"That was no message. It was a modified memory spell." Twilight coldly stated.
"Want to play game with me? Fine." Harmony asked in a sarcastically cheery voice.
Before she could object flash engulfed both her and Harmony and both disappeared. Noticing the flash everyone besides Discord turned to see that Twilight and Harmony and were no where in sight. Looking at Discord for answers his only response was, "They will be fine. Now let's find that campsite, shall we?
Twilight blinked slowly to clear the bright lights from her eyes. After a few minutes of rubbing her eyes her vision cleared and found that she was no longer in the desert. In front of her was a ordinate carved wooden double doors very tall and wide. Turning around she saw that she was in a circular cave like chamber. Twelve thrones were in a semicircle along the far wall a window between each one. It appeared that outside was night time but another look made her think that it actually something else altogether. Nine of the thrones had firefly like lights blinking in and out around them. She look down at the last throne on the right side and saw Harmony sitting on it, angry.
"Where..." She stared.
"THE COUNCIL OF HARMONY HAS COME TO ORDER. GUEST IS THE HARMONY BEARER OF MAGIC, PRINCESS OF FRIENDSHIP, TWILIGHT SPARKLE." Harmony cut Twilight off with the Canterlot voice.
Now her curiosity was overtaken by anger, "What the buck is going on! Why am I here and for that matter where is here."
Harmony still hot took a deep breath knowing to answer a few questions so they could get back to business. "The Chambers of the Council of Harmony within the Plane of Harmony. I called the council to order to prevent...interruptions."
"You think you can foalnap me and bring me to your council of 'Harmony'?" now screaming she continued to rant, "Naming everything after yourself. Saying you all about harmony. First you tell us Spike is doomed to forever be gone. You won't warn him or let us warn him! You then have some sort of memory spell casted on the whole of Equestria! An agent, a keeper of Harmony, bah! You are some sort of tyrant! I think you're no better than Tirek, Sombra or Chrysalis."
“Really?!? Really. Celestia: sun. Luna: moon. Applejack: apple farm. Diamond Tiara: wears a diamond tiara! Pony names usually have something to do with what their special talent will be. I did not choose the name 'Harmony.' I didn't name this chamber, the council, the plane outside, or the Keepers of Harmony! That spell was necessary to prevent problems after the memory wipe. Outside of Celestia and Luna and us no one remembers him and there are no records of Spike now in Equestria."
"Yeah and who gave you that right to do that!? Messing with peoples memories on such a mass scale! Who watches the watchers!" Twilight countered.
"Who watches the watchers! You dare play that card! You dare make that kind of accusation!" Harmony stop for a moment the lights suddenly flickered brightly nearly blinding Twilight for a second.
Once the lights dimmed and her sight return she could see that Harmony no longer looked angry. He looked defeated, tears flowing from his muzzle. Continuing softly "You see the nine thrones with the firefly lights dancing around them? Those are the 'thrones' of Keepers that died protecting this world! One of them is personally responsible for saving Celestia's life! We Keepers carry the shame, the failure, and the burden of our respective Elder Races. We are the LASTBORN! A Keeper isn't just chosen! When no more can be born the spell I told you of activates and the magic essence of a pair that race is combined. With that the final child of that elder race is born. No more can come upon this world again, only ascended versions like yourself.”
“The Keepers of Harmony carry the sin of our ancestors, we carry the absolution of the Elder to the Younger! See the crimes of the Elder Races! We could have stopped it sooner! But we didn't ... we didn't." Harmony hung his head in shame.
Suddenly Twilight found herself seeing one gruesome image after another, all of ponies. Some ponies were being tortured with fire others had their limbs cut, torn and bitten off. Twilight retched violently at this. She then saw the horrors of slave labor, the whippings and beatings. Mass graves came and went, murders, kidnappings and more. As the images stopped she nearly retched again.
"You saw only a taste of all that horror that befell just the pony races. THAT was caused by a Spark dragon! Spike is the same type of dragon. I have told you the tale of the one who hated the Younger races the one who has no name but only titles? One in which you have heard me use: 'Nameless One.'
Twilight went pale at this revelation but Harmony kept going "The second magic growth that I hinted at? That I shuttered at? THAT is the type of growth that brought this world the 'Nameless One'." Seeing her paling further he steeled himself to go on. "You do not want Spike succumbing to that growth. Which can happen if you interfere with the Choosing of his name or bring up anything of his 'past life.'
Harmony waited a few minutes while Twilight vomited a second time, worse than the first. Seeing that she could still handle a bit more he continued. "Your burden is much lighter. Not only that you have your friends you have Celestia, Luna, and Candace.”
“Do you know why the lights only move lazily with no apparent pattern around the thrones? It because you never met them. You had to have met them in life to see what they look like. I can only see the outlines of two. One of those died shortly after meeting me to explain my place as the Alicorn Keeper of Harmony when my cutiemark first appeared. I'm not sure of the circumstances of the death other one. The two unoccupied remaining thrones? One is Spike's; the other..." Harmony rubbed his mane nervously. "The other is not important right now..." With that he collapsed on his throne.
Running up to see if Harmony was okay Twilight could see that he was barely conscious. Sweat had matted his fur badly and the coat's color movement had stopped all together.
Whispering almost too softly for Twilight to hear, "You see Twilight I don't want Spike to be alone... He would only have two living Keepers if we survive. I couldn't live with myself if Spike's own sister, his friend, his family could not be there if he needs someone.”
Harmony coughed violently but continued nonetheless,“It's disharmonious to shatter that bond between you and it already is going to happen. That is opposite of what we do; it's opposite of what you do with the Council of Friendship. I'm trying to find a way to make sure that what will be shattered can be put back together. Sure it won't be the same but the bond can be fixed. That is our jobs: maintain and return harmony.”
“Do you know why I created the elements all those years ago? I made the Elements to allow the magic of harmony to be used by someone other than myself. Ones that are worthy and would carry on the mission of the Keepers if the pony races ever needed harmony magic if I ever I would die... Council.... dismissed..." With that he slipped into unconsciousness.
Twilight now understood why he was careful what he did and said. She remembered all of the things that Celestia had told her about Luna's banishment and the years following. Celestia had many regrets about her role in Luna's fall. What made it worse for her was the lack of good friends in which to confide. Twilight now felt guilty that she forgot that burdens carried alone without friends is hard, soul crushing. She saw now that Harmony too didn't have the circle of friends like she did, friends that could carry the burden with him.
Twilight sat there helpless unsure of what to do when suddenly a familiar voice spoke, "I see He did it again..."