The Loss of Harmony

Here it was. She had made it. A large crystal tree dominated the center of the clearing, black vines wrapping and contorting around the tree. Large branches fanned out from the center of the tree. Large gouges were centered at the center of the branches, and a large star gouge in the middle of the trunk of the tree.

A lavender allicon stared at the tree, and the withing, thorny vines spreading in the area around the tree. Princess Twilight Sparkle tried to recall when this whole ordeal had started. She was in Canterlot, attending to her royal duties. She had just finished speaking with her past mentor, Princess Celestia, when she asked her assistant to read off her checklist again.

She had fallen asleep, and had awoken to see that the sky was split in two, half day and half night. She was informed that the princesses were missing, and Ponyville was covered in hellish vines. She flew to her beloved home, hoping that it hadn't fallen to ruin. After confirming it wasn't the work of Discord, she had taken a memory potion from Zecora. She had been transported back in time, witnessing the fall of Nightmare Moon, Discord, and and the Harmony Tree.

Yes, the Harmony Tree. The very same Harmony Tree she was in front of now, the very same tree where the Elements of Harmony had first been found by Celestia and Luna. The very same tree that had created the small gem upon her head. There was one thing different about the tree she was standing before, however. The tree was dying.

Twilight was snapped out of her thoughts as an inky black tendril wrapped itself around her leg. Twilight screamed, and shot a hot pink burst of magic at the tendril, incinerating it. She stared at the tree once more, pondering on how to save it. She remembered the words in the memory of the tree that Celestia had spoken. "Even without these elements, the Tree of Harmony will possess a powerful magic. As long as that magic remains, it will continue to control and contain all that grows here. The elements! The elements are the key to return the tree it's proper state!

Twilight looked at her friends behind her, and then at their elements. "I know how we can save the tree. We have to give it our elements." After reassuring her friends that the elements didn't hold them together, but their friendship, she took the gems out of their holder's possession. One by one, the gems were hovered around Twilight, her own gem completing the set.

She turned to face the tree, just as four tendrils shot out and wrapped themselves around her four hooves. She let put a cry of pain as the thorns dug into her, but she kept hold of the elements. Behind her, she could hear her friends shriek as more vines engulfed the other five element bearers, cutting off their screams. Twilight was horrified,but she knew that the y could be saved if the could just-

A jolt of pure agony cut off Twilight's train of thought. More tendrils had wrapped themselves around her body, stabbing her with their razor sharp thorns. Twilight tried desperately to keep her spell going, but her mind flooded with pain as she felt more and more tendrils making their way up her body. Thorns stabbed and pierced her body, causing fresh waves of white hot agony to course through her. A wave of panic clouded her mind as she realized the target of their assault: her horn.

With a renewed sense of urgency, Twilight tried desperately to put the elements in their place on the tree, but her magic was weakening. Tendrils sprouted up from the ground, and reached for the gems in Twilight's magic. She tried to move them out of the way, but she completely ran out of strength. The spell fizzled out, and the elements dropped to the floor. Twilight could only watch in horror as they shattered, sending fragments flying through the air.

They were gone. The elements were gone. Her very salvation was gone. Twilight knew it was helpless to struggle as the vines inched their way up her neck. She knew she was doomed. She knew that all of Equestria was doomed. She could only wait as the vines covered her face and reached her horn. There was one last jolt of pain as the vision of Twilight Sparkle, princess of Magic, faded to black.
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Princess Cadence looked upon the chaos of Equestria. It had only been reported earlier this morning that her two "aunts" were missing. Or had it been night? Day and night had been lost, the sky stained a murky gray color. Cadence knew that this meant the very worst for the princesses. She was alone, lost in a world constricted by vines. The tendrils had already taken Equestria, and were making their way to the Crystal Empire.

Shining Armor had taken control of the guards in an attempt to fight the demonic vines, but Cadence didn't have much hope of Shining returning. She could hear the screams now. The vines had broken though the barrier of the Crystal Empire,
and were now terrorizing the crystal ponies.

Cadence had tried to stop them. She tried every spell she could think of, blasting the vines back to hell, but it had been of no use. The vines were simply growing too fast to be contained. As the shrieks outside grew louder, Cadence desperately tried to block them out. If Celestia and Luna could not stop them, what could she do? What about Twilight?

Twilight. Cadence froze upon the though of her dear friend. She had recently become an allicon, and has most likely been sent to go find the other two princesses. What had happened to her? Cadence knew the truth. Twilight was gone. A fresh wave of grief washed over the pink allicorn, tears staining her coat. What now? She knew she should be out there with her people, but she could not bear to hear their cries of help, and be able to do nothing. She would not watch her kingdom die.

A cracking sound snapped Cadence from her thoughts. She looked up to see the tendrils breaking through the crystal wall to her chambers. Cadence screeched, and tried to blast the vines. She knew this would not work, however. She only succeeded in blasting a few vines. They continued to invade her room, creeping closer and closer to Cadence. They lunged, wrapping themselves around her, and stabbing her with their thorny swords. The princess of love was no more. Equestria was no more.

This world was gone, and sitting in the very center, was a single Draconequus, laughing at the chaos.