//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Harmony Effect // by DW_Beast //------------------------------// Prologue BBBBRRRRRRRNNNNGGGGG The metallic growl filled the air shaking the lavender alicorn princess from her bed in her castle. Landing on the floor with a resounding thud from the violent staking of the world around her is what brought the princess of friendship, Twilight Sparkle back to the living. Looking in the darkness as she struggles to her hooves, bright red flashes of light occasionally illuminating her bed room as she attempts to get her bearing. Taking a single wobbly step before bursting into a run her four hooves making an echoey clack sound as she sprinted through the empty castle. Reaching the exit and pushing her way through the massive double doors a horrific sight greeted her in the distance. Canterlot her hometown, the home of her parents, the location of the castle the housed not only her mentor the ruling princess but her mentor's sister the other ruling princess was gone, laying in a smoking rubble at the base of the mountain it was built into the side of. Her musing was cut short as a beam of red light struck Ponyville Town hall vaporizing in before the beam traveled up taking out several homes instantly killing its occupants. "Twilight!" Came the shout of five voices catching her attention away from the horror, in front of her running and flying toward her where her friends in panicked tones. "Girls we have to get inside and use the harmony before it is to late" cried out the lavender mare before turning and moving back inside heading toward the throne room flanked by the other five. Moving quickly the six surround the six point star in the center of the room focusing their minds and wills on the task needed to be done. 'We must stop the monster doing this" was the collected thought, though the wording in their heads each varied. The star started to glow brightly engulfing them in a bright light before swallowing up the rest of the crystal tree like castle and raising up into the sky leaving an empty spot where the castle had once stood. Deep in the dark forest, in a cavern another crystal tree started to glow before shattering into shards of multicolored lights. Floating in places was six gems each shaped differently, an orange apple, a red lightning bolt, a blue balloon, a pink butterfly, a purple gem, and a violet star. The light began gather slowly begin absorbed into each of these floating gems. When all the shards where gone darkening the cavern once more, the gems shot out streaking off into the sky toward the large glowing sphere that floating above here the castle once stood joining with it before it shot into the sky and into the starry night. Now inside the light the six young mares can see the bringer of such destruction, before them floating in the heavens with them was what could roughly in their minds was a gigantic metal squid looking creature firing read beams of light at the ground. Focusing on the task trying to ignore the oddity before them a rainbow beam fired from their magical sphere of light striking the monstrosity with unbelievable force causing an explosion that put a stop to the red beams of death raining down on their loved ones. They watch as the beast curled up the light going out they drifted away from it into the pitch black void surrounding them. Each give a bittersweet smile of the thought of their home now safe before everything went dark and time seemed to come to a stop to them. In a burst a ling silver star ship appeared in a desolate star system cutting through the blackness as it moved toward its intended target. Inside the standing at a holographic map of the galaxy stood a tall man with buzzed black hair and short stubble on his face listening to a distress call. "This is Professor Ground Breaker from the Equestria University onsite of a dig requesting aid from anyone, we are under attack by Geth forces! I repeat ...." The man ended the message with a motion of his hand. "Kaidan and Wrex meet me in the Mako on the double!" He barked over the ships comms, turning back on his heel making his way down the stairs to the slow lift that would take him to his intended destination. The star ship dropped down close to the barren, gray, dusty world before dropping out a six wheeled tank letting the vehicle drop. Just before slamming into the ground four jets of blue flame shot from the bottom of it slowing its decent. Landing smoothly at a slight angle toward the location of the distress call, it did not even come to a stop upon hitting the ground rolling at full speed to its target. The run was a straight on with only a few craters dotting the passage, and an army of one eyed, three fingered synthetic troops, and a few larger ones standing on four legs. The tank not even taking a moment's hesitation opened fire from the large cannon at the first of the four legged colossus sending it falling over. The rapped tak tak sound filled the inside of the armored vehicle as the machine gun sprayed out at the smaller troops. Using the speed momentum to run over more troops and another colossus it fired its cannon at the remaining one that was turning toward it from the metal shaft sticking from the ground it had been focused on. In mid turn the colossus fell to the dusty grey soil before the tank came to a stop at the metal shaft. Three men entered the tube leading to the dig sight below, the first man leading the team into was the man who stood giving the orders on the ship he wore black skin tight armor on the right arm was a red stripe going down it with white stripes on either side, on the right side of his chest was N7. The next was a behemoth of a creature wearing dark red armor with a hump going up from the back to the back of the head. His head was a gray reptilian like face with bright red slitted eyes and a red bony like cranium all covered in scars. The last was another smaller man with solid black skin tight armor and short black hair with tan skin. The lead man held in his had a pistol with both hands pointing it unwavering in front of him while the other two held shot guns at their sides ready to take on any enemy that they may face. Upon entering the first chamber they took in the sight of the tall thin horse men laying on the ground in pools of crimson. Just beyond them more synthetic troopers now aware of their presence turn toward them firing bursts of light from their weapons at the three making them take cover behind a few crates. The leader taking aim with his pistol fired 3 shoots striking the first of the troopers in the glowing light on its head and hitting the other two around it for good measure, the other two following up behind him blasting the incoming troopers. Working their way through the onslaught of metal soldiers the three slowly made it to the next tube clearing out any opposition along the way. After a long arduous battle they made their way into the last chamber where the only survivor lay beyond the doors holding his side as a river of blood runs down his side. The tall horse man looked up at them with his long thin furred coat face, the worry in his dark eyes giving way to relief. *cough*"Thank mana you are here *cough* you have to get this out of here" The horse man spoke blood running from her muzzle. The leader of the three knelt down before the dying horse man to inspect him, "I am Commander Shepard we can get you out of here." Though deep down he knew it would be pointless the horse wasn't going to last another 5 minutes let alone the time it would take to get him to the medical bay on their ship. To his surprise though the horse man forced his way up shaking his head, "follow me." He limped leading them into the back of the room where a rainbow pentagon shaped gem sat. "I won't *cough* make it, but this is more important then my life. *cough cough* It is what they are after and the key to my Equuis history, you have to get it out of here." The horse man coughed once more spilling blood from him mouth before collapsing with a raspy gasp, then moved no more. Shepard looking from the now corpse to the gem he gave his life for and stepped closer to it. He could feel some kind of energy unlike anything he had ever felt before pulsating from the large gem. It seemed to call to him in a gentle tug in the back of his mind wanting him to touch it, a vast different feeling from the forceful pull of the last thing he had encountered that pulsated. A blank expression filled his eyes as he stepped toward the gem raising his hand, and with out any control laid his hand upon the gem. Once his hand grasped the gem it flashed in a bright light blanketing everything in its gentle shine making the world around the three seem to disappear.