“The Kabbalistic Tree of Life is a symbolic diagram made up of ten sefirot, or divine emanations, connected by twenty-two paths.”
“It’s used to describe different aspects of the divine, the process of creation, and the relationship between the spiritual and material worlds.”
Inside Golden Oak Library, Dusk Glow used his magic to guide a piece of chalk across a blackboard, carefully drawing diagrams, symbols, and several physics equations.
Twilight sat below him with her quill floating beside her, recording every word.
She was completely absorbed in his explanation.
Dusk Glow continued.
“Kabbalah also describes four worlds: Atzilut, the World of Emanation; Beriah, the World of Creation; Yetzirah, the World of Formation; and Asiyah, the World of Action.”
“Each represents a different level or dimension of divine manifestation and creation.”
He paused before adding another note to the board.
“Kabbalah also describes four worlds: Atzilut, the World of Emanation; Beriah, the World of Creation; Yetzirah, the World of Formation; and Asiyah, the World of Action.”
“Each one represents a different level of creation and divine manifestation. In some Western interpretations, they’re also associated with the four elements: fire, water, air, and earth.”
Twilight’s quill stopped for a moment.
“So the Tree of Life isn’t simply a diagram of spiritual concepts. It’s also a way of describing how the divine relates to creation itself.”
“Exactly.”
Dusk Glow nodded.
“Although I’d say it’s more like a framework for understanding the relationship between different aspects of existence.”
Twilight’s quill scribbled rapidly across her notes.
“So it’s a kind of spiritual map?”
“That’s a good way of putting it.”
Dusk Glow drew another diagram.
“But the strange part is that the Tree of Life I saw in my dream wasn’t the same as the one I knew from the human world.”
He drew two versions side by side.
The first was the traditional Tree of Life, with its familiar arrangement of sefirot.
The second was the strange version he had seen inside the mysterious white space.
Twilight leaned closer.
“The difference is enormous.”
She compared the two diagrams carefully.
“Could the human world have different interpretations of the Tree of Life?”
“Maybe.”
Dusk Glow frowned.
“But what I saw in the dream wasn’t simply another interpretation.”
“The names were completely different.”
“And they seemed to represent something much more specific.”
Twilight looked at him curiously.
“You mean the seven concepts you told me about?”
Dusk Glow nodded.
“Magic, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty, and Determination.”
“And then there were three more.”
“Authenticity, Empathy, and Redemption.”
Twilight’s expression became serious.
“Yet you don’t know who those final three represent.”
“Not yet.”
Dusk Glow looked at the strange diagram.
“But I have a feeling we’ll eventually find out.”
A few days had passed since Nightmare Moon’s defeat.
Since then, Dusk Glow and Twilight had been investigating the origin of the Element of Determination.
It was one of the tasks Princess Celestia had given them.
After all, the known Elements of Harmony consisted of six Elements.
There was no record of a seventh.
And yet Dusk Glow now possessed one.
Dusk Glow spread several notebooks across the table.
Although Princess Luna was now his teacher, her lessons had not officially begun.
She had only recently returned from her thousand-year imprisonment and transformation into Nightmare Moon, so she needed some time to recover.
For now, Dusk Glow continued his magical studies through self-study and Twilight’s help.
The two were still comparing their diagrams when a loud voice suddenly came from outside the library.
“Twilight! Dusk Glow! We’re here to see you!”
Before Twilight could respond, Rainbow Dash swooped through the open window and landed beside a stack of books.
“Whoa! Careful, Rainbow!”
Twilight immediately caught the wobbling books with her magic.
“Those are ancient texts!”
“Oops!”
Rainbow Dash gave an embarrassed grin.
“Sorry.”
“But you’ve both been sitting in here studying all day!”
“That’s boring!”
“We brought you a surprise!”
The library door opened.
Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack walked inside.
“Darling, if you keep staring at books all day, you’ll ruin your eyes,” Rarity said.
She used her magic to float a delicate tea tray over to them.
Steam rose from several cups of herbal tea, accompanied by a plate of fresh scones.
“Even the most brilliant minds need a little rest.”
“And we’ve got something even better!”
Pinkie Pie bounced straight in front of Twilight.
“We brought a super-duper, extra-important surprise!”
She reached behind her back.
Twilight narrowed her eyes.
“Pinkie…”
Pinkie pulled out a party cannon.
BOOM!
Streamers and glitter exploded across the room.
They landed all over Twilight and Dusk Glow.
“SURPRISE!”
“Pinkie!”
Twilight shook glitter out of her mane.
“We’re studying something very serious!”
Applejack walked in carrying a basket of freshly picked apples.
“Don’t forget about me.”
“I brought some fresh apples. Figured you two could use a little brain food.”
Dusk Glow quickly caught the basket with his magic.
