Flawed Harmony

Earlier that day

Raibow Dash was napping on a cloud when she felt it being moved by something. Opening her eyes she saw the cloud was covered in a dark blue aura and was being taken to a clearing in the Whitetail Woods. As the cloud stopped she jumped off and looked around. "Who's there? What's the big idea?" She heard a whistle from behind her and turned around to see Anon emerging from the trees. "You!" Rainbow flared her wings and shot forward. Anon merely steeped to the side and grabbed her tail as she passed. Setting her down he began slowly walking around her with his hand behind his back.

"Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty, member of the Wonderbolts reserves and fastest flier in Equestria. Born in Cloudsdale, aced every practical exam in flight school, not so great with the theory exams but that is to be expected, you didn't know your way of taking in information back when you were a filly." Rainbow kept still following his movement with her eyes without turning her head.

"How do you know all that?" Anon pointed to the sky.

"I've been watch you and the other Element bearers from my prison in the stars, I will admit I am impressed by your skills Miss Dash... no... Mrs Dash." Rainbow froze. "No one would ever expect that you are the wife of the captain of the Equestrian Air Force, or that you are the mother to a filly known as Prism Flash. You kept it secret for a long time didn't you? Only revealing it to your sister, Derpy Hooves and your niece Dinky." Rainbow started to become enraged, no one was ever supposed to know this information. "Calm down, I have no intention of revealing this information, it would not benefit anyone." This caused Rainbow to soften her features.

"Why are you here?" Anon stopped in front of her and kneeled down.

"I'm here because I want you to join me."

Rainbow scowled. "Fat chance of that happening buster, I'll never betray my friends!" She swatted his hand away.

"Who said anything about betraying them?" Rainbow looked at him confused. "By joining me you'll be able to help make Equestria a better place for your friends and family. I would never force anyone to betray their loved ones or drive them apart, I'm above that."

"What are you talking about?" Anon got to his feet and summoned a photograph.

"Look at this closely Rainbow Dash, tell me what you see." Rainbow took the picture and stared at it in horror.

"No... Celestia wouldn't do that to us!" Rainbow exclaimed in disbelief.

"Wouldn't she?" Rainbow looked up at Anon who was looking down at her with an apologetic face. "The way Celestia thinks harmony works is 'get rid of anything that could at all be a threat to me and my way of life' without even giving whoever seems dangerous a chance to explain their actions, only seals it, banishes it or completely destroys it. If you and your friends were to ever go against her in any way, she'd deem all of you as a threat, only sparing Twilight due to emotional ties."

The information started to sink in, it started to make sense.

"That is why I oppose Celestia," Anon clenched his fist, "she never gives anyone a chance to explain their actions. Changeling invasion, they were only looking for good so they could live, Nightmare Moon, only wanted to be appreciated, Discord, was only following his purpose in the world and by doing so was actually creating harmony." That last part caused Rainbow to look at him in confusion. "Harmony is a balance of peace and chaos, construction and destruction, light and dark, good and evil. If one were to disappear then everything would eventually turn to ruin or merely cease to exist. I'm not attacking Equestria, I'm saving it." Rainbow looked to the picture and tore it up.

"I need to think about this..." Anon nodded in understanding.

"I will be in Cloudsdale later today, if you have made up your mind by then you will know where to find me. Farewell." With that, Anon was gone.

Present

Rainbow looked down at the land below the airship as they traveled towards the Badlands. Anon walked up to her and lay a hand on her soldier. "I know it was a hard decision to make Rainbow Dash, but you made the right choice. Your family, Derpy and Dink included, are waiting for you in your new home in Empire Castle."

Rainbow nodded and smiled. "Thank you." Patting her gently on the back, Anon left her to herself.

"One down... Five to go." He said under his breath as he made his way to the medical staff to get his arm patched up.

Celestia sat alone in the ruined castle of the three sisters, hiding from her rioting subjects. The trust that her subjects had for her was gone, no one would listen, she was being hunted down. She lay in the middle of the room, crying in defeat. "You brought this on yourself." Celestia looked up to see Anon glaring down at her with a bandage over his arm. "I gave you the opportunity to surrender and make Equestria a better place, but you declined. Now look where you are, crying, hiding from the ones you swore to protect when King Solaris died. Pathetic."

Celestia got to her hooves and glared furiously at him. "You're a monster."

"If I'm a monster you're a demon, you may be a goddess but you don't act like one. Your meaning of harmony is 'get rid of anything bad to me and my people.' Did it ever occur to you what harmony actually means?!" Celestia looked at him puzzled. "Harmony isn't never ending peace, it's a balance. You're robbing Equestria of the balance it needs to survive, without beings like Discord and Tirek the world would be in a much more critical condition of chaos." Anon walked passed her and whispered, "This is only the beginning, I have far bigger plans for you and Equestria." With that he was gone.

