//------------------------------// // Prologue: Fragments // Story: Kamen Rider Harmony // by RuinQueenofOblivion //------------------------------// Equestria has changed… It has been many years since the adventures of Twilight Sparkle and her friends. It’s hard to believe it’s been so long, they were good ponies who did everything they could to protect Equestria, but for all their strengths, sadly none of them were immortal. Their last adventure as a group was to protect the Elements of Harmony from a new threat called the Disharmonious. There were beings that represented the very worst of the Elements of Harmony, twisted versions of each of them. They were able to push them back, but not without a great cost, the elements were shattered and spread across Equestria. As the years past, stories started to crop up around Equestria of fragments of the Elements surviving. However, anypony who tried to track them down came back empty handed, or not at all. Now many years have passed, and the six friends and their allies have passed beyond the veil. There have been only rumors of the fragments of the Elements, but at the same time, new threats are starting to come up around Equestria, ones that we will need help to fight. So, Equestria is now once more in need of heroes. The right tools have been placed around Equestria, it is just a matter of the right ponies, or other beings, finding them. The first two are already being pushed in that direction. Hopefully, they can pass the trials that have been put before them, or there may be no hope left for Equestria. 00000 A pickaxe embedded itself in a rock as a blue hand pulled itself up. A figure dressed in cold weather gear came into view as they pulled itself up onto the rock shelf. She pulled her goggles up and looked out at the sprawling Crystal Mountains. She was now close to the summit of Mount Tamaranch, the tallest mountain in the Crystal Mountains and one of the tallest peaks in Equestria. She could see all of Equestria sprawling out from in front of her and took in a deep breath at the view. She stretched her wings out as she turned around and looked up at the cave in front of her. She smiled a little as she nodded, she had reached her destination finally. “Alright Stardust, sure you could’ve just flown up here, but where’s the fun in that?” She said to herself and chuckled lightly. “Next thing you know you’re going to do something really crazy like talking to yourself.” She took a map out and examined it. This was definitely where the strange pony had said the artifact was. She had become well known around Equestria as the pony who can find anything that you wanted from the old world. She had been approached by a strange pony while she was in Hoofington who offered her a map and a larger than usual finder’s fee for doing this. What caught her attention however was that the pony mentioned that it was connected to the Elements of Harmony. The Elements of Harmony were the ultimate prize for an archeologist like her. Ponies had been searching for the fragments ever since the Disharmonious had destroyed them to no luck. If this was real, then she had a real chance of bringing something great back to Equestria. “Alright Stardust,” she said as she put the map away again. She had spent so much time on her own she had actually more gotten into the habit of talking to herself than anything else. “Well, time to see what’s waiting for me in here.” She walked into the cave, it was surprisingly warm as she pulled down her hood and goggles to reveal a blue furred young mare with a short dark blue mane with blue dots around it. She shook her head clear and looked around for any sign of her quarry. The cave seemed simple despite its strange warmth, it had been carved out of the rock centuries ago from what she could tell. She slowly moved through the cave and paused as she thought she heard a noise so she drew a pistol from a holster on her side and moved forward quietly, she wasn’t going to let them ambush her if that’s what was going on. “Hold it, don’t shoot!” A woman voice said as she snapped around and aimed the pistol at the source of the voice. An earth pony mare dressed in similar gear to her’s was lying there. She was holding her leg which was trapped under a boulder. She flinched a little at the sight of the Pegasus mare’s pistol. “What are you doing here?” Stardust asked. “Same as you, I came here for the Element,” the mare said with a shake of her head. “I got caught in a cave-in. Can you help me? I need medicine…” Stardust paused a moment but didn’t hesitate as she moved over and pushed against the boulder with all her strength. The earth pony mare screamed but she managed to pull her leg out from under the boulder, it looked broken. “Here, I’ve got some healing potions,” Stardust said as she took out a vial of healing potion and applied it to the leg. She wrapped it in bandages and set it as best she could. “You should be fine now.” “What about you? What if you need those supplies?” The mare asked. “I’ll be fine,” Stardust said with a shake of her head. