A single seed

"You know, since we discovered that we're, like, the Elements of Harmony - yeah, bearers, whatever. I've grown a little... fond of you. You know? Gee, I don't know how to say it... I love you."

Rainbow Dash sighed. It was all so easy, in front of the mirror. She still couldn't muster the courage to just outright confess to the mare of her dreams, even after practicing for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Believe me, whenever I think of your beauty or how you always speak your mind, no matter..."

Her honesty? Come on, Rainbow, you can do better compliments than that.

"I always feel like I'm sweating, and sometimes I really am."

"You're all I can think of. I can't imagine life without you. I..." If Rainbow as much as pictured the earth pony mare before her in the mirror, she lost focus. She couldn't do this, it'd end like all of the other times.

"I can do this. I'll just ask her out, maybe even a date, and not leave until I can finally say what's been bugging me for so long. Maybe she'll start the topic..."

Why did it have to be so hard?

"What is going on here? Everypony's scattered and behaving like crazy, it's like..." A spark cleared up Twilight's mind. "Of course! It's a little thought into the open, but it's the only rational explanation."

She didn't even bother to assemble her friends before requesting transportation to Canterlot and an audience with the princess in urgent matters. *Grab Elements, return, stop him. Easy three part plan.*

"My faithful student, I take it you have felt his presence too?" Twilight was in Princess Celestia's throne room. She hadn't even had to request an audience, as the princess had felt the matters at hand herself.

"Yes, Princess. At first, I thought it to be simply some ache, but then ponies began to act weirdly."

"Show yourself!" Princess Celestia bellowed at the empty room, making Twilight jump at the unexpected sound. All that returned was a soft cackle.

"Can't a lord of chaos go about his business unnoticed here? I hadn't expected for you to find me already. Or maybe I did. Probably, or else I wouldn't have passed right by, would I?"

"Let's get it over with. Do your long introduction speech, then try to discord us Elements, then get your spell disabled by me and be turned into stone again."

Discord laughed. "I genuinely like you, filly. So charming, almost like Celestia. I'll even save myself the trouble of turning your friends into antiments one by one. No need to stop what stops itself."

"What do you mean by that?" Twilight was confused.

"I'm sure you'll find out. If you'll excuse me, I have some more balance to tip. Thanks for finding me, by the way. Now I can act in the open." He disappeared.

"That sure was something. Now, my student, we must find the Elements of Harmony, then get you back to Ponyville, where you can assemble your friends and use the Elements against him."

"Well, how about looking where they're supposed to be?" Twilight's approach seemed almost too easy, but just in that box behind the magically sealed door were the six Elements. "That was easy. I wonder if he WANTS to be stopped."

"Do not assume the rest to be so easy. You never know what he may have in mind. Good luck, Twilight Sparkle."

"Hey Twilight! What's going on?" Pinkie Pie looked less happy than normal, but her mouth still had the slightest of smiles on it, and her mane and tail were still puffed up, so Twilight didn't assume anything bad.

"Can't you see it? Discord's on the loose, everypony's already starting to change, and oatmeal prices rose by two bits per bag!"

"Oatmeal? Are you crazy? That's a serious rise!"

"Of all times, do you have to take me overly serious NOW? Okay, I lied, oatmeal prices are normal, but the things before that are true! We must find the others and stop Discord!"

"Yes! Let's go!"

Twilight noticed something strange and froze. "Erm, shouldn't you be bathing in the chocolate rain or something now?"

"Why? Twilight, dear, I realised something lately. I'm taking things way not serious enough! Since when I busted in on them and thought it was a joke..."

"What? Who? When? That's not like you at all, Pinkie!"

"Oh, um, just Applejack and Dashie talking about something serious. I thought it was all a joke, but when they told me it wasn't, I realised how I think everypony's always making jokes and being happy when they just sometimes aren't."

"That sounds like a reasonable explanation, I think. Maybe even something you should write to Celestia about. But let's focus on the task at hoof. You wanna come assemble our friends?"

