Equestria has changed…
It has been many years since the adventures of Twilight Sparkle and her friends. It’s hard to believe it’s been so long, they were good ponies who did everything they could to protect Equestria, but for all their strengths, sadly none of them were immortal.
Their last adventure as a group was to protect the Elements of Harmony from a new threat called the Disharmonious. There were beings that represented the very worst of the Elements of Harmony, twisted versions of each of them. They were able to push them back, but not without a great cost, the elements were shattered and spread across Equestria.
As the years past, stories started to crop up around Equestria of fragments of the Elements surviving. However, anypony who tried to track them down came back empty handed, or not at all.
Now many years have passed, and the six friends and their allies have passed beyond the veil. There have been only rumors of the fragments of the Elements, but at the same time, new threats are starting to come up around Equestria, ones that we will need help to fight.
So, Equestria is now once more in need of heroes. The right tools have been placed around Equestria, it is just a matter of the right ponies, or other beings, finding them. The first two are already being pushed in that direction.
Hopefully, they can pass the trials that have been put before them, or there may be no hope left for Equestria.
00000
A pickaxe embedded itself in a rock as a blue hand pulled itself up. A figure dressed in cold weather gear came into view as they pulled itself up onto the rock shelf.
She pulled her goggles up and looked out at the sprawling Crystal Mountains. She was now close to the summit of Mount Tamaranch, the tallest mountain in the Crystal Mountains and one of the tallest peaks in Equestria. She could see all of Equestria sprawling out from in front of her and took in a deep breath at the view.
She stretched her wings out as she turned around and looked up at the cave in front of her. She smiled a little as she nodded, she had reached her destination finally.
“Alright Stardust, sure you could’ve just flown up here, but where’s the fun in that?” She said to herself and chuckled lightly. “Next thing you know you’re going to do something really crazy like talking to yourself.”
She took a map out and examined it. This was definitely where the strange pony had said the artifact was. She had become well known around Equestria as the pony who can find anything that you wanted from the old world.
She had been approached by a strange pony while she was in Hoofington who offered her a map and a larger than usual finder’s fee for doing this. What caught her attention however was that the pony mentioned that it was connected to the Elements of Harmony.
The Elements of Harmony were the ultimate prize for an archeologist like her. Ponies had been searching for the fragments ever since the Disharmonious had destroyed them to no luck. If this was real, then she had a real chance of bringing something great back to Equestria.
“Alright Stardust,” she said as she put the map away again. She had spent so much time on her own she had actually more gotten into the habit of talking to herself than anything else. “Well, time to see what’s waiting for me in here.”
She walked into the cave, it was surprisingly warm as she pulled down her hood and goggles to reveal a blue furred young mare with a short dark blue mane with blue dots around it. She shook her head clear and looked around for any sign of her quarry.
The cave seemed simple despite its strange warmth, it had been carved out of the rock centuries ago from what she could tell. She slowly moved through the cave and paused as she thought she heard a noise so she drew a pistol from a holster on her side and moved forward quietly, she wasn’t going to let them ambush her if that’s what was going on.
“Hold it, don’t shoot!” A woman voice said as she snapped around and aimed the pistol at the source of the voice.
An earth pony mare dressed in similar gear to her’s was lying there. She was holding her leg which was trapped under a boulder. She flinched a little at the sight of the Pegasus mare’s pistol.
“What are you doing here?” Stardust asked.
“Same as you, I came here for the Element,” the mare said with a shake of her head. “I got caught in a cave-in. Can you help me? I need medicine…”
Stardust paused a moment but didn’t hesitate as she moved over and pushed against the boulder with all her strength. The earth pony mare screamed but she managed to pull her leg out from under the boulder, it looked broken.
“Here, I’ve got some healing potions,” Stardust said as she took out a vial of healing potion and applied it to the leg. She wrapped it in bandages and set it as best she could. “You should be fine now.”
“What about you? What if you need those supplies?” The mare asked.
“I’ll be fine,” Stardust said with a shake of her head. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t give something to help somepony who needed it.”
“Thank you,” the mare said and pointed forward. “I think I saw something that way before the cave-in, that might be where the Element fragment is.”
“Okay, stay here and let your leg heal, I’ll be back for you,” Stardust said as she got to her hooves and started down into the cave again.
After walking for a few minutes she pushed through an opening in the cave wall that barely fit her and stopped just as she made her way through it. She was in awe of what she saw sitting before her.
On a pedestal was a purple gem that looked like it was carved out of a stone. It shone with a light Starlight had never seen before, this had to be it, an Element of Harmony. She started to step forward when a voice was heard behind her.
“You’ve done well to make it this far,” a mare’s voice said and she spun around to see the same mare from before standing in front of her.
“What? How did you… you shouldn’t have been able to walk after that…” Stardust said and blinked in surprise as she aimed her pistol at her again. “Who are you and what do you want?”
“I go by many names, but you may call me Gaia, it’s simpler that way,” the mare said with a smile as energy began to radiate off of her. “You passed the trial. You were able to reach the cave and showed the proper response.”
“The, what?” Stardust asked as she slowly started to lower the pistol. “What are you talking about?”
“You freely gave your own supplies to a pony that needed them more than you did,” Gaia said with a smile. “You’re a generous spirit, and that gives you the chance you deserve to become the new bearer of the Element of Generosity.”
“But, it doesn’t look like it did in the books,” Stardust said as she looked back at the stone on the pedestal.
“It’s only the base,” Gaia said. “You will have to gather the other fragments from around Equestria in order to complete it. There is something else you will need as well.”
She reached into a bag and took out a strange device. It was colored gold with lightning designs carved into it and a large hole in the shape of the gemstone.
“What is this?” Stardust asked.
“It’s called a Harmony Driver,” Gaia said with a smile. “Put it on your waist and say the word Henshin. When you place the Element Stone in it, if you are truly worthy, you will take on the form of a great warrior.”
Stardust nodded and took the Harmony Driver in her hand and picked up the purple colored stone. She looked at the Driver then put it on her waist and it wrapped around her.
/Soaring into the Skies!/
“Henshin!” Stardust said as she placed the stone into the belt without a problem and it began to glow.
Energy flew out of the Driver and surrounded her. Golden armor formed over her body, forming a helmet with a narrow visor and slit that went down to the chin. Violet colored lightning bolts formed over the armor as she spread her wings out, striking a pose as she did.