Ponyville

Abigail sat in the corner of the librar, head resting on her knees as she struggled to keep the tears in. The previous day she and the rest of Equestria learned of the Rainbow Factory, ponies rioted in the streets, Rainbow Dash was missing and SweetieBot was being repaired. Screwball was called back to the Chaos Capital by her father to discuss something of dire importance. The only one who could comfort her at that moment was Slendermane, but that was made impossible as Abigail's family wanted her with them. So she sat there, alone in the corner, fighting the tears.

Not wishing to see their cousin continue being in this condition, Megan and Becky (remember these two? They were two of the forgettable human characters I introduced, looks like they're back) walked over to her and sat on either side of her. Bringing her into a hug Abigail could no longer suppress the tears and opened the floodgates.

Twilight wasn't in any better condition, mumbling to herself, trying to understand why Celestia would allow something like the factory to exist in the first place. Constantly flicking through books and tossing them away, she desperately tried to find the reason from history.

Just then Rainbow Dash appeared in the middle of the room. "Rainbow!" Twilight rushed over and hugged her friend. "We were so worried that you got hurt from the riots, thank goodness you're... Safe..." Twilight stepped back after she was what Rainbow was wearing. She was wearing what looked like a reserve Wonderbolts uniform except dark blue and black, the emblem of the Shadow Empire...

...on the chest of the uniform. Twilight and everyone else present looked at her in disbelief, tears starting to form in their eyes. "Rainbow... not you, you're the Element of Loyalty." Twilight began shaking.

Rainbow looked to her friend with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry Twilight. King Anon came to me yesterday, he talked to me, told me his true intentions and goals. I'm doing this to keep you all safe, Equestria will be a better place of Anon is the one leading it."

"How can you say that? Look what he's done to Equestria!" Twilight gestured to the violent streets outside the library.

"He didn't cause this, Celestia caused this by ever creating the Rainbow Factory. Do you know how many pegasui were planning to reveal the factory? To expose it? To even destroy it? Too many, but we weren't able to or our families would suffer. King Anon destroyed it, freed those trapped within and exposed it." Rainbow closed her eyes and looked away. "I'm sorry Twilight, but this is what I have to do."

"Now looky here Rainbow, I don't know hat you've been thinkin but right now Equestria needs all six of us to bring things down. Now you're gonna take off that there uniform and stop playin around." Demanded Applejack.

"I'm not playing around AJ, I'm deadly serious." Rainbow turned and pulled out a teleportation crystal. "I'll see you all soon." In a flash of light she was gone. Fluttershy curled up into a ball and started whimpering, Rarity pulled her drama couch out of nowhere and fainted onto it, Applejack placed her head on her hooves, Pinkie sat alone with her mane deflated and Twilight walked up to her room.

Having enough of the depressed atmosphere Spike yelled. "Would everypony get a grip already?! Look at what's going on outside! I know you're all really depressed about what's happening with Celestia and Rainbow, but there are more important things to deal with right now!" Everyone look,ed to the young drake in shock. "Now all of you are gonna go out there and calm everyone the buck down before so,some gets seriously hurt or worse!" With that the young dragon walked towards the basement and slammed the door shut.

While everyone was distracted Abigail slipped out of the library. Jumping up to the rooftops to avoid the violence below she sprinted towards the Everfree Forest to see her friend and possibly get some advice from him.

Badlands, Empire Castle

Moonlight walked through the Blackwood Forest with a smile on his face. "Equestria is in chaos, Celestia is broken and we have one of the elements on our side. Father really knows how to get things done around here."

"I'll say." Moonlight turned around to see Eris walking up to him shyly.

"Hello Eris, what brings you to my neck of the woods?" He joked, getting a deadpan from the Draconequus.

"That joke was bad and you should feel bad." Moonlight chuckled and continued walking with Eris at his side.

"So, what has father got planned for you and the others?" He asked.

"Nothing for now, he says he has a surprise for us. It's to do with Sombras horn and the Element of Magic." Moonlight just looked at her puzzled.

"It's not like him to not even give a basic clue to you guys, any ideas on what it could be?" Eris shrugged.

"I'm guessing it's another phase in his master plan, nothing more." Moonlight chuckled and continued walking. Eris looked him over as they walked, a blush adorning her face. Anon knew that Eris had feelings for his son and had been encouraging her to tell him, saying that the feeling was mutual between them. Moonlight even admitted to his mother about his feelings towards the empress of chaos.

The only thing that ever put Eris off was the fact that if they got married she'd be Anon and Luna's daughter-in-law, becoming the Shadow Princess. Anon already told her that would only be the case if she wanted it to be, if not then she would keep her role as general.

An announcement informed everyone that Anon had requested everyone to attend a gathering as he wanted to unveil something of great importance. Looking to each other they nodded and flew towards the main throne room.

Meanwhile in the stars, a figure sat waiting, humming a tune to himself and singing softly.

"~Cus the world might do me in, it's alright cus I'm with friends~"