"Nah, I think I'll keep walking and think about where I went wrong in my life. Much to think about. You'll find me when it's time, I suppose."

"Alright then, I'll go collect the others then. See you later!"

Closest after that was Rarity's boutique. Twilight headed there, in good spirits.

"Hello, Rarity? In case you didn't know, Discord's on the loose again and we have to find the others and stop him!" Twilight did not get an answer. She decided to force her way inside (Which was easy through an open door) and look what was going on.

Rarity was there, lying rather uncomfortably, stroking Opalescence. She spoke with a slow, lower than usual voice. "Hello darling. Coming into other ponies' houses like that is not very kind, you know. But I'll let you, with the task at hand."

Twilight was confused at Rarity's way of speaking. "Um, okay? Great, come along and we'll go collect the others."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Rarity's voice had a soothing tone, sounding like everything was in order.

"Why not?"

"Because giving always leads to greater pain than it could ever compensate. I give - or sell - ponies dresses, they struggle over them. I give ponies hope, they fall even higher when they're disappointed. I can't stand it any more, Twilight."

"Now you're exaggerating. You're not already hypnotised by Discord, are you?"

"No, no, I'm not keeping, I simply... Don't see the point in giving. Anything you give somepony else has less use for them, in the best case. Gems, dresses, hope... I don't want to come with you, because we'd only disappoint you. Hasn't he already won?"

"Not if you would stop the nonsense and come with me!" Twilight was losing patience.

"I can't. I can't give you hope. Not after all the others, not after... Rainbow."

"Huh? What happened with Rainbow Dash? She's fine, right?"

"Physically, yes. Why don't you ask her about the rest yourself?"

"If you insist... You stay right here, I'll come get you when the others are together."

Things were not progressing that good. Twilight didn't let that discourage her. As soon as she had Fluttershy, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, everything would sort out, she was sure.

On the way to Fluttershy's cottage, she even ran into Rainbow Dash.

"Rainbow! You're just the pony I was looking for."

Dash held her head low, a hopeless expression on her eyes. The skin under those looked unusually soft, as if she'd been crying. Before Twilight could inspect her closer, though, Rainbow turned her head so that she didn't look directly away, but could hide her eyes.

"Hello Twilight. What's going on?" Her voice was slow, missing it's usual energy.

"Discord's off again! That's what's going on! And for some reason, both Rarity and Pinkie lost their qualities... But not because he hypnotised them, they just seem to have... Some problems. The Elements should still work, though. Come help me rally everypony and put an end to this nonsense."

"Does it have to be right now?"

"Yes! What's going on with you not being there for your friends? Did you suddenly grow such problems, too? Wait... They both mentioned you when they talked about why they don't want to be the elements any more. Is there something I should know?"

The pegasus' eyes became just the slightest moist they could. "I don't want to talk about it now. This can wait until we've stopped Discord. Sorry I can't do more for you right now, but I'll be there as soon as you call."

Twilight grew tired of getting rejected. "Because I can just fly right up to your cloud home and tell you it's time, right?"

Rainbow Dash indicated towards a small gem she wore in her mane. Twilight had given her a way of receiving a magical message exactly because she couldn't fly and tell her the regular way. "Oh right. At least that's going somewhat according to the plan.

Motivated by the small success, Twilight knocked on the door to Fluttershy's home. The response she got was unexpected. What came out of the cottage were a series of sobs, then Fluttershy calling. "Yes? Come in, if you must..."

If Rainbow Dash looked like she'd been crying, it was nothing compared to the yellow pegasus. Her eyes were red, dripping with shortly restarted tears. The pillow she was curled up on had a small taint on it, right below her head.

"Fluttershy? What's..." Panic and a bit excessive crying was nothing irregular for her, but this seemed out of order. She even interrupted Twilight to sob out hardly audible words.

"Oh no no no, she's d- done it and you've come to tell me. Just tell me right now. Perhaps I will come over it in a hundred years."

"Huh? What do you mean? Who's done what?"

