“...Argentum…? Argentum, are you okay?”

I groaned as I sat up. “What happened?” I asked, dazed, and looked around to find my five companions eyeing me worriedly. Magnus looked at the ground and let out a relieved laugh.
“Gods, Argentum, you scared us to death!” he cried with a hearty slap on my back. “You said you ‘could handle it’. Tell me, why exactly were you struggling to keep your sanity back there?” he asked smugly.

I tried to scowl, but couldn’t help but smirk at my friend’s teasing. “When the legends told of ‘sights not meant to be seen by mortal eyes’, I didn’t think they’d be that terrible,” I mumbled with embarrassment. “I see everyone else made it through okay; shall we explore a little?”

A quiet voice spoke from behind me. “Argentum, are you sure you’re well enough to start walking around?” I turned to see Aequani Spero, the quietest of our group, staring at me worriedly. She had short, black hair and bright green eyes, but it was hard to tell as she always wore a black hood that hid her face from view. Her outfit was a rather ironic one; it was a black and yellow coat with a stinger-like protrusion coming from one of her pauldrons, and the whole thing made her look like a wasp. However, despite the fact that she looked like an insect known for it’s terribly violent mannerisms, she herself was very gentle and soft-spoken, and avoided conflict whenever possible.

I smiled warmly. “I’m fine, Aequani,” I said reassuringly. “I just overestimated my strength, is all.”

A loud laugh sounded from over on my left, and I turned to scowl at Saevus Probitas. He was a bit of a wild card, as his personality was incredibly loud and somewhat obnoxious, but his preferred method of fighting was to hide in the shadows silently, until his unlucky enemy drew to close. He may have been an annoyance, but he was a great fighter to have on one’s side.

“No offense, Argentum, but - and I’m asking you honestly, here - has there ever been a time you haven’t underestimated your strength?” I watched as he flipped off of a nearby rock and did a handstand for several seconds, before flipping back to his feet and bowing dramatically. He liked to be simple with his apparel, and stuck with a neck-to-toe bandage wrap, and a pair of leather boots, gloves, and a mask that covered all of his face except for his mouth.

“Lay off of him, would you?” This was Ludus Aevum, who served as Saevus’s arch-rival. While Saevus liked to tease me, Ludus was always right there to protect me from his light insults. I didn’t need his help, but he still insisted in escalating each of Saevus’s jabs at me into a full fist-fight. “He’s obviously been through enough after our passing through the Void; he doesn’t need you bothering him the moment he regains consciousness.”

I glanced over to my left to see Liberalis Anima standing with her back against a tree, staring nonchalantly at the horizon. She was the more distant member of our group, usually keeping her thoughts to herself. She wasn’t shy like Aequani was, though; she just wasn’t a frequent conversationalist. Despite her coldness, she had a fierce spirit and was a valuable companion once you got to know her. When in battle, she prefered to be swift and clean with her attack, and thus wore a short, blue dress with a fur-lined collar, and wielded an elegant rapier. The others and I were concerned with her prefered outfit when we first fought together, but our fears were quickly dismissed when we saw just how good she was.
“Liberalis, what can you see?” I called.

Liberalis sighed deeply. “There appears to be some sort of castle in the distance,” she murmured just loud enough for us to hear. “Less than a day’s journey from where we are now, it would seem.”
I nodded. “Okay, we can go there and discover just where we are,” I decided, and started to lead the group in the direction Liberalis had said the castle was located. “Remember, we are guests in this world. If we find any creatures during our journey, regard them with peace unless they try to attack. Understood?”

The others nodded. “Okay. We must move quickly, for we do not know if anyone else followed us here. We must establish our presence before the situation gets out of hand.”

Magnus stood up, smiling eagerly. Magnus and I had known each other the longest out of all the members of our group, and were inseparable friends. He had smooth, shoulder-length white hair and brown eyes that could go from friendly to fierce in a moment’s notice. He wore a suit of armor that paralleled mine; while mine was silver with gold trim, his was an ebony-black with dark grey markings.

