An Upgrade in Harmony

Chapters

Chapter One: Princesses Can't Do Everything
Chapter Two: Future Glimpses
Chapter Three: Surprise Attack

Chapter One: Princesses Can't Do Everything

Princess Celestia paced around the throne room in the Canterlot Palace, her expression one of worry. Her younger sister, Princess Luna, stood nearby, watching with concern, her midnight blue wings ruffled against her body. Both of Equestria's greatest and most well-known royalty were very tense.

"Where is my most faithful student?" Princess Celestia asked her sister dully. "I sent that letter half an hour ago. Did not she read it? Was it sent to the wrong pony?"

The princess of the moon sighed. "Dear sister, we art sure the train is just a little late. Do not fret."

The taller alicorn continued to pace. "We need Twilight and her friends as quickly as possible. This issue cannot wait to be addressed."

"Relax, 'Tia," Luna attempted to reassure her. "The Elements of Harmony will come. We are both prepared well."

Celestia's naturally flowing mane was tangled and unkempt from stress. "Will the plan work?" She asked hoarsely.

Princess Luna nodded. Her horn started to emit a turquoise aura, and what looked like an old, weathered scroll levitated over to the pair, the same turquoise aura surrounding it. The scroll was set down on a table in the middle of the room. Luna trotted rather quickly over to it, standing over the scroll; it looked so innocent lying rolled up. The younger mare beckoned the other over to the table, using her hooves to unravel the old scroll-like parchment.

The princess of the sun stared at the parchment, looking it over with interest, although she had at least a hundred times before. The two rulers of Equestria had revised their plan many times before coming to a conclusive agreement. Once Twilight Sparkle and her trustworthy friends had arrived at Canterlot Palace, they could explain it to them. This by far was going to be one of Twilight's most difficult assignments... and it did not include studying.

The paper was covered in ink marks, but the mares could clearly make out words and complicated drawings. At the top, it read: The Power Ponies of Harmoony. A reluctant Celestia had agreed to that name, as her sister would be doing the most work between them both.

"Okay," Luna stated, "a few last-minute checks. Just to make sure we have everything ready," she added, seeing Princess Celestia's annoyed expression.

"We will be doing the training. Thou will be keeping watch over Equestria to check for any signs of trouble from our foes." The taller, white coated princess nodded.

"Got the morphers ready?" Luna called to her; Celestia had wandered off, looking at a nearby shelf on a bookcase.

"All set. They have all been tested by our most experienced royal guards, pegasi, unicorns, and Earth ponies alike."

A box was surrounded by a golden glow, and Princess Celestia returned to the table, setting the box down. It seemed to be made of crystal.

Luna nodded her approval. "Good. Spell-proof crystal from the Crystal Empire, we see. We are ready."

As if by coincidence, the doors to the throne room opened right as the princess of the night finished speaking. A violet coated unicorn was running up to the royal Equestrian Princesses, accompanied by another unicorn, two pegasi, and two Earth ponies. All were mares.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, Princess! The Cloudsdale weather team accidentally lost control of a water tornado, and it decided to make its way towards Ponyville..." The violet mare seemed out of breath.

Princess Celestia held up a hoof. Her pure white coat shone like silver in the sunlight. Behind her, Princess Luna had opened the spell-proof crystal box. Laid out in front of her on the center table were six bracelets. All had a black gemstone in the middle. The gemstones seemed to contain mist inside them.

"It's quite alright, Twilight. You and your friends arrived at just the right time," Celestia assured them. "We have called you here to inform you there are new villains in Equestria."

Twilight Sparkle gaped at her. The others gasped. Luna walked over to them, her hoof steps echoing throughout the palace throne room. The older princess inclined her head. Princess Luna looked at the group of six.

"It all started a few months after Queen Chrysalis was defeated by Princess Cadence and Shining Armor. Equestria grew greatly, in both size and population. As thy know, we have a new city that was constructed about a month ago, solely for Equestria: Coltland."

The cyan blue pegasus everypony claimed as Rainbow Dash nodded. "Is it a successful new place?"

Both sisters gave a small smile. "Yes, surprisingly it is," the princess of the sun answered.

"Well, if it's running successfully, I don't really see a problem here, Princess Luna," Twilight said, tilting her head ever so slightly in wonder.