“Whoa…” Stardust said as she looked at herself in a reflective surface. “What is this thing?”
“The answers will come in time,” Gaia said with a smile. “But you have been chosen to fight the coming darkness. Come to Ponyville and everything will become clear.”
Gaia vanished as mysteriously as she came, leaving Stardust standing there and examining herself.
What was she getting herself into?
00000
“Doctor Lian?” A voice said as the mare in question look up from the tablet she was working on. “I was told you were the one to talk about when it came to, strange magical maladies.”
Lian looked up at the mare who spoke curiously. The Doctor was a Zebra mare with a long mane tied into a braid. She was dressed in a lab coat over a shirt with a strange design on it and a symbol on her coat’s pocket.
“Yes, of course,” she said with a smile. “What can I do to help you?”
“My daughter came down with a weird disease recently,” the mare said with a frown. “She went into the Everfree forest. When she came out she suffered from a fever, an unusual rash, dizziness, and coughing. The Doctors have tried everything to try and determine what it is, but they haven’t had any luck.”
Lian paused a moment as she thought it over before she nodded. “And all the tests have come up negative?”
“Yes, that’s right,” the worried mare said.
“And the rash, what does it look like?” Lian asked. “Does it just cover part of her body?”
“It isn’t really blotchy, but it comes in circles, almost like a bullseye,” the mare said. “And it's on several places on her body. Mostly on her face, but its spread to her legs and barrel as well.”
“It sounds to me like she was exposed to the pollen of the Bullseye Lotus,” Lian said as she let out a sigh of relief. This was a malady she knew how to treat, it was usually seen back in Zebrica not Equestria, but she wasn’t too surprised. “Where was she when it happened?”
“She was near the hut that belonged to Zecora, or what’s left of it,” the mare said and sighed a little. “Its treatable right? I don’t want anything to happen to her…”
“Of course,” Lian said with a smile. “I will have to go into the forest myself since I know where the cure is. It won’t take long, I promise.”
“Thank you Doctor,” the mare said with a smile. “This means so much to me.”
Lian nodded a little and headed off. She knew where to get it and her shift was about to end anyway, she just hoped that she could find it.
00000
The cure to the pollen of the Bullseye Lotus wasn’t hard to know. There was a special fungus that grew in a cave in the Everfree Forest that when eaten raw would cure the victim, it was just a matter of getting there.
The Everfree Forest had become even more wild and overgrown in the past 100 years. While most of Equestria had been moving forward technologically, the forest seemed almost impassable now.
Thankfully Lian knew the the forest trails as she often used them to get to supplies for her medicines. She knew the cave well, so it was just a matter of getting to it. She went past the overgrown house that had once belonged to Zecora, she had always admired the Zebra mare for her skills with medicine and potions.
Maybe that was why she had come to Equestria.
She pushed a rock out of the way and slid down into the cave. She landed on her feet and looked around, she could see several mushrooms and other things and started gathering them up and placing them into her bag.
“Well, this should just about do it,” she said as she put the last of them away. They wouldn’t last long but she had to make sure that she at least got one of them back to Ponyville. She was about to leave when she heard something from somewhere down the cave.
“Help, I don’t know where I am…” A soft filly’s voice said from somewhere further in. “Is anyone out there?”
Lian paused, she couldn’t let that go. She made sure the bag was secured over her shoulder before she headed down the tunnel. She was a bit worried, if a foal was hurt and lost in here they wouldn’t be able to get out easily.
As she made her way into the cave she took out a flashlight and turned it on as she looked around the cave with it. Finally her light fell on a small Unicorn filly that was huddled against the wall, she looked like she was crying.
“Hey, what happened?” Lian asked as she knelt down next to the filly.
“I was with my friends when we found this cave and we got separated,” the filly said as she rubbed her eyes. “I’m scared, I just want to go home…”
“Shh, it’ll be okay,” Lian said as she hugged the filly gently. “I know these caves like the back of my hand, I’ll help you get home.”
“You’d do that?” The filly asked as she sniffed a little.
“Of course,” Lian said with a smile. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to a foal. You’re going to be just fine.”
She offered her her hand and helped her up. They started to walk together through the cave. She looked down at the filly and smiled a little. She just wanted to make sure that she was okay and hoped that she was going the right way.
The caves went around for awhile before they connected with the ones under Ponyville proper. She preferred to climb in and out of the hole she went into, but that wasn’t going to be an option with the filly.
“What’s your name?” She asked. “I’m Doctor Lian.”
“Hazel,” she said with a smile as she gave the Zebra a nod. “We came in through Ponyville caverns, so they might be there.”
Lian nodded as they kept walking for a bit. She paused a moment when she stopped, she could’ve sworn she saw a glow ahead of them. “What’s that?”
“I don’t know, it wasn’t here before…” Hazel said. “Should we see what it is?”
Lian nodded a little and walked forward with Hazel close behind her. They found themselves in another cave, one she didn’t recognize but it felt warmer than she expected. Before them was a pedestal with a pink colored stone that was carved to look like a butterfly.
“Hello Lian,” a voice said from behind them and she turned to see the mare who had first approached her.
“What are you doing here?” Lian asked as she looked around confused.
“Who is this Doctor Lian?” Hazel asked.
“She’s the one who sent me in here in the first place,” Lian said as she narrowed her eyes a little. “What’s going on here?”
“This was merely a test Lian,” the mare said with a smile as she folded her hands behind her back and gave her a nod. “I saw your potential for great things so I gave you a chance to prove yourself, and you passed with flying colors.”
“Did you put Hazel in here?” Lian asked. “Who and what are you?”
“No, but I knew that you would be here to help her,” the mare said. “I am many things, you will understand in time, but you may call me Gaia.”
“Gaia, the spirit of the Earth, subtle,” Lian said as Hazel looked worried. “Its okay, I don’t think she wants to hurt us. What do you want Gaia?”
“Your help,” Gaia said with a smile as she reached into a bag and took out a Harmony Driver similar to the one she gave to Stardust. Only this one was blue with the markings being lighter blue and it had a hole in the shape of the butterfly stone. “Equestria needs your help Lian, you were willing to risk your own life to help somepony you didn’t know. And you showed kindness to a foal who was lost, you have only one thing left to do.”
“And what’s that?”
