//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Disharmonized // by Biker_Dash //------------------------------// Twilight woke as she normally does. Slowly and grumpy. She was never a pony for mornings, not until she at least had a cup or two of coffee. Half flopping out of her bed, she stretches. Forelegs, back, hind legs, and then finally her wings. The wings were new to her still, and she was slowly getting the hang of dealing with them. Just another aspect of becoming a princess. Descending the stairs, she can smell the coffee that is already brewed. The scent of the dark, life giving elixir from the heavens lead her by her nose towards the kitchen, where the scent of breakfast cooking also emanated from. Entering the kitchen, the first task she does is grab a cup. Sitting at the table, she takes that very first sip, and then another. As the wondrous caffeine starts to find its home within the pleasure centers of her still not awake brain, she mumbles an incoherent prayer of thanks to whatever coffee gods created Saddle Arabia, the source of the glorious beans that she cannot survive without. “Damn, Twi, you REALLY ought to do something about that morning hair,” she hears from the general direction of the stove. That would be Spike. A filly sized dragon with a level of snarkiness that rivals the half asleep Alicorn. The pair of them have been the best of friends ever since she hatched him, and then raised him after her entrance exam into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns all those years ago. He may be her closest friend and personal assistant, but Celestia-be damned if he wasn’t a wiseass. “Buck you,” she mumbles to him, taking another drink of her coffee. “Could you at least wait till I finish my coffee before you become a wiseass?” Placing scrambled eggs, hay-bacon, and home fries on a pair of plates, the young Dragon serves the pair and sits down to eat. As Twilight finally finishes her first cup and starts to pick at her food, Spike pulls out a scroll from behind his apron. “Oh, this came just before you woke. Probably important too,” Twilight quickly unfurled the parchment with her magic and commenced reading. Dear Twilight Sparkle, It has come to my attention a matter of grave importance. One which I will be needing your skills and knowledge with. It involves the Elements of Harmony, and must be taken care of as quickly as you can manage. I am sending a chariot to pick you up at noon today. Please bring with you the Element of Magic, and any other materials you might need, as well as Spike. Do not tell anypony else about this problem. If anypony asks, you are just coming to Canterlot to assist me with a research project. Princess Celestia. “Spike, as soon as we finish breakfast, we need to pack for Canterlot. I do not know how long we will be there, but we will need all my research notes on the Elements,” she tells him, quickly pouring another cup of coffee. She had a feeling that she was going to need it. * * * * * “Thank you for coming on such short notice, Twilight,” the Princess said with a look of worried relief etched upon her face. “It’s no problem, Princess, but I need to ask, just what is the problem with the Elements of Harmony?” Twilight could not think of any problem concerning the Elements that would require her magic and research skills, and would require such secrecy that she was unable to even talk with the other Bearers about. The only thing that she could conceive would be that somehow, the Elements had been stolen, but if that was the case, then Twilight was certain that Princess Celestia would have wanted all six of the Element Bearers to come to Canterlot. “Always straight to the point, my faithful student, as I would expect,” replies the tall co-ruler of Equestria as they walk down a hallway. “Then I shall get straight to the point as well, Twilight. The Elements of Harmony will no longer work for you and your friends.” “WHAT?” exclaimed a now stunned Twilight. Of all the things that could have happened, this was the last thing she would have ever thought possible. The Elements got their power through the magic of the friendship between the respective bearers. And, last Twilight knew, her and her friends were as close as ever. The only time when things had gotten so bad between them that the Elements would not work, it had been Celestia who had saved the day with her sending all those friendship reports back for her to read. From there, once they had gotten past Discord’s spell, the bonds had only grown tighter and more powerful. “I don’t understand, Princess. How is that even possible?” Pausing in her walk to let the stunned smaller princess catch up, Celestia explains, “There is more than the magic of friendship involved. There is also the harmony of the three tribes. Applejack and Pinkie Pie are Earth Ponies. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are Pegasi. And that leaves…” “Rarity and I. I don’t see what…” Then it hits her. Rarity us a Unicorn. Twilight is no longer a Unicorn, but an Alicorn now. The balance was broken with her ascension. And going back to being a Unicorn, as much as she would like that, was not a possibility. Spike is a little quicker on the uptake. “So, how was it then that you and Princess Luna was able to use the Elements to defeat Discord all those years ago, if they require two of each tribe, Princess?” he asks. “That is a very smart question, Spike, and one which I can answer. The nature of an Alicorn is that one represents all three tribes in equal proportion,” Twilight explains. “So, when I became an Alicorn, the balance of Earth Pony, Unicorn and Pegasus was disrupted. It is no longer equal, or, in this sense, in harmony.” Celestia is not surprised by Twilight’s answer. She understands so much. “You are very astute, my student. Now, your task will be to find out how to make it so the Elements can be utilized once again. If you cannot do so, then there will come a time when they are desperately needed, and not available.” And with that, the three of them enter the vault in which the remainder of the Elements are held.