“Thanks, Applejack.”
“We definitely need the energy.”
He picked up an apple and took a bite.
His eyes immediately brightened.
“Wow.”
“These are really sweet.”
“Of course they are.”
Applejack proudly tipped her hat.
“My family’s apples are the sweetest in Equestria.”
Twilight and Dusk Glow were just beginning to put their research aside for a proper break when Pinkie Pie suddenly bounced toward the blackboard.
She stared at the diagram.
Her eyes grew wider.
“Whoa!”
“What’s that?!”
“It’s a super-duper pretty tree!”
“And it’s all glowy!”
Dusk Glow blinked.
Then smiled.
“It’s called the Kabbalistic Tree of Life.”
“It’s an ancient spiritual symbol that…”
“Is it a secret map of Magic Ponyland?!”
Pinkie Pie shoved her face almost against the blackboard.
“Are all these sparkly little circles treasure spots?”
“Is this line a shortcut to Cake Mountain?!”
Rainbow Dash hovered above them and tilted her head.
“Ha!”
“Looks more like some kind of awesome aerial stunt course.”
Applejack continued chewing her apple.
“Looks more like one of those fancy family trees.”
“Although Ah don’t remember ours having this many sparkly bits.”
Fluttershy timidly floated closer.
“Um…”
“That little circle at the bottom…”
“It kind of looks like a tiny animal curled up asleep.”
“I got it!”
Pinkie Pie suddenly flipped upside down.
Her mane floated upward despite gravity.
Her Pinkie Sense had activated.
“This isn’t a tree at all!”
“It’s a super-duper complicated party-planning chart!”
She flipped upright and somehow produced another party cannon.
“The thing at the top is the cake!”
“The ones on the left are balloons!”
“The ones on the right are drinks!”
“And this line down here is where the guests walk in!”
“No, Pinkie.”
Twilight quickly cut off the theory.
“This isn’t a party chart.”
“We’re studying the Element of Determination.”
“This diagram is the only clue we have.”
“Close enough.”
Pinkie Pie giggled.
Then she looked at Dusk Glow.
“Dusk, are you going to become a human today?”
Dusk Glow blinked.
“Oh.”
“I nearly forgot.”
He reached beneath the table and pulled out a small case.
Inside was the crown containing the Element of Determination.
Ever since Nightmare Moon had been defeated, Princess Celestia had taken the Elements used by the Mane Six into royal custody.
Dusk Glow’s Element was the only exception.
Princess Celestia had decided that the Element of Determination would be more useful if it remained with its owner.
The crown contained an incredible amount of magical energy.
It also allowed Dusk Glow to return to his human form for ten minutes each day.
For him, those ten minutes were a rare chance to experience what it felt like to be human again.
There was just one limitation.
His human form could not use magic.
Dusk Glow put on the crown.
He lowered his body slightly.
Then he raised his right hoof and slowly swept it across his chest.
The movement was steady and deliberate, almost like an ancient ritual.
He took a deep breath.
“HENSHIN!”
Dusk Glow struck a dramatic pose inspired by Kamen Rider No.
1.
Twilight immediately rolled her eyes.
The other ponies stared at him with varying degrees of curiosity.
A flash of white light surrounded Dusk Glow.
When it faded, the pony was gone.
A human stood in his place.
Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened.
Rarity stared in fascination.
Applejack blinked several times.
Pinkie Pie immediately started bouncing.
Fluttershy quietly took a step backward.
Everyone except Fluttershy moved closer.
“Whoa!”
Pinkie Pie jumped into the air.
“That’s so cool!”
She began circling Dusk Glow.
Twilight crossed her forelegs.
“Honestly, no matter how many times I see it, that pose is still way too dramatic.”
“Hey!”
Dusk Glow raised an eyebrow.
“This is a tribute to the first Kamen Rider.”
“How can you call that dramatic?”
Rainbow Dash flew directly in front of him.
“Whoa.”
She looked him up and down.
“Those legs are really long.”
“And you’ve actually got some muscle.”
She grinned.
“Dusk, wanna race?”
“Maybe next time.”
Dusk Glow winked.
Rarity was next to approach.
She gently touched Dusk Glow’s arm with one hoof.
“Your skin is so smooth.”
“Is that what you get from not having fur?”
She suddenly gasped.
“Wait.”
“If you don’t have fur, won’t you get cold?”
Her eyes filled with determination.
“Darling, I absolutely must knit you a sweater.”
Dusk Glow laughed.
“It’s only ten minutes a day.”
“I’ll be fine.”
He glanced down at his clothes.
Although I probably should make a few spare outfits.
I doubt a pony tailor could make proper human clothes right away.
While everypony gathered around Dusk Glow and talked excitedly about his human form, Fluttershy quietly took several steps backward.