“Use the Harmony Driver, say the change word Henshin and place the stone in it and become a great warrior,” Gaia said. “Equestria needs new heroes, and you have been chosen.”
“I…” Lian said as she looked at the Driver. “If you think I should try, I will.”
She placed it on her waist and the belt formed around her. She looked at it a bit surprised for a moment before she reached over and picked up the pink stone.
/The Wave of Mysticism!/
“Henshin!” Lian said as she placed the stone into the Driver.
Energy flew out of the driver and flew into her. Like with Stardust, armor formed around her only this one was blue with light blue wave and swirl symbols on it. Her helmet resembled a strange equine mask with a face on it.
“You still have a lot to explain,” she said as she looked back at Gaia with narrowed eyes. “What is this thing?”
“You will find out in time, you must find the others,” Gaia said. “And gather together the scattered fragments of the Element of Kindness. Go to the Castle of Friendship and things will make sense in time.”
Lian blinked a little from behind her helmet as she looked down at the Driver and sighed a little. It sounded like she didn’t have much choice.
“Come on Hazel, lets go,” she said with a sigh as she took the filly’s hand and they walked out of the cave together.
Ponyville, once the home of Twilight Sparkle and her friends, the town had grown from a small town into a decent sized modern town over the past 100 years. There were still the familiar sights of Ponyville like Sugarcube corner and the towering Castle of Friendship, but it had grown considerably.
And that’s where Stardust found herself as she walked into the town. A few ponies she knew noticed her and smiled as they gave her a wave. She was dressed in a simple shirt and pants along with a pack with a hat pulled over her face.
“It’s been a while since I was last here,” she said to herself with a light chuckle. She hadn’t expected to come back anytime soon, she usually lived wherever she could, but Ponyville was the closest thing she ever had to a home.
She sighed a little as she adjusted her hat and walked off towards the castle of friendship. This wouldn’t be her first time being there, she had taken the museum tours growing up but she hadn’t ever seen more than what the tours showed.
She walked through the park that had been made around the castle. It had statues of Twilight Sparkle and her friends, the original Element Bearers. She stopped in front of a statue of Rarity, she took the Element Stone out of her bag and looked up at Rarity while she held it.
Rarity had been the Bearer of the Element of Generosity long before she had. She wondered what she would think of her sometimes, Rarity had been her grandmother separated by a few generations, and here she was holding the Element of Generosity.
“Stardust, is that you?” A mare’s voice asked and she looked up to see a Unicorn mare with violet fur and a long dark reddish-purple mane standing there.
“Eclipse? Wow, it’s been what, three years?” Stardust asked with a smile as she looked at the other mare as she gave her a hug. “You look good.”
“Thanks,” Eclipse said with a slight blush. “What brings you to Ponyville? I thought you were running around tombs and ruins or something these days.”
“Yeah, I was, but, well…” she said and held out the element stone. “I found this on top of a mountain. Then this weird lady told me to come here, it sounded important so I didn’t exactly argue.”
“Yes, well, you should come inside,” Eclipse said as she frowned a little. “There are a few things you need to know about what’s been going on lately.”
“What’s been going on?” Stardust asked confused as Eclipse lead her to the Castle. “Is everything okay?”
“We’ll talk to you about it in the Castle,” Eclipse said. “Let's just say that there is a very good reason why you’re here. I know that it won’t be easy to understand, I’m still figuring it out myself, but we don’t want to worry ponies, okay?”
“Okay,” Stardust said as Eclipse unlocked the front door to the castle of friendship. There was a sign on it that said “Museum Closed,” that was weird it was always open this time of day. “I didn’t know it was that serious.”
“You’re going to have to get used to a lot of things Stardust,” Eclipse said with a sad smile as they headed towards the throne room. “Equestria is in a lot of danger, that’s all you really have to know until we can fill you and the other new arrival in on the situation.”
“The other new arrival?” Stardust asked. “Who…”
Before she could finish that sentence they entered the throne room. A large purple and green dragon was talking to a Zebra mare who looked like she was a Doctor while a younger female purple dragon with a strange mix of orange and green fins was seated in one of the chairs around the map and polishing her claws.
“Oh good, you must be the other Rider, so you’re both here,” the male dragon said as he looked at the two mares. “I’m glad you could make it, I’m sure you both have a lot of questions.”
“You’re Spike right?” Stardust asked as she looked up at the dragon in awe for a moment. “I’ve never seen you before, you were Twilight Sparkle’s #1 assistant. But, nopony’s heard from you in years, what are you doing here?”
“You might as well explain it to them Dad, I don’t think they’re going to believe anyone else,” the younger female dragon commented. “I’m still having a hard time believing it myself, to be honest with you.”
“What do you mean?” The Zebra mare asked. “Why wouldn’t we believe it?”
“You both have heard the stories of the Disharmonious right?” Spike asked and they both nodded. “We barely survived the last time they attacked, and now I’m afraid they might be coming back, with some new tricks.”
A chill ran up and down Stardust’s spine as she exchanged looks with the Zebra. Spike gestured for them to take the seats with the three gemstones and the three butterflies as he sighed a little and looked between them.
“When the Elements were shattered, the remnants were spread out around Equestria,” the large dragon continued. “It was a regretful choice but the alternative was much worse. The Disharmonious was stopped, but not completely defeated. We were afraid that if they could get their hands on the fragments…”
“Then they could be used for evil purposes,” the Zebra finished. “So you placed these, Element Stones where those who need them can be tested.”
“Wow, figured that out all on your own did you?” The female Dragon asked with a roll of her eyes.
“Opal, don’t be rude to our guests,” Spike said and looked back at them. “Sorry, Opal is, still kind of unsure about this whole thing. We only recently told her all of this.”
“We?” Stardust asked curiously as she looked around. “Who else knows about this?”
“We both do Stardust,” a familiar mare’s voice said. They turned to see two tall mares walking in dressed in finery. One of them had pale fur with a long blue, pink, and green mane while the other was dark blue with a long purple mane with sparkles in it. “Stardust, Lian, I am glad that you both agreed to come.”
“Your Majesties,” Stardust and Lian said as they jumped to their hooves and bowed a little.
“You do not have to bow like that,” Luna said as she smiled a little. “We are here because we need your help. Equestria is in danger because the Disharmonious is coming back and is threatening Equestria.”