"Dash! She... She has jumped, that's why you're here. Don't lie to me!" Even though she was already crying hard before, more and more tears ran down Fluttershy's cheeks in accelarating frequency.

"Ju... No! I'm honest, she's fine, I talked to her minutes ago." That seemed to calm her a bit. Fluttershy still had troubles speaking, though.

"Uh, silly me. I'm sorry, I've let my imagination run too freely."

"Why SHOULD she do such a thing? Fluttershy, if there's something troubling you, tell me!"

"I can't. Please, don't make me relive that. Remember your manners, Fluttershy. Why have you come to visit me?" The pegasus wiped her eyes. The liquid on her cheeks and pillow remained.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it? Because we can't stop Discord if you're just crying all the time. No offense."

"Oh no! Discord? We're screwed. How should we even have a chance of stopping him?"

"Erm, I don't know, like, the Elements of Harmony? I've even got them here, look!" She opened the chest, revealing five necklaces and a big crown thingy.

"But he's still just so powerful. Not even Celestia could stand against him."

"That's why we gotta stand TOGETHER. In HARMONY! With united power! Besides, last time he broke free, you looked like you could beat him up in a direct melee fight, remember?"

Fluttershy gave a small chuckle, drowned in liquid in her throat. It sounded nothing but sad. "Oh yeah. Maybe we could stand a chance..."

"And now you're going to tell me you'd like to come with me, but can't and that I should return once I have the others?"

"How did you know?"

"Intuition. It's only Applejack left on the list, though. Stay ready."

At last, Twilight reached Sweet Apple Acres. The earth pony mare that was her goal was just coming out of her barn.

"Heya Twi'! What gives me the honor?"

"Let's skip the introductions and go straight to where you deny me your help because something just completely messed up your mind. Wait... You don't sound messed up. Oh, please tell me you're normal."

"Er, normal as can be, I think. Why shouldn't I?"

"Discord's running undercover operations to send all of Equestria into chaos AGAIN and so far, everypony has been too busy with their own problems and... Oh, Applejack, I'm so glad at least you are okay." To the unicorn's surprise, her stomach grumbled rather loud. Her eyes were drawn upwards from the ground to where the sun was located, which was not that far above the horizon any more.

"Not THIS too! I've been running around all day, trying to solve this crisis, and must have lost track of time... Why can't my body wait with such things until after we've defeated him? Whatever, come with me, and we'll be done before dinner."

"No, you come with me. I won't let you run around with an empty stomach, and we need to plan things carefully. Just dashing straight into action won't help."

After quickly, but not rushed, preparing an apple for Twilight to snack on, Applejack sat down with her inside the farm house.

"Thanks." Twilight wanted to bite right into the slices, but hesitated for a moment. It didn't look rotten, but there was a slight brown taint to the white inside, concentrated on the former outer areas.

"I just bucked that apple today, if you're wondering. At least I think so..."

"Oh no, I'm not complaining. It simply looks different, but no less tasty." To prove it, Twilight threw her head down onto the plate and grabbed a piece. It tasted a bit odd.

"Heh, Sweet Apple Acres apples, making even unicorns forget their magic."

Twilight looked up, chewing with an embarassed smile. After swallowing, she brought up the important topic at hoof. "Okay, what do we do now?"

"Grab Elements, call everypony together, buck Discord's butt back where it belongs?"

"Believe me, I tried that. They're all too busy with their own problems. It seems that those problems are all somehow linked to Rainbow Dash and... You. Applejack, is there something you should tell me?"

Applejack thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't think there's anything relevant."

"Are you sure? Whatever, we have to go. Whom do you think we should visit first?"

"Pinkie. She should be easiest, and the biggest help for the rest."

The unicorn jumped up. "Great, let's go."

They ran into Pinkie little outside Ponyville.

The results they got were dissatisfying. Pinkie got a bit happier, but she was still far from her usual self.

It was late, and they decided to rest through the night and go on a full assault on their friends' problems the day after.

As Twilight dropped into her bed, there was a small, unknown voice, whispering messages in her mind.

Friendship is magic, but where are your friends? You are all alone...