Her ears flattened.
She looked nervous.
Applejack noticed.
“Fluttershy?”
She lowered her voice.
“What’s wrong?”
“N-nothing…”
Fluttershy lowered her head.
“It’s just…”
“The human body looks a little…”
“Scary.”
“Scary?!”
Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened.
“How could it be scary?!”
“Dusk is super-duper cool!”
Fluttershy shook her head.
“It’s not about whether he’s cool.”
Her wings pressed tightly against her sides.
“It’s just…”
“He doesn’t have any fur.”
“His skin is so smooth.”
“And his fingers are so long.”
She glanced nervously at Dusk Glow.
“He’s a little like…”
“A snake.”
“Or maybe a vulture.”
“And he’s so tall…”
The library became quiet for a moment.
Then Rainbow Dash burst out laughing.
“Pfft!”
“Fluttershy, you can’t seriously think Dusk looks like some weird bird!”
Fluttershy’s face turned bright red.
“I didn’t mean it like that!”
“It’s just…”
“I’m not used to it.”
Dusk Glow paused.
Then gave her a gentle smile.
He crouched down so he would not seem quite so intimidating.
“It’s okay, Fluttershy.”
“I understand.”
“It’s normal to be nervous when you suddenly see something you’ve never encountered before.”
He thought for a moment.
Then he held out one hand, palm facing upward.
“Look.”
“These fingers may be longer than your hooves, but they’re soft.”
“They won’t hurt you.”
Fluttershy hesitated.
After a few moments, she cautiously approached.
She reached out and lightly touched one of his fingertips with her hoof.
Then she immediately pulled back.
“…Cold?”
Dusk Glow smiled.
“Human body temperature is a little lower than a pony’s.”
“The skin might feel strange too.”
“But it’s simply another way of protecting the body.”
“Your fur does the same thing.”
Fluttershy relaxed a little.
She was still cautious, but she no longer looked quite as frightened.
Looks like earning Fluttershy’s trust is going to take some time.
How do I make her less afraid of me?
“Dusk! Dusk!”
Pinkie Pie suddenly bounced directly in front of him.
Her eyes were sparkling.
“Now that you’re human, does that mean you can play human games?!”
“Uh…”
“Like what?”
“For starters!”
Pinkie somehow produced a soccer ball.
“You can kick things with your feet!”
Then she produced a deck of playing cards.
“And shuffle cards with your fingers!”
Then she held up a jump rope.
“And jump rope!”
She paused.
“I tried doing that while holding the rope in my mouth once, but it kept getting tangled around my neck!”
Dusk Glow laughed.
“At this rate, ten minutes isn’t going to be nearly enough.”
The library door suddenly opened.
Spike came rushing inside carrying a large sack of gemstones.
“I’m back!”
He stopped the moment he saw Dusk Glow.
“Whoa!”
“Dusk, you’re human again!”
Pinkie Pie’s eyes lit up.
She immediately tossed the soccer ball toward Spike.
“Spike! Come play human games with us!”
Spike dropped his bag of gemstones.
“Okay!”
The quiet library soon became much livelier.
Since there wasn’t enough room to kick a soccer ball indoors, Dusk Glow sat in a chair and demonstrated some tricks instead.
He bounced the ball off his feet repeatedly, keeping it in the air with practiced control.
Then he used his fingers to shuffle the playing cards before building them into a small pyramid.
Rainbow Dash wasn’t going to let herself be outdone.
She flew around the room showing off tricks with her tail, determined to prove that humans weren’t automatically better just because they had fingers.
Dusk Glow laughed.
Then he suddenly crouched down.
The others barely had time to react.
He sprang backward and performed a clean backflip.
Everyone stared.
“WHOA!”
Dusk Glow landed smoothly.
“See?”
“You don’t need a tail to keep your balance.”
Rainbow Dash stared at him.
“Okay…”
“That was actually pretty awesome.”
The ten minutes passed far too quickly.
Dusk Glow suddenly felt the magic beginning to fade.
“Uh-oh.”
“It’s almost time.”
A moment later, a flash of white light surrounded him.
He returned to his pony form.
“Aww!”
Pinkie Pie looked disappointed.
“That was so short!”
“It’s okay.”
Dusk Glow smiled.
“We can play again next time.”
Twilight suddenly froze.
“Wait.”
“Our research!”
Everypony stopped.
They had completely forgotten about the Kabbalistic Tree of Life.
Twilight hurried back toward the blackboard.
“Right!”
“We still haven’t finished studying the Element of Determination.”
The others laughed and gathered around the table again.
Within moments, the library became quiet once more.
Books opened.
Quills began scratching across parchment.
And the mystery surrounding the seventh Element of Harmony remained unsolved.