“So, you needed new Element Bearers,” Stardust said as she took out the Element Stone. “And these, suits of armor we use?”
“The Harmony Drivers,” Celestia said. “We developed them to combat the Disharmonious if they ever returned to Equestria. They are based on some tech from the world Twilight Sparkle visited over a hundred years ago.”
“So, what are we supposed to do?” Lian asked.
“That is the tricky thing,” Luna said with a sigh. “The Cutie map here will help track any monster attacks in Equestria. The attacks so far seem to be from fragments of Generosity and Kindness so we had to find the right ponies… sorry, Pony and Zebra to wield them.”
“Look, I might be an archeologist, but I’m hardly Daring Do or Indiana Pones,” Stardust said with a shake of her head. “How are we supposed to help?”
“I have to agree with Stardust on this one,” Lian said with a shake of her head. “I want to help ponies, but I don’t know if I can be a superhero.”
“You were chosen like Twilight and her friends were because the elements and Harmony itself deemed you worthy,” Luna said with a soft smile. “You would not have been chosen if you were not worthy of them.”
The two younger mares exchanged a look. They both had the same thing on their mind, why them? They still had a lot of things to understand, but they knew that they were going to have to do this to help Equestria.
“What can we do?” Lian finally asked.
“Stardust, do you have a place in town?” Spike asked.
“No,” Stardust said with a shake of her head.
“Alright, for now, you’ll stay in the castle,” Spike said and Celestia and Luna nodded a little. “This is your home as long as you’re here Stardust. Lian, since you live in Ponyville you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“I’ll be fine with my home, thank you,” Lian said. “I still have to figure all of this out though, this is a lot to take in.”
“Yah think?” Opal asked with a roll of her eyes.
“Eclipse, can you show Stardust to her room,” Spike said with a shake of his head and Eclipse nodded a little.
“Thank you, both of you,” Celestia said with a smile. “Equestria is fortunate to have two mares like yourselves willing to help.”
“We know that this won’t be easy, but you will have help every step of the way,” Luna said with a nod. “Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome, I guess,” Stardust said as she left with Eclipse.
00000
“I know this is all a lot to take in,” Eclipse said as she opened the door to the bedroom. “But I’m glad you were one of the ones found. It’s not really been the same around here without you.”
Stardust chuckled a little as she brushed her mane back. She and Eclipse had always been good friends or more at times, but that had been before she left Ponyville. Now she was back and she wondered if Eclipse was wanting to rekindle what they had before.
“Look, I know I left unexpectedly…” Stardust said softly. “I should’ve talked to you about it more and I’m sorry. I didn’t think about how that might affect you or my other friends.”
“Well, I won’t lie and say it didn’t hurt,” Eclipse said as she set up the bed and sighed a little as she looked back at her. You were the love of my life, and you just ran off to follow your dream of being an archeologist. I’ve kind of gotten over it, but with you back now, well I won’t lie and say it isn’t hard.”
“I’m sorry,” Stardust said with a sigh. “I loved you, I don’t know maybe I still do a little bit. But I’m back and I have some things to figure out now that I’m back home.”
“You know I’d have gone with you if you had asked,” Eclipse said.
“I know, but I couldn’t,” Stardust said with a sigh. “I wanted to ask you, I wanted to run off together and go on adventures. But I knew that you needed to stay here, but that doesn’t mean I don’t regret that choice every day of my life.
“So, what are we going to do now?” Eclipse asked, and Stardust paused a little at that, she wasn’t sure what to say. “Do, you want to maybe try it again?”
“Let me think about it a bit,” Stardust said with a sigh. “I wish I could answer you now, but I just… I don’t know.”
“Okay,” Eclipse said. “Just, promise me you’ll think about it. I, wouldn’t mind giving it another chance. You were my first real love, and I wish it had worked out.”
“Me too,” Stardust said as she sat down on the bed. “I’ll think about it at least, it’ll require a lot of thought I’m afraid.”
“If you ever want anything though, just let me know,” Eclipse said with a soft smile. “I’m still your friend Stardust. If you ever need to talk to me, I’ll be here for you. I just, wish that we had stayed together.”
“Me too,” Stardust said as she gave Eclipse one more hug. “Some part of me still loves you Eclipse. I just, don’t know if I’m ready to try this again.”
“Yeah, I understand,” Eclipse said as she released the hug and got up as she headed to the door and looked back at the Pegasus. “Dinner is at 6, see you then?”
“Yeah, see you then,” Stardust said with a smile as Eclipse left the room.
Stardust sighed as she laid down on the bed and up at the crystal ceiling. She yawned a little as she slipped off her shirt and shorts, right now she just wanted to rest and hope that everything would make sense.
She pulled the covers over her body and closed her eyes and soon after drifted off to sleep.
00000
“You’re kidding right?” A dark grey Earth Pony mare with a blue mane and tail asked as she pets a cat seated in her lap and looked up at Lian. She spoke in a crisp trottingham accent and was dressed in black as she eyed her curiously. “You actually found one of the Elements of Harmony?”
“Well, a fragment of it yes,” Lian said with a sigh as she laid down on the couch across from the Earth Pony mare who was petting the cat. “I don’t know what to do honestly Symph, I’m not really sure what to make of this.”
“Can I see it?” Symphonic, Lian’s roommate that she shared a house with not too far from Ponyville General.
“Sure,” Lian said as she reached into her bag and took out the Element stone and tossed it over to Symphonic. She chuckled a little when the cat tried to bat at it. “Silly kitty.”
“Hmm,” Symphonic said as she examined it carefully for a long moment. “It certainly looks like pictures I’ve seen of the old Element of Kindness that Fluttershy had. Where did you find it anyway?”
“In one of those caves in the Everfree Forest,” Lian said with a shrug and then told Symphonic what had happened in the cave. She even took out the Harmony Driver and showed it to the Earth Pony. “It’s something called a Harmony Driver, it gave me some sort of crazy armor when I used it with the Element Stone.”
“Weird,” Symphonic said as she stroked her chin a little. “Are you okay? It sounds like you’ve been through a lot lately.”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Lian said with a sigh as she laid back. The cat jumped off Symphonic’s lap and jumped on her chest, the Zebra mare smiled and pet the cat gently. “Hey there Melody, has Symph been spoiling you again?”
The cat meowed and Lian just chuckled as she scratched behind her ears a little. She smiled as Melody purred and nuzzled her hand lightly.