"The problem is not with the city itself, it is the ponies who decided to move there," Princess Celestia explained.

She glanced over at one of the six, a pink Earth pony by the name of Pinkie Pie. Pinkie was lounging out on a black arm chair, eating over-buttered popcorn with colorful sprinkles over-flowing the round popcorn bowl. Her friends stared at her. Where the hay had she gotten an arm chair?

"Anyways," Princess Luna chimed in, breaking both the silence and the awkwardness, "Some of thy ponies who moved into Coltland act very strangely. The nights we visit our new city, many of thy citizens of the territory are still awake. The lights are still on in the last parts of the beautiful night, and we have heard whispers all over the fair city."

Since the Nightmare Night incident, the six Elements of Harmony had gotten used to the night princess' love of the use of the old Equestrian language. Twilight thought she caught her mentor rolling her eyes, but she couldn't be sure. It would make sense, however, as she had to put up with her younger sister's speech all her life; that did not count as the one thousand years Luna had been banished to the moon for.

"Oh, Ah understand, you want us to go an' investigate for ya," the orange coated cowgirl pony Applejack theorized.

"Well, not exactly 'investigate'... Luna, please bring me them," Celestia called to her sister.

Luna trotted off, coming back with the crystal box levitating beside her. She had put the bracelet-like morphers back into the box to prevent meddling, just in case something should happen. Twilight seemed rather interested.

"Spell-proof crystal, if I'm correct?" she asked her teacher.

"Correct, dear Twilight. Luna, please open it and explain."

"Certainly, 'Tia," the shorter sister replied, setting the box down on a nearby table.

The ponies all gathered around it. Luna opened the box. Inside lay six striking silver bracelets. The mist-like gemstones were actually giving off fog, as if they could sense the mares' presence. The six shorter mares gaped at them.

Finally, the other pegasus pony, Fluttershy, broke the silence. "W-what are those?" she stammered.

"These are your morphers. You will need them to level up to Ultimate form," Princess Celestia stated, as though it was as easy to understand as a simple first grade math problem. Receiving blank stares and confused head tilts, she added, "You are going to be greater heroes than Equestria has ever laid eyes upon. You will be battling for peace in the midst of war."

Rainbow Dash opened her cyan blue wings, flying up to the Princess; she stared at the alicorn with rose colored eyes. "Wait... so we'll be just, like, fighting the evil in the middle of a normal town?"

Both Princesses nodded. Twilight Sparkle walked over to them, her straight indigo mane bobbing slightly with every step she took. It seemed like years of dead silence-except for the magical unicorn's echoing hoof steps-until she reached them. When she did, she looked up at the night princess with unblinking amethyst eyes; there was no feeling in them, nor her expression. Just blank, beautiful purple eyes.

"How often would we need to fight?" Twilight asked, her expression still blank and her voice flat, as though she expected it to take a few days at the most.

"About once every day and a half, I would say," Celestia answered simply. Arguments broke out almost immediately.

"But what about my weather duties?"

"Ah can't slack off on mah farm work. The apples need to be bucked! Ah'm not usin' battlin' as an excuse to not work."

"The a-animals will b-be so l-lonely without me!"

"I have a very tight schedule; a dozen of my new dresses are due in Manehatten by Thursday! Besides, I am not the type you would call on for fighting."

"Fighting will only make everypony sad! I thought I was here to bring smiles to their faces, not let them down?"

"And what about my studying, my magic, my tests?"

Princess Luna held up a hoof. So did Princess Celestia. The objections subsided into silence.

"You will all continue your normal daily basis," Luna began. "You will just take regular breaks to battle. We completely understand your reasons for not wanting to help Equestria; we will understand still if you do not wish to do this."

Celestia bowed her head. The six silver bracelets sat gleaming innocently on the table-yet the bracelets held the mares' fates. Both princesses looked at the heroes of Equestria.

"Please make your decision."

The messy rainbow-maned pegasus in the group hesitated for a moment, then flew down to the table in front of the princesses. They smiled down at her. Rainbow Dash held out her left foreleg; a golden aura surrounded one of the six bracelets and slipped easily onto it. There was only confidence and bravery in her expression.