“What sort of inhabitants do you suppose we’ll meet, Argentum?” he asked curiously.
I looked over at my friend and smiled. “I do not know, Magnus,” I said honestly, “but what I do know is that the future is bright for our people. We are going to usher in a bright era for humanity, and we will all be honored as heroes.”

~-~-~-~-~

We arrived at the castle several hours later, our journey strangely uninterrupted by any inhabitants this world may possess.

That is, until we reached the castle town.

We stared around as we walked through the main gates, the market square filled with horses. They were not ordinary horses, however; they were all sorts of soft colors, and they were much smaller than any of the equines from earth. They all stared back at us with wide, bright eyes as we nervously strolled through the crowd, intent on reaching the castle.

Just then, a group of the creatures surrounded us. These ones wore radiant, golden armor around their torsos and forelegs, and their helmets had a long sail of blue fur coming from the top.
“Why are you here?” the one that stood directly before me demanded.

I held up my hands submissively. “We come from another world,” I explained calmingly. “We come with only good intentions, and wish to speak with your leaders.”
The guard eyed me suspiciously for a long time. “Come with me,” he growled finally and he and the group of guards began to lead us to the castle. As we walked through the streets, I looked around at the buildings around us. This place looked incredibly similar to one of the castle towns of our world, if not only slightly smaller. The horses all watched us from the streets and their windows as we passed, and they eyed us with only curiosity; not a single one seemed afraid of the large, armored, bipedal creatures that just strolled into their city. Some of the more brave creatures tried to actually approach us, but they were shooed away by the burly guards that escorted us.

After several minutes of marching through the streets, we eventually reached the castle, which was much larger up close than it appeared. It sat precariously close to the edge of a cliff, overlooking a massive forest. I saw straight ahead to see a strange sight, even compared to the miniature horses we saw back in the town.

Walking toward us from the entrance of the castle with a proud and powerful manner to his step was a horse. He studied us curiously, smiling warmly like a kind leader welcoming guests.
“So, a group of strange creatures appears in my kingdom with no explanation, and the first thing they want to do is speak with me? I must admit, I am humbled,” he said with a chuckle. Even though he had the appearance of an ordinary horse, he was just as different from the equines we were familiar with as the smaller ones we saw in the city. He stood tall and proud, like a noble leader, and his pelt shimmered like an endless night’s sky. A single, pointed horn spiraled from his head, and a pair of strange wings stretched from his back, which appeared solid for the most part, but waved and became transparent near the tips. His mane and tail had the same sky-like appearance as his pelt and the ethereal property as his wings, but they were more of a deep violet hue. His friendly eyes were the same shade, and regarded us as if we were his friends rather than strangers.

I took a step forward and kneeled, and the others followed suit. “My name is Argentum Vindex,” I said clearly, “and these are my companions: Magnus Acer, Aequani Spero, Saevus Probitas, Ludus Aevum, and Liberalis Anima. We come from a world much different from yours, and wish to hold council with you,” I explained.
The winged horse nodded thoughtfully. “Come with me,” he invited, motioning for us to follow him into the castle, “and you can tell us of your travels. I am King Cosmos, and this is my city of Canterlot.”

I nodded respectfully, and my friends and I followed the king into the towering castle.

~-~-~-~-~

“So, you say you come from a place you call ‘Earth’, and you creatures are called ‘humans’?” Cosmos asked, surprised. “This is fascinating! Tell me, how did you get here?”
We all sat at a long dining room table, my friends and I on one side, and the king on the other. Joining us was his wife, Queen Galaxia, who looked very similar to Cosmos but appeared to be a physical manifestation of the daytime. Her pelt looked like an early morning sunrise peeking through a cluster of clouds, with hints of white that slowly transitioned into a warm orange, and her mane was a gentle blue, with the same starry appearance as Cosmos’s. She sat to the king’s left, while his court wizard, Starswirl the Bearded, sat on his right. Starswirl had a dull-gray pelt and a white mane and tail, and even, as his name implied, a long, white beard. Like Cosmos and Galaxia, he too had a pointed horn protruding from his head, but he lacked the magnificent wings that the monarchs possesed. He studied my companions with his stern, yellow eyes, but as time went on he looked less like a gruff old man and more like a friendly elder.