“I’m still amazed she took to you so quickly,” Symphonic said with a chuckle. “She’s not usually good with new faces.”
Lian smiled a little as she scratched the cat’s ears more. She had moved in with Symphonic not long after she finished medical school in Equestria and Melody had liked her right away. “Well, maybe it’s just because I’m good with pets. We had a few cats and dogs back home in Carthage.”
“Do you ever miss your family?” Symphonic asked. “When was the last time you went to Carthage?”
Lian sighed a little. “Not since after I finished medical school, I don’t think they understand why I wanted to stay in Equestria,” Lian said as she pets Melody more. “I was just supposed to go to medical school here, I guess they’re mostly confused.”
“Well, maybe you should talk to them,” Symphonic suggested. “They’re your family no matter what, don’t you miss them?”
“Yeah, but I honestly don’t know what I’m going to tell them,” Lian said with a shake of her head. “Mom, Dad, I decided to stay in Equestria because I felt I could do a lot of good here and then I found part of a magical artifact and the Princesses want me to fight a threat to Equestria. Yeah, that won’t sound strange at all.”
“Well you don’t have to tell them now,” Symphonic said with a chuckle. “Just wait until the right chance comes around. I think they’d be more understanding than you think.”
“Yeah, I hope so,” Lian said with a shrug. “So what’s the word from you? Did anything good happen around here today?”
“Oh, yes!” Symphonic said with a smile. “Me and the band heard from Woodstock, you know the guy who owns a concert venue in Fillydelphia. He wants us to headline a big concert in a few months.”
“Wow, that’s great!” Lian said with a smile. Symphonic was the guitarist for the band Iron Core, a band that mixed rock music with orchestral music. “This could be your first real break.”
“Yes, I know!” Symphonic said excitedly. “I didn’t think it would come so soon, we’re going to work on some new music and practice as much as we can. Apparently, Woodstock caught our performance in Canterlot last month and really liked it.”
“Well, you’re going to do just fine,” Lian said as she laid back and looked up at the ceiling. “I hope the same can be said for me.”
“Hey, whatever chose you to bear the Element of Kindness must’ve had a reason,” Symphonic said. “I don’t think I could take that kind of pressure myself, but you’re going to be just fine, I know it.”
“I hope you’re right,” Lian said and smiled down at Melody who had curled up on her chest and was fast asleep. “Because if there really is a threat coming to Equestria, I don’t even know if I can handle it.”
“Then do what you can to prove to yourself that you are worthy and can handle it,” Symphonic said as she got up and placed her hand on Lian’s shoulder. “You’re the strongest mare I know, and I know you’ll be fine.”
“Thanks,” Lian said with a sigh.
“So who else showed up?” Symphonic asked.
“Oh, that archeologist mare, I forgot her name,” Lian said with a shrug. “The one that’s supposed to be the next Daring Do or something.”
“Stardust? Huh, I didn’t know she was back in town,” Symphonic said with a shrug. “Well, I’m sure it’ll be okay.”
“Yeah, me too,” Lian said and closed her eyes as Melody purred lightly from her spot on the Zebra’s chest.
00000
Stardust poked at her food a little. Actually, it was kind of weird to her, she was seated in the middle of a castle eating with Eclipse, Opal, and Spike. Maybe it was the company, maybe it was just that she wasn’t used to eating the kind of food they served at the castle.
“Are you okay Stardust?” Spike asked as the Pegasus looked up at him.
“I, guess I’m just not used to this kind of food,” Stardust said with a shrug as she poked at her food again. “I mean, until today I just kind of wandered around and ate whatever I could.”
“Well, you’ll just have to get used to eating fancy food I guess, what a terrible fate,” Opal said with a roll of her eyes.
“Opal, be nice,” Spike said with a roll of his eyes. “But really Stardust it’s good to see you again. I wasn’t expecting you to be one of those chosen by the Elements of Harmony, but I’m glad you were.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Stardust said with a sigh as she poked at her food a little bit. “The fact of the matter is that I don’t know if I really am ready for this kind of thing yet. I’m not much of a fighter, or a hero really. I’m just an archeologist.”
“Yeah, one who’s not exactly been afraid to get her hands dirty and fight anything that gets in her way,” Eclipse said with a chuckle. “Stardust, I think you’re selling yourself short right now. You were chosen for a reason, just because you can’t fight yet doesn’t mean you can’t learn.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Stardust said as she took out the Generosity stone and stared at it for a moment. “This thing, it picked me because it saw something in me that I don’t even know exists. I’ve always been generous sure, but does that make me worthy? I’m not exactly Rarity you know.”
“Rarity had her faults too, but she always did what she could to make sure that ponies got what they needed,” Spike said as he frowned a little bit. “You don’t have to try and measure up to your predecessors, just try to be better than yourself Stardust.”
“I’m guessing I can’t just leave it here and walk away,” Stardust said with a sigh as she closed her eyes and thought about it for a moment. “I’m not sure if I’m really ready for this, but I know that I’m going to have to do everything I can to make sure that I really am worthy. If Equestria is in danger, then I’m going to protect it as best I can, that’s about all I can promise right now. But sometimes I think Gaia may have made a mistake.”
“Gaia?” Spike asked as he looked at Stardust curiously. “Who’s Gaia?”
Stardust blinked a little in confusion at that. She had assumed that Gaia had been working with Spike and the others, but he didn’t know her name? That was weird, and troubling, what if there was something they were missing?
“She was the one who tested me and pointed me towards the Element,” Stardust said confused. “I assumed that you knew who she was.”
“No, Gaia is not somepony that we’re familiar with, sounds like the spirit of the Earth or something,” Opal said with a shrug. “Are you sure that you didn’t hallucinate her?”
“Then how did I get the Gem?” Stardust pointed out and Opal just shrugged a little at that. “Whoever she was, she told me that I had proven myself worthy of it. She’s, odd really, I honestly don’t know what to think about this.”
“I’ll talk with Celestia and Luna, maybe they know something,” Eclipse said though she looked just as concerned as the others. “Do you think that this has something to do with the Disharmonious?”
“I doubt it,” Spike said with a shake of his head. “The Disharmonious wouldn’t want ponies to get access to the Elements, it would weaken them considerably. I think there’s a greater force at play here, the question is who or what has taken an interest in us.”