One by one, the other heroes stepped up to Celestia, walking back with a striking silver bracelet on their left foreleg-until only Twilight Sparkle was left. Reluctantly, she walked up to the princesses. She nodded, and the last foggy-jeweled bracelet was slipped onto her foreleg. She walked back to her friends, then, to everypony's surprise, smiled.

Turning back to the princesses of the sun and moon, day and night, she questioned, "When do we begin?"

Princess Celestia, beaming along with Luna, explained, "You will begin next week, unless a problem arises; in that case, I will send a letter. Your training will start in two days."

Princess Luna and Celestia looked at the six mares whom bared the Elements of Harmony. "Are you ready, my little ponies?"

They nodded, almost in unison. "Ready."

Author's Note

Edited. ^^ I need FEEDBACK, or this story will NEVER get better. Alright?

Chapter Two: Future Glimpses

Princess Celestia dismissed the six mares, then walked off, preparing to set the sun to make way for her younger sister's moon. Luna smiled at them one last time before she, too, walked away, her mist-like blue mane trailing behind her-leaving the other six ponies alone in the room.

Twilight Sparkle let her purple eyes travel from friend to friend, lastly setting her gaze on Applejack. The orange mare was also glancing at her faithful friends, but she and the highly intelligent unicorn weren't the only ones; it seemed like all the wielders of the Elements of Harmony were exchanging varieties of expressions. Nervousness, excitement, anxiousness, determination.

They walked out of the throne room, past patrolling royal unicorn guards, out into the growing darkness, all the while staying reluctantly silent. As they boarded the train back to Ponyville, the fast cyan-blue rainbow-maned pegasus couldn't stand it anymore.

"I can't wait to start training!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Unfortunately, she spoke a little too loudly. She quickly was given curious stares from the other Equestrians on the train, as well as her friends' glares of warning.

Rainbow Dash turned a deep shade of pink out of embarrassment, quickly taking her seat on the train by Pinkie Pie. Twilight sat on her other side, near the aisle of the inside of the not-very-crowded dessert-design based train. After setting her violet flank on the comfortable booth-like seat, she sighed.

"What do you girls think about all this?"

Rainbow immediately answered. "This is so aweso-"

"Ah think it's nice helpin' the princesses and all," Applejack interrupted.

"Yes, it is a very generous thing, but what about all the dirt?" Rarity countered.

"Never mind the dirt, Rarity, I think we might get costumes too!" Pinkie Pie told her.

That seemed to change the boutique owner's opinion, as well as lighten her mood. Fluttershy hadn't spoken. Twilight had noticed this.

"Fluttershy?" the unicorn asked. "What about you?"

The butter-yellow pegasus seemed to be in a daze. She had been staring out the window, listening to her friends' conversation. One minute everyone was talking both excitedly and uncertainly, the next, their voices were gradually growing more muffled until they were blocked out, and Fluttershy had noticed something take form in the window. She couldn't look away, nor could she hear anything but a few whispers from unknown sources.

"Fluttershy?" Twilight asked again. No reply. "Fluttershy."

As Twilight Sparkle's voice gained more urgency, the others stopped their conversation abruptly. Something was wrong, and they couldn't risk talking about what had happened earlier if their friend was in trouble. They looked at Twilight with quizzical expressions. The violet unicorn returned their gazes with worry, then turned back to Fluttershy. The shy pony hadn't moved even a millimeter.

"Fluttershy," Twilight said again. Still no response. "Fluttershy!"

"Why is she acting like a rock?" Pinkie questioned.

It was true. Fluttershy hadn't moved at all once she looked at the window, the outside growing darker and darker. Of course, the pegasus couldn't hear anything, either. Tonight was also a full moon, and stars shone brightly.

"I don't know."

Twilight waved a hoof in front of Fluttershy's face. That seemed to do the trick, as the light-pink maned mare blinked her aqua eyes and turned to her friends. At once, she was bombarded with questions, and unfortunately, she heard all of them due to getting her hearing back.

"Fluttershy, what happened?"

"Why weren't you moving or speaking?"

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Should we call a doctor?"

"She needs fresh air and water."

Fluttershy blinked again, overwhelmed by her friends' concerns. "Girls, girls, I'm completely fine. But before you start firing questions at me again," she said, looking at Twilight in particularly, "I have something to tell you that I think is important."

