Harmony's End

Chapters

Turn Your Face to the Sun...
Honesty
Generosity
Loyalty
Magic
...and the Shadows Will Always Fall Behind You
Laughter
Kindness

Turn Your Face to the Sun...

Gleaming branches of crystal stretched to the sky, radiant in the majesty of the morning sun, only slightly dulled by the centuries of thick vines and ivy that had climbed up the glittering walls and spires of the Castle of Friendship, patterning it with the unmistakable camouflage of that which was lost. Only the great amethyst star at the top was spared, catching the sun and diffusing its rays in a spectacular multicolour light show that defied description in its beauty.

Standing on the ground before it, mind reeling in shock at her discovery, Sunny Starscout felt her jaw fall slack.

"Uh... Sunny? You... you doing okay, there?"

Hitch Trailblazer approached his friend cautiously, before daring to reach out and give her the lightest of prods, causing her to jump slightly. Shaking her head in wonder, she cleared her throat and grinned stupidly before responding.

"Okay? Never better! Do you know what this place is?"

"Uh... nope." Hitch smiled back sheepishly, scratching the back of his mane with a hoof. "Mind filling me in, there?"

Sunny scoffed and jabbed a hoof in the direction of the castle in front of them, voice dripping with ridicule as if astounded by Hitch's ignorance.

"That's the Castle of Friendship! It's where Princess Twilight Sparkle used to live before... before she became princess of alllllll of Equestria! Didn't you pay attention in history class?"

"You know, now you mention it... no. No, I did not. Oh, come on!" Hitch protested as Sunny rolled her eyes. "I paid extra attention in civics, don't I get some credit there?"

"Sure, Hitch. I'm sure your knowledge of Maritime Bay's legal codex will come in real handy here." Shoving Hitch teasingly, she strutted forwards. "Next time, remind me to ask Zipp instead."

"What? You'd rather have Miss Daredevil than your old buddy Hitch?"

"I'd rather have someone who could reach the high-shelf."

"Are you calling me short?"

"No. I'd say you're about... average height..."

The interior of the castle was untouched, still as pristine as the day it had been abandoned, save for the dust and cobwebs that had collected in every corner, nook and crevice. Striding forwards, Hitch reared before a large door and burst it open, reeling backwards seconds later in a cacophony of splutters and coughs as centuries-old dust flew into the air.

"Hitch!" Sunny yelled, reeling at the explosion of soot and blinking rapidly in a desperate attempt to clear her vision.

"Sorry!" Hitch waved his hoof in the air in a desperate attempt to remedy his mistake. "Look, it's settling. Come on, let's see what - woah."

"What?" Sunny grumbled, following his gaze. "You'd better have found..." She trailed off. "Oh, yeah, that's... that's a woah."

The room was enormous, ceiling stretching up to the heights of the castle spire. The walls were flanked by bookshelves that scaled the walls to the top of the ceiling above, yet they were completely empty. Either they had never seen much use, or their previous owner had been a serious fan of books.

But the room's most striking attraction lay at its centre, where seven thrones, one noticeably smaller than the other six, lined the edge of a great marble disc upon which shimmered a holographic representation of what could only be Equestria.

Hitch cleared his voice before speaking. "Is... is that what I think it is?"

"The map!" Sunny exploded, charging forwards and slamming her hooves down on the hologram, causing Hitch to choke and splutter on the cloud of dust she kicked up in her wake. "Sorry!"

"It's... fine..." Hitch gasped, eyes watering as he pushed forwards, joining her side and staring down at he map in bleary-eyed wonder. "I... I never thought I'd see it in person. I didn't know it even still existed."

"Me neither." Sunny gazed down with shining eyes at the map in wonder. "Just think, this, right here, this is where Princess Twilight and the Elements of Harmony sat, all those years ago."

"Yeah..." Hitch cleared his throat sheepishly. "You... you mind reminding me how all this works, again?"

"Really?" Sunny groaned. "Princess Twilight and her friends used this map to track down friendship problems all over Equestria. Whenever the map detected a friendship problem, it would select the ponies best suited to resolve it, and then... well, then they'd go and solve it!" Sunny studied the hologram intently, as if expecting her own cutie mark to suddenly pop up somewhere. "We're probably the first ponies to see it in centuries."