None of them seemed to have an answer to that. Stardust silently wondered if it was possible that Lian had experienced something similar when she got the Element of Kindness. Something about all of this bothered her, were they being used? Or was there something more to this Gaia that they didn’t understand?
She had no idea, but she was going to find out.
“In the meantime, we need to keep an eye out for any Disharmonious activity,” Spike said with a nod. “They could come up at any time. We will also need to step up the search for more bearers in the event that the other Elements appear.”
“Right,” Stardust said with a sigh. “Why would fragments of the Elements even act like this? I mean, turning ponies into monsters or whatever, that seems crazy.”
“That’s what I said,” Opal said with a shrug. “I grew up hearing stories of the original Element Bearers from dad. It seems unlikely to me that this kind of thing would happen.”
“That, we honestly don’t know,” Spike said with a shake of his giant head. “Perhaps there is a reason, the shattering could have corrupted them because of the Disharmonious. In the meantime, we have to do what we can to stop them before things get worse. For now, just enjoy your dinner, we’ll be okay.”
Stardust nodded a little and looked back at her dinner before she started to eat it again. This was all so new to her, but at least she knew that she wasn’t alone, that reassured her a little bit.
She just hoped that it was going to be okay.
00000
“So, where to go next…” A tall mare with distorted features and dressed in long golden robes said as she ran her finger along a map of Equestria. “We are going to have to tread with caution if we want to succeed here.”
“Indeed,” her companion, a stallion dressed in purple armor with strange symbols crossing it commented as he examined the map. “There are so many options however, though our enemies will certainly take notice if we go too close to their home.”
“True,” the mare said as she looked thoughtful for a moment and ran her finger along the map for a moment longer. “There are lots of options though, places that they cannot get to quickly before our operations begin.”
“Lady Striker, perhaps what we need is something more, random,” the stallion said as he placed his hand on a pouch. “After all it is hard to tell who might be susceptible to the power of the Elements by just looking at a map. Perhaps the best option is to send out a fragment and see what ponies we could turn.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” Lady Striker said as she stroked her chin thoughtfully for a moment. “There are many things out there that could be used to our advantage, ponies we don’t know about. That may just work Sir Harvest.”
“My thoughts exactly milady,” Harvest said as he bowed slightly.
“But I am still concerned,” Lady Striker said as she turned back to several objects set against the wall. Two of which were glowing brightly while the other four were still normal. “We have yet to gather enough of the other fragments of our old power to revive our brethren. I must admit that I am concerned about this.”
“Milady, we are doing everything we can to make sure that the remaining Disharmonious are restored,” Harvest said. “The fact of the matter is that the fragments could be anywhere in Equestria at this point.”
“I know, I know,” Striker said with a nod. “So the question is where are they? And then there is the matter of what happened the other day, that reaction from the fragments was not normal.”
“You don’t think that our enemies have harnessed the power of the stones finally do you?” Harvest asked as he folded his arms. “That is highly unlikely after all this time. There hasn’t been a pony capable of bearing a true Element fragment since the time of Twilight Sparkle, and we broke the elements in that battle, we can do it again.”
“I’m well aware of that,” Striker said. “But back then there were all six of us while right now there are only the two of us. If there are new element bearers then they may be a threat to us after all.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” Harvest said with a sigh. “So, which Disharmonious shall we send out this time? Perhaps some good old twisted generosity would be…”
“No, not yet,” Striker said as she reached into her own pouch and took out a pink stone that was shaped like a butterfly. “Your time will come, Sir Harvest, but for now I will send one of my fragments out.”
“Oh fine,” Harvest said as he crossed his arms. “You’re no fun you know that right?”
“Twisted Generosity is much easier to recognize at times than Twisted Kindness, and you’re running low on fragments anyway,” Striker said with a roll of her eyes as she held the fragment in her hand. She muttered something in old ponish as the butterfly-shaped stone started to move, it flapped its wings and flew off before it vanished.
“Let’s just hope that this doesn’t show our hoof too early,” Harvest said with a snort. “We’re already behind in this war and our enemies are going to be searching for fragments of their own.”
“Indeed, which is why we must prepare,” Striker said with a wicked grin as she waved her hand and projected screens appeared in front of her. “Let us see what our new friend gets up to then.”
“Indeed,” Harvest said as the images started to take form.
00000
Back in Ponyville, ponies were going about their everyday activities. While it was getting late, the small city was still as active as it ever was during the day with ponies coming and going through the shops and other businesses.
“I still don’t know how you can handle all the stares,” Symphonic said as she and Lian made their way through town. “I mean, the locals know you but I swear I keep seeing ponies staring at you.”
“Jealous that the beautiful Zebra mare is getting all the looks?” Lian asked with a chuckle which just made Symphonic roll her eyes. “But you’re right, most ponies aren’t used to having Zebras around even in this day and age. Still, it’s just something I got used to, and nopony has ever really given me trouble.”
“Heh, well if they did I’d teach them a thing or two,” Symphonic said with a grin as she balled her fists and struck a fighting pose. “I’ll give them the old one-two punch.”
Lian laughed a little at her roommate’s antics. The Earth Pony had been one of her first real friends in Equestria and the two of them always knew they had each other’s backs. Lian smiled a little as she wrapped her arm gently around Symphonic and gave her a hug.
“Thanks, Symph,” she said with a grin. “I really am lucky to have you as a friend, I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t around.”
Symphonic chuckled a little at that as she brushed her dark blue mane back. The two of them were heading for a restaurant in Ponyville for dinner, kind of a tradition they had fallen into for Fridays.
“You have to wonder,” Symphonic said as she looked around and spoke quietly for a moment. “How they’d react if they knew about you know what.”
“A Zebra holding one of the most sacred artifacts in Equestria’s history?” Lian whispered back with a shrug. “I’d say they’d be surprised, beyond that I don’t know. It probably depends on their own views of Zebras.”
“Right,” Symphonic said as they glanced at the bag where the Driver and Kindness Shard were. Lian hadn’t wanted to leave it behind in their house just in case something happened. “Are you sure you’re not being paranoid about this?”
“Maybe a little, but I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it,” Lian said with a shrug. “You know, like a…”
“Let’s not talk about that in public,” Symphonic said as a blush crept up onto her face. “I still have nightmares about your last cycle…”
“Geez, you almost jump one boyfriend and scare him off and you never hear the end of it,” Lian said with a roll of her eyes and a giggle. “He wasn’t good enough for you anyway.”