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t give something to help somepony who needed it.” “Thank you,” the mare said and pointed forward. “I think I saw something that way before the cave-in, that might be where the Element fragment is.” “Okay, stay here and let your leg heal, I’ll be back for you,” Stardust said as she got to her hooves and started down into the cave again. After walking for a few minutes she pushed through an opening in the cave wall that barely fit her and stopped just as she made her way through it. She was in awe of what she saw sitting before her. On a pedestal was a purple gem that looked like it was carved out of a stone. It shone with a light Starlight had never seen before, this had to be it, an Element of Harmony. She started to step forward when a voice was heard behind her. “You’ve done well to make it this far,” a mare’s voice said and she spun around to see the same mare from before standing in front of her. “What? How did you… you shouldn’t have been able to walk after that…” Stardust said and blinked in surprise as she aimed her pistol at her again. “Who are you and what do you want?” “I go by many names, but you may call me Gaia, it’s simpler that way,” the mare said with a smile as energy began to radiate off of her. “You passed the trial. You were able to reach the cave and showed the proper response.” “The, what?” Stardust asked as she slowly started to lower the pistol. “What are you talking about?” “You freely gave your own supplies to a pony that needed them more than you did,” Gaia said with a smile. “You’re a generous spirit, and that gives you the chance you deserve to become the new bearer of the Element of Generosity.” “But, it doesn’t look like it did in the books,” Stardust said as she looked back at the stone on the pedestal. “It’s only the base,” Gaia said. “You will have to gather the other fragments from around Equestria in order to complete it. There is something else you will need as well.” She reached into a bag and took out a strange device. It was colored gold with lightning designs carved into it and a large hole in the shape of the gemstone. “What is this?” Stardust asked. “It’s called a Harmony Driver,” Gaia said with a smile. “Put it on your waist and say the word Henshin. When you place the Element Stone in it, if you are truly worthy, you will take on the form of a great warrior.” Stardust nodded and took the Harmony Driver in her hand and picked up the purple colored stone. She looked at the Driver then put it on her waist and it wrapped around her. /Soaring into the Skies!/ “Henshin!” Stardust said as she placed the stone into the belt without a problem and it began to glow. Energy flew out of the Driver and surrounded her. Golden armor formed over her body, forming a helmet with a narrow visor and slit that went down to the chin. Violet colored lightning bolts formed over the armor as she spread her wings out, striking a pose as she did. “Whoa…” Stardust said as she looked at herself in a reflective surface. “What is this thing?” “The answers will come in time,” Gaia said with a smile. “But you have been chosen to fight the coming darkness. Come to Ponyville and everything will become clear.” Gaia vanished as mysteriously as she came, leaving Stardust standing there and examining herself. What was she getting herself into? 00000 “Doctor Lian?” A voice said as the mare in question look up from the tablet she was working on. “I was told you were the one to talk about when it came to, strange magical maladies.” Lian looked up at the mare who spoke curiously. The Doctor was a Zebra mare with a long mane tied into a braid. She was dressed in a lab coat over a shirt with a strange design on it and a symbol on her coat’s pocket. “Yes, of course,” she said with a smile. “What can I do to help you?” “My daughter came down with a weird disease recently,” the mare said with a frown. “She went into the Everfree forest. When she came out she suffered from a fever, an unusual rash, dizziness, and coughing. The Doctors have tried everything to try and determine what it is, but they haven’t had any luck.” Lian paused a moment as she thought it over before she nodded. “And all the tests have come up negative?” “Yes, that’s right,” the worried mare said. “And the rash, what does it look like?” Lian asked. “Does it just cover part of her body?” “It isn’t really blotchy, but it comes in circles, almost like a bullseye,” the mare said. “And it's on several places on her body. Mostly on her face, but its spread to her legs and barrel as well.” “It sounds to me like she was exposed to the pollen of the Bullseye Lotus,” Lian said as she let out a sigh of relief. This was a malady she knew how to treat, it was usually seen back in Zebrica not Equestria, but she wasn’t too surprised. “Where was she when it happened?” “She was near the hut that belonged to Zecora, or what’s left of it,” the mare said and sighed a little. “Its treatable right? I don’t want anything to happen to her…” “Of course,” Lian said with a smile. “I will have to go into the forest myself since I know where the cure is. It won’t take long, I promise.” “Thank you Doctor,” the mare said with a smile. “This means so much to me.” Lian nodded a little and headed off. She knew where to get it and her shift was about to end anyway, she just hoped that she could find it. 00000 The cure to the pollen of the Bullseye Lotus wasn’t hard to know. There was a special fungus that grew in a cave in the Everfree Forest that when eaten raw would cure the victim, it was just a matter of getting there. The Everfree Forest had become even more wild and overgrown in the past 100 years. While most of Equestria had been moving forward technologically, the forest seemed almost impassable now. Thankfully Lian knew the the forest trails as she often used them to get to supplies for her medicines. She knew the cave well, so it was just a matter of getting to it. She went past the overgrown