She paused, waiting for the others to react. Nopony spoke. They waited anxiously in silence. For Rainbow Dash, it was the worst feeling in the world; although she loved suspense movies, she completely despised it in reality.

"I saw a vision," Fluttershy stated, "in the window."

"What kind of a vision? What did you see, exactly? And what caused you to not answer us?" Rainbow Dash asked her instantly.

"I think it was a vision of the future. Once it started forming, I couldn't hear anything or take my eyes off the train window. Finally, to answer your third question, Rainbow, I saw strange creatures coming to Equestria."

There was a moment's silence. Then Twilight broke it.

"Strange creatures? I know you most likely don't know what they're called, but could you try to describe them?"

"They had no fur, no hooves, and no tails. They wore clothing and shoes, and what would be hooves to us were split up into five connected particles, all different lengths."

The knowledge-hungry unicorn gasped, almost falling off the train booth she was sitting on. Once again, her friends looked at her quizzically.

"Um... Twilight?" Fluttershy said this softly, hoping Twilight wasn't mad at her. "W-what's wrong? I didn't make you m-mad, did I?"

"No, no, no, Fluttershy. Don't think anything of the sort. You could never make me mad at you," Twilight Sparkle reassured her.

"Then why were you so shocked at my vision?"

Twilight used her magic to teleport her number one assistant, a purple and green baby dragon named Spike, to the Elements of Harmony. He looked sleepy and surprised.

"Twilight, what gives? I was having the best dream ever," Spike groaned, then stopped when he saw his friend's serious expression.

"Spike, take a letter to the princess," the unicorn stated.

The other five mares looked at her with concern. Spike got out a scroll of blank paper and a quill. He immediately started scribbling down everything Twilight said when she spoke the first word of the letter.

"Dear Princess Celestia," Twilight began, "I have important news that needs immediate attention. Please make sure you give this information to Princess Luna as well. My friends and I are still on the train back to Ponyville, and Fluttershy has just had a vision in one of the windows. I suspect it is one of the last legendary Future Glimpse windows that exist in Equestria. All the signs of it being so are accurate-not hearing anything around you, the window drawing you in until the vision fades away or another pony unknowingly interferes. The Glimpse window isn't the only important discover we have made, though. It's the vision that Fluttershy saw. Do not forget this part of the letter, for it is extremely important. My dearest mentor, something is going to happen that may change Equestria's secrets forever."

She paused. Spike looked at her, waiting for more to write down. He always knew when Twilight Sparkle was done with a letter, and he had a feeling this would be her last sentence of the note to the princess of the sun.

The indigo-maned unicorn mare took a deep breath.

"Humans are coming to Equestria, and they are coming very soon."

Author's Note

Edited. ^^ I need FEEDBACK, or it will NEVER get better.

Chapter Three: Surprise Attack

"What are humans?"

Pinkie Pie had asked the same question to Twilight Sparkle at least fifty times in the past five minutes. The unicorn stayed silent, staring out the window. The other five Elements of Harmony suspected she was in the trance the Glimpse window provided, trying to quench her thirst for more knowledge.

"Pinkie, Ah don' think Twilight's gonna answer," Applejack told the party pony.

The pink mare sighed. "I know, but it's just so suspenseful!"

"I feel ya, Pinks," Rainbow Dash agreed. "I hate suspense between my friends like this."

"Have faith, everypony," Fluttershy spoke up. "I'm sure Twilight will explain everything to us once she receives more information. She would never keep something like this from her best friends."

"Pinkie Pie is right," Rarity chimed in. "Twilight has always trusted us. There is no reason she would think us untrustworthy now."

The five mares exchanged hopeful nods and glances. The rest of the trip was ridden in a silence almost as heavy as the outside, which was beginning to glow gradually brighter in a golden light. They arrived at the Ponyville train station just as the sun's full shape was rising over the horizon.

"Twi, we're here," Rainbow Dash said, shaking her friend's shoulder.

Twilight awoke from the magical daze with a jump, then a yawn. Her eyes drooped tiredly, and her pink-and-purple-streaked indigo mane was in a ruffle, as if she had just woken up from a deep, dreamless sleep. The unicorn also looked confused.

"Wha? Huh?" she muttered drowsily.

"We're back to Ponyville, darling," Rarity explained. "When we get to the library, you can get some sleep."