“You’re enjoying this way too much if you ask me,” Symphonic said with a roll of her eyes as Lian just laughed. “Maybe I’m the one who should go to Zebrica if the stallions are anything like what you were.”
“Oh trust me, I’m tame compared to them,” Lian laughed as she adjusted her shirt a little bit. “I miss it sometimes though. Things here are so different than back home, but I can’t go back now.”
“Right, because of, well you know,” Symphonic said as she nodded to the bag again. “Who knows, maybe it’ll give you a reason to go see Carthage again someday.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Lian said with a sigh. In truth, she was hardly ready to go back home, she had told her family that she wasn’t going to be back until she was the best doctor she could be, and while she was good at it, she was afraid that she wouldn’t ever be enough.
Now that she was some sort of armored superhero, a Rider or whatever it was called, what was she even supposed to do now? She was not in a position to go back home even if she wanted to, not if Equestria needed her.
Not if the whole world needed her.
“I can’t just abandon my duty, especially when not just anypony can do this,” Lian said softly as she placed her hand on the Driver in her bag. “If I do, I will regret the choice for the rest of my life. I’m a Doctor, it is my duty to save my patients and their smiles. I’m not about to shirk that duty or this new duty I’ve been given.”
“Good thinking,” Symphonic said with a sigh. “Are you even sure you should be telling me this though? It all sounds very hush-hush.”
“It is, but I know you can be trusted,” Lian said as she placed her hand gently on her friend’s shoulder and gave her a smile. “You’re not the kind of pony to betray my trust. I would trust you with my life.”
“I’d do the same for you,” Symphonic said with a grin. “Come on, let’s go get some…”
Before she could finish that sentence, Lian’s cell phone started to ring. She sighed a little and raised it to her ear as she answered the call.
“Yes?”
“Lian, we have a situation,” Spike’s voice said on the other end. Lian was impressed that the large dragon could actually use a phone given his size but she wasn’t going to say that to him.
“What kind of situation?” Lian asked with a sigh. She had hoped for one evening of peace before he had to call her up like this, apparently, that had been too much to ask for.
“We’re getting some readings from Ponyville,” Spike answered. “We’re not getting a lot of information from the map yet, but it looks like the Disharmonious might be on the move. I’d be careful, Stardust is going to meet up with you shortly.”
Lian paused a moment as she looked around for any sign of something weird going on. But for Ponyville everything looked pretty normal as she placed her hand gently on the Harmony Driver in her bag.
“I don’t see anything weird so far…” She said as she looked around. “Are you sure that thing isn’t busted or something?”
“What’s going on?” Symphonic asked and Lian just shrugged.
“I’m not sure, he said there was something here in town,” Lian said, but she was still a little uneasy as she placed her hand on her Driver for a moment. “You don’t see anything weird, do you?”
“No luv, maybe it’s just a false alarm?” Symphonic suggested. “I mean, Ponyville has been pretty quiet lately.”
“Yeah, but… I don’t know there’s just something weird about this,” Lian said as she took one last look around. “I don’t like this at all, there’s something about it that feels weird. Like something could jump out at us at any moment.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll be…” Symphonic started to say when there was suddenly a scream from somewhere down the street. “Crap, I spoke too soon.”
“You just had to press our luck didn’t you?” Lian said as she looked down the road. “Come on, let’s go see what’s going on. And just hope that everything will be okay…”
They ran down the street together and just barely arrived as two figures vanished into thin air. Standing there was a lumbering figure that vaguely resembled a pony with armor and purple symbols crossing its body. It was holding a sword in one hand and had an unnatural looking face that seemed to more resemble a beast than anything else.
“You…” the beast said as it turned around and pointed at Lian with a gnarled finger with claws on its fingers. “You hold the object I seek!”
“What’s that thing talking about?” Symphonic asked as she looked over at Lian.
“I think he means the Element Fragment,” Lian said as she reached into her bag to take out the Driver and stone. “You’re not getting these from me!”
“Then I’ll take them from you,” the monster said as he lumbered forward.
“I’d say right now’s a good time to use that thing,” Symphonic said as she took a step back away from the monster. “Whatever it is that it does, I’m sure it’ll be useful.”
Lian nodded as she raised her Harmony Driver and set it on her belt as the belt formed around her waist. “Henshin!”
/The Wave of Mysticism!/
The blue energy flowed out of the Driver and formed over her. Her light blue armor with the swirls and wave symbols on it appeared over her body. She placed her hand on the Driver and pressed down on it almost by instinct as water came out of her hands and solidified to form two tonfas that she gripped tight in her hands.
“What the… what are you?” The monster asked as he gripped his sword and moved into a combat position. “I’m not going to let you take me down!”
“I’m going to show you just what happens when you attack this town,” Lian said as she made a gesture as water started to form in her hands again and she sent a burst of water at the monster sending it back a little.
“Did you even know you could do that?” Symphonic asked as she looked at Lian.
“Honestly? I’m still figuring this out,” Lian admitted as she looked at her hands and then turned back to the monster who was starting to get up. “You’re one of the Disharmonious aren’t you? We were warned you might be coming here.”
“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not,” the monster said with a grin as he gripped his sword and ran forward to try and attack Lian who raised one of her Tonfas and blocked it as she tried to hit him with the other one. “You’re weak, you don’t even know how to use your power do you?”
“That doesn’t matter, I can still beat you,” Lian said as she gripped her tonfas and tried to attack again only to be pushed back a little before being hit by the monster’s sword.
“You just don’t get it, do you?” The monster said with a laugh as he kicked at Lian who fell back onto her butt as she tried to get back up. She sent another burst of water at him only to have it fizzle out in her hands.
“Come on… come on…” she said as she tried to gather the water again. “Why isn’t this working?”
“Yeah, like I’m going to tell you,” the monster laughed as he kicked Lian as she fell back onto the ground with his foot on her chest as he placed the blade of his sword against her neck. “I’ll put you out of our misery here and now.”
“Not if I have anything to say about that!” A voice said from nearby and they looked up to see Stardust standing there with her own Harmony Driver on her belt. "Henshin!”