"Well that is... fascinating." Hitch muttered. "I'm not sure if it's what we're looking for, though. We're trying to find why the Pegasai, Earth Ponies and Unicorns turned against each other. I think we can file this pretty firmly under the 'historical friendship artefacts' list... through those are usually a little more portable."

"Yeah..." Sunny murmured, still gazing down at the table in wonder. "I... I guess you're right. Come on, let's see what else - hey!"

"What?" Hitch spun around. "You know the rules, no heys without a good reason!"

"Good reason! Look!" Sunny pointed at the throne opposite her, one with three crimson apples laid into it. In the seat of the throne was a scroll with a broken seal and filled with tiny, cramped hoofwriting. Leaping over the table, Sunny seized the letter and slammed it against the table, squinting in frustration through the hologram in an attempt to read the contents.

"Oh, for... this was so much easier with a horn."

Dragging the letter off the table and pinning it to the floor, she leaned in and started to mumble, eyes straining to comprehend the thick, clumsy, barely legible script.

"Dear... Proncess? Aw, how am I supposed to read this?"

Hitch slowly approached and cleared his throat.

"Sunny?"

"What?"

"You mind?"

Sunny reluctantly backed away. As Hitch focused intently on the letter in front of him, she strode around the table, eyes widening as she realized the letter wasn't alone; each throne had a letter just like it, torn seal and all.

"There's more. Hey, you don't think - "

"Got it."

Sunny span around. "Really?"

"Please. Have you ever seen Sprout's hoofwriting? I could decipher a letter written by an angry manticore with a thorn in its paw." He cleared his throat. "You want me to read it to you?"

Sunny nodded enthusiastically, falling onto her hind legs and leaning in.

"Go ahead!"

Honesty

Dear Princess Twilight.

Ah hope this letter finds you well.

Eye hope this letter finds you well.

Ah swear this self-writing quill is playing tricks on me. Well, if it wants to play it that way, fine.

Ah hope you and Spike are doing well. Mount Everhoof is bigger than I ever dreamed, but it's mighty cold to hoof! It's always a little lonely, being so far from home, but you what Rainbow's like, wouldn't turn down an assignment if it killed her - just might, if I wasn't there to keep her on the straight and narrow. Sure is strange, being the only Earth Pony for hundreds of miles, but I guess I should have expected it, Wonderbolt Training Base and all. Lotsa fresh-faced recruits shivering in their wingsuits, I reckon more from their drill instructors than the cold. Heh, Rainbow can sure be scary when she needs to be.

Speakin' of Rainbow, she's more than got her work cut out for her! Not five minutes before we landed, all of a sudden, these nosy busypony Unicorns from the Crystal Empire start badgering her for a meeting, insisting it be kept all private and hush-hush. Course' she told me all about it the scond she was out of earshot. Apparently they want the Wonderbolt's help in excavating some old mineshaft. Offering a small fortune for it, too. I told her, Rainbow, don't you go overworking yourself now, but did she listen? Of course not. Still, if there's a mare out there who can juggle all that work and still keep her calm, it's my Rainbow.

Just between you and me, Twi, something about them just rubbed me up the wrong way. Acting all snooty-like, thinking they're better than the rest of us folk because they can cast a lotta fancy spells and read all these books in Old Ponish. You shoulda seen the look on one of their faces when I told them me and Rainbow were the Princess of Equestria's friends! Still, Rainbow says they're only here for a week or two at the most, then they'll be heading off. It's odds-on that mineshaft's just full of old tools and dust.

Ah wish you could be here, Twi. The mountain's beautiful, the snow's as white and soft as silk, and you can always find somewhere nice and quiet if you just want a moment's peace. You'd love it. Heck, you'd probably love it so much we'd have to drag you kickin' and screamin' back to Canterlot!

Give my love to Sugar Belle. I hope she's taking good care of Sweet Apple Acres. Tell her it's awful big of her to step up to the job of her like this, and that we all appreciate it. And tell Apple Bloom I hope she's doing fine, and that her big sis is always thinkin' of her. Tell Big Mac to keep a close eye on her - and make sure he ain't slacking off!