house that had once belonged to Zecora, she had always admired the Zebra mare for her skills with medicine and potions. Maybe that was why she had come to Equestria. She pushed a rock out of the way and slid down into the cave. She landed on her feet and looked around, she could see several mushrooms and other things and started gathering them up and placing them into her bag. “Well, this should just about do it,” she said as she put the last of them away. They wouldn’t last long but she had to make sure that she at least got one of them back to Ponyville. She was about to leave when she heard something from somewhere down the cave. “Help, I don’t know where I am…” A soft filly’s voice said from somewhere further in. “Is anyone out there?” Lian paused, she couldn’t let that go. She made sure the bag was secured over her shoulder before she headed down the tunnel. She was a bit worried, if a foal was hurt and lost in here they wouldn’t be able to get out easily. As she made her way into the cave she took out a flashlight and turned it on as she looked around the cave with it. Finally her light fell on a small Unicorn filly that was huddled against the wall, she looked like she was crying. “Hey, what happened?” Lian asked as she knelt down next to the filly. “I was with my friends when we found this cave and we got separated,” the filly said as she rubbed her eyes. “I’m scared, I just want to go home…” “Shh, it’ll be okay,” Lian said as she hugged the filly gently. “I know these caves like the back of my hand, I’ll help you get home.” “You’d do that?” The filly asked as she sniffed a little. “Of course,” Lian said with a smile. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to a foal. You’re going to be just fine.” She offered her her hand and helped her up. They started to walk together through the cave. She looked down at the filly and smiled a little. She just wanted to make sure that she was okay and hoped that she was going the right way. The caves went around for awhile before they connected with the ones under Ponyville proper. She preferred to climb in and out of the hole she went into, but that wasn’t going to be an option with the filly. “What’s your name?” She asked. “I’m Doctor Lian.” “Hazel,” she said with a smile as she gave the Zebra a nod. “We came in through Ponyville caverns, so they might be there.” Lian nodded as they kept walking for a bit. She paused a moment when she stopped, she could’ve sworn she saw a glow ahead of them. “What’s that?” “I don’t know, it wasn’t here before…” Hazel said. “Should we see what it is?” Lian nodded a little and walked forward with Hazel close behind her. They found themselves in another cave, one she didn’t recognize but it felt warmer than she expected. Before them was a pedestal with a pink colored stone that was carved to look like a butterfly. “Hello Lian,” a voice said from behind them and she turned to see the mare who had first approached her. “What are you doing here?” Lian asked as she looked around confused. “Who is this Doctor Lian?” Hazel asked. “She’s the one who sent me in here in the first place,” Lian said as she narrowed her eyes a little. “What’s going on here?” “This was merely a test Lian,” the mare said with a smile as she folded her hands behind her back and gave her a nod. “I saw your potential for great things so I gave you a chance to prove yourself, and you passed with flying colors.” “Did you put Hazel in here?” Lian asked. “Who and what are you?” “No, but I knew that you would be here to help her,” the mare said. “I am many things, you will understand in time, but you may call me Gaia.” “Gaia, the spirit of the Earth, subtle,” Lian said as Hazel looked worried. “Its okay, I don’t think she wants to hurt us. What do you want Gaia?” “Your help,” Gaia said with a smile as she reached into a bag and took out a Harmony Driver similar to the one she gave to Stardust. Only this one was blue with the markings being lighter blue and it had a hole in the shape of the butterfly stone. “Equestria needs your help Lian, you were willing to risk your own life to help somepony you didn’t know. And you showed kindness to a foal who was lost, you have only one thing left to do.” “And what’s that?” “Use the Harmony Driver, say the change word Henshin and place the stone in it and become a great warrior,” Gaia said. “Equestria needs new heroes, and you have been chosen.” “I…” Lian said as she looked at the Driver. “If you think I should try, I will.” She placed it on her waist and the belt formed around her. She looked at it a bit surprised for a moment before she reached over and picked up the pink stone. /The Wave of Mysticism!/ “Henshin!” Lian said as she placed the stone into the Driver. Energy flew out of the driver and flew into her. Like with Stardust, armor formed around her only this one was blue with light blue wave and swirl symbols on it. Her helmet resembled a strange equine mask with a face on it. “You still have a lot to explain,” she said as she looked back at Gaia with narrowed eyes. “What is this thing?” “You will find out in time, you must find the others,” Gaia said. “And gather together the scattered fragments of the Element of Kindness. Go to the Castle of Friendship and things will make sense in time.” Lian blinked a little from behind her helmet as she looked down at the Driver and sighed a little. It sounded like she didn’t have much choice. “Come on Hazel, lets go,” she said with a sigh as she took the filly’s hand and they walked out of the cave together.