When the Six Great Cities created the Elements of Harmony, they summoned a great deal of magic. However, this amount of magic proved too great for the cities' elders to conjure alone. They had to turn to the forces of darkness, utilizing the dark arts to create the most powerful weapons ever wielded by pony or draconequus. When the elements were finally brought to life, they each brought with them a dark counterpart. It is unknown what these Dark Elements are capable of, although they most likely each posses the strength of one of the true Elements of Harmony. It is not believed that these Elements were destroyed, because it would take the magical force of all six Elements of Harmony to obliterate even one of their dark equivalents, and vice versa. The location of these Elements are currently unknown.
This much he had learned from the books he pilfered from the now-decimated Library. This was a revelation; he now knew there existed weapons equal to the Elements of Harmony, with which he could put his plan into action. Six weapons, when combined, would make him the equal of the despotic biarchy of Canterlot. Six weapons to rule Equestria.
He was now at the edge of a great valley. Grey-black mountains extended around him in every direction. The clouds concealed the moon and the stars in a deep onyx veil. He turned his eye down, off the edge of the precipice which he now stood upon. He could not see the bottom; it was obscured by a thick cloud of fog. Sounds erupted from its base, terrible, wailing screams and deep moans of pain.
Tartarus.
Tracking down the valley of the dead not being an impressive feat in itself, he was now planning to descend into its grimy depths, to risk his life to obtain something that he wasn't completely sure was there. That the Elements were concealed within were a simple matter of deduction; where else to put the ultimate weapon of dark magic? Swallowing his fear, he spread his majestic, feathered wings, and dove straight into hell.
It was a strange feeling; the fog burned like acid. The temperature began to rise, however his thick, scaly skin could take the heat. Still, when he finally found his footing, he was sweating like an ox in July. He looked around. He seemed to be in some sort of makeshift oubliette. His view above was shrouded by the fog, now a bright shade of crimson. The slimy maroon walls around him were crudely decorated with chains, rusty and bloody. He quickly absconded from this room, only to find more like it, some garnished with the decaying skeletons of unfortunate ponies. At the end of the seemingly endless hall, he was greeted by six yellow eyes and six red pupils, staring at him.
The mighty roar of three vocal chords in harmony formed a terrible chord, which pierced his ears and brought him to his knees. Rising slowly, he remembered something he read in one of the books. "It is well known that Cerberus, the guard dog of Tartarus, is easily soothed by the sound of music". The words rang in his ear with the voice of an old schoolteacher. With a snap, he summoned a silver harp from the mist, and it began to play a soothing melody, one he remembered from his childhood. He watched as first one, the two, and finally, all three heads of Cerberus fell asleep to the entrancing lullaby. He flew over the sleeping hound, laughing at his own ingenuity.
After navigating his way past many other indescribable horrors, he finally found himself before a huge door. The door was solid black, made of some smooth stone that felt cold to the touch. Inscribed upon the door was a huge relief carving, showing vividly the creation of the Elements of Harmony. The six orbs were the only easily distinguishable feature of the monumental portal, six perfect spheres of glazed white glass. He suddenly noticed a single sentence carved into the black stone in an archaic, gothic font.
What came first, the phoenix, or the flame?
He smiled to himself. This was it? A simple riddle and a song, to gain access to the most powerful weapons in the universe? Truly these pony princesses had no idea of the power right under their hooves. It would be a shame if it were to fall into the wrong hands. "A circle has no beginning" he said stoically. With a series of clicks, the letters moved out of place. The glass orbs retreated back into their crevasses. A crack formed in the centre of the door, and it opened with a creak.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Surely, they would have put more protection in place? Surely they would have protection from someone with evil intentions? Surely the greatest artifacts of dark magic weren't just sitting there on an obsidian pedestal? Yet there they were, six orbs of deep indigo stone, glowing with a black aura.
Hatred.
Greed.
Deceit.
Suffering.
Betrayal.
Chaos.
The Elements of Discord.
A rush of excitement and fear swept through him. He inched forward slowly, pushed forward by ecstasy, held back by anxiety. He held out his talon-like hands toward the one nearest to him. Chaos. He could feel its pulse, its dark heartbeat in time with his own. He lost control, as if it was pulling his hands towards itself. When he finally laid his fingers upon the Element, something unexpected happened. As his fingers tightened their grip, the orb's dark aura spiraled around his hands, and flowed into his body. Pain flooded his nerves, but he welcomed it joyfully. Before his eyes, the Element crumbled in his hands into a black powder, and fell to the floor. He could feel power flowing through him like blood, boiling in his veins, and going directly to his mind. He felt his body change, morphing into a crude form, similar to his last, but morphed, shaped by the power of the Element. He was no longer the lonely draconequus, banished from his destroyed homeland, but a being of pure evil, fueled by the unquenchable fire of revenge.