All my best,

Applejack

Generosity

My dearest Twilight,

I hope this letter finds you well, warm, and comfortable - three things I can most assure you I am not! Mount Everhoof has to be the least hospitable corner of Equestria I've ever had the misfortune to find myself in, and I assure you that if I weren't here on official Equestrian business, I would be writing this letter from the first airship back home!

However, as you requested, I've taken some time to examine the windfall the Wonderbolts have dug out of that awful mine. You know I wouldn't have agreed if you hadn't told me you needed Equestria's finest gem appraiser - you old flatterer, you. Hah! Well, you were right, these gems are like nothing I've ever seen. Oh darling, they're so gorgeous, and so clear, I could simply die!

Ahem. But, moving beyond mere appearances, these gems also have a far more unusual magical property. I'm sure you'll be able to explain it better than I ever could, but when magical energy is applied to them, the gemstones are able to conduct the magic and store it for later use. A rather useful little trick, and I'm sure we could come up with a thousand different uses for them. I asked for a few samples to send home so that you might take a look yourself, but I'm afraid I ran into a little... unpleasantness.

Unfortunately, the Pegasai - or, I should say, the Wonderbolts - are somewhat less enthusiastic about these events. I'm afraid quite a few of the Wonderbolts who entered that mine to recover the gemstones didn't make it back out. That, along with the frankly quite callous and snooty attitudes of many of the Unicorns has resulted in a little disagreement over who the gemstones actually belong too. I tried to talk some sense into Rainbow, but she wasn't having any of it. Accused me of sympathising with "my kind" over my friends! I understand she's upset, but I can't pretend that last remark didn't sting. After all the two of us have been through, I had hoped she'd be a little more level-headed.

As of now, the Pegasai - I mean, the Wonderbolts - aren't letting any of the gems leave the base. Fortunately, I was able to lay my hooves on three little jewels of those gems before things turned ugly. I'll stash them in my saddlebags before I leave, which should be in around a week or so.

I'm sure you'll have more success into making Rainbow see the error of her ways. A few strongly-worded letters should help knock some sense into her. But... could you wait until after I've left? Obviously, I feel completely safe here, but I just wouldn't want to engender any misgivings amongst the Pegasai against me until I'm safely back with all four hooves planted in Manehattan. You understand how it is.

Applejack sends her love, of course. She absolutely insisted I mentioned that. That pony is the living end of anxiety, worried the farm will spontaneously burn to the ground if she's not there, no doubt. Tell Sweetie Belle I'm proud of her, and to make sure Scootaloo doesn't break her neck doing something silly on her scooter. You know, I've always thought I worry more about that filly than her own parents. Dreadful, isn't it?

Love and best wishes,

Rarity

Loyalty

Twilight.

Yeah, I got your letter. I got the other five, too. You can stop sending them now.

I'd say I'm sorry for not having responded sooner, but the truth is I'm not. I've been completely swamped with work here, and I don't have time to respond to every letter you shoot my way. Most ponies would have taken the hint sometime around letter three, but you, you just HAD to get an answer, didn't you?

Yes, I lost my temper with Rarity. I'm sorry that I did, but I'm not in the mood to apologize, especially not after that... that whining, moralizing tone of voice she used on me. Like I was in the wrong for being upset. Like I should just shrug my shoulders, brush it off and - and deal with it.

Well, I can't. I keep going through it in my head, over and over again. I should have refused. Should have kicked their Unicorn butts back to the Crystal Empire, but I figured that wouldn't be very neighbourly of us. They gave us a bunch of blueprints and maps, and in we went. I took the rear - probably wouldn't be writing this letter now if I had taken point.

It all went fine until we reached the main cavern, the one filled with the gemstones. The way we came through caved in, barely seconds after we'd cleared it. Then we start scouting other routes out, and we find out the maps they've given us are guesswork at best. Worst of all, the whole place was coated in coal dust. Couldn't budge an inch without filling the air around you with the stuff.

Do you know what it's been like, having to write next of kin letters to families, to parents, husbands, wives, foals, to tell them what their loved ones died for? Sky Soar, choked on coal dust. Feather Bug, cave in. Shiver Wing. He was pinned under one of the support beams - the ones they just assured us were unmoveable. He was only seventeen, Twilight, and he died in there while they were safely above ground counting their haul. Want me to go on? All of my officers, they blame me for being too trusting. Maybe they just think it wasn't right, me making it out when all the others didn't. Sometimes, I wish I hadn't.

