated inside his mind. He was not going to let Solar Flare deter him from returning the world to a normal state. Airtseuqe would be free. ********-----------------------------------------******************** Pumpjack saw Hammer charge headlong into the whirlwind of magic, and disappear with a shimmer, as if he teleported away. She shouted at the others, rousing them up to go find Hammer. A tower far across the ruins had light coming from the room at the very top. Deepwood noticed the tower. Scooter, and eventually everypony in the central chamber saw the light. Pumpjack's nervous face turned to one of pure shock. "Always makin' it harder. Well, we go, after Hammer!" ********-----------------------------------------******************** Hammer couldn't land one hit on Solar Flare, while Solar Flare was just dancing around, burning him every time he got close to scoring a hit. He had several burns on his back, legs, and hooves. He fell over, the pain overwhelming him. His mind began replaying images. When he'd built the Wheelworks, when he'd met Pumpjack. When Scooter had flown in the window, and Beanstalk had chosen Hammer as her 'big brother'. When Hermes had fallen face-first, and slid along the ground when he had met Hammer, and Deepwood being considerate to a squirrel. He got up, the pain slowly ebbing away. His mind was screaming for him to stop, but another part of him made him stand, made him face Solar Flare. His face was not one of determination, but one of intense emotion. Indeed, there was no emotion to fully describe just WHAT he was feeling. All he knew was that if he was going to die, he would die for Airtseuqe, fighting for his homeland's freedom. Solar Flare teleported behind him, and reared up to stamp him into the ground, when voices were heard coming up the stairs. Hammer turned to the voices, and felt a spark go off inside of him. He couldn't explain it, but he was going to fight, and he was going to win. He stood up tall, and cracked his neck. Pumpjack and the others came running through the door, spotting Hammer, burned and hurt badly, but still standing, and Solar Flare, who was about as shocked as Hammer was. "You idiots." He faced the rearing Solar Flare, and bucked, as hard as he could. He hit her squarely in the chest, knocking her backwards. As she was falling, she teleported herself near the Elements of Combat, and stamped the ground. The Element balls bounced once, and shattered. Pumpjack was about to scream, when Hammer held up his partially burned hoof. "You think you can destroy the Elements of Combat, just like THAT? Well, you're in for a shock. You're WRONG!" Solar Flare appeared confused. "But I destroyed them! They're laying in pieces! HOW CAN THEY NOT BE DESTROYED?!" Hammer smiled. "Because the spirits of the Elements of Combat are RIGHT HERE!" Solar Flare stared them down, a shiver of fear creeping up her back. Hammer continued, not pausing at all. "Beanstalk, who moved a tree impossible to move without incredible strength, represents the Spirit of STRENGTH!" One of the piles of pieces glowed, and floated over to Beanstalk, who reared up. A steel chestplate appeared, clamping firmly to her body, a clean shade of green. A small 'badge' appeared in the crystalline centre of the chestplate. It was shaped like a pony holding a great weight made of solid iron, the Badge of Strength. "Pumpjack, who used materials from the wilderness to overcome the cliffside obstacle, and help us all down, represents the Spirit of Ability!" A chestplate, exactly the same as the one Beanstalk had one, only slightly bigger, came out of another pile of pieces near Solar Flare, coloured a deep red. A badge, the shape of a half-gear, with a hammer attached, appeared on the crystalline centre of her chestplate, the Badge of Ability. The mare of blinding brightness and burning day was becoming very agitated at this development. "Deepwood, whose knowledge of the Chimera in the Everfree allowed us to help one, and pass it without harm, represents the Spirit of Knowledge!" Another chestplate, this one coloured blue, came out of another pile of pieces, and slid firmly onto Deepwood's chest. A badge, appearing like a book with a question mark on the from, appeared on her chestplate, the Badge of Knowledge. She reared up in a menacing sort of fashion, which made Beanstalk giggle. Solar Flare was becoming increasingly alarmed. "Scooter, who decided what path he would follow, and who he would follow, without a second thought, represents the Spirit of Duty!" Scooter stood still, watching the glowing mass of pieces float over to him, forming a chestplate that fit firmly over his body, a calm shade of grey, clamping once it was on. The symbol that appeared on his was of a pony saluting, the Badge of Duty. Solar Flare was visibly shaking in fear then. "Hermes, who, although shadows of ponies told him lies that he could not tell were lies or truth, he chose to believe his friends, and refute the lies of the shadows. He represents the Spirit of Honour!" The final chestplate appeared, a bright shade of yellow that fit with his mane. The symbol for him appeared, a small shield with a blue centre, the Badge of Honour. Solar Flare stamped her hooves back down as she watched the five ponies receive their Element plates. "But you only have five! The 'spark', it didn't happen!" Hammer smiled with the most courageous smile he could muster. "When I followed you here, I was charging after the Elements. During our fight, when I heard my friends' voices, I felt it. A spark, of courage, that leaped in my heart. That was what allowed me to harm you, Solar Flare. I won't back down now, because once I realized what I needed to do, nothing could stop me from finishing that goal! I represent the Spirit of BRAVERY!" A steel helmet, coloured jet black, floated down from above him. The glow that had accompanied it dissipated, as it dropped onto his head, a perfect fit. The final symbol appeared on the forehead section of his helmet, a flag with a golden pole, the Badge of Bravery. Solar Flare reared up in fear, trying in desperation to find somewhere to hide from what those six were about to do. Hammer closed his eyes and focused. When he reopened them a few seconds later, they were glowing white, a blinding white. The glow first enveloped him, and then Pumpjack, and finally it spread to the others. Solar Flare was in a blind panic then, snorting flames, and running around in circles in fear. As the white glow built up in intensity, a large ball of energy appeared above the six ponies. It