"Eeyup, it sure has been a long day," Applejack agreed, nodding.

"Sleep?! No time to waste, then!" Twilight stood up on the train booth that made up the seats.

"Um... Twilight? What are you..." Fluttershy's words were cut off as the violet unicorn teleported herself out of the train. "..Doing..." the pegasus finished pointlessly.

The remaining five exchanged glances, then trotted out of the train onto the station. They shared one thought: I hope Twilight got home alright.

Twilight Sparkle reappeared in an unknown town. Although it was too early for anypony to be up, all the lights in each house down the dull cobblestone roads was on. They reflected off each other, making it look like a bright summer day. The streets were completely deserted.

Where am I? Twilight thought, looking around the area.

Then she realized what must have happened.

She wasn't concentrating enough when attempting to teleport into the Ponyville library, the place she called home. She had been very drowsy, but now, she was wide awake and aware of everything around her.

Suddenly, and without warning, all sources of light went out like a candle. The violet unicorn was also partly blinded; her eyes hadn't adjusted to the lack of light yet. She lit up her horn with her magic-that was something she had learned when she was just a little filly, and it had proved useful in many cases. This was one of those times. Unfortunately, she couldn't do much about what was happening.

Twilight was completely vulnerable to the ghostly black forms that seemed to float just above the ground. If she had lit up her horn even a second later, she wouldn't have heard the silent figures approach. But she doubted that if she hadn't lit her horn at all, the figures wouldn't have spotted her.

That was why it came as no surprise to her when they surrounded her and moved like ninjas into an attack formation. Twilight had no idea what they were planning to do, so she could only do one thing: brace herself. She did just that. Then, the dark figures attacked.

They came from all directions. Some even came from above. It all threw Twilight off-guard, allowing the figures to push her to the ground. Pain shot through one of her ears, and blood ran down her face. These weren't any ponies... these were shadow ponies, known to kill their victims slowly only to capture their souls and keep their organs. It was a sick thought that made bile rise in Twilight's throat, and she swallowed it, trying to keep her nerves and sanity.

Buck no! the knowledge-seeking unicorn thought frantically, as if her small worry would be enough to save her.

As if by coincidence, it was enough. As if her friends could hear her desperate thoughts, the other five Elements of Harmony charged head-on with the shadow ponies, their hooves echoing off the dull cobblestone streets.

Unfortunately, Twilight's strike of luck didn't last long. The shadow figures had the six surrounded in a group in under a minute. Twilight blinked open the amethyst eyes she had shut tightly, looking at her friends one by one.

"How did you know...?" she asked them curiously.

"We received a reply from the Princess, saying she would do all she could to prepare for these 'humans' that are coming," Pinkie responded, laying on the ground in a pink heap next to her, but sounding not at all burdened by the shadow ponies. "She also told us we should all start investigating Coltland. And luckily, we've all happened to have experienced what happens when a sleepy Twilight and magic mix." She giggled softly at this, trying to light up the dark mood Coltland was bringing them.

"Are we gonna die here?" Rainbow Dash whispered.

She sounded worried, scared even. That wasn't like Dash at all. The cyan blue pegasus was always known as fearless, so it came as a surprise to Twilight that she would be afraid of a bunch of shadow ponies. As they were about to get attacked again, Twilight Sparkle remembered the silver bracelets; they were still attached to each of the six's forelegs.

It was as if she had known what to do for all her life. The violet unicorn stood up, pride in her posture. She knew what to do, and she was risking everything trying it.

"Ultimate Friendship Harmony!" she shouted.

Her friends looked at her. Surprisingly, their eyes were all understanding. They stood up beside her, Twilight in the middle of the group.

"Ultimate Friendship Harmony!" they echoed.

The mist-like gems on the silver bracelets began to change color. The Elements of Harmony exchanged knowing glances. Then they shouted different things at the same time.

"Element of Magic!"

"Element of Loyalty!"

"Element of Laughter!"

"Element of Generosity!"

"Element of Kindness!"

"Element of Honesty!"

The color in the gems started to swirl. They swirled faster and faster, until all six gemstones were a blinding white light that lit up the dark town of Coltland. Then everything was still.

Author's Note

Finally, Chapter Three is here~
I'm loving this story more and more as I continue to add onto it.

Chapter Four will have Raindrops in it~