I always knew Unicorns thought they were better than us. Not all of them, fine, but enough. And these Unicorns, they just don't even hide it. They knew that mineshaft was dangerous, they knew the walls were weakened, they knew the support beams were rotting. I can't prove it. but it's written on each and every one of their faces. Just send those stupid Pegasai in, they're expendable. Always more where those ones came from, right?

I noticed you waited until after Rarity left to start packing my mailbox. Why? Were you worried I was going to have her arrested or something? Did you really think that? After all this time, after EVERYTHING we've been through, am I just a big dumb Pegasai brute to you?

Well, don't worry about it. The only ponies I'm going to be arresting are still here. All the Unicorns who lied to us so they could get their hooves on those gemstones, they're going to face justice with or without Equestria. And those gems? They're not ending up in Unicorn hooves, I don't care what it takes. And anyone who wants to try and take them is going to find out we Pegasai aren't going to be pushed around, ever again.

Signed,

Lt. Gen. Rainbow Dash

Magic

Dear Princess Celestia.

It has been so long since I've written those words, they no longer seem real. They seem foreign, strange, alien. But this time, I do not write seeking advice or comfort. I write to you to let you know that I have failed.

The Pegasai and Unicorns have broken from Equestria. The war drums of the three tribes beat once more, and I am afraid. Afraid that my foalishness, my callousness, my failure to act, has torn Equestria in three once more. Every time I walk outside, I cast my eyes to the sky, expecting to see Windigos circling above. Yet, they do not come - why? I have wondered this from time to time, but the only solution I can arrive at is that the worst is still to come.

I am left with no other option than to believe that war is on the horizon. Already, the Pegasai have begun to demand food from Equestria, threatening storms and hail should we fail to comply. The Unicorns threaten to stall the heavens above us, casting the shadow of eternal night on this land once more. Though my powers are great, I cannot best the efforts of a thousand unicorns fighting against me. I am certain these demands, though small now, will grow greater as time passes. Soon, they will grow too great to meet, and when that time comes, this land shall once more be consumed in fighting.

But through it all, I recognize a single, universal truth. Magic, though our powerful friend and ally, has come to divide us. Empower us. If the Pegasai were to lose the flight under their wings, they would be cowed. Should the spark of magic fade from the Unicorn's horn, he would shy from open war. Therefore, In my failure, I resolved to forever neuter the power of the three tribes, at least until Harmony can be restored to this land. Until Equestria is once again a land where Unicorns, Pegasai and Earth Pony foals can play together as friends, all shall be denied the magical essence of their birth.

In short, I must do the last thing I can.

I am sealing the magic of the Unicorns, the Pegasai and the Earth Ponies in three crystals struck from the gems Rarity was so fortunately able to secure, crystals I have already entrusted to her, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. Alone, the crystals are useless. When two are bought together, they are impotent. And even when three are united, they shall be of no help. The only way the magic within can be recovered, the only way magic can be restored to Equestria, is for the three tribes to set apart their differences, to embrace friendship and harmony once more.

This course of action has one, fatal defect - to be done thoroughly, we, too, must be robbed of our magic. I have studied and searched for any other possible solution, but this is the only one I could muster in the little time I have had, and I fear a full-scale conflict could break out before I have time to find one.

The loss of our magic would, of course, mean that we would no longer live the long lives we currently do. It is likely that through this, we will once again become mortal. And that - based upon your current lifespan - you would not live long.

I am so sorry. I have agonized over this decision for weeks, but as Princess, you taught me a ruler must be courageous and decisive. I no longer have any real choice - it is us, or Equestria.

I hope the hereafter is kind to you, Princess. You and your sister possess a kindness of heart and spirit I have not known elsewhere in all my years. If there is any who truly deserves eternal peace, it is you.

From the Princess of Equestria, and your ever faithful student,

Princess Twilight Sparkle

...and the Shadows Will Always Fall Behind You

There was silence across the throne room as the two ponies absorbed the words that Hitch had read aloud. A twin, identical shiver ran down both of their spines as an unpleasant sensation tightened both of their stomachs in shock.

Sunny was the first to recover, her voice little more than a hoarse whisper.

"Why?"