started off small, but began to grow as each Element's power was added. It reached full potential in a matter of minutes. The one thing Hammer said before they fought a last time, was not him speaking. "For Airtseuqe, you SHALL not rule!" A large, rainbow-coloured beam of energy shot from the ball, and enveloped Solar Flare. She began rising in the air. She was snorting flames, and desperately trying to get out of its grasp, but she couldn't do anything. She was powerless against these elements. ********-----------------------------------------******************** In another world, six ponies stood up to face a similar enemy, a mare of eternal darkness. Their Elements created a rainbow that shot at the mare of darkness like a wave, engulfing her in a rainbow tornado. ********-----------------------------------------******************** Solar Flare's armor began peeling away, eliciting shrieks from the frightened alicorn. As the final piece of armor disappeared, she fell to the stone floor, tears in her eyes. Hammer walked up to her. "You've caused a lot of trouble, Celestia." A loud voice agreed with him, and a black ball of energy floated in through the window, the sun rising behind the form materialising out of it. Hammer and his friends bowed, their princess in their midst. Luna walked up to Celestia, who was incredibly afraid of her older sister. "Celestia, my dear sister, we were meant to rule together. Let's put our past differences aside, and work together." Celestia stood up, with tears in her eyes, and leaped at her older sister, giving her a big hug. But not all was as it seemed. Hammer looked up. His friends looked up as well. A rift had appeared behind the two alicorns, where the shreds of Solar Flare's armor were. They all rushed at the Princesses, and managed to shove them out of the way before a large burst of energy came out of the rift. It blasted across the Everfree Forest, and it engulfed Hammer's Wheelworks, removing it from where it was. Luna and Celestia were incredibly surprised and shocked to see that all six were gone. There was no explanation for what had happened. It had just happened. ********----------------------------------------********************** The rift on the side where the mare of eternal darkness had once been opened. The two alicorns, with the six ponies wearing their elements, were stunned as six ponies, wearing armor, came FLYING through the rift. Hammer slammed into an old booksheld. Beanstalk slid along the ground, slamming into a white unicorn with a purple mane. Scooter shot out, but caught himself and flapped his wings once for a gentle landing. Deepwood landed on top of Hammer, squeezing a muffled scream from Hammer's poor body. Pumpjack slid on her back, and hit a wooden door, knocking it over, and falling down a bunch of stairs. The ponies who had just witnessed what happened didn't ask questions. Neither did the alicorns. They ran, and fast. ********-----------------------------------------******************** Hammer was the first to stir. Deepwood was still out, and STILL lying on top of him. His head pounding, he pushed her off of him onto the floor, and took a look around. Everything seemed similar, but there was one big difference. It was brighter than it had been before. The sun did not appear to be up, as if the events of the night had not happened. ********-----------------------------------------******************** Several clicks away, where the alicorns and ponies had run off to, Hammer's Wheelworks popped down, as if it had always been there. That gave them a shock, and sent them ALL off running again. ********-----------------------------------------******************** Hammer stood up. Everypony was stirring, but Luna and Celestia were nowhere to be found. He looked out the window, then turned back to his friends. "Maybe they've gone back to the Summer Solstice Festival, for the solar eclipse!" Every four years, it had become a tradition on the day of the Summer Solstice Festival to create a solar eclipse to celebrate. It was four years since the last one, and Hammer was a little excited. But, as he watched the sun come up out the window, nothing spectacular happened. The sun just ROSE. But what surprised him wasn't that the sunrise was boring, it was where they were. Everything, EVERYTHING was brighter and more cheerful, and for some reason, that struck hard on Hammer. "We're not in Airtseuqe anymore. Where in the high heavens are we?!" Pumpjack bounced up, and stood beside Hammer. "A good 'dea would be ta look fer shelter 'round here. I know this place's still standin', but it's a ruin." Hammer definitely agreed with that. Pumpjack spoke the same line to everypony else, and they all agreed as well. They left the ruin, which seemed much smaller than the one they had entered. ********-----------------------------------------******************** As they cantered along down the road in the Everfree Forest, something incredibly familiar caught Hermes' eye. "Oy, mates, you might want to take a look a' this." Hammer stopped, turned around, and was greeted by the sign of the Wheelworks. "It's the WHEELWORKS! How is that even possible?!" Deepwood shook her head. "It defies common knowledge, but it could have something to do with the rift we tried saving the Princesses from." Hammer shook his head, utter confusion taking over. "This- But- WHAT IS GOING ON?!" ********-----------------------------------------******************** A small filly was wandering through the Everfree, when she came upon a group of ponies arguing about some 'rift' or something. She didn't quite understand, but the one thing she did understand was that they were new, and somepony from the nearby town needed to introduce them to everypony. She sat there, debating what to do. ********-----------------------------------------******************** Hammer noticed the little filly, and trotted over to her, a worried look on his face. She stared at him straight, and he stared her down. "Hello. Could you tell me where EXACTLY we are?" The filly looked at Hammer with a weird expression. "You aren't from around here, are you? This place's the Everfree Forest, and you're in the land of Equestria." Hammer had to step back. Equestria. So they were no longer in Airtseuqe. This made things incredibly complicated. He returned to his group with his startling information. "We are not in Airtseuqe. We are in a land called Equestria." They all stopped speaking, and stared at Hammer. After a long pause, they were able to order themselves to respond. "WHAT?!"