/Soaring Into the Skies!/
Electricity crackled over her body as golden armor formed over her with lightning symbols crossing it. Lightning crackled in her hands as the staff appeared in her hands as energy crackled over it and she spun it around and hit the monster across the chest, sending a shock through its system.
“That’s not fair, now there are two of you!” The monster said as Stardust reached down and helped Lian to her feet.
“Are you okay?” She asked as she glanced back at the monster. “Let me guess, that’s one of the Disharmonious isn’t it?”
“Yeah, pretty much,” Lian said as she gripped the Tonfas. “Any suggestions on exactly how we should deal with this thing?”
“No idea honestly,” Stardust admitted as she pointed the staff at the monster. “But we’re not about to let you hurt the ponies of this town! We’re going to take you down right here, right now!”
“I’m not going to let you stop me,” the monster said as energy started to gather in his hands. He finally fired a burst of energy at the two which they barely managed to dodge, and by the time it was gone he had vanished into thin air.
“That’s bad…” Lian said as she reached for her Driver and removed the stone and the armor vanished as Stardust did the same with her’s. “We should probably go talk to Spike about this.”
“Yeah, probably should…” Stardust said as she turned to head back towards the castle and paused when she realized that there was a crowd of curious ponies who were gathering around them. “Okay, that’s a problem…”
“What was that thing?” One of the gathered ponies asked.
“How did you turn into those warriors?”
“Is that monster going to come back?”
“Is that one of the Elements?”
“Are you going to stop them?”
“Okay, this is a problem,” Lian said as she looked at Stardust. “What should we do? I don’t think we can answer any of these questions.”
“Look, ponies, we don’t know much more than you do,” Stardust said as she put the Driver away. “But that thing does pose a threat to Ponyville. I promise that we’re going to do whatever we can to stop it from hurting you.”
“Let’s get going,” Lian said. “We need to get back to the Castle, please?”
The two quickly ran off towards the Castle, which left the gathered crowd mostly concerned and without any real answers. Stardust glanced back at them for a moment, there were a lot of things that she wished she could tell them.
But for now, they had to figure out what to do next.
After a moment Symphonic finally seemed to snap out of it. She ran off after the two Riders, she needed answers as to exactly what was going on.
00000
"So, it was one of the Disharmonious," Spike said with a sigh as he looked between the three of them. "I was hoping that they wouldn't be coming into Ponyville just yet. I was afraid that this day might come someday, I just didn't think that it would come so soon."
"So, what are we going to do now?" Lian asked as she looked down at her Driver and the stone for a moment. "We weren't exactly subtle out there, you know? Ponies are going to know about this and figure out who we are, especially my former patients."
"Yes, well that was unavoidable," Spike said with a shake of his head.
"More like you two made a boneheaded mistake if you ask me," Opal said with a roll of her eyes.
"Opal, we're not keeping this secret from the inhabitants of Equestria," Spike said as he narrowed his eyes a little at his daughter. "The fact of the matter is that we don't know everything about the Disharmonious and exactly how they're going to work these days. What we do know is that they're going to need the fragments of the Elements. And they're going to want your stones."
"Right, because that's not worrying at all," Symphonic said. "You realize that this put's anyone close to them in danger too right? Why did you draw these two into it anyway?"
"Because they were chosen by the Elements themselves," Eclipse said as she walked in. "The fact of the matter is that the Elements are just as able to make choices as anything else. They won't work for just anyone."
"But the Disharmonious can use them somehow can't they?" Lian pointed out.
"They can corrupt and distort them," Spike said with a shake of his head. "They're the dark side of the Elements, that much we already knew. That's why they're called the Disharmonious, it is possible for them to corrupt the Elements of Harmony to make sure that they can use them. I'm afraid that whatever they have planned for Ponyville it can't be good, so we need the two of you to stay vigilant."
"Yeah, thanks for not putting any pressure on us at all," Stardust said with a sigh. "So, what about the rest of the Elements? I mean there is 4 more right? Shouldn't there be four more Riders?"
"In theory, yes there will eventually be four more Riders," Eclipse said as she paused a moment and looked back at Spike. "However the fact of the matter is that we don't know who is going to bear all of the rest. It's unfortunate, but there's not a whole lot we can do right now at least until everything is ready."
"Yeah," Spike added. "The problem is that we don't even know where the remaining pieces are. They were hidden away by Twilight and her friends, and she didn't tell even me where they were placed. She was afraid that it would put them at risk of being taken away if ponies knew exactly where they were. And once the time was right, the right ponies would be drawn to them."
"Or Zebras," Eclipse added as she looked at Lian. "There are a lot of questions that we don't quite understand about what's been going on. There is still the question of exactly where the Disharmonious came from, and how the Elements were shattered and are coming back now."
"Yeah, really doesn't fill me with confidence," Stardust said with a sigh. “So what are we supposed to do now?”
“For now, we need to make sure that everything is okay in town, the map has gone quiet again so I honestly have no idea what to do,” Spike said with a shake of his head. “I don’t like this either honestly. There are a lot of unknowns when it comes to what exactly is out there. For now, the two of you are going to have to be enough.”
“I’ll help as best I can,” Symphonic offered. “I mean I’m not one of these… Rider things, but I can help however I can.”
“And what are we going to do about the fact that all of Ponyville knows about this by now?” Eclipse pointed out. “We can’t exactly hide this from everypony. The fact of the matter is that this was bound to happen eventually, and the Princesses are going to have to make a statement.”
“I’ll talk to them,” Spike replied. “Given the fact that everypony remembers the Disharmonious as the monsters that nearly killed the heroes of Equestria we’re going to have to approach with caution. As long as we have your help though, we have a chance to stop them before they become a real threat again.”
“Right, so I guess we just return to our normal lives and wait for something to happen then,” Lian said and Spike nodded. “Great, just what I needed, something else to worry about on top of my job.”
“The two of you are going to be fine, you won’t have to go it alone either,” Spike said with a nod as he looked at Eclipse, Opal, and finally Symphonic. “Friendship is still the most powerful magic in Equestria to this day. And by working together we will be able to overcome the Disharmonious.”
“So, what are we, some sort of, Friendship Riders?” Stardust asked. “Because that name sounds ridiculous.”
“No, I believe there is a better name, as Spike said this was based on equipment from the world Twilight visited,” Eclipse said with a soft smile as she looked at Spike and he nodded a little. “You will be known as Kamen Riders.”