As she spoke, the tears began to form in the corners of her eyes, brimming at her eyelids and rolling down her cheeks freely. The Elements of Harmony, those inviolable, infallible, incorruptible heroes of her youth, had sat at this very table, had penned those very letters she had just written. As a foal, by the soft glow of her nightlight, she had read of their exploits, their heroic adventures and daring feats, saving Equestria and Friendship all in a day's work.

How could they have been the ponies responsible for the loss of Harmony? How could Rainbow Dash, the brave Pegasai who never abandoned her friends, have single-hoofedly torn Equestria in two? How could Pinkie Pie, the Element of Laughter, have failed to bring the ponies together again? How could Twilight Sparkle, the wise, even-hoofed and kind-hearted Alicorn she'd all but worshipped as a foal, have let this happen?

She'd dreamt up a fantastic tale in her mind, a saga of otherworldly invaders, of danger and strife, of sacrifice and loss, yet the letters before them, printed in black and white, proved that what had destroyed Equestria hadn't been one big monster too many. It had been... some rocks.

The idea was repugnant, repulsive. It caused her brain to reel in disbelief, that her foalhood heroes had been so ordinary, so mundane and so short-sighted to have allowed all that they had stood for disintegrate into ash over something so trivial as the rights to some magical stones. Shock quickly evaporated to anger. How could she have been so blind as to follow these ponies?

"Sunny?"

Hitch slowly approached her and laid a hoof on her shoulder. Instinctively, she jerked away from him and jumped to her hooves.

"Sunny, I... I know this isn't easy for you..."

"Really!?" Sunny surprised even herself by shouting. "You think? Congratulations, Hitch! Nothing gets past you, does it?"

"I... I didn't mean it like that. You know I didn't. What I mean is, it's okay to be upset. I mean, those ponies, you looked up to them so much."

"Yeah, so what? More fool me, I guess!"

"Sunny, you looked up to them because you thought they were ponies who cared about Equestria. Because you thought they were ponies who showed everypony how they could live in harmony and peace. And they did! Right up until her last moments, Princess Twilight gave everything to preserve Equestria as well as she could!"

"But..." Sunny hesitated. "But - but Rainbow Dash, she..."

"Rainbow Dash probably thought she was doing the right thing too. She thought she was holding those Unicorns to account, making sure they didn't get away with the wrongs they did. Sunny, was she..." He coughed quietly. "Was she any different to Sprout?"

"To Sprout?" Sunny blanched. "I guess... I mean, I guess not. But - "

"Right." Hitch breathed out. "Sunny, Sprout is an idiot. He's lazy, and a coward, and a thousand other things. But he's not evil. He can even be a good kid... y'know, sometimes. He thought he was protecting Maretime Bay from danger. Just like Rainbow Dash."

"So... so what? Rainbow and Sprout, they're the same? Is that what you're saying? Is that meant to make me feel better?"

"I didn't say that. But they're both ponies. They're not perfect, they make mistakes. But does that mean you should ignore the good and only see the bad in them?"

Sunny ground her teeth together, then hung her head.

"I guess not. I just... somehow, I wish we'd never found this place."

"Really?" Hitch sounded surprised. "I would have thought you'd see the brighter side to this."

"What brighter side?"

"Weren't you paying attention to Princess Twilight's letter?" He smirked, then tapped the letter before him. "The only way the magic within can be recovered, the only way magic can be restored to Equestria, is for the three tribes to set apart their differences, to embrace friendship and harmony once more. That's you, Sunny. The Restoration of Harmony she was talking about? You did that."

Sunny's eyes widened as she glanced from the parchment to Hitch, who flashed her a victorious grin in response.

"Where she failed, you succeeded, Sunny. You carried the torch. Just like she hoped somepony would - ugh!"

He was cut off by Sunny impacting into him with enough force to make him teeter backwards on his hooves as she enveloped him in a crushing hug, squealing with delight as his eyes bulged in shock. She remained wrapped around him for a few seconds longer before finally releasing him and stepping backwards, a shade of crimson now forming on her cheeks.

"I... thanks, Hitch. Really. I needed to hear that."

"No... no problem." Hitch waved a hoof, a slight wheeze in his voice. "Just... gimmie a heads up, next time?"

Sunny smirked in response and gave him a gentle shove. Hitch returned the gesture before his gaze drifted downwards to the collection of letters at their hooves.