“Cosmos,” Starswirl suddenly said, “I think these ‘humans’ may be what we’ve been looking for to test our… relics.”
Cosmos nodded slowly. “I do believe you’re right,” he said thoughtfully. “Would you fetch the Elements for me?” he asked kindly. Starswirl nodded respectfully, and rushed off. A few moments later, he reentered the room, levitating a large box in front of him.

“These,” Cosmos explained, “are the Elements of Harmony. We are unsure as to their true purpose, but we believe they are to be used by a group of mighty heroes who would be able to keep balance in Equestria. I want you to take these, as a symbol of the trust between our species.”

We all stared at them; there were five of them, all lined up and shining in a way that would shame a diamond.
Magnus spoke up. “But, there are five of them, and six of us!” he murmured. “One of us will be left without one.”
I walked over to Starswirl and took the chest. “My friends,” I said slowly, “what kind of leader would I be if I were to let one of you go without a treasure like this, while I kept one for myself?” I reached into the chest and pulled out a dark purple jewel. “Liberalis,” I said as I approached, “I give you this, for your generous spirit. Even when you have little, you put the needs of your companions first, and now I return the favor.” I placed the gem in her hand, and she nodded thankfully.

I marched over to Saevus and gave him a teasing grin. “Saevus, you may not be my favorite companion,” I said, trying to stay professional as he glared at me, “but I cannot deny that you are the most honest person I have ever met, and a good man to fight alongside.” I gave him a vibrant orange jewel, and his scowl turned to a pleased smile as I continued to Ludus.

“Ludus,” I began, “you are a much-needed member of this group. While the rest of us have been hardened by battle, your humorous and laughing attitude have not been broken. Even with all of the terrible hardships we have endured, you refuse to stop smiling.” I held out my arm, and Ludus took the soft blue crystal I presented him.

I smiled gently at Aequani as I stood before her. “It takes a powerful spirit to be as gentle as you and still be able to survive all the challenges we have faced. Never before have I encountered a more versatile warrior; kind and caring at rest, but tactical and merciless in battle.” She looked away and smiled shyly as I placed a pink jewel in her hand.

“Magnus,” I laughed as I stood before my good friend, “I couldn’t ask for a more loyal companion. You and I were the first of this group to meet, and ever since then we have been inseparable. I know you may say my friendship is reward enough, but today I repay you for your undying loyalty.” I gave him a powerful red jewel, and Sanguis nodded appreciatively.

I noticed now that the crystals I had given my friends were now glowing brightly, and their owner’s irises had changed color and intensity; Ludus’s were now pink, Saevus’s were orange, Liberalis’s were white, Aequani’s were yellow, and Magnus’s were a light blue. King Cosmos stood by my side and cleared his throat.
“Humans,” he said proudly, “bear your gifts proudly. You are now physical embodiments of the Elements of Harmony, and with the bond that your friendship holds, no evil will ever best you.”

Cosmos then turned to me, an apologetic look in his eyes. “I am sorry we were unable to provide an Element for you, Argentum,” he said, “but, as your friend stated, there are only five elements to be given.”
I nodded. “I understand,” I said simply. “As long as my kind can live in peace with yours, I have no regrets.”

Cosmos led us up to the balcony atop the castle that overlooked the town, and called to the citizens below. “Ponies of Canterlot!” he called proudly, “a new age of peace and prosperity has dawned! The Elements of Harmony have found their destined owners, and they will teach us the ways of their world, as we will teach them ours!”

The crowd below cheered wildly, and I couldn’t help but smile; the future was bright, and my friends and I would be the ones leading the way to it.