Prologue - The Fall of Harmony

Idea for a new fanfic. Enjoy!

***PROLOGUE***

War. War is terrible. When ponies went to war in the olden days, when dark magic and dragonfire rained down upon the once-happy land of Equestria, war ripped the world apart. Only with the combined help of the Princesses did said-world pull itself together. War slipped into an uneasy slumber.

But war never rests for long.

A thousand years later - a blink of an eye for alicorns - was the breaking point. War broke out in the world yet again, and dark magic took the throne in the Crystal Empire. When the armies of shadow ran out across the land, hungering for war and death, the Elements of Harmony were called upon to save the world yet again.

It was here, in the heat of battle, amidst the stench of blood, tears, and fighting, terrible, terrible fighting, that the Elements of Harmony fell, friendship was destroyed, and a new chapter in life began.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Shadow. Shadow everywhere, on the walls, on the ground, in the air. Dark magic also flowed in an all but overwhelming wave. A barrier of light was all that stood between the Shadow Empire’s forces and the ponies that were being ushered out of the battle.

“Come on! We must hold out a little longer!” An alabaster alicorn called out. Two other alicorns were with the first, along with a unicorn, two Earth-Ponies, and two pegasi.

“Ah’m doin’ what Ah can, but even my strength is wearin’ out!” One of the Earth-Ponies grunted through her teeth as she desperately poured every scrap of energy in her muscles into the jewel around her neck.

The Elements of Harmony. Given to the elder alicorn sisters of the group centuries before to battle the maniacal Discord, and later used to stop countless other threats, they were the most potent of Equestria’s defenses. And today, they were failing.

“Hang on, girls! Remember, if we succeed, than we’ll have saved the Crystal ponies!” The lavender alicorn shouted. With that, the beam holding back the shadow ponies intensified a bit. Only a bit.

We’re outnumbered and overpowered. Oh, if only Cadence was here! The alicorn who had called to her friends thought. There had been another alicorn with the group, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but she had been injured, and was currently being taken far from the battle. She only hoped they could get her medical attention soon, or she would probably---

Don’t think like that! We can do this, and then we’ll attend to Cadence. Twilight Sparkle thought stubbornly, trying yet again to intensify the light that was attempting to hold the swarms at bay.

Death seemed imminent. The Shadow Ponies were many, and the defenders were few. Hope was lost, and yet the eight ponies continued.

Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy were known as the Element Bearers. Six gems around their necks, the Elements of Harmony themselves, were providing the bulk of the defense. However, the princesses Luna and Celestia also added their failing magic to the effort.

And then, a voice spoke. Deep in Twilight’s head.

You probably think you’re doing amazing right now. Even if you don’t, you still think that you can change everything.
Twilight gasped as the voice, like a bucket of ice-cold water, filled her mind.

But I know the truth. About your friend from earlier. We injured her, as you very well know. But she is beyond the point of saving. The voice continued. You’re friend is sick. Dangerously sick.
“I don’t listen!” The lavender alicorn screamed.

She is dead.
“NO!” Twilight faltered, and the wall of energy that the Elements powered drastically fell. It almost seemed as if the wall of shadow on the other side was laughing at them.

“Twilight! You must block him out! He’s only trying to distract you!” Celestia shouted amidst the noises of their battle. Or were those noises even there anymore? The younger princess faintly remembered seeing the waves of royal guards being slaughtered by the evil before them.

“Remember, you are helping protect Cadence by doing this!” Celestia added. Twilight blinked the tears out of her eyes, and nodded, shakily standing up and adding power to the beam that shot out from her crown.

Soon afterwards, however, a wailing went up from the trail of ponies that were rapidly trekking through the snow of the Frozen North.

“Cadence is dead!” They were shouting.

“It can’t be!” Twilight shouted, joined by her friends. Celestia and Luna continued to push the army of darkness as far back as possible, but tears were even in their royal eyes. The dark lord who controlled the attack force took this moment, and pushed harder.

The light of the ponies broke, and the shadows shot outwards, charging upon the retreating ponies. Thus, what little hope was left was crushed in one, clean move.

And amidst the ocean of darkness, the eight ponies stood, desperately trying not to be swept away by the shadow.

“Sister! We must use the emergency protocol!” Luna cried out. Celestia’s eyes widened, and she whipped her head around.

“There must be another way.”

“There is none, my dear sister.” Luna said firmly, with a sadness in her eyes. Celestia was at a loss for words, but then nodded, dipping her head.

Words were muttered through the rest of the group, and they all agreed silently. Together, they charged up the necklaces one last time.

“I love you, sister of mine.”

“And I, you.” Celestia said softly, her tears sliding down Luna’s back as they embraced each other.

The other six were doing similar.

“Girls, you were all the best friends a pony could ask for.” Twilight said gently. Pinkie Pie’s hair had fallen flat as she sobbed, hugging them all. They all knew how this would end. Fluttershy had almost locked up completely, but her face was firm as tears streaked down her face. Applejack somehow knew what direction to look, the same direction as her farm lay. Rarity thought of her sister one last time. And Rainbow Dash.

Dash wasn’t crying. Not on the outside. On the inside, she was crying too much. Her past, her life, her goals ahead… all gone. All about to be destroyed.

“Let’s send these buckers to Tartarus.” She said firmly.

Luna took one last look at the group around her. The seven ponies around her showed so much love, friendship, and camaraderie, that the Princess of the Night couldn’t believe that it had come to this. One, final, bitter end.

And then, in a flash of white light, she was gone. The Elements themselves were also gone, leaving nothing behind but the seven ponies. Then Twilight’s eyes went ablaze, and the surrounding area was enveloped in a flash.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

The Battle of the Darkness was kept a secret. Life went on. Nopony knew that the Elements of Harmony were dead. Nopony knew that Celestia was dead. Nopony knew anything.

The Elements had an emergency function. Anything in the vicinity was destroyed, but to keep the peace, the “harmony” itself, the memories of the ponies affected were wiped. So while the Crystal Ponies, the Elements of Harmony, and Princess Celestia were all dead, everypony puttered around in blind stupor.

Except for six ponies. Six ponies who were destined to change the world at some point in the near future.