"What should we do with these?"

Sunny took a deep breath. "Bring them back to Equestria. Everypony should read these letters - and not just for the historical value. Everypony should know what bought us down once - so that it never happens again."

"Some ponies won't like what's in them." Hitch pointed out. "The same way you didn't."

"Then they don't have to like it. It's the truth. Nothing can change that." She smiled sadly. "I'd love to be able to remember the Elements of Harmony as perfect, the same way they were when I was a foal, but that's just not how it is. But now, I know who they really were. They were ponies, just like me. And that's more meaningful than any fairy story I ever read."

The door to the throne room closed with a quiet thud behind the two ponies as they left. Once more, the room fell silent, subject to the solitude and tranquillity it had entertained for centuries prior.

Laughter

Hi, Twilight.

Sorry if I'm not... myself. Not a lot of things seem funny these days.

But we're trying! Me and Cheese Sandwich are making the rounds wherever we can, Cloudsdale, Skyfields, even stopped off at the Wonderbolt Academy - or what's left of it. Being an official Friendship Ambassador is hard work! Always more crowds to speak to, more hooves to shake, more lunches to attend to... well, okay. I don't mind the last one so much!

I wish I could say we're seeing the results we wanted, but the truth is most of the Pegasai seem more upset than ever. They all seem to think Rainbow has the right idea, and honestly, they do make some good points. Those Unicorns really did treat them like... well, like they were just... nothing. The streets are filled with Pegasai packing their bags and flying north, and it doesn't take much guesswork to figure out where they're going.

Of course, most of the Unicorns I get to meet to see it the other way. They think those gems should belong to them, and they think the Pegasai are just big mean bullies who are jealous they don't have any magic. It's awful, Twilight. I know I'm supposed to be looking on the positive side, but unless something changes soon, I'm worried there won't be any coming back from this. I know we - all of us - can get through this together, but there's got to be more talking, less... less of this.

Maybe you should invite Rainbow Dash to Canterlot so you can discuss a solution, together? I know it'll be hard to talk to her, but what else are you going to do? Because believe me, Twilight, ignoring this? It's the absolute worst thing you could do.

Again, give my love to Applejack. It must be hard, her and Rainbow not talking any more. I wish I'd been able to speak to her before I set off, but Big Mac told me she's not in a state to see anypony. I just hope she's taking care of herself. Oh, and Cheese Sandwich is such a gem, never seems to get tired, or angry, or upset. I just don't know what I'd do if I didn't have him by my side. Tell the Cakes I hope Lil' Cheese is behaving himself, and that we both miss him loads. We'll be back as soon as we can.

Oodles of love and big squishy hugs,

Pinkie Pie (and Cheese Sandwich)

Kindness

Dear Twilight

I hope you're holding up alright. I know it's hard, but we're all doing as well as we can, under the circumstances.

The Pegasai aren't in much of a talking mood. I've just gotten back from Cloudsdale, where Rainbow Dash was supposed to be giving a speech, and she's just - angry. I asked her to talk to me, but she just brushed me off, told me I should be ashamed of myself. I'm worried it's all too late, but I tried anyway, talked to as many ponies as I could and tried to get them to see reason, but I'm afraid I don't think I was very convincing.

I spoke to Rarity just before she left. I'm sure you can guess how she felt about being sent to the Everfree Forest, but she's putting on a brave face. Heavens know why the Unicorns decided to have their meetings in that awful place. I guess it's so the Pegasai can't fly overhead and spy on them. I wish I could say she's feeling optimistic, but the truth is, she just looks tired.

Speaking of which, I gave her the package like you asked. I opened the one you gave me, too. It's very nice. Um... what is it? It looks like a pair of crystal wings, but what does it do? Am I supposed to wear it around my neck? I guess I'll figure it all out later.

It's all happening - and all so fast. But I know you've got a final card to play, Twilight. I believe in you. Just remember, no matter what, no matter what happens or how things turn out, someday there'll be harmony again. Whenever I'm feeling down, I remember that, and that alone makes it all worth living for.

Discord sends his love. Oh, and tell Spike I'm very grateful to him for looking after the animal sanctuary while I was gone. All the little critters are doing well, thanks to him.

Lots of